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.
Radiant Black #28 and #28.5
Cover(s) by Eduardo Ferigato
When I wrote about Radiant Black #27 and #27.5 way back in late December, I noted how the whole piece wasn’t especially inventive or daring (just dang good). Yet as we come to Radiant Black #28 and #28.5 — this time by Eduardo Ferigato — I find myself once again compelled to choose the sick conjoined covers deal. For one, I think that proves that the novelty of this whole “concept” is more compelling than I’d ever imagined; it’s just such a fun little thing that feels really special even as it’s basically just two comics covers. Sure, part of that is that Ferigato’s efforts do lean a little more robust and action-heavy than Marcelo Costa’s efforts on #27 and #27.5 — there’s a real sense of impending doom and general chaos that really brings out the spark of humanity across this big, lush piece. If I had to really try and figure out why this is cool, though, I think that it’s just representative of what the team behind Radiant Black have been trying to do this whole time. Which is to say, this is a snapshot of the heart and commitment this team’s infused into this book, and while a conjoined cover image seems rather small, it’s the only way this book can now truly express all its many layers and various shades of context. And, sure, it looks hella cool doing that, but it’s the kind of simple but effective decision that defines this book. See you for #29 and #29.5.
Slow Burn #5
Cover by Matt Taylor
If you’ve been keeping up with my reviews, you’ll know that Slow Burn ain’t your grandpa’s noir. Writer Ollie Masters and artist Pierluigi Minotti have been playing around not only with our very emotions but time and perspective itself to tell a hugely effective tale about generational violence, starting over, and the way trauma brings us all together. And so as we enter into the fifth and final issue, we get another really powerful instance of why this book has been so dang great. Cover artist Matt Taylor’s choice/use of a horse from a merry-go-round certainly is both inventive and effective — it doesn’t at all scream the kind of subject matter you’d expect from a deeply compelling heist gone wrong. Yet given the sheer scope and feel of this book, our little horsey friends makes sense (especially since it’s on fire). Because it’s a wholly intimate, family-friendly image, and one that speaks to some bygone era of simplistic tranquility that we can no longer access. And even the fact that it’s on fire doesn’t really do too much to mitigate the yearning that we have when this kind of imagery felt more “real” and accessible. That dichotomy then — of lost innocence and stinging nostalgia — feels like a really great thread for this book, and something that informs and extends a lot of its core values and messages. I can tell you one thing for sure: after the end of this issue, I’ll likely feel the sustained burn of this massively human story.
Detective Comics #1082
Variant cover by Francesco Francavilla
It’s been a strange few months for Batman. After the whole debacle of the “Outlaw” arc in Detective Comics — where he was basically trapped in his own mind and almost executed — “Elegy of Sand” sees the Dark Knight on something of a vision quest. And while he’s no stranger to having to face down the horrors in his own brainpan, solicitations for Detective Comics #1082 are promising some extra dangerous and unsettling foes out there in the deep, dark desert. Which is why I really love this variant cover from Francesco Francavilla. It could easily be the calm before the psychic trauma storm, which feels like the best and most effective way to draw out the dangers. Or, a glimpse inside of Batman’s own head, and what sort of understated horrors actually exist given the sheer tranquility rolling off this piece. Heck, it could even be that there are no real great dangers, and what we’re seeing is Batman having to face something more horrific than baddies, which feels like a nice kind of twist given all he’s been through as of late. Either way, Francavilla gives us a gorgeous piece packed with heaps of context, and something that captures Batman’s tenuous state in life with equal parts uncertainty, serenity, and surrealness. Walk on, Batman, walk on.
Miles Morales: Spider-Man #17
Cover by Federico Vicentini and Bryan Valenza
From a cover that’s all about peace (even if it’s because you’ve been doused with drugs or whatever) to a cover brimming with primal range. Gang War may be over, but Miles Morales: Spider-Man #17 demonstrates that our young hero doesn’t get the rest he’s earned, Instead, per the solicitations, the “most dangerous supervillain in Spidey’s history needs Miles Morales to die.” And so if you’re going to go toe-to-toe with one of the dozen-plus candidates in the Spider-Man rogue’s gallery, I can see why Miles would be so dang pissed off. But rather than capturing just “angry Spider-Man,” cover artists Federico Vicentini and Bryan Valenza have given us something even more powerful. The damaged eye, for one, feels really powerful, and perhaps a proper commentary on the clarity that Miles achieves when he’s this profoundly angry. The busted up New York skyline seems almost frozen in time — yeah, I know this is a picture — as if everyone’s holding their breath to see what Miles does. And it almost feels like his stinger deal is drawing energy from the outside world (like a Spider Spirit Bomb), and that feels like an added bit of commentary for Miles’ current predicament. We’re almost at the big-time issue #300, and as this cover proves, it’s a good time to be a Spidey fan and a bad time to be Miles’ enemies.
Mitch #2
Cover by Maxim Simic
Never before has a sentence spoken to me so profoundly and efficiently: “It’s chunky Roger Rabbit with a bad temper meets Indiana Jones, set in a Sam Raimi-looking cityscape.” That’s the description for Mitch, a Scouts Comics series from writer-artist Maxim Simic. And while I have a feeling that nothing in the world could ever truly exceed that sentence in terms of quality and overall impact, Simic’s own cover to issue #2 feels like a more than worthy expression or continuation of that mighty descriptor. I love the design of Mitch — the square haircut, the middle aged body, the weird choice of pants and loafers — all of it speaks to something essential about this character. Or, the fact that a giant bunny has a pet cat, which feels like a very human decision and yet also one that really leans into the sheer absurdity of this book. (Or really any book/series that has animals owning animals — I’m looking at you, Goofy and Pluto.) Even the trash pile is interesting; sure, it could be old burgers and unwashed food, but what’s about with that Cinderella-esque heel floating at the very top? Admittedly, nothing hits me quite like the book’s actual description, but this cover does translate in a way that I see the weirdness and whimsy in a more three-dimensional sense, and one that shows heaps more layers to a really compelling start. Also, does anyone else want a bite of that burger?
