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 #8
Cover by Sean Izaakse
Among the various generally great things about the ongoing Green Arrow run, writer Joshua Williamson has continually dug into rich DC roster for some guest stars/villains. And with issue #8 that includes Onomatopoeia, who provides a more “grounded adventure” after Oliver Queen’s journey across space and time. But I love Onomatopoeia because his whole gimmick leaves lots of room for interpretation even as it can feel a little specific in its intentions. Luckily, artist Sean Izaakse has come up with something really great, and it feels like Onomatopoeia is practically pummeling Green Arrow with the sheer number of vocal stims. But even then there’s a few standouts here: that wham in the lower right feels especially satisfying in its weight and crunch; I love the way the whole “Th-” sounds repeat pretty regularly; and for some reason that “Fsssssstt” feels like it’s coming from Onomatopoeia’s hands, and that just makes me LOL. A simple but effective cover, and one that plays around with the character in a novel way (while also providing something interesting to the hero as he exists right now). In a word, “boom!”
X-Force #48
Cover by Daniel Acuña
If you’re not a fan of Beast (or just a generally law-abiding citizen when it matters), then X-Force #48 seems to be your issue. Because after months of getting away with what feels like mutant treason, Hank McCoy has now become the “mission” of X-Force itself. If we’re talking about some seriously great imagery, you can’t do better than this cover by artist Daniel Acuña. Beast, as always, remains as unrelentingly savage, and you can practically feel the kind of righteous indignation dripping off his fangs (not to mention ample slobber). There’s other great touches here, too, from the slight gradation of red to yellow around the bullseye, and the sheer sense of weight and heft assigned to Beast’s mighty claws. (That, and I think making him the “star” of this cover shows just how much of this story revolves around a nuanced depiction and understanding of Beast.) All of it together tells one pretty important story: Beast is in no mood to play, and he’s coming for the team just as much as they’re coming for him. That dynamic is exactly what we want, and feels like the most compelling outcome for this extensive slice of truly dedicated storytelling. Let the hunt begin.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #147
Variant cover by Jorge Corona
If you’ve been living under a rock (or maybe in an actual sewer), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is churning right along to its big 150th issue. While there’s plenty of big news to look forward to for that issue and beyond, we can’t forget about current storyline, which focuses on, among other things, big happenings with Armaggon, Leonardo’s new protégé, and ::checks notes:: the very fabric of reality itself. Given all of that, I can’t think of a better cover to help drive us to issue #150 than this variant from Jorge Corona. It checks all my boxes for a proper TMNT piece: giant monster and/or villain that’s as weird as it is unsettling; a fully engaging depiction of the turtles (I love the slightly bulky quality here, and how it feels akin to classic depictions even as it’s wholly new); and, of course, action and a sense of momentum to nearly pull you out of your chair. It’s a moment that feels sort of overly bright and accessible, but that there’s some real layers here. That, and it’s the kind of piece that, even if they’re not already on board, actually speaks to the casual fan about what makes TMNT continually cool. So, enjoy the trip to the future — it’s going to be one shell of a ride for sure.
Ghost Machine #1
Cover by Gary Frank, Jason Fabok, Bryan Hitch, and Francis Manapul
If you like the start of a new comics universe packed with A-list talent, then you may want to sit down for this one. This one-shot is the start of the Geoff Johns-led Ghost Machine imprint with Image Comics, and promises a “new shared universe of strange, fun, exciting and action-packed characters.” (Johns is joined by, among others, Peter J. Tomasi, Jason Fabok, Brad Meltzer, and Bryan Hitch, and Ivan Reis.) Now, that premise and creative roster alone should draw you in — that is Ghost Machine’s whole premise, after all — but if you’re coming in totally blind, I think there’s still something to the actual cover. Namely, a kind of ’90s-style overtness that feels really thoughtful while still adding to that era’s continued “resurgence.” Or, that there’s clearly a sense of humor to all this “xtreme” action (seriously, the guy on the left is just called Redcoat). There’s even that sense of energies from your favorite publishers informing this book. (Seriously, I get some real DC circa 2014 vibes from this.) These aesthetics and elements clearly define what I think will be a novel enough experience, and a chance to get into some wonderful, uber nerdy superhero comics without having to wade through too much history/context. Sure, this preview ain’t the robust, but if you know the game, then this slice of sci-fi dweebery should be more than enough for you already.
Hexagon Bridge #5
Cover by Richard Blake
The first time I saw this cover, I immediately thought of this iconic 2013 shot of two engineers standing atop a burning turbine. It made for a really powerful experience as my brain tried to sort out what it thought it had seen. Still, do I think and/or hope that there’s some larger connection with the stirring image? Not really, considering my connection with protagonists Adley and Staden, but even I’d have to admit it’d be a really inventive turn. Whether intended or not, I still think writer-artist Richard Blake is playing around with big-time emotions and cultural landmarks, which feels really vital in explaining and contextualizing this really great series. He’s put forth this kind of iconography that invites in these kinds of “mental jumps” that are wholly dependent on the actual person’s background, and through that he is able to get us to think through the value of this story and how our own emotions, history, biases, etc. inform its perceptions. And if that weren’t enough, once that all sort of settled, I felt a powerful sense of peace and serenity tinged by that process, and that’s a powerful head rush for sure. It sucks this is the end, but this cover proves why this series has been so dang good all along.
