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.
Titans #30
Variant cover by Mark Spears
Admittedly, Swamp Thing versus Cyborg wasn’t very high on my list of must-see clashes. (Heck, this week alone we get Harley Quinn versus Zatanna, and that’s a battle likely as weird as it will be magical.) But after seeing this Mark Speaks variant to Titans #30, this one doesn’t feel so random and/or uninteresting. The obvious thematic clash is right there, with Swamp Thing representing life and humanity while Cyborg stands as the representative for technology and progress. (Admittedly, it’s an even more effective device as we continue to grapple with the scourge of AI.) Cyborg’s severed hand (it’s floating there in the water to an LOL-worthy response) not only serves as the perfectly inventive light source for this piece but an interesting counter in that organic vs. artificial “debate.” This one already looks like it’ll be cutting and oddly personal, and it’s earnest moments like this that round out K.O.‘s sugar-coated awesomeness. Now fight!
Rogue Storm #3
Cover by Humberto Ramos and Edgar Delgado
The TL;DR of Rogue Storm is that the pair unleashed an ancient evil, sorcerers are basically screwed and/or dying, and they’ve got to face said ancient evil. Based on the cover to issue #3, I’d say their efforts aren’t going so well, and the pair may want to find another way to spend their time in the increasingly depressing Age of Revelation. But they won’t go down so easily, and I think there’s a few takeaways from this great piece by Humberto Ramos and Edgar Delgado. Rogue looks so tired and beat down, it’s like she just walked off the set of Die Hard. And that comedic tinge makes all the difference; it’s a nice addition to the character’s range and makes this storyline feel more textured. Storm, meanwhile, is 100 shades of pissed off, and while she’s perhaps less connected to her powers here, that rage hits just as hard as when she was wielding hurricanes. Not only cause she’s a character with supreme emotional depth, but Rogue plays a nice counter. And that’s how you tell a whole story, in all its many layers, in just one cover. Bravo.
Supernatural #3
Cover by Clayton Crain
I was starting to think I’d never get to talk about the Supernatural comic on this here column. Because while I admire just, like, straight photos of Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki being used as cover art, this Clayton Crain piece feels like it’s the first to really tackle and engage the series head on. You can’t even mention this series without Baby, and this version feels stoic and important while also proving a little meatier and rounded (which, let’s be honest, the car in the show often felt like a pristine stage, like Joey and Ross’ apartment from Friends). But the real stars, of course, are the brothers Winchester, and Sammy and Dean are the definition of badass as they face all sorts of ghouls and hell fire. Oh, and bonus points for the “creatures” here being faceless/non-descript to new readers; it makes things feel exciting and mysterious while keeping the focus on our boys. It might seem a simple or direct enough cover, but it knows the show inside and out, and that representation is why many folks oughta give this series a try in the first place. Vroom vroom!
Space Ghost #6
Cover by Francesco Mattina
I don’t want to take away from the series proper, but a standout of Space Ghost has clearly been the regular covers from Francesco Mattina. Whether searing our brains with space magic, or just letting the big guy bust out Blue Steel, Mattina has offered a sense of power, intrigue, and new layers to the story itself. Now, though, Mattina gets a real challenge as he whips up a cover for SG’s confrontation with space vampires. (Or, as I like to call ’em, Vamps! In! Space!) The snarling teeth may be a little cliche at this point, but the jagged claws feel like they’re a novel enough spin. The blood-red background is, of course, a proper draw, and it reminds us of so much vampiric imagery while adding a “sci-fi/space” element that is truly interesting (and doesn’t remove this series too far from its comfort zone). But the real draw is the balance of monstrous rage and those eyes that are caked in a deep, deep sadness. It creates this profound contrast, and we can see the core of SG being poked/prodded in a way that feels important and not just a gimmick (like space vampires). Great, now do “Astro Zombies” and I’ll really be interested.
High Strangeness #3
Cover by Valeria Burzo
I definitely enjoyed the first two issues of High Strangeness, but I’m very much glad for #3. Not only is there a solid creative team joining “bookrunner”/writer Daniel Noah (that’d be Christopher Cantwell and Valeria), but it takes place in 1983. Said year is still very much ancient history, but from an aesthetic standpoint, I think it opened the team up to something more chipper and weird and generally charming. And that’s exactly what Burzo’s cover captures. Yes, it all has to do with the story, which involves some corporate espionage around a device that “can be plugged into any damaged system and repair its operating functions.” But you also can’t tell me that this couldn’t be some Cyndi Lauper music video, or a really weird sci-fi flick starring a young John Lithgow and Kelly McGillis. So, yeah, it’s wild and weird and fun, but it fits with the dang era, and that makes High Strangeness feel like it’s not just telling bonkers stories but doing so in a way that feels novel with each new issue. That, and maybe this is just a performance art piece from a random day in NYC — anything is possible!
