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.
Batman / Superman: World’s Finest #29
Cover by Dan Mora
This latest run of Batman / Superman is all about duality. Not only are we dealing with Doom-Mite (that’s Doomsday and Mister Mxyzptlk combined in glorious manner), but even Bats and Supes have combined essences a time or two. And it’s easy to see why this is such a compelling and thoughtful theme: Batman and Superman are basically dichotomy manifest, and stories about the duo over the last 70-plus years have been about comparing and contrasting their strengths, worldviews, and personalities. Yet across all those various stories, I don’t think I’ve seen a more neat representation (at least in quite some time) than this Dan Mora-penned cover to World’s Finest #29. They really are like puzzle pieces in a way — you can swap and move parts between the two heroes to see just how they contrast and compare on a near-molecular level. That, and you get a really neat perspective about how they fit so perfectly as a super team, and the ways that they click and also don’t and what that tells us not only about them but also ourselves in this process. And if you don’t want to get all that deep, Mora has simply delivered a really neat and intricate piece that adds to this series’ list of many achievements. I give this two giant-sized thumbs up!
The Invincible Iron Man #20
Cover by Kael Ngu
After 19 issues and some two years, it’s all come down to this for The Invincible Iron Man. There’s been heaps of threads explored across this book, and yet one of the most important is covered here in glorious detail by Kael Ngu. The main one, of course, has to be Tony Stark’s armor, and how much of the story has been about what this latest piece of tech represents for Tony right now as he seems to be in the midst of big personal changes. But just as important, nay vital, is Tony’s relationship with Emma Frost — their dynamic hasn’t just been compelling to watch but it’s been such an important way to both dissect and extend both characters in a realy novel time in their respective personal arcs. And so all of these big ideas are boiled down to their essence, and what we get is deceptively simple and powerful. You can almost feel the tension between the two hands, and how that speaks to the process of their “joining.” And yet even through that, and as both are wearing armor, you still can’t help but feel like this tiny but significant moment was meant to be. (Also, I just love the sheer shininess of it all.) Is that enough to save them against the Orchis for good? You’ll have to read to find out, but I’m feeling pretty confident of our long-awaited “happy ending.”
Witchblade #1
Cover by Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto
We’re about a year or so off from the actual 30th anniversary of Witchblade, but I’ll allow it for this seemingly special new series. Namely, Marguerite Bennett and Giuseppe Cafaro are joining forces for a Sara Pezzini origin story, a “reimagining of the classic storyline” that “starts at the beginning with familiar characters and new story arcs.” And what better way to kick-off this retro re-hashing than by having the character’s co-creator, Marc Silvestri, team with Arif Prianto for a great new cover to issue #1. As far as ’90s magic is concerned, the duo bring it and then some, and I’m convinced that no one understood the ’90s mix of high drama and sex appeal quite like Silvestri. That, and there’s definitely that surge of old familiarity (even as maybe things feel staged or scoped in a new way) to really give us something lively to embrace/tackle. Sure, nostalgia for the ’90s is pretty rampant by now, but I like what this cover tries to do and how it seems most interested in exploring this era again with vigor and a dash of playful mystery. Maybe you’re a Witchblade pro by now, but there’s a power and excitement here that even if it’s still mostly the same story, there’s ample reasons to jump aboard the Nostalgia Express.
Paranoid Gardens #1
Variant cover by Motohiro
Let me just list the talent attached here: Gerard Way, Shaun Simon, Dave Stewart, Chris Weston, and Nate Piekos. Now this is me pausing ’cause I assume you’ve dropped what you’re doing and are already looking this up/instantly buying it online. But if you’ve stuck around, thank you and let’s get to the meat and potatoes of it all. Because that roster of A-listers have managed to outdo expectations with a story described as “ER meets Doctor Who on acid” that’s about a nurse named Loo caring for cases that seemingly involve “aliens, ghosts, superheroes, and more creatures.” And so this bonkers variant cover by Motohiro seems to capture just an ordinary day at this care-center, and the kind of brain-breaking absurdity that Loo and her coworkers face. On the upside, the A-list creators here still have my mind reeling, and so giant aliens in a nurses’ uniform and psychedelic spiders aren’t quite as psychically damaging as you’d expect. If anything, it all just feels like a giant rush of weirdness and joy, and while I think some of this imagery will eventually turn scary or intimidating, for now I’m just enjoying the intense feelings. It’s sort of like that time I did shrooms on Halloween, only I don’t have to worry about masked werewolves or running out of Twix.
The Powerpuff Girls #1
Cover by Paulina Ganucheau
When I interviewed Kelly Thompson and Paulina Ganucheau, they really struck me as the perfect team for a new Powerpuff Girls comic series. Not only because they each have a great track record with strong female-led books/stories, but because they each seem to want to offer a kind of “timeless” approach to this chapter of PPG. And I think that’s abundantly clear not only in the solicitations — lots of references to the girls’ origins — but also in Ganucheau’s own cover to issue #1. It’s surely as “boldorable” as the duo intended, as we get lots of neon colors, big, bold enemies like Mojo Jojo and the Amoeba Boys, and some generally great posing/spatial awareness from the girls. Yet as much as I’m getting flashbacks to watching old episodes while slamming down Hot Pockets, there’s just enough newness here that has me intrigued. Like, that red tinge in Buttercup’s eyes — while her anger was a part of the show/her powerset, I think maybe there’s something else here. Or, the more streamlined and stylized feel/tone; this series can’t just be a rehash, and that newer feel opens this book up to appeal to different audiences. Heck, even just the slightly more manic joy in the girls’ face makes me think this will be a proper addition to the PPG’s lore. Just make sure that HIM gets plenty of page time and we’re golden.
