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.
Batman #139
Cover by Jorge Jiménez
There’s no denying the recent events across Batman have been a little intense. But after some dueling personalities, and the mayhew of the “Gotham War,” we’re entering more familiar territory: Batman versus Joker. This chapter will bring a new, more brutal spin to this age-old rivalry, as Batman sets out to conquer his foe without the support of his family (but not entirely alone…) And so this Jorge Jiménez cover to issue #139 accomplishes a lot of important functions. For one, it shows you how important visceral the Batman vs. Joker dynamic is, and how there’s so much fear and rage packed into even the most “simplistic” of depictions. That tendency is very much dynamic as this cover hints at some new level of depravity and violence as the two “combatants” each enter this encounter with a batch of fresh mental and physical scars. It’s just a perfect snapshot of the dark, seedy magic that’s created when you revisit this pairing from time to time. (Anyone else think that bloody street seems to go down for miles and miles, as if the city is somehow flooded?) And the fact that it reminds me a touch of the Arkham games is only an added bonus — this is going to be another bloody great chapter.
X-Force #46
Cover by Daniel Acuña
As someone who’s got a complex and mostly underwhelming relationship with their own brother, I get the whole thing between the brothers Rasputin. Piotr feels violated by his sibling, and Mikhail is a jerk (but there’s perhaps a larger reason behind his manipulations). And so this cover from Daniel Acuña feels really powerful in a rather singular way — it captures that raw, Cain versus Abel energy in a massive way. You could almost see this hanging up in some exhibit for Renaissance-era paintings about famous betrayals or whatever. And yet there’s something more here than a dramatic encounter. The exaggerated nature of this cover feels almost romantic and/or joyous in nature, and that adds a new layer to the brothers’ dynamic. It certainly doesn’t diminish the seething rage emanating from the page, but it does spin in new understandings and perceptions in a way that feels super subtle but doubly effective. It’s the kind of lowkey but impactful creative decision-making that lets the audience understand the moment in several ways and then make up their own minds. It’s easy to pit two brothers against each other in bloody combat, but it’s another to make it feel this nuanced and complicated.
Petrol Head #1
Cover by Pye Parr
A few weeks back, we told you all about Petrol Head, a story of robot racing at the end of the world from Rob Williams and Pye Parr. At one point, Williams said that what makes this book novel among dystopian stories is the “funny, high-paced, exciting, joyful tone,” adding that “Pye’s colors do a lot of the heavy lifting.” And that couldn’t be more clear based almostly solely on just Parr’s cover to issue #1. You’ve got the expert recreation of either dusk at the Grand Canyon and/or what happens when you drop an atomic bomb at or near the Upper Rim. And it’s not just the colors, either — the tires, for instance, feel like they might peel off the page, and that does a lot for that wonderfully frenetic tone/quality. The fact that there’s robot cars and a robot driver, and they’re somehow perfectly “normal,” just speaks to the sheer intensity and excitable intention that informs every pixel. If anything, I think all of that uber bright color and sci-fi/dystopian vibes do a solid job of humanizing those bots, which very much feels like an important idea or concept in the actual story. Get behind the wheel and see if you can handle this mean machine of comics might.
Captain Ginger: The Last Feeder #1
Cover by June Brigman
This year marks the fifth anniversary for AHOY Comics. Everyone’s favorite jokesters have a few big projects in the works, and we may have some insight down the road (more on that later…) But in the meantime, we’ve got the first of a two-issue return story from Captain Ginger, the space-faring humanoid cat that feels like AHOY’s unofficial mascot and one of their most robust series. And that means more great art from the likes of June Brigman, who gives us another solid cover entry from this weirdly serious, seriously weird story. There’s the drama and majesty you’d associate with most sci-fi tales like this, and yet it’s also cutesy animals. The intensity and the frivolity clash head on, and what we’re left with is something that feels really familiar and engaging but that somehow makes us second guess certain things, which seems like the point of any halfway decent sci-fi story. It’s a dynamic reflected in other “cheesy” titles like Doctor Who, but this book takes it to a new and wonderful extreme. I get that it’s not exactly the most majestic of decisions, and that it feels like 1,000 other similar books. But then that’s the point, and it’s about subverting as much as it is celebrating tropes. Welcome back, captain!
Zawa + The Belly of the Beast #1
Cover by Michael Dialynas
And speaking of interviews with awesome creators, we also explored Zawa + The Belly of the Beast, the “post-apocalyptic cottage-core fairytale” from writer-artist Michael Dialynas. Aided by two siblings, the story follows the guardian spirit Zawa as she leaves behind her life of eating trash (which only fosters an “existence of paranoia and destruction”) for new, more environmentally-sustainable adventures. And while this image feels pretty on the nose in terms of that premise — you can feel her hair almost fading into the ether as she eats frozen garbage snacks — there’s still so much more here. The way the garbage feels both appropriately grimy and yet nonetheless whimsical. The child-like nature of Zawa with just a hint of something older and grander. Even the choice of font that balances “1990s Nickelodeon show” and “edgy indie comic.” All of it together paints a varied picture, and informs something deeper and more playful (and maybe just a tad more serious/sinister) to this book. And that’s what you want out of these fables: something for everyone to learn and grow in new understandings. That, and maybe a giant battle on a trash mound?
