Most comic book fans have a solid idea about what they’re going to buy every week as they descend upon their local comic shop. With that said, there’s still a lot of fun to be had just glancing at the week’s new releases and taking a chance on a book that looks promising, funny, scary, etc. That’s where covers come in. A fantastic image can make the difference between trying something new or saying, “Nah, not this week.”
In that spirit, here are the covers that captured our attention this week, with entries from comics editor Chris Coplan. This is Judging by the Cover.
Green Arrow #5
Cover by Phil Hester and Ande Parks
I get that, at this point in the DCU’s long history, time travel and multiversal shenanigans aren’t anything new. But when you have a street-level hero like Oliver Queen encountering his past and future selves — especially in a battle to see who actually gets to go home — then all that gimmickry feels all the more important and impactful. Especially when you consider that Green Arrow has had a lot of different “phases” over the years — he’s had more or less of a political bent, and different wards (or not), and even just a general outlook on his role in society and the superhero community. That added layer makes this coming confrontation feel really powerful, and artists Phil Hester and Ande Parks have expertly captured that in this cover that exudes not the usual cheesy joy of some time travel stories but a subtle anger. There’s almost a sense of release to this cover — like the Olivers get to really confront the best and worst parts of themselves and explore who this man is at his very uneven core. It’s going to be a showdown for the ages, and while the winner remains to be seen, I’m pretty sure we’ll be entertained all the same.
Captain America #2
Cover by Jesus Saiz
Across the comics, Captain America and Spider-Man have forged a really compelling relationship. (Despite what the movies may have shown.) They are, at their cores, mostly the same: two pretty good fellas from New York thrust into utterly bizarre circumstances, trying to do the most right they possibly can with the tools they have (which ain’t just super strength, folks). And so when the duo team up once more in the new Captain America series, we get a really sweet moment like this from artist Jesus Saiz. Not only does it make me feel 10 kinds of star-spangled awesome, but it has a few more layers involved. Like, their eternal connection and the seamlessness of their dynamic (despite, as their “swinging posture” emphasizes, how they’re still quite different). Or, their sustained link to and work in the Big Apple, and just how much that place serves as a kind of lingua franca for their adventures together. Even the sheer sense of hope this pairing demonstrates, as if a giant man-spider and an ageless super soldier working together feels very optimistic and patriotic without bashing us over the head with all those sentiments. Cap-der-Man (Captain Spider?) are a proper MCU tag team, and I can’t wait to see how their relationship further evolves.
Universal Monsters: Dracula #1
Cover by Martin Simmonds
Maybe I’m just a grouch, but I for one wasn’t sure I could take another Dracula story. Really, vampires in general are reaching a point of cultural over-immersion, but the King of Vamps especially just feels super indicative of how vampires are becoming like bacon in the larger cultural canon/conversation. But if it’s a Dracula story told by the creators of Department of Truth, then maybe I’ll have to invite him in one last time. Especially as it seems that James Tynion IV and Martin Simmonds are sticking to a pretty direct interpretation of the Dracula story, especially as evidenced by Simmonds’ own cover to #1. There’s the usual overt drama and intensity to Simmonds’ efforts, and that works really well here in capturing the lord of all monsters. At the same time, though, there feels like an even greater measure of control, as if Simmonds has shifted his approach to capture some moment in clear light and foster even more humanity in Dracula’s depiction. The end result is really effective, and it highlights something essential about Dracula while hinting at new ideas and notions to his status in this book. I may be on vamp overload, but this one doesn’t suck so far.
Edenwood #1
Variant cover by Ryan Stegman
First and foremost, I’m here for a Tony S. Daniel solo series almost any day of the week. That said, I’m a tad concerned that there’s a pretty layered story here. As if a tale about “multiverse wars between demons and witches” wasn’t enough, the book’s solicitation mentions a “witch war council,” the “battle pits NECRONEMA,” and a history dating back to the 1700s. Now, that doesn’t mean Daniel won’t pull it off — rather, this one just might need a little help to convince people to put in the work and also give them a proper crunchy snapshot beforehand. Cue this awesome variant cover from Ryan Stegman, who pretty much boils the book down to “Badass warrior dude driving a sick motorcycle through endless explosions.” Sure, it’s a dramatic oversimplification of the story that Daniel has thoughtfully cooked up, but it mostly works as a sweet little preview — like if the first production of Macbeth had been smart enough to make poster with super bloody hands or something. It’s my hope that if we know there’s action galore, that Daniel’s story has the passion and oomph to fill it all out with a generally compelling world. Just keep “motorcycle explosions” near the top of your mind.
