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.
The Incredible Hulk #9
Cover by Nic Klein
Like any fan of the Al Ewing-penned era of The Incredible Hulk, I loved the body horror. And it really was a brilliant “addition” to Hulk lore — the man transforms into a giant green monster, so a little gore and evisceration only made sense. While this latest run hasn’t quite given into the same kinds of overt horror, there’s still been some opportunities to re-engage that specific storytelling device. Case in point: as Hulk goes toe-to-toe with the Angel of Death, in a “supernatural town haunted by a serial killer,” giving into horror only makes perfect sense. But as cover artist Nic Klein demonstrates, it’s not quite as overt as some of the earlier runs, even when I can practically hearing the haunted wailing and feel the decaying flesh of that gaggle of ghouls. Rather, I think it’s about using some energies and ideas associated with horror — again, terrible and terrifying ghouls — to set a mood rather than just bash people’s senses and sensibilities with some especially terrific instance of absolute carnage. By setting that very tense, rather deliberate mood, the creators are able to take this story in a few directions and to also control our emotions and thought patterns in an even more streamlined manner. It’s about, I think, leaning into and playing against expectations, and why this run still gives me the proper goosebumps.
Batman #144
Variant cover by Yasmine Putri
Despite its “blink and you may miss it” run time, there’s no denying that “The Joker Year One” has been successful. (Even if the measure of success is just having the chutzpah to tell a more “definitive” origin for the Clown Prince of Crime.) But now we arrive at the final chapter with a really great cover from Yasmine Putri, and one that feels perfectly tailored to this specific book. Where solicitations talk about “massive repercussions for the future,” it feels like this moment is a tad more basic and elemental. It’s a really powerful visual analogy for how Batman engages with his foes — the kind of “forget forethought!” way in which he leaps into the very mouth of danger just to better understand the malicious machinations of a madman like the Joker (or, really, anyone else in his rogue’s gallery for that matter). Or, the way the Dark Knight feels kind of small or insignificant in that pursuit, and what that might say for his ability to fight back against the increasingly bonkers odds in his mission to continually save Gotham. Even the way it’s hard to tell if those bats are flying in or out — it creates this really vivid snapshot of Batman’s relationship to this world and its characters. Sure, this is a Joker story, but the best ones always filter that somehow via Batman. And in this instance, it’s really effective — and that’s no joke.
Zorro: Man of the Dead #2
Cover by Sean Gordon Murphy
The whole point of doing this feature is for moments like this: my brain is utterly smashed into a million different pieces. Because I know that Zorro never rode around in sweet muscle cars, but it takes my brain a few seconds to reconcile that, and in the interim all I can do is hear fireworks go off in the base of my skull. Then, you add in that this is writer/artist Sean Gordon Murphy’s attempt to do “Don Quixote meets Narcos,” and all of a sudden those explosive noises double in volume. Once I have my faculties about me, though, there’s a few really noteworthy tidbits about this cover to issue #2. For one, the choice of colors/hues makes me think of Once Upon A Time in Mexico, and that’s doing some really effective work in endearing us to this piece even further. That, and the way we balance the sentiments and aesthetics here — the old-school romanticism of a Zorro mixed with modern drag culture/flourishes — feels both massively subtle and thus all the more effective (while respecting the “pop” that the incongruity of it all still offers). Murphy’s covers always feel like brilliant snapshots of both his art style and his sharp design choices, and this one especially just works on almost every gear. The fact that I now want to run around in a Zorro mask is direct proof of just that.
Cemetery Kids Don’t Die #1
Cover by Daniel Irizarri
We get kind of a two-for-one with the debut cover to Cemetery Kids Don’t Die. It’s another one where I’ve seen it talked about on Twitter a bunch, and it’s also another cover that’s deceptively simple and wholly powerful. Those two “facts,” then, strike at something essential to my understanding of this book: it’s all about the rush of nostalgia. Why else would you have what feels like the love child of ’90s video games (I’m thinking Zombies Ate My Neighbors), Power Rangers, D&D / Magic: The Gathering, and a bunch of other stuff beloved by both ’80s and ’90s kids. And so the magic isn’t necessarily in the execution — even as everything still feels really sharp and interesting — but the way these franchises and their various aesthetics engage and interact across this cover. It creates something altogether familiar while also wildly new and strange — a melding of past and future (or maybe present?) that provides heaps of commentary on the key ideas behind these inspirations (like friendship, the interaction between man and machine, and even how so much of life is perception). It’s a simple piece that’s anything but, and a small window into a book that seems like it wants to be your friend as much as it also wants to scare and unnerve with horror and social commentary. It helps to listen to this song while you stare at the cover, too.
Blasfamous #1
Variant cover by Junko Mizuno
If you’ve ever read anything from writer/artist Mirka Andolfo, you know that it’s all quite cute and also rather intense. Blasfamous seems to be right up there, a horror comedy about “pop stars [that] have ascended to divinity” and asks that oh-so important question of “how many fans is your soul worth?” (If I had to guess, I couldn’t sell my soul for any less than 10,000 fans.) That premise alone feels like it’s going to be every bit of silly, sexy, weird, and undeniably playful as some of Adolfo’s other work. Of course, I’m basing a lot of that on this truly excellent issue #1 variant cover from Junko Mizuno. We get the overly cutesy imagery and that perfect shade of purple, both of which really lean into setting the emotional tone and fostering that overarching sense of sugary shock that makes most Andolfo projects so deeply satisfying. But then once you get past the Bratz doll vibes, you see the way that some religious/spiritual iconography has been referenced and remixed, and the proper undertone of slightly sinister vibes, and the real potential of this book becomes clear. And, sure, cute and creepy things are hella common nowadays, but that doesn’t change the fact that this book seems to be doing it in a way that feels all the more upsetting and endearing in equal measure. I take it back: I’d need 20,000 fans to sell my soul.
