Judging by the Cover – 09/17/25 new releases

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.

Marvel / DC: Deadpool / Batman #1

Variant cover by Daniel Warren Johnson

I’ve certainly had my share of struggles in picking a cover option for the latest big release. But even all of that feels small or inconsequential given the surge of cross-brand excellence emanating from Deadpool / Batman #1. But after genuinely wracking my brain, I had to choose this Daniel Warren Johnson variant. There’s the choice of heroes (solid B-ish-level talent from both Marvel and DC) and the sheer skill in which DWJ makes us feel the blow ourselves. Mostly, though, it’s that this is the best example of the “Hell F’N Yeah Factor” — that little metric I just made up that gets to the deeply nerdy joy and corresponding sense of community this “event” should foster. (And not just, like, another cash grab.) Still, extra special shout-outs to the badass Ryan Stegman variant; the cutesy offering from Skottie Young; this old-school homage from Russell Dauterman; and another underrated team-up from Marco Checchetto.

Phoenix #15

Cover by Lucas Werneck

You thought you hated making hard choices. As Jean Grey must decide the final fate of her sister, this Lucas Werneck cover feels like it’s perfectly suited for one of the Phoenix’s hardest choices to date. The sheer agony and weight of it all might fracture her once again, her very rage spilling out into the cosmos itself. Scary? You don’t know the half of it. But it’s beautiful, too, and all that emotion moving from a person into the universe proper is something that speaks to our own status as imperfect humans, the search for meaning, and our desire to transcend what we are into something truly majestic. In that way, all this cosmic might feels as human and relatable as ever, and that’s basically Jean Grey to a tee.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Casey Jones #1

Cover by Amancay Nahuelpan

After 30 long years, Casey Jones is finally getting his own solo book for the very first time. I’m jazzed as heck that 1) it’s spinning directly out of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and 2) Alex Paknadel and Amancay Nahuelpan are behind the wheel. But mostly I’m jazzed for Nahuelpan’s own debut cover, which does a few things very right: It nails Jones’ whole “crazed sports fan” aesthetic to a tee; it gives the proper balance of fantasy and grit to this version of NYC; and the goons here actually feel like they’ll be a threat to our boy. (Or, at the very least, a good bit of a warm-up.) Jones does a few key things as a character, and if they’re maximized/emphasized like they are on this cover, then this solo series will hit like a hockey stick to the dome.

Creepshow #1

Cover by Lorenzo De Felici

As I’ve noted before, horror-centric anthologies are all the rage right now. But while the handful of titles from, say, Oni Press have been making the most waves, Image’s Creepshow has been quietley killing it into its fourth volume. And if you peep this Lorenzo De Felici cover to #1, you might see just why. Is it the clearly old-school dedication to the OG Creepshow? You bet. Is it also the way bloody washing/drying machines churn even my stomach? That’s a big 10-4, bud! But mostly it’s the proper mix of bloody terror and approachable humanity — reality in this book is weird and approachable, terrifying and oddly quaint. In short, it’s a world that knows itself, and invites us all in to truly discover the madness. I just hope they used enough bleach.

Bloodletter #4

Cover by Christian Rosado

I feel like I’ve talked about how much I love Bloodletter longer than there’s been issues on the actual shelf. It’s the sharp, engaging writing from Tim Seeley and Joseph Illidge; the way this book uniquely connects to the Spawn-verse; and the depth and nuance of a character like Bloodletter herself. Still, it’s mostly the work of artist Christian Rosado, who once again delivers with a killer cover with proper layers. You see Bloodletter’s own obsession with ending Spawn, and the dark, compelling magic that imbues her corner of the world. However, I can’t fully escape Bloodletter’s eyes, and she retains a power and significance that lets me see this book as so much more than a revenge story with Spawn. No, it’s something much deeper still, and I’m practically hypnotized by this cover’s power and potential.

Godzilla: Escape The Dead Zone #2

Variant cover by Juan Gedeon

Here’s my theory about Godzilla: Escape The Dead Zone: It’s basically a living argument. Because for anyone who wants to wonder why Godzilla, a giant radioactive lizard, deserves his own universe when he doesn’t quip yet alone wear pants like a “traditional” hero, this book hits back. Because just as this cover awesomely demonstrates, it’s about exploring either the chasm between or the increasing proximity between madness/terror/darkness and our own humanity. And just as our lead in ETDZ is neither one or the other, this cover shows how interesting, uneven, and generally important this kind of “discussion” is as we track our development compared to our own goals and that of the natural world. The fact that the cover also seemingly glows like a blacklight poster is just a dope bonus.

Nightwing #130

Variant cover by Ethan Young

This whole issue asks the following question: As Nightwing mentors a new, superpowered hero, will he break, and could that also spell disaster for Bludhaven? This bonkers Ethan Young cover doesn’t touch on all of that per se, but it does expertly demonstrate just how connected Nightwing is to his adopted hometown. (Does anyone else think of Darwyn Cooke’s work for some reason?) You really can’t have one without the other at this point, and everything Dick Grayson does is to further establish and strengthen his city. In turn, Bludhaven gives Dick a place to be the kind of hero he thinks is best. In that way, we realize the greater message of this issue: If Dick excels as mentor (or even fails), it’ll be with his city on his very back.

Magic: The Gathering: Untold Stories–Elspeth #1

Cover by Owen Gieni

I don’t know much about Magic The Gathering beyond the cards were expensive and my brother stole a bunch to feed his deck. But this book (in which the unpublished story of Theros Beyond Death is finally sent out into the world) already has me skimming the Wiki. Artist Owen Gieni has such a crisp and lush approach to your “standard” fantasy fare — everything here maintains that grit and edge even as it feels like this one could be ripped directly from a card. (Called, like, “Elspeth The Unconquered” or whatever.) It’s a dynamic best represented in the monsters behind the golden masks: Great fantasy needs levels/layers, and when you balance aesthetics, inspirations, energies, emotions, etc., you get something that’s novel but still contextually rich, and that’s a true adventure. Plus, I sure do love a sword with a complicated hilt situation.

Street Sharks #1

Variant cover by Kevin Anthony Catalan

In my own review of issue #1, I noted how Street Sharks was “basic” in its approach, and yet the book was already at least trying to build off that inherent surge of nostalgia. That’s probably why I like this great Kevin Anthony Catalan cover so dang much. Because almost all of it screams ’90s “xtreme,” from the brothers smashing through the wall to the way Dr. Piranoid is depicted as graffiti. (That’s quite the tag if you ask me.) Yet there’s also this modern crispness and intent that augments those occasionally “cheesy” energies into something that’s a bit more nuanced and textured (without fully detaching us from the retromania intended with ::checks team roster: roller-blading shark-men hybrids). We should celebrate some bygone cultural era and still do something novel, and this cover’s doing just that with heart and gusto to spare.