Gone #1
Variant cover by Peach Momoko
It feels like we’ve been talking about DSTRLY for a few years now. But we’ve finally arrived at our first proper series from the collection of superstar creators, as Jock goes it alone for Gone. In it, young teen Abi wants to try and escape life on some “impoverished and distant planet” only to end up “branded as a saboteur” in tale about betrayal and how “nothing is farther away than…home.” While Jock’s own art for the series is great, I think there’s a few different reasons I opted for this Peach Momoko variant cover. For one, I think it shows how stacked the whole DSTRLY roster is, and that this kind of collaboration is going to be a really vital part of the line’s sustained success. But even without that, I think Momoko just nails all those ideas and concepts in a really innocent and compelling manner — exploring this disconnect and searching for solid ground in a way that plays up their most universal potential. Plus, there’s just a certain tinge of life and romance here that plays nicely with what we’ve seen of the actual story. It’s a cover that speaks to the series all on its own while connecting back in the very best ways. Please, much more of this, DSTRLY team.
Kill More #2
Cover by Max Fuchs
I’ve been a big fan of Kill More since I got the first issue some time ago. (#HumbleBrag.) And while I really love Scott Bryan Wilson’s compelling story about a town overtaken by serial killers, and the comparisons and connections with our own current slate of woes, it’s really Max Fuchs that dazzles the most for me. His art, be it the covers or the interiors, continue to capture this really intense and vivid sense of humanity while also coming off comical and a little unsettling. This cover to issue #2, especially, nails this dynamic — it’s something that pokes all the best parts of the brain and gets you thinking about the book’s core tentpoles. Which is to say, our relationship with these people (killers, cops, average citizens, etc.) and what that might say about how we perceive ourselves and the state of a world grappling with inequality and massive societal shifts. This piece isn’t just vivid and engaging in its detail and scope but it poses some vital questions and offers moments of contemplation for the story ahead. Your reaction will inform how you consume and absorb this book, and it’s really a powerful little device in an already compelling book.
Action Comics #1058
Cover by Steve Beach
There’s not a lot of things that scare Superman, but the events of Action Comics #1,058 strike deep at those very terrors. Thanks to some shenanigans from Norah Stone, Clark Kent finds himself totally powerless — and just when “an impostor tyrant Superman” is unleashed across Metropolis. So, yes, this Steve Beach cover depicts that very terrifying moment for the (former?) Man of Steel, and it does a damn fine job of crafting the imposter Supes as a proper big bad. I also like that, even without his powers, there’s a bravery and steadfastness to Clark (which, if you’ve got a perfect chin of stone like that it only makes sense). At the same time, though, I think the horror-esque influences of this piece also hint at some novel idea: in this moment, Clark is just like the rest of us. He’s facing a man who could rip him apart in an instance, and thus he’s connecting to that humanity he’s so keenly interested in, and doing so in a way that feels decidedly sinister for the first time. It’s an utterly compelling piece, and something that speaks volumes about Big Blue in some deeply inventive ways.
Uncanny Avengers #3
Cover by Javier Garron and Morry Hollowell
It feels like there’s a lot of serious things happening right now at Marvel. That could just be stuff with a new Avengers editor, and the continued end of the current era of X-Men — regardless, it’s fostered a lot of big emotions and ideas around the publisher’s many titles. But as a reminder of the humor and hijinks that also exist in the Marvel Universe, there’s this excellent Javier Garron and Morry Hollowell cover to Uncanny Avengers #3. The solicitation itself promises blood and grenades (the actual kind but also the metaphorical variety to boot), but it’s really hard to focus on anything beyond the gaping hole in Deadpool’s body. And, yeah, I get it — Deadpool being mutilated isn’t anything new (which makes Rogue’s whole reaction doubly hilarious). But then maybe that’s the point: the more things change and evolve in this universe, the more they stay the same. That, no matter what happens to these characters, Deadpool’s exploding body gimmick will always be a weird mix of humorous and disgusting, and that consistency is important to connecting with this universe and it stories. Sure, it’s business as usual for everyone, but that can be important as new and strange tales continue to be spun out of these characters’ weird, weird lives.
Drive Like Hell #1
Cover by Alex Cormack
Much like with vampires, I’ve also seen way, way too much to do with cars. I mean, we’re at, like, the 111th Fast and Furious film, and people still demand more car-nage. But in terms of really giving it to the people, I think Drive Like Hell could be just as satisfying. Rich Douek and Alex Cormack have joined forces for a story about a couple, one last job before escaping their life of crime, and some supernatural shenanigans that’ll rightly complicate this story from the realm of, say, Smokey and the Bandit. And it’s that supernatural element that has me most excited, as Cormack’s cover to #1 really picks up on that quite nicely. The demonic looking car aside, this cover portrays car crashes like a proper body horror flick, and that feels both really novel and inventive while connecting nicely with the larger tone of this story. I mean, even the oil (or whatever that is) looks a tad like blood and/or demonic blood, and that really makes this deeply unsettling. Still, that’s a nice feeling as we’re staring down our 1,135th car story and trying to connect with it beyond the spectacle of it all. I hope there’s more car-nal action in the story proper, but this certainly revs the old engine, as it were.
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