Hack / Slash: Back to School #3
Variant cover by Luana Vecchio
Writer-artist Zoe Thorogood has done a damn good job with Hack / Slash: Back to School across its first two issues. While this book is the brainchild of Tim Seeley and a few others, Thorogood has been able to infuse this “world” with an inventive spin on the same bloody weirdness, pop culture absurdity, and silly monster magic. In fact, I think Thorogood’s work has opened up the flood gates, as it were, as proof that there’s so much charm and texture to this book that so many other artists can also come in, do their thing, and it all works to make a silly, sexy, and hilarious good time. Case in point: this variant cover to issue #3 from Luana Vecchio. Sort of like her totally bonkers work with the recent Lovesick, Vecchio clearly knows the kind of noir-meets-pulp magic that makes this book (at least in part) so deeply compelling. Her designs are, in a lot of ways, similar enough to Thorogood — and that creates a lot of interesting carry-over and cohesion — while still being clearly its own thing outright. Plus, there’s a bit more mystery and sinister vibes attached courtesy of those hands, and that little but mighty addition really does heaps for an already great cover that’s checking all of the biggest boxes with bravado. Sure, it’s a little direct in its efforts, but that’s just because Hack / Slash doesn’t need much to cut you squarely in two.
The Flash #6
Variant cover by James Stokoe
As a rule, I’ll cover almost any cover from James Stokoe. The man knows his way around a pencil and ink, as he constantly manages to show us, with great depth and precision, these increasingly bizarre and mind-boggling landscapes and battle scenes. That is certainly true for this cover to Flash #6, which promises to end the first arc of this book by answering the question of the Stillness’ ongoing pleas to a higher power. And based on Stokoe’s own variant cover, we’re certainly getting something akin to a Speed Force higher power, with these large Mutant Flash God Monsters encircling our boy for the Speed Force version of that scene in Prometheus where they meet that Engineer/progenitor dude. Sure, maybe they’re actually far more benign, but it’s Stokoe that bypasses any of the actual story elements or silly morality to give us what we really need: some super psychedelic, Jack Kirby-esque sci-fi oddities that feel like a powerful part of a story that’s been obsessed with pushing the Flash into some very bizarre, very fruitful territory. The kind of unspeakable weirdness that gets people thinking just how decidedly kooky The Flash’s lore already is, and how pushing it even further gives us a chance to reconsider a man who can run faster than the speed of light and works with an elemental force of nature like some goofy buddy cop movie. Let’s hope this doesn’t mean all the weirdness has been used up in one cover (seems unlikely), and that this is the beginning of a traipse down the metaphysical rabbit hole.
Spider-Punk: Arms Race #1
Cover by Takashi Okazaki and Rico Renzi
If you read our recent interview, you’ll know the creative team behind Spider-Punk: Arms Race has some really neat-o plans in store. As it turns out, though, those plans start with the debut cover from Takashi Okazaki and Rico Renzi. Generally speaking, Spider-Punk feels like a really inventive design overall, and there’s lots of places to take the character depending on the storyline of that specific book. In this case, I love the extra jangly feel, and the way they really lean into the spider aspect of our most beloved punk rocker. But it’s more than just “Hey, he’s really spider like this time around” — this specific pose feels like it also plays into his overall eccentricity and rocker vibes, and that feels like something that further sets Hobie Brown apart from some of his Spider cohorts. That, and putting his boots out like that means the art team get a chance to bust out some really novel details, and that alongside some other stuff (like the perfectly placed tape on his guitar neck) just shows that Hoby is a unique figure who only ever marches to his own beat, no matter how weird or dirty it might get sometimes. There’s other bits — the way the gum bubble almost shines, or that background that’s both a little trippy and looks oddly like a fingerprint for some reason that I’m sure is important — that further add to what makes this cover feel really novel (and really reflective of what this Spider story may be trying to accomplish). Plus, any excuse for a possible sick guitar solo is always a good idea in my book.
Ice Cream Man #38
Cover by Martin Morazzo and Chris O’Halloran
There’s been some really odd and borderline unsettling covers from Ice Cream Man over the years. That includes this one, this one, and oh god oh god even this one. The thing about the series is that when it’s trying to be weird (which it does quite often), it does so with a power, inventiveness, and all around sense of humor. That’s perhaps best exemplified in this cover to issue #38, where we’re clearly dealing with some issues with “Garyland” and clones. The idea of little people crawling in and around my face would be enough to drive me utterly batty. But then you get to see how that might actually look, with the little guys doing swan dives across his face and pulling at his beard hair for support — and that rather specific detail is why this book always bypasses weird and fun into the realm of unnaturally kooky. Plus, don’t even get me started about the ones crawling in and out of the eyes/eyelids — I’m all for body horror but this spins it in such a subtle but effective way that it almost short circuits the brain as you’re trying to figure it all out. And all Gary can do is sit there with that bewildered look on his face, likely waiting until one of them pulls on his brain stem and this whole nightmare is finally over at last. It’s not that this book continues to surprise me — it being increasingly bananas is sort of a universal constant by now — but it does manage to present new ideas and keep the train of madness chugging along in a continually impressive manner/direction. That, and it tries to poke new parts of our brain or stoke some new, previously untapped fear. I can’t wait to see how else Ice Cream Man invades our very minds and changes our brain chemistry forever and ever.
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