The Six Fingers #1
Cover by Sumit Kumar, Lee Loughridge, and Tom Muller
In his review for issue #1, our own David Brooke called The Six Fingers a “marriage of a gruesome mystery with the hopeful optimism of a man who wants to escape.” And that idea of duality and dichotomy is represented across the board of this thoughtful new spin on noir and horror, and that begins with the cover from Sumit Kumar, Lee Loughridge, and Tom Muller. Is there said horror perfectly represented? Sure, the creepy shadow man with the jagged-looking knife and the “creepy pillar of outstretched hands” surely should classify as such. At the same time, though, there is something almost hopeful about this piece — it’s as if our stabby friend may be on the precipice of something new and he’s emerging into a place with greater possibilities. Even if said possibilities are just more murder and/or mayhem, it’s nice to feel those energies expertly balanced and to also explore the interplay between our assumptions and what this book might actually intend to do across its first chapter. There’s other similar decisions made across this cover, including the certain shadow of yellow (feels really joyous but also soothing?) and the kind of dynamic energy that informs the overall design. Now, don’t think that this book won’t mess with your head, but it’ll do so in a really engaging and insightful manner.
Ultimate Spider-Man #2
Variant cover by Elizabeth Torque
It’s still early in the year, but this may be one of my early favorites. For one, I’m always a sucker when covers reference a famous bit of comics history, and they do so with the same kind of energy and joy. (Also, just so we’re clear, the Ultimate MJ is quite lucky given her hubby just gained superpowers — even if she’s also quite unlucky in regards to said development.) Artist Elizabeth Torque has such a perfect style for this wonderfully cheesy, vintage-leaning piece — there’s just so much joy and energy built into the Parkers’ faces (not to mention I love that specific Spider pose for Peter). And there’s other things I love here, too: the choice/use of font, and how it really draws home the core sentiments here; the fact that their romantic evening involves, like, four kinds of sweets; and even the way the flowers feel adorably like they were bought at some bodega literally down the block. It’s a piece that has so many layers even as it pretty much exists right there on the surface. That, and it adds a bit of joy to a series that’s a little more sullen and harder-edged, and that feels hella true to Spider-Man in general. I guess you could say we all hit the jackpot, yeah?
John Constantine, Hellblazer: Dead in America #2
Cover by Aaron Campbell
Alex Ross gets a lot of attention for his ornate, detailed, and wholly life-like portrayals in comics. But I’d argue that Aaron Campbell has the same kind of skill and eye for comics covers, and he showcases that perfectly with John Constantine, Hellblazer: Dead in America #2. At first glance, we get what looks like Swamp Thing torturing and/or murdering Constantine, and that in and of itself is more than deserving of our endless praise and admiration. We also get some really effective mood lighting (the red and blue screams seedy roadside motel made marketed to murderers) and a creepy lady in the corner who may or may not be watching Constantine’s slow death. But there’s just as much heft and technique on display here, and we can almost feel Swamp Thing’s robust rage or the desperate muttering of Constantine himself. Campbell, then, is like the evil Alex Ross — where the latter is all about inspiring us by capturing feats of valor and bravery by superheroes, it’s Campbell who shows us comics’ seedy underbelly and gets us to engage deeply (no matter how scared or anxious we may feel). I for one can’t wait to see how the actual story unfolds — if nothing else, killing your main character in issue #2 would certainly be a rather brave creative decision.
The Holy Roller #4
Cover by Roland Boschi and Moreno DiNisio
My reviews have hopefully made clear that The Holy Roller is a really great book. I mean, sure, it doesn’t take much beyond “Superhero who bashes Nazi stand-ins with a bowling ball” to get my attention, but even that undersells this book. It’s something where we get that violence and grit, but there’s also a beating heart under it all, and thus Holy Roller is this thing that doesn’t do anything without justifying it first (even as the bowling ball itself does always seem like a touch of overkill). I think this cover somehow exemplifies that ideal or sentiment. You’d think rearranging someone’s face with a combo of polyester, urethane, and resin would be somehow uncalled for, but then we see the arm bands, which makes us feel a little better. (It’s sort of like blasting Nazis in Wolfenstein: we’re made to see these antagonists in a way that we can facilitate some mostly harmless wish fulfillment by obliterating them on the page or screen.) And that’s where I think this elegant pose from Levi becomes all the more effective: he’s not just a natural athlete, but someone who is justified in his actions (again, even if bowling balls are an overreaction) to the point he can practically prance about doling out justice. Is all of this a weird justification for violence? Sure, but then that’s why I like comics: we try to see our values and fantasies play out in vivid detail, and that provides us with a kind of personal insight and ample time for reflection. That, and you can just appreciate when a beatdown looks like a dang Renaissance painting.
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