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.
Godzilla: War for Humanity #3
Cover by Andrew MacLean
I get that the concept of Godzilla isn’t exactly new or novel at this point. Massive atomic lizard comes around to blow up equally gross monsters with atomic breath and sweet dropkicks. But Godzilla: War for Humanity adds a wrinkle of sorts by giving us a character who tries to prove Godzilla’s true goodness and sense of justice — even as the process promises to test her own morals and mettle. So, what’s that have to do with this cover to issue #3 from writer Andrew MacLean? Well, for one it just looks dope as heck — if you’re trying to prove how much of a hero Godzilla truly is, an epic pose like this sure helps. But also, I think it gives a nice scale and perspective to what the big guy actually does, and how it’s easy to mistake wanton destruction and heroics when everyone’s this big, scaly, and prone to outbursts of nuclear fire. Which is sort of a nice analogy for our own decidedly human experiences: it’s easy to break stuff when trying to do good, and the way through is just to sort of make it through and do the best you can in the name of protecting/helping innocents. At least that’s what I got from this cover — some of y’all just might see a giant lizard.
Spine-Tingling Spider-Man #3
Cover by Juan Ferreyra
I’d mentioned before that I think Spine-Tingling Spider-Man is novel — who doesn’t want to have an extended blast of Halloween delight so close to Christmas? But I think there’s more that I appreciate about the book. Namely, in a story where ol’ Web-Head is stuck in a “haunted house,” having Mysterio as the culprit makes a ton of sense. But as issue #3 demonstrates, Quentin Beck may not be the cause of Spidey’s woes (this time around!), and that makes the cover all the more compelling. Because this singularly unsettling moment sort of speaks to why Mysterio is such a great foe — he sucks Spidey in every dang time, and he becomes this source of great dread and obsession like few others in the hero’s rich rogues gallery. Plus, it makes him feel like a proper threat in a way that goes beyond his mental abilities, and I like that we’re getting a chance to reconsider Mysterio and Spidey’s “relationship” (even if Mr. Beck truly isn’t the one pulling the strings). And, if nothing else, this is a primo example of my long-held belief that the best Spidey is the one often in locked in a proper struggle.
Wonder Woman #4
Cover by Daniel Sampere and Tomeu Morey
Batman sees us at our worst, Superman sees us at our best, and Wonder Woman sees us for who we are right now. At least that’s always been my train of thought — Diana is of a background and a perspective where hope is good and all, but it’s only what you do with it in any given moment that seems to define a person. And so this series has started to ask just what kind of future exists for Diana in a world without this hope, and a world where maybe we’re revealing something darker about ourselves collectively. That’s what this cover expertly captures: what Diana symbolizes for a world that’s clearly lost the plot. Her shining status takes on an almost depressive tinge here, as if who she is and what she represents aren’t exactly in line with where we’ve landed. And in that sense, we don’t just see how far we’ve fallen, but what Diana represents in this “new” world — an ideal that we can no longer live up to, and a sense that the world has abandoned her simple values for something altogether more complicated. Diana, then, becomes this profound commentary on a people who’ve chosen something new and poisonous, and the dynamic morality that carries with it. She is a mirror for the world, and that carries big responsibilities beyond her elite colleagues.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #146
Cover by Vincenzo Federici
At first glance, the sheer mind-smashing levels of nerdy awesomeness should be all you ever need from this cover. I mean, stoic Turtle — likely Donatello given that this issue focuses on him and Armaggon’s origins — carrying what’s basically a g-d lightsaber. (For legal reasons that’s clearly not what it is but don’t you dare tell me the Star Wars theme didn’t start up in your head almost immediately). But the image here somehow becomes even cooler and more valid when you place it in the context of the ongoing “Road to 150” event/celebration, and how that whole shebang is going to be a powerful moment in TMNT history as well as the culmination of years of work from writer Sophie Campbell and the rest of the creative team. As such, this “simple” cover becomes line a pulse on the current-day TMNT, and how this is just one highlight in the four remaining issues. Like, if this singular moment isn’t even in the penultimate issue or whatever, what else can they do? Maybe a dual-wielding Michelangelo?! Or, like, a Leonardo/Darth Maul fusion?! The sky’s the limit (not really), and I love the nerd magic these simple but hugely effective moments provide. Keep it coming!