Dark Spaces: The Hollywood Special #3
Variant cover by Dani
When I spoke with Scott Snyder over the summer, I got a really great understanding of the Dark Spaces “universe” he’s cultivating at IDW. That certainly includes this idea that telling these kinds of pseudo-anthology stories is often about choosing your collaborators. Which is to say, the right creators can engage with a story and create some really compelling things that may not share aesthetics but feel united around bigger ideas/emotions. That feels very much true of this awesome Dani cover to Dark Spaces: The Hollywood Special #3. It’s not really in the vein of the work in the story proper (from artist Claire Roe and colorist Jordie Bellaire), and yet there’s a cohesion of sorts thanks to the way the pillars of horror and glamour seem to interact. That, and Dani’s piece adds a nice new sheen to this twisted slice of old Hollywood magic — as if we can see this “facade” breaking down in front of our eyes in a way that’s more deliberate and forceful than the story itself. (Which maybe hints at something about this specific, rather essential issue?) All around it’s just a really great addition to this already great story, and more proof of the thought and energy being poured into this series across the board.
Thanos #1
Variant cover by Phil Noto
I’m a little surprised there isn’t already an ongoing Thanos series. Even before the whole MCU thing rocketed him into the supervillain stratosphere, Thanos was a proper big bad. And this series (from Christopher Cantwell, Luca Pizzari, and Ruth Redmond) is bound to be a great reason why Thanos is a proper series star, as he heads to Earth to do battle with the Illuminati. That’s exactly what this Phil Noto variant cover captures — the sheer badassery of Thanos going toe-to-toe with the greatest of the Marvel Universe. Does anyone else think this whole thing looks like a James Bond movie poster crossed with, like, Logan’s Run or something? Or, that it is right up there with the star-studded treatment Thanos and company got from the actual MCU titles? If nothing else, then, at least the sheer coloring and the overall line works is packed with depth and power, this singularly great depiction for a villain that’s finally get more of the treatment he deserves. It’s also solid proof that you don’t need a ton of razzle dazzle when it comes to Thanos, and there’s basic ideas and artifacts to play with that add to his power and potential. Either way, the more Thanos, the better, folks.
Birds of Prey #3
Cover by Leonardo Romero and Jordie Bellaire
I think most of us can agree that the new Birds of Prey book is really great. And there’s 109 different reasons as to why, but at least 27 of those have to do with the art from Leonardo Romero and Jordie Bellaire. Let’s get the obvious thing right out of the way: the placement of Wonder Woman’s lasso. It’s perfectly framed around Black Canary, which indicates this is mostly her book (without taking away from the importance of her cohorts) while hinting at something that might happen to her in this issue as the team team make landfall on Themyscira. And beyond that, there’s so many other truly great instances and tidbits: the way they nail the specific feel and tone of Batgirl via her stance; the force and power of Barda; how Wonder Woman is featured without making her the actual star; and another solid depiction of a serious Harley Quinn (again, without taking away from her unique chutzpah by featuring the hammer). Even the specific hue and tone makes me think of some pulp-y war book, and that feels mostly novel considering this book’s whole scope. It’s a seemingly “pedestrian” moment that’s anything but, and a proper snapshot for why this team continues to dominate so early on.
Transformers #2
Variant cover by Afu Chan
Do I think that writer-artist Daniel Warren Johnson and colorist Mike Spicer have done a bang-up job with Transformers so far? Yes, it’s a solid new entry in this massive canon, and one made for non-faithful to make their proper entry. But am I also a tad surprised that their dynamic (the slightly chaotic, brimming with frenentic life) works so well with the Autobots and Decepticons? Sure. But I think it’s ultimately proof that it’s about finding artists you wouldn’t associate with big budget, robot-heavy properties to come in and blow our minds. Case in point: Afu Chan’s variant cover to #2, which feels a tad more “polished” than the series proper, and yet it feels properly in line in terms of the sheer intensity and vividness of it all. That, and I keep thinking his transformation depiction feels really organic and real, and that somehow makes me feel more connected than even when I owned the toys and transformed Optimus myself. It’s a feeling and trait that just speaks to everything great about this book and what it’s actively inspiring in a suite of great creators. The more this book can innovate and still comfort long-time fans, the bigger splash it’ll inevitably make.
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