Wrestle Heist #1
Variant cover by Jesse Lonergan
Even if you hate wrestling (what else, not a fan of puppies and sunshine?), Kyle Starks very clearly loves the true Sweet Science. And he’s made that a function of Wrestle Heist, exploring the ins and outs of both the action and the backstage politics in a way that feels interesting but always respectful. And while I don’t know his own rasslin’ background, that’s very much something that Jesse Lonergan has picked up on in his own variant cover. On one level, Lonergan has captured the physicality and intensity of wrestling; it’s as much theater as it is a display of athletic prowess. But this also feels like a really great visual metaphor for the series itself, as Sterling Steele is a great protagonist struggling with revenge and righting wrongs (and that feels like the best motivation for a proper heist tale). He’s literally fighting from the bottom, and that’s a sense of sympathy (again, in line with the singular scope of wrestling) this book really needs. Plus, the whole premise is the right level of cheesy and silly, and all great wrestling provides that as a counter to its own overt humanity and emotionality. Ring the bell, ’cause this one’s got me beat!
Batman / Superman: World’s Finest #46
Variant cover by Adrián Gutiérrez
I can certainly enjoy Dan Mora’s main cover for Batman / Superman: World’s Finest #46. I can’t think of many better visual devices to explore the interconnection and general relationships of these iconic heroes and villains. The only real “competitor” is the one employed on this variant cover from issue artist Adrián Gutiérrez. Sure, it’s not as technically impressive (layering the characters in a way to make everything both match up and feel thematically significant), but it does feel heaps more playful. For instance, is Superman escaping Lex Luthor, or flying toward him? Is Joker eating Batman, or has the Dark Knight escaped instead? Maybe you’ve already made your own assessment, but the fact that either options seems to work manages to 1) say a lot about each character and their approach and worldview and 2) it says just as much about their various relationships and dynamics and how those are both interesting and often tenuous/ever-shifting. And that’s not even getting at the comparisons of Superman and Batman’s poses, or why Lex is all tech-ed up and Joker is a giant fish. There’s layers galore here, folks, and this is why World’s Finest very much lives up to its title.
The Mortal Thor #5
Cover by Alex Ross
Every time I look at, or even think about, Immortal Thor, the Talking Head song “Once in a Lifetime” instantly comes to mind. Because in a story where Thor has become an ordinary man, divorced from his godly powers, lines like “You may find yourself/living in a shotgun shack…And you may ask yourself, ‘Well, how did I get here.'” Which is to say, it’s a book about identity, losing the plot of one’s life, and dealing with parts of ourselves both important and not-so-savory. And in the Alex Ross cover to issue #5, as Thor comes face-to-face with Sons of the Serpent in a real way for the first time, this connection feels even more vital than ever before. Because, as we’re led to believe, he’s not alone, and there’s something about this idea of “Hey, this ain’t my life!” growing and extending that feels both unsettling and interesting, as if we’re all grappling with the very notion. (Maybe we are?!) It brings these disparate folks together in a massive way, and sets the stage for a confrontation abounding with emotionality, nuance, layers of texture, and just so much life. Also, painting inside a painting, meta bonanza!
The New Space Age #1
Variant cover by Daniel Warren Johnson
If you can recall September (and I can only partially), we introduced The New Space Age from Kenny Porter and Mike Becker that’s effectively “Flight of the Navigator for a new era.” And while Becker’s art facilitates that unique visual and thematic payload with gusto, I want to pause and pay homage to this variant cover from Daniel Warren Johnson. Sure, DWJ shows up in this column a lot, but how can you not when covers like this are so top-notch? I 1,000% get Flight of the Navigator, but updated for the depressive burnout Millennial audience (which feels super on brand for that movie somehow). And it’s not just the car packed full of stuff like the worst version of “van life” ever; it’s the balance of the romance and grandiosity of the cosmos with the tired desperation of humanity. That, my friends, is how we update these space-faring stories with new energies and ideas. Toss in the floating alien cow things, and this book is already shooting for the moon in the best, most inventive ways possible. To infinity, and beyond!
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