Biker Mice from Mars #1
Variant cover by Francis Portela
And speaking of things wonderfully repurposed from mine/our childhoods, we come to Biker Mice from Mars #1. I can honestly say that there’s few things that I’ve been more excited for in recent years, and that includes getting married and my stepdaughter graduating high school. (Love you, family unit!) Because of all the titles in the NacelleVerse, not only is this the most near and dear to my heart but we’ve got Melissa Flores on writing duties. (You may know her from some Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers stories/content.) And while this book didn’t really need to do much to hook me, I have to give it to series artist Francis Portela for this brilliant variant cover. Sure, on the one hand, referencing that iconic Akira poster is pure genius — who doesn’t want their beloved childhood movies/entertainment mashing together in wondrous retromania. At the same time, I wonder if this might inform or just color the tone and outlook of this book, and if we can expect a Biker Mice from Mars that’s a little more weird and dark. (Which would be a feat considering this book is about alien rodents having to leave their homeworld by force.) But even if that’s not the case, I’m now at a level of geeked up that I thought was impossible, and there’s very little that even an awful series could to to truly diminish that joy. Biker Mice!
Phoenix #1
Variant cover by Aka
Maybe you had some mixed feelings about the newly-relaunched X-Men book. Regardless, I feel especially hopeful with this all-new Phoenix title from Stephanie Phillips and Alessandro Miracolo. Because, just as World’s Finest is also about duality and dichotomy, so too is Phoenix interested in both sides of the entity and ideas of heroism vs. villainy, life and death, hope and nihilism, etc. (Plus, we’re getting a book in space and big mentions of a black hole, and you know that means some deeply majestic shots/imagery.) This very thread continues in glorious fashion across the Aka-drawn variant cover to issue #1. I love that this is clearly Phoenix, and yet there’s that slow-burning humanity and almost gentle passion that feels like it’s very much Jean Grey still breaking through the fiery facade. And it’s almost like Phoenix/Jean is reaching right out of the page to touch us, and that extends the dichotomous interest in a way that makes us part of the story and the larger thematic interests here (so, breaking the fourth in a neat/compelling manner). All in all, it’s a cover that hints or whispers some big ideas, and it’ll be neat to see how this series manages to balance its “two leads” and its larger storyline with such drama and intensity. To me, my Phoenix fans!
My Bad: Escape from Peculiar Island #3
Cover by Peter Krause
If you didn’t keep up with My Bad from AHOY Comics, you really missed out. Co-creator Mark Russell and his collaborators really crafted a neat and novel spoof on superheroes, and that debut series felt silly, dumb, and sarcastic in all the very best ways. And My Bad: Escape from Peculiar Island has very much extended that trend, as this title continues its wacky and wild work from the tropical Peculiar Islands that contain even more bizarre happenings and equally absurd characters. Given all of that, you may initially have a hearty chuckle or two about this cover to issue #3 from Peter Krause that expertly lampoons the Captain America archetype. Like, why did the star-spangled buffoon opt for full combat armor to have a drink at the ol’ pub? But then you also feel a little sad for his sense of loneliness and disconnect, and maybe even feel a touch of familiarity as so much of the world feels a little like this now (for better and worse). None of those more “serious” feelings/emotions take away from the sheer absurdity here, and we’re sort of left to mostly reconcile all of that. That’s mostly the strength of this book, as it uses humor like a Trojan horse to really smack the reader in the face with book social truths and insights. That, and the whole series has truly nailed ape/monkey-themed humor.
Dark Knights of Steel: Allwinter #1
Variant cover by Dan Panosian
Sort of like the aforementioned X-Men reboot, some of you might’ve loved Dark Knights of Steel and some of you may have more mixed feelings bordering on the negative and/or annoyed. And that’s cool, because I think spin-offs like Allwinter, where Deathstroke is basically a Conan-esque mercenary in some “frozen wasteland,” is a second chance at a first impression. (While also maybe being just a wee bit of a cash grab in the best/least irksome manner possible.) Because I 100% believe that Deathstroke was made for this story, even if only in the way he’s depicted in this Dan Panosian variant cover. For one, the dual-painted black and orange helmet is a perfect fit for the medieval cosplay vibes of this whole story/universe. Sure, I miss Deathstroke’s iconic sword, but I think the giant stone axe fits nicely and maintains the idea that this master assassin can wield any weapon with maximum violence and overall cool factor. (Just ask the small mound of deceased warriors who tried to prove otherwise.) Toss in some sick bats/birds, a sickly orange sun, and some proper Frank Frazetta vibes, and I’m excited to see how Death-Conan/Conan-stroke smashes his way across a fantasy hellscape. That, and to maybe figure out what he keeps in that little bag of his.
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