Judging by the Cover – 10/22/25 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.

Detective Comics #1102

Cover by Mikel Janín

I’m very much a fan of the OG run of Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight. You’d return to that book every month or two, and you’d be greeted by some snapshot of insanity into the Dark Knight’s latest case. Intentional or not, Mikel Janin has channeled that very spirit here. With Gotham under attack from a rather lethal contagion, we get a sharp moment of drama (that may or may not be story accurate), and that’s an effective gimmick ripped squarely from the pages of LOTDK. Plus, we get a great moment of humanity from the often too stoic Mr. Terrific, and a clean example of Janin’s blend of old- and new-school aesthetics alongside a dash of believability that informs one of the best Batsuits in the game. Yeah, I’m also infected — with the joy of a genuinely solid Batman cover.

Radioactive Spider-Man #1

Variant cover by Rickie Yagawa

Basically, it feels like this Spider-Man story was drummed up just to let writer Joe Kelly spin a yarn (see what I did there?) that involves Man-Spider. And, hey, I’m all for it — we know how I feel about kicking Spidey when he’s down, and there’s no better way to debase Peter Parker than make him relive his worst case scenario. But this Rickie Yagawa takes the mutant monster to all new heights: I love the extra spidery body (that makes him 65% Spider, 35% man), and how that adds a dash of EC Comics-ian joke-horror. Plus, something about the glowing eyes in this instance just feel even more harrowing than ever. And if nothing else, that sharp suit contrasted to the spider vibes feels like something essential about how Spidey really moves through the world. The only downside? I wish we could see his wittle pincer thangs.

Gunslinger Spawn #48

Cover by Björn Barends

If it were up to me, Björn Barends would drawn Spawn stuff forever and ever. Especially because of this brilliant cover, which speaks directly to me in a way that warms my heart (and also, just ever so slightly, churns my stomach). Where do I even begin in confessing my love for this? I truly appreciate that the wound/hold is not a perfect circle; that seems more likely given bullet physics (I guess). I also really like the way it seems like blood vessels have popped at imperfect points, and how bones have splintered at jagged angles. And you can’t tell me this isn’t the perfect shade of red for internal (well, formally internal at least) blood and guts. It’s deeply gratuitous but also just a feat of technical excellence. Sure, Gunslinger looks sort of bored or ambivalent, but I’m grinning from ear to friggin’ ear.

Hello Halloween #1

Variant cover by Drew Rausch

And from seasonally appropriate blood and guts to more nuanced treats, we come to Hello Halloween #1. (That’s BOOM! Studios’ Hello Darkness but adorned in a new wrapper a la those Ghoulish Green Twix.) This one very much feels in the nebulous Venn diagram of Twilight Zone and EC Comics; it’s that old-school sheen and heft and jokey-but-not-jokey approach to a genuinely terrifying scene. (Like, is Pumpkin Bro over here summoning ghosts, or using a ghost as, like, a voodoo doll to control the masked skeleton? Terrified minds want to know!) The best part of this holiday is that you can be cheesy and terrifying, fun but challenging — in short, everything this cover does by blurring reality and time to speak to something essential about All Hallows’ Eve. If you see this while trick or treating, it’s a good idea to run (even if that might not exactly save your backside whatsoever).

Thanksgiving #1

Variant cover by Alain Mauricet

The great thing about Halloween, as I literally just mentioned, is that it’s open-ended. You don’t have to cake your scene in ghouls, blood, and/or the dead to draw a response from an audience. Case in point: Thanksgiving #1. This one-shot — about a family being tormented by the Turkeyneck Killer — has a cover that’s just as horrifying as anything else. It’s the ill-fitting glove of our killer; there’s something chaotic about it that’s doubly terrifying. Or, the very human and pained expressions on the family’s faces; that intimacy can be more effective than 100 gallons of blood. (Also, is that woman based on June Squibb, and are they going to ice her?!) Even the snow lures you into a false sense of serenity before you’re reminded of the horror to come. Plus, if their Thanksgiving is like the family affairs of many of us, the conversation over appetizers will be plenty scary.

Cemetery Kids Run Rabid #3

Variant cover by Trevor Henderson

You might be already be asking, “Chris, haven’t you had your fill of body horror yet?” And, no dear reader, I will never, ever be full unless they crack my head open and pour in enough fake blood and guts to drown a blue whale. But this Trevor Henderson variant variant for Cemetery Kids Run Rabid #3 goes go a long way to scratching that itch. But even more that satiating some deep need, it makes me appreciative. Because if you read my review of issue #2, you might remember that CKRR has grabbed me with its potent storytelling over overt gore/violence. This cover, then, is a reminder that this book is truly capable of it all, and that just when you think things may be “tame,” something like this piece reminds you that the best books use all their tools to effect you on a seemingly elemental level. That, and it’s a new kind of horror for this book (more Silent Hill than, say, biopunk Dark Souls). Plus, if you’ve read this book, you know a little how our bisected friend already feels (in the best way, of course).

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #12

Variant cover by Juan Ferreyra

Just last week, I picked a separate TMNT book because of how it balanced a new-school depiction with some old-school sensibilities/vibes. Now, as the TMNT main book reaches a landmark with issue #12, series artist Juan Ferreyra gives us this generally stirring piece. With the Turtles ready to heal, but still facing one big threat, being unable to discern if this is sun up or sun down feels thematically significant. Beyond that, I love the way Ferreyra depicts the Big Apple’s skyscraper as being so iconic; it opens the world in such a powerful way and connects the city innately with the Turtles. But most of all, I love this down-right life-affirming display of love between the brothers — it’s organic in the very best way, and you can practically feel the warmth (the emotional kind but also touching turtle skin) emanating from this scene. When life sucks (and it will), your family is always there to take it all in.

Universal Monsters: The Invisible Man #3

Variant cover by Michael Walsh

Speaking of things I’ve said and/or referenced in the past, I believe I commented some weeks ago that this Invisible Man book is exciting but also tenuous. Because as much as I love letting countless talented artists render an invisible man for our viewing pleasure, there’s only so much you can really do. And than I saw this Michael Walsh variant cover, and boy oh boy do I wish I were invisible right now. Because Walsh has done something truly amazing: He’s repurposed a vaguely iconic image (the bandages) in a new way while also playing around with negative space. He uses light and shadow in a way that makes it seem like we’re looking through the window, but it’s bent and obfuscated in a way that, if I actually saw this scene, I’d run in terror. And, last but certainly not least, he’s managed to give him a physical presence via the rain that not every depiction has ever captured. I’m scared and delighted like rarely before, and I’d watch this Invisible Man in action for 50 darn issues.

Speed Racer: Tales from the Road #1

Variant cover by Stefano Simeone

I’m not much of a car guy. (Unless it’s a 1967 Lincoln Continental.) That’s doubly true for car-centric stories — I’ve never see a single Fast & Furious film, and I only liked Deathproof cause Rosari Dawson drops a mean axe kick. But this Stefano Simeone variant cover to Speed Racer: Tales from the Road #1 is something I can get behind in a big way. It’s obviously the angle; something about this “curved” view of a cityscape pokes my brain and makes me feel excited. Then, of course, this cool-ish green; it’s not what I expect from these kinds of car-centric properties, and yet it works perfectly. And then if all of that somehow didn’t work, we’ve got Racer X not only leaping from his car (does that happen in enough of these stories?), but the aforementioned “curve” makes it like he’s ready to jump off the dang Earth for vengeance. Give me 90 minutes of these stunts, and you’ll have enough of my adoration to fill the whole backseat of a Continental.