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.
X-Force #50
Cover by Daniel Acuña
It’s weird to say, but 50 issues really is a landmark nowadays. I miss the days when creators could spend a few years on a book, and really get wild with it. (Recognizing, of course, that there’s also some inherent opportunities for a 10- or 15-issue run.) But Benjamin Percy and the rest of the creative team of X-Force should be proud of this accomplishment, and they’re really going out with a bang with this Beast-battling finale. Now, sure, this Daniel Acuña doesn’t nearly capture the sheer badassery and general intensity of the preceding 49 issues, and yet it’s still something super important in the grand scheme of this book. All the big players of this run are here, and everyone feels as cool and intimidating as they’ve been across the story proper. Plus, there’s some really interesting sitcom title card meets action movie poster vibes that I think highlight what’s made this series so compelling for the last five years. And, of course, I do love the centering of Colossus, and what that might say, as well as Omega Red honestly feeling like a true visual centerpiece of this whole cover. All of it together honors what this book has done, hints at what we can expect from the finale, and demonstrates what you really need for a truly landmark run of great comics storytelling. We salute you, X-Force.
Batman: Dark Age #1
Cover by Michael and Laura Allred
Don’t take this the wrong way, but the best part of Superman: Space Age was probably Batman. Creators Mark Russell and Michael Allred gave us a really divisive take on the Dark Knight, who was every bit the billionaire playboy philanthropist we’ve always loved but with a slight twist of paranoia and military grade hardware that really extended the character’s personality in interesting ways. Now, the duo (alongside colorist Laura Allred) have reunited to tell a proper Batman-centric story, utilizing the same historical focus/perspective to tell the origin of “a figure in American history fighting for justice in a world gone mad.” And I love the slight refinement of the Allred’s Batman, who feels a little different than the armor we’d see him in Space Age (while still feeling appropriately blocky as a commentary about this version of Bats). There’d also that neat “future” Gotham, and that trope plays a big deal in this story. As does Batman’s own feelings and reactions toward this place — this little snapshot on the cover is really interesting as a commentary about Batman battling a world in which he may or may not be a relic. Either way, this one feels like it’ll be right up there with Space Age, and I’m overjoyed that we’re getting another inventive Batman title. Because 13 isn’t enough!
Feral #1
Variant cover by Tony Fleecs and Trish Forstner
I’ve lived with cats only for the last six years or so, and in that time I can tell you it doesn’t take much to make these little buggers horrific. (Oh, you dropped a soda bottle on the ground? Let me hiss like a pack of wolves are breaking through the door.) But the creative team behind Feral — including Tony Fleecs, Tone Rodriguez, and Trish Forstner — are taking it one step further, using the whole plague/bio outbreak trope and applying it to what’s basically Homeward Bound. And if the actual story won’t be a massive success from that alone, we get this absolutely amazing variant cover to issue #1 from Fleecs and Forstner. Sure, referencing Night of the Living Dead is a little on the nose, but then the zombie-cat analogy is really that perfect. (Both are fine until left alone, have no problem potentially hurting themselves if it also hurts you, etc.) Still, the masterful work here honors that most perfect poster by nailing the mix of robust humanity and slightly cheesy undertones — there’s something about it being cats and not humans that somehow works even more than the original. It’s a fun but deeply effective piece that tells us everything we need to know about the tone and feel of this book and that it’s self-awareness is a vital feature in really committing to the “gag.” Seriously, though, cats are adorable monsters.
The Sickness #5
Cover by Jenna Cha
And speaking of things that unsettle and unnerve, we arrive at issue #5 of The Sickness. Frequent readers will recognize my keen interest in this book’s covers; series/cover artist Jenna Cha has done a truly amazing job of capturing this book’s uniquely brain-melting brand of psychological horror (that’s also not afraid to get a little bloody). But the cover to #5 feels different — I spent a good 10 minutes scouring the page to try and see something that might be really and truly horrific. Are those flowers actually small human tendons? Is there some twisted ghoul’s face in one of the windows? Are the tree’s leaves actually made of solidified blood? What is wrong with this scene?!?!!? And there may be nothing wrong at all or everything wrong — and the fact that we’ll never know for sure is how Cha and writer Lonnie Nadler mess with us across this book in the most twisted, sometimes vindictive ways possible. They maybe don’t want to inflict this kind of subtle but maddening psychic damage, but they’re clearly not doing anything to stop the way this book spreads and infects the brain. But I say keep bringing it; I’d Where’s Waldo 1,000 covers of this book.
Black Hammer: The End #6
Variant cover by Tyler Crook
I’ve been going back and forth on Black Hammer: The End for much of the first five issues. Sure, I love me some multiversal madness, but this book hasn’t always committed in a way that I needed it to if we’re revisiting this beloved universe in such a specific way. But I’m willing to give this book the benefit of the doubt and see what happens as we enter the grand, reality-altering finale. Luckily, this variant cover from Tyler Crook has already made me feel a little more optimistic. Sure, it’s not much beyond what I can only assume is a pretty typical moment in the day-to-day of Colonel Weird. But it’s the little touches that I think make all the difference. Like that Weird looks both horrified and oddly tranquil, and how that is both comforting and really grating emotionally. Or, that this is a really great visual encapsulation of all of this multiversal malarkey, and that recognition feels really important as this book tries to stick its own landing. Even the way that Crook balances different aesthetics and versions of Weird (albeit slightly) just shows that this piece honors his fundamental role in this larger series and this specific event. Sure, showing a bonkers Weird ain’t exactly going to save this event (or not), but at least it prepares the brain for something massively kooky to come.
