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 Lantern #5
Cover by Xermánico
I get it: the Hal Jordan and Sinestro beef is old hat at this point. Even Cain and Abel are all like, “OK, fellas, maybe take a breather.” But the thing about long-running rivalries, especially in comics, is that they can become fresh again based on the new paths and machinations of their participants. Case in point: as Jordan works through his new life with this weird Lantern ring, so too has Sinestro seemingly found new life as a wearer of the Red Lantern ring. It’s two longtime foes coming at it with fresh emotions and perspectives, each one fueled by different motivations (curiosity and anger, and even that’s sort of boiling it down rather simplistically). And while that actually story should be hella poignant, the resulting cover from series artist Xermánico is also decidedly kick-ass. It’s like the best poster for the world’s greatest air show, and yet amid all the dope explosions, we see just a hint of the new energies infusing this longstanding feud. Do I hope their actual encounter is just as epic and fiery? Yeah. But even if that’s just of the emotional variety, we’re in for one heck of a new chapter in comics’ most bitter interpersonal battle.
Spine-Tingling Spider-Man #2
Cover by Juan Ferreyra
It doesn’t need to be Halloween to enjoy a good scare. (Just ask all those people that make this the crux of their entire personality.) And, admittedly, Spine-Tingling Spider-Man isn’t just a solid bit of wordplay but a novel way to take old Web-Head out of his element and into a haunted house where he’s powerless and vulnerable. And while I do think there are other, more spooky good guys across Marvel, Spider-Man is still a great vessel for these core terrors and nightmares — especially if it’s Juan Ferreyra behind the pen. Something about a sinister, twisted Peter Parker just somehow feels more terrifying, as if we’ve lost the very best of us. The death imagery would hit pretty solidly with anyone, but with Spider-Man, there seems to be that prevailing fear and air of uncertainty that really adds to our own anxieties surrounding the hero’s long-term fate. Toss in some spider webs, and what we get is a little cheesy haunted house at your local rec center but then that’s the point. This is fear that hits you right at home, and you can’t escape just how real and visceral it feels deep down. More like, “Spooky Neighborhood Spider-Man,” amirite?!
Operation Sunshine #2
Cover by David Rubín
If you read my recent review, you’ll know that Operation Sunshine has already take a big chunk out…of my heart. Sure, vamp stories are a dime a dozen nowadays, but there’s enough layers and horror-celebrating commitment here to make it feel really inventive and novel. And so much of that ability is extended and enhanced by the art of David Rubín, and that includes this cover to issue #2. I’ve always loved Rubín’s style for balancing both a sense of realism and cartoonish joy — it’s as if a Saturday morning favorite from my youth has somehow come to new life right there on the page. And that dynamic is both compelling and a little hard to sort through cognitively, and that’s made doubly true anytime that there’s blood/viscera involved. Rubín has an unflinching approach to making things as real and horrific as possible, and I can practically feel the mist of blood spray from that dead soldier’s neck. The whole point of this stuff is to be as affecting and also over-the-top as possible, and Rubín does that here in spades. It’s a great cover that speaks to the heart of this book — which is likely to be ripped out of its chest by an especially gnarly vamp.
Lotus Land #1
Cover by Alex Eckman-Lawn
I adored writer Darcy Van Poelgeest’s work with Little Bird, and so picking up Lotus Land seems like a natural move. Especially if that book is said to be a “thought-provoking look into the human condition, set in a dystopia that’s as grounded as it is metaphysical.” And while I don’t know what that means just yet in terms of the story proper, we get a nice preview of sorts with this cover to #1 from Alex Eckman-Lawn. There’s certainly some metaphysical vibes across this piece — everything feels hazy and like a dream. (I’m sure hoping that 70-story man is a dream, or future Vancouver is in for bigger problems than any fallout from a dystopia.) But mostly I love the attention to detail, and the way all that light pours off the page — it makes it feel like we’re about to watch some vintage drama or something. All together, those energies infuse the story with a bit of grace and mystery, and it removes it from the heft and grit of some dystopia stories into a realm of more playful romance. I can’t say yet if that’s reflected in the story, but given Van Poelgeest’s own background, I expect a truly multifaceted experience of horror and affirmational vibes.