Skeeters #2
Cover by Kelly Williams
I really thought that artist Kelly Williams had achieved peak intensity and stomach-churning potential with Skeeters #1. As it turns out, though, there’s still more heights (or is that lows?) that can be reached in a story about extraterrestrial mosquitos invading a beachside burgh. And what exactly makes this cover to issue #2 even more upsetting and affective than #1’s offering? Is it the veiny, pimple-like texture/consistency of the skin? Or the giant, Alien-esque tongue (that also reminds me of Tremors)? Maybe it’s those thick, wave-like blasts of slobber? Dear reader it’s all of that but mostly the way our cast is very intimately involved. I’m sure no one’s actually playing Snakes and Ladders with a giant space mosquito (right?!), but that kind of slightly silly, borderline playful injection of humanity in this instance just stabs me with a barb sharper than even the worst mosquito. It’s the accessibility, as it were, of these monsters that makes all their disgusting tendencies and traits ring all the more true than if they were just snarling and roaring in a void. (And the fact that I now have to think about what a giant mosquito smells and feels like is a problem I never knew I’d actively hate.) If this is just the second cover, what kind of fresh hell awaits on issue #3 and beyond?
G.O.D.S. #4
Cover by Mateus Manhanini
In his review for G.O.D.S. #3, my colleague Dave Brooke said that the “beauty of this book is how [Jonathan] Hickman can unlock your imagination while [Valerio]Schiti delivers visuals that’ll stick with you.” (And if you know the guy, then you’ll know that such insights like that are worth celebrating.) But I’d argue that a big part of that whole process/equation has been the efforts of cover artist Mateus Manhanini, who across these first three issues has really set a lot of the tone for the kind of overt, mind-smashing magic that’s to come in the book proper. I think the cover to issue #4 feels like a proper achievement in this canon of reconfigured cosmic magic. Because in an issue that promises a man in a beekeeper’s uniform “holding a thing that’s freaking everyone out,” Manhanini blows our mind with a blank space that makes me feel terrified and compelled in one dynamic experience. And that’s not even mentioning the magic of this rotating event horizon of heroes, which somehow both adds to and still subtracts from the glory that is that negative space. Heck, even the white blade thing here pops with a slightly organic quality, which only adds to the chokehold this cover has on my brain. Do I dare open it up and actually read?
Detective Comics #1081
Variant cover by Evan Cagle
Maybe I’m a bit of a chowder-head, but if you can have a fully colored piece versus just black and white, that’s always the best bet/option. It’s like only having one kind of cheese in your mac and cheese recipe, or choosing sprinkles only when you go to Cold Stone Creamery. But as much as I really like Evan Cagle’s main cover to Detective Comics #1,081, I somehow prefer the black and white variant/incentive instead. Maybe because it’s here where the sheer majesty, depth, and intent of his line work becomes so wonderfully clear. Or, that the more I look at said line work, the more I feel the sense of psychic pain and overt unease that defines the story itself. I think it could also be that it’s also this version that exudes more peace from the Bruce Wayne figure, and how that extends and subverts some of the raw emotion here. Pick a reason — heck, even if it’s just that black and white is the new black! — because all of them only hint at the sheer power I feel emanating from this page. Color in this instance, it would seem, only takes a way from a really profound snapshot of the way this book is affecting readers across the whole dang experience.
Crashdown #1
Variant cover by Johnny Desjardins
There’s a few reasons to be excited about Crashdown. For one, it features artist Ben Templesmith, who clearly knows his way around a pencil. It’s also written by hosts of the Comic Tom 101 YouTube, and that could mean a good story and/or a dash of novelty. And, of course, there’s the premise, which is described as “Equal parts Lost and Alien, with a Lovecraftian twist.” But you can go ahead and forget all of that and just enjoy this variant cover to issue #1 from Johnny Desjardins. There is, of course, the sheer glory and badassery of watching a giant squid/octopus crush the final bits of life from an underwater explorer (and/or maybe an astronaut?) But it’s not just that you can almost feel the bones cracking here, but the other little touches and details. For instance, the way the helmet’s cracked; the many textures of this dreaded creature; and even the kind of novel design approach that informs the person’s suit (aka, their future, wearable coffin). All of it isn’t just really good and compelling but adds to the kind of emotionality of this piece and even the sense that there’s so many layers here. (Like, is this an alien world or not, and does that matter?) So, pick it up for whatever reason you see fit — I’ll be here just enjoying “Squid Turns Man Into Tube of Toothpaste.”
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