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.
Absolute Wonder Woman #11
Cover by Hayden Sherman and Jordie Bellaire
Have you skipped the other 10 issues of Absolute Wonder Woman? (What’s it like living under that rock — is it super warm and cozy?) Well, you’re in luck, as the cover to Absolute Wonder Woman #11 is a crash course in the series’ most essential elements. Like how this take on Diana is particularly brutal and intense. Yet, based on those big, blue eyes of hers, there’s still some deep emotion and humanity involved. Plus, her silhouette here is meant to 1) hint at a deeper darkness in this corner of the Absolute DCU and 2) cast Diana as even more of an every-person hero interested in serving as a proper icon for one and all. Oh, and I haven’t even gotten that this could be a Dark Knight/Frank Miller reference-homage, which is timely considering Batman appears in issue #15. Seriously, get reading!
Imperial War: Planet She-Hulk #1
Variant cover by Nimit Malavia
How do you out-shine the mere prospect of Jonathan Hickman and Stephanie Phillips writing She-Hulk in space? Why this excellent Nimit Malavia variant cover to issue #1, of course. It feels like Frank Frazetta did acid, read some issues of Heavy Metal, and busted out the most bonkers cover this side of a Molly Hatchet album cover. I love that even amid the fury of giant, snarling tigers, plus swords the length of small children, Malavia managed to capture She-Hulk with a measure of grace and quiet intensity. It ultimately just shows that there’s going to be real odds and layers on top of a deluge of epic space action and general awesomeness. New Sakaar, you better watch out ‘cause things are about to get very sexy and very, very heavy.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder #1
Variant cover by Michele Bandini
Yet again: If you’re going to go with a variant cover, choose the one from the series artist. And in the case of Michele Bandini, he’s really captured what seems to be the core essence of a series that’s already accomplished just for making Shredder the lead. Having been altered by a “maddening ordeal beyond imagining,” Shredder is either ready to carve up the Big Apple into chunks or maybe even save it instead/somehow? Either way, there’s a new tinge of anger and brooding intensity to the tried-and-true “standing in the rain” trope that instantly grounds this book in some traditions even as it feels extra sharp in its ideas and energies. If nothing else, it takes some big blades to be a wanted criminal and still stand in full view at the crossroads of the western world.
The Voice Said Kill #2
Cover by Vanesa R. Del Rey
We already know that, from a storyline perspective, The Voice Said Kill has some real layers. But that’s just as true with the art from Vanesa R. Del Rey. It’s not just that Del Rey’s work has nailed the desperation and sweat-soaked humanity that defines this book, but the cover to issue #2 demonstrates that her work can also keep us further guessing. Who are some of those people, and are they friend or foes of park ranger Marie? Is this one of those photos where, the longer we look, the more awful things we’ll find? And what’s land and what’s water here, and how exactly does reality work? If absolutely nothing else, with landscapes this gorgeous, I’d wander into any swamp that rolled out from Del Rey’s wondrous mind.
Benjamin #3
Cover by Christian Ward
As a long-time fan/admirer, I can say this is one of the more direct pieces from Christian Ward I’ve seen in some time. We know the spooky, unsettling excellence he can muster for some books, but even this more “simple” piece somehow speaks volumes. It expertly nails the metaphysical madness that’s come to define Benjamin‘s first two chapters; there’s some real “Gulliver’s Travels on ecstasy” vibes going on here. Plus, there’s a kind of continued meta-fication of this book as Benjamin J. Carp is made to feel like some action figure in this cosmic kerfuffle that even he can’t truly understand. I think we’ve all felt like this before, and it’s nice to reconnect with these feelings of cosmic insignificance without having to do a plate of LSD.
Speed Racer #2
Variant cover by Chris Batista
I’m not a car guy. (The only rides I care about are the 1967 Lincoln Continental and any Chevy El Camino.) But even I know the genius move of repurposing a race car magazine for the second issue of Speed Racer — especially if said cover stars the badass Racer X. I love how the creator credits are turned into an article blurb; the playful tone of said blurbs, which leans into the wonderfully cheesy quality of the franchise; and even X’s cool, collected posture that just brings it all home. (Well, that and those damn cool pants, of course.) I’d buy this magazine if only because it feels like the Wizard folks from the ’90s suddenly got hired by Car and Driver in some hilarious bit of mistaken identity.
Immortal Legend Batman #1
Cover by Dan Mora and Tamra Bonvillain
I feel like I could have drawn this Batman as a kid. Not like actually draw it, as Dan Mora and Tamra Bonvillain are undeniable legends at their craft and I have the art skills of a melted turnip. I mean that if I could have somehow manifested my own Dark Knight as a youngster, he’d be this bold, brash, and manga-inspired as this very cosmic spin. And that’s exactly what we need: A chance to tell a crazy sci-fi story that’s Batman if he were cast in a tokusatsu series, with all the corresponding bright colors, dope ship designs, overt emotional intensity, and an endless dedication to cliched but meaningful superheroism. If I had access this book as a kiddie, I would’ve have lost my ever-loving mind — and I’m not that far off from those very sentiments at 39.
Imperial War: Black Panther #1
Variant cover by Francesco Mobili and Moreno DiNisio
And speaking of badass, brooding heroes operating in space, we come to Imperial War: Black Panther #1. Here, T’Challa must battle both World-Breaker Hulk and Amadeus Cho (supes easy) before finding out who framed him for basically kicking off this war. As we can tell from this Francesco Mobili-Moreno DiNisio variant, things are going swimmingly — although I could see this as him either being thrown around or about to land a killing blow. (Or, some combination thereof?) The fact that I don’t know is what matters most here: This whole war should feel novel and inventive given it’s even more “superheroes but in space,” and a cover like this one has a little fun with our sense of gravity and perspective to add new energies to the whole affair. Plus, I just love any time Hulk throws on those oh-so sensible sandals.
Universal Monsters: The Invisible Man #1
Variant cover by Joshua Middleton
Say what you will about even more horror stories, but the Universal Monster line has always deliveed some great variant covers. The Invisible Man #1 is no exception, and we get gems like this pulp-y David Aja variant, Skottie Young’s more playful option, and this inventive Rosemary Valero-O’Connell offering. Good as these are, though, the prize goes to Joshua Middleton’s cover for a few key reasons. Those are: 1) the way Jack Griffin bleeds into the background (how thematically on brand); 2) how, even seemingly all wrapped up, we have such a deep understanding of Jack’s physicality/looks; and 3) the mix of terror and sorrow that defines this piece (and the book at-large). That, and I’m just a big sucker for a turn-of-the-century castles/towers in any story.
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