The Prism #2
Cover by Matteo De Longis
Y’all ever seen Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem? It’s basically about an extraterrestrial pop band that’s rescued from even alien foes, and it’s essentially one long visualizer for Daft Punk’s excellent Discovery album. Now if you want the comics version of that (all anime-esque goodness without that needless sound and movement), you can just pick up The Prism. I mean, this story actually features the band as the world-saving heroes (so more like the Impossibles, yeah?), but the same dynamic remains: dope sci-fi and cool rock stars. All of that pop culture malarkey swirling immediately through my head is why I had to pick this cover to issue #2. I love the vaguely organic quality to the suit; the grit and “ugliness” to this realm; the expert use of gravity; and even that it looks as if the guitar has some kind of rocket and/or wings. It all adds to my own weird way of processing this cover, and the ideas and energies that swirl around one decidedly basic but nonetheless super effective image. If you can play with culture and history in such a powerful way (and with grace and subtlety), you can really effect people — even if that’s mostly just one random guy who’s seen both Interstella and Impossibles.
The Ministry of Compliance #1
Variant Cover by Ryan Sook
Back in late September, I got the chance to talk to writer John Ridley about The Ministry of Compliance. And among the many gems and insights he shared during our brief but inspiring chat, there was this notion that our hero, Avigail Senna, isn’t just a proper bad-ass but some who commands a room in a very specific way. That she doesn’t just take people’s heads off with actual swords, but she has the kind of prowess and authority to draw people around her in some interesting and important ways. That’s effectively what this Ryan Sook variant cover has demonstrated in stunning efficiency. Because, sure, those men on the ground are clearly dead/dying, but their faces also indicate some level of amazement — as if even at the end of their personal timelines they can’t help but recognize Avigail’s grace, poise, and determination. And Avigail herself looks pretty good for someone who just chopped through a bunch of dudes; she remains clean and stylish, sure, but also there’s something that draws you to her amid all the chaos/carnage. She’s a damn fine protagonist, and the primary reason (among a sea of ’em) that you’ll get sucked into this book.
Fantastic Four #13
Cover by Alex Ross
Doctor Doom is a very serious man — who also happens to be stuck in what’s effectively a tin can. That dynamic feels really powerful in understanding the character. Why else would a genius, magic-wielding despot continually struggle with overcoming his shortcomings in order to achieve his goals? Giant tin can. It’s a personality trait that lends itself to not only great storytelling, but moments of absolute absurdity where Doom is still very much seen as a capable foe. And, yes, that includes in the latest Fantastic Four, where as two worlds (one of man, one of dino) clash in celestial chaos, Doom rides a Doom-a-saurus Rex. Are these, like, variants of one another who found each other? Did Doom outfit a dino with his own armor in order to make a truly worthy steed? Is there a saddle involved, or is he just straight barebacking it all the way? And just how do you make armor like this for a dinosaur, and then get it on said beast? As if all those stupid questions weren’t providing me enough joy, we must remember that this is Alex Ross, a man who has redefined superheroes with new drama and poise, drawing a Doom-a-saurus Rex. Comics is a very weird and wild place, and I love it more each and every day.
Outsiders #1
Variant cover by Christian Ward
I’ve been digging the work of Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing on Guardians of the Galaxy, and so I was more than jazzed when the duo were set to tackle a similar team for DC in Outsiders. (Similar in that both groups have shifted over time and sometimes play unique roles depending on who the creative team is at any given time.) While there’s a few great artists already attached — Robert Carey on interiors, Roger Cruz and Adriano Lucas on the main cover — it’s the Christian Ward variant cover that I want to talk about briefly. Specifically, I love what he’s done here to try and speak to us about what this book might be about and/or ultimately try to accomplish. The heft and bulk of Batwing, which could be a chance to further extend this character. The weird magic/interdimensional happenings, which speaks to this book’s decided bent toward the realm of Planetary. Even the ever mercurial look on Batwoman, which says to me that we can expect new layers to this already complicated hero. It may not fit with the larger aesthetic of this book, but this cover feels like a proper beacon for what’s to come, and a sign of this book’s larger value. And anytime we have an Outsiders book, I’m mostly just a happy camper.
Dutch #0
Cover by Nathan Fox
What’s Joe Casey doing mucking about with the past? He recently revisited his own early days by launching a sequel to Butcher Baker the Righteous Maker. Now, he’s leapt into the filing cabinet of Image Comics’ past for a prologue story from one of that publisher’s unsung “golden age” heroes, Dutch. Whatever it is, I’m all for this nostalgia trek across comics if it results in really great covers from story artist Nathan Fox. Sure, if you cover just about any comic hero in enough blood you’ll instantly have my attention, but there’s also so much more here than proper gore. Like, the look on Dutch’s face — certainly it screams quiet rage and determination but there’s also a hint of quiet joy, and that scares me as much as it generally makes me deeply interested. Even more than that, I love that this image feels like a total turn from the what I know of Dutch (admittedly limited) while also doubling (maybe tripling?) down on that sheer violence. It takes the more playful ’90s energies and makes them something else entirely — something very Casey-esque and also a tad unsettling. If this is what more nostalgic explorations could uncover, all this retro-mania might not be a bad thing.
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