Cemetery Kids Don’t Die #2
Cover by Daniel Irizarri
If I had to describe the debut issue of Cemetery Kids Don’t Die, I’d say it’s like if you cast the Burger King Kids Club in a combination of Kids, Army of Darkness, and The Matrix. And that’s not only the greatest such series description I’ve personally ever crafted, but it should speak to you about the sheer emotionality, pop culture insanity, and overall potency that defined this really solid book even so early on in its run. And so it only felt natural to feature the cover to issue #2 from series/cover artist Daniel Irizarri. Again, it’s not anything inherently massive or breathtaking — even if “Skull Knight, Ranger Plague Doctor, and Plant Mage battle robo-fire demons” is in and of itself the kind of thing that should melt your frontal lobe. But I just love Irizarri’s style and approach, and he captures big action and fantasy-inspired weirdness in a perfect way without forgetting to emphasize some unsung aspect of humanity/emotionality. It’s a scene packed with mystery, intensity, relatability, and inventive nerd stuff — a snapshot of how this book regards every aspect of its interests and influences to tell a story that’s generally fresh but familiar, comforting but also confrontational. This cover may or may not exactly prepare you for what’s inside, but one thing is sure: it’s going to be a blast to make your way through it all.
Rise of the Powers of X #3
Cover by R.B. Silva
The whole Krakoa era has been fairly divisive among X-Men fans. Some people herald it, and some people think it ruined the whole line. I think it’s certainly among the former category, as it’s resulted in some really solid storytelling (even if that’s sometimes uneven). And I think Rise of the Powers of X is a really solid example of that — it’s been a great way to address some of these issues and feelings around Krakoa as it ends and still tell some really powerful stories. For instance, the cover to issue #3 has a pretty stark image involving Moira Kinross, which even if you weren’t a X fan would make you feel 14 kinds of uncomfortable given its unflinching intent and approach. But then if you know the larger context — to the point people are already playing armchair writer/editor — you see just how powerful and gripping of an image this piece really is (as you’d expect from artist R.B. Silva). It’s the sort of piece that grips all of us with the same surge of shock and uncertainty, a cover that feels like a big turning point and a statement that works on so many levels. It’s power is in both skirting and leaning into the story and context, and also that it doesn’t try to dance around the issue but rather go right for the throat from the moment your eyes land on the page. I both want and don’t want Krakoa to end in the way those aforementioned message board denizens may dream for, but if it’s this book leading the way, I know it’d be amazing regardless.
The Flash #7
Variant cover by Matt Taylor
Not only do I really like this whole Flash series, but I love the suite of variant covers that its generated. And that most certainly includes this latest piece from Matt Taylor. For one, I love when wordplay of this caliber is translated visually — it’s a proper sight to behold for people who are this actively cheesy. But there’s more here to this cover than indulging my own inner nerd. For one, I think the overall design choices here are really great — it almost reminds if Wes Anderson had somehow developed this world, and that playful but still serious feel is really suited to this version of Flash. Beyond that, I also really like that Flash is in the fetal position here; that touches on themes of rebirth and evolution that I think have informed the larger arc of this book. There’s other stuff here — the way you can almost feel the Speed Force fluctuating across Flash’s body — but all of it speaks to something truly powerful about this cover, and how it references and extends the core of this story in some deeply compelling ways. You can bury Flash deep in the earth, but you can’t stop him from glowing in all the most important ways.
Star Trek: Defiant #13
Cover by Angel Unzueta
I’m not much of a Star Trek guy expect for some of the big beats of this franchise. (The first series, the sexy stoicism of Jean-Luc Picard, etc.) But with Christopher Cantwell on writing duties, maybe I should change that and catch up with Star Trek: Defiant while the getting is good. Especially because based on the solicitation of issue #13, we’re dealing with a kind of zombie-esque situation of nasty space parasites, which is where we get this really great cover from series/cover artist Angel Unzueta. Do I think it’s a little funny that Worf is being swarmed by what looks like giant ants? Absolutely, and I think that kind of bonkers tinge is what makes me a potential Trekkie in the first place. But am I also a little scared or worried for our good friend? You bet — there’s something perfectly horrific to this that elevates those “alien ants” from a hokey joke into a genuine terror, and that encapsulates another tendency I’ve seen in my peripheral relationship with The Trek. Toss in some extra brilliant coloring, and what appears to be a vomit cannon in said parasites, and there’s so much about this that demands I jump into this book and the larger canon at warp speed. And even if I still don’t, there’s bound to be more cheesy wonders from this book and all things Star Trek.
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