Creepshow #4
Variant cover by Nick Dragotta
Did anyone else grow up hearing some version of, “It’s not what you do, but how you do it”? Which I always assumed was a lesson in quality and commitment but just as easily could pertain to art and this idea that it’s about being novel over being the first (or even the “best”). I think that second version is clearly something that Nick Dragotta heard, and he’s applied it to even the variant cover for his own issue/showcase as part of the generally great Creepshow title. Because, sure, this creepy butcher screams “bootleg Tales from the Crypt,” but it’s also so much more. Dragotta’s own “fiend/ghoul” is decidedly more intense and terrifying — I think it’s the way his teeth are framed, or the way his hump looks/feels sort of like a festering pimple. Or, that he adds some real terror with that wailing head that nicely offsets the offerings that were clearly pulled from an otherwise cheesy haunted house. Even the text and the color of the background wall just add heaps of filth and nihilism to the proceedings. It’s a picture that leans into the realm of cheesy horror but does so with a passion and deliberateness that makes it more unsettling than whatever shred of whimsy might exist otherwise. Plus, more Halloween in December is a good thing, yeah?
Hunt for the Skinwalker #4
Cover by Martin Simmonds
Admittedly, I haven’t had an overwhelmingly positive experience in reading Hunt for the Skinwalker. It’s not bad, per say, but I do think that it’s felt overburdened in maintaining its non-fiction roots, and that’s lost a lot of the inherent drama and excitement of what should be a really simple but effective story of invading aliens. But, we’re on the fourth and final issue, and maybe this is when the book can nail that balance and give us a proper finale. At least I feel that semi-optimistic given this main cover from Martin Simmonds. For as disturbing and horrific as he often depicts humans, Simmonds has made our alien friend here seem both oddly cute and almost inviting. (Again, for a squishy-skinned fiend ready to destroy our livestock.) But more than all the friendly/decidedly chill vibes, Simmonds’ piece gives me exactly what I want: an alien story with plenty of deeply personal drama. It’s a moment that speaks to what these stories really represent, and how they’re most effective as some deeply personal allegory for larger concerns and societal woes. It remains to be seen if the book and cover align — especially since this cover is decidedly more menacing than what we’ve gotten thus far. But hope springs eternal, and I’m ready for our alien visitors to truly and finally touch ground.
Green Lantern: War Journal #4
Variant cover by Montos
Across its first three issues, Green Lantern: War Journal has been about both celebrating and evolving John Stewart. It’s been a process of exploring what makes Stewart so compelling (his devotion to life, his general passion for family, his unbreakable will, etc.) even as he faces new challenges to grow and extend his place in the Lanterns and the universe at-large. And part of that has been to play around with the Stewart of another universe (depicted here), who is effectively the most powerful Lantern ever. Can John “live up” to that image (and does he even have to?) What makes these two Johns so similar and yet so different? This cover (from series artist Montos) doesn’t just show the Other John in all his glory and power but it also defines that which is universally true across all Johns — the soldier’s heart and strength to defend the weak/innocent. The fact that this John makes it all look so easy is perhaps a lesson for our John, or maybe even a hint at his own arc. Either way, this cover and this book nail it and then some.
Astonishing Iceman #5
Cover by Jesús Saíz
I’ve been around the nerd block enough to know that death isn’t the end for any superhero. (Except for maybe Rockslide, and even that remains to be seen, right?) So when we see Bobby Drake in literal pieces, my first thought is, “Well, he’ll totally melt down, reform into one piece, and then be even better than ever.” And that would certainly help him against the Orchis if we had an Iceman “rebirth” in time for this “ultimate showdown.” Yet there’s something here to this Jesús Saíz cover that makes me feel something else could happen. Maybe it’s that slight look of acceptance on Drake’s face, or that slightly crown-esque point to his “ice hair” — these things together make it feel as if Drake has fully and graciously accepted his fate. He’s ready to accept whatever a “loss” might mean, and there’s a kind of grace and dignity to that decision-making process. Sure, it’s not really the end (the comics gods won’t allow it!), but it’s nice to see the real kind of hero Drake is when he accepts real things like loss and death with such valor and dedication. That’s why he’s really astonishing, folks.
Animal Pound #1
Variant cover by Yuko Shimizu
For one, I love that Animal Pound just owns the whole idea that it’s a modern comics version of Animal Farm. (The solicitation uses the language of “enduring Orwellian allegory.”) Because once you get that whole business out of the way, then you can focus on doing something novel and inventive in this story of an animal uprising. Case in point: this really excellent variant cover from Yuko Shimizu. For one, it really leans into the whole “let’s show how depressing animals have it” with a truly savage and heartbreaking moment that feels like it might be an exaggeration, but given the nastiness of humanity, may not be at all. But just in case you think this isn’t about sweet, sweet revenge, the bear here clearly has powers/is possessed, and they’re about to make trapped in barbed wire feel like a warm day on the beach in Mexico to all these hairless ape morons. And in that way, the cover really leans into the whole gimmick of the title, but in a way that feels decidedly savage while mitigating some of the subtle socio-political messaging for a moment of ruthless truth telling. Whatever else comes next better be one-third as purposeful and unsettling, or I’ll be sadder than this here kitten.
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