Judging by the Cover – 01/21/26 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.

Captain America #6

Variant cover by Delio Diaz

If you’re behind on Captain America, everyone’s basically playing “grab the white-hot Lateveria,” and that includes “Nick Fury’s unpredictable new version of S.H.I.E.L.D.” Now, on the one hand, this whole storyline is wildly exciting, and the kind of big, global spywork-centric fare that feels interesting from Cap titles. At the same time, based on this variant cover by Delio Diaz, I can’t help but think of the very real-world connotations with the “situation” in Venezuela. The endless dust being kicked up in the roads as foreign tanks roll ominously by. The way bullets are littered like falling leaves. And, of course, the symbol of a once great insitution (OK, maybe important, but not so great) laying torn on the ground. Sure, I’m being a smidgen too poetic, but the connection remains: A good Cap story is right there on the periphery, where fiction and fact meet in a wild and intense dance. This one’s bound to be good, yeah, but I feel like it also my break my heart that much more.

Batman / Superman: World’s Finest #47

Variant cover by Fabrizio De Tommaso

Last week, I revealed Superman’s “I’m punk rock” moment (from his big 2025 movie) felt a little inauthentic. And in turn, the cover to Supergirl #9 actually demonstrated where the real punk power resides in the Super Family. But maybe I should’ve waited a week for this Fabrizio De Tommaso variant for Batman / Superman: World’s Finest #47, which opts not to focus on the ending of “The Merger” but instead turn Superman and Batman into angsty punks that’d make the whole West Coast hardcore scene shake in their boots. There’s so much to take away here: that Super Mohawk; the surprisingly nuanced used of graffiti; the punk-ified utility belt; the practically irresponsible open soda on the amp (how punk!); and that untouched cowl (for some reason). Do I think this applies to the storyline somehow? I can’t imagine, but this book’s surprised me before. Am I buying the World’s Finest as sneering punks? Maybe, and at least Supes is really buying into the whole experience. But if nothing else, it’s weird, dumb, and plenty of fun, and that’s truly punk rock.

Assorted Crisis Events #8

Cover by Eric Zawadzki

In addition to my thoughts on Superman’s punk rock pedigree, I also have some feelings about Assorted Crisis Events. Specifically, while I find the Deniz Camp-penned stories poignant and heartfelt, sometimes the book clings too cloyingly to its meta nature, and the use of resulting devices and frameworks can either overpower a story or distract us. But I’m nonetheless deeply interested in issue #8, where a “homeless comic book artist falls into the gutters – literally!” Visually speaking, there’s something powerful about a creator actually falling into their work, and how the corresponding mix of emotions (Sad! Romantic! Thought-Provoking!) rushes over me in mighty waves. At the same time, you can’t forget the genuine context of it all: So many creators have, unfortunately, fallen on hard times despite the popularity of their work. What we have, then, is something gutting but just a little abstract, too, and it’s in that space where ACE can work in the best, most meaningful ways. Lots of things could still distract or take away, but I feel like this issue alone has so much potential to move us by expertly dissecting comics as both a medium and industry.

Everything Dead & Dying #5

Variant cover by Jeff Lemire

First off, as sad as I am that Everything Dead & Dying is coming to an end, the final solicitation is badass: “Death comes to Caverton.” You know who else is coming to Caverton for this finale? Jeff Lemire, in this absolutely wonderful variant cover. Now, creators Tate Brombal and Jacob Phillips haven’t needed much help in crafting this powerful zombie story (that’s not really a zombie story but uses that “device” brilliantly), but I love what Lemire’s “presence” means right here at the end. He nailed the down-home, wholly accessible tone of the book; it’s a story about how death lives in all of our lives (even when there’s not undead cannibals about). It’s the right mix of romantic and gross, and the book has similarly wielded those dual pistols with precision. And Lemire’s whole approach and aesthetic is a little funny, and that dash of humor right now feels significant as the book moves in for the kill. Good stories are like people’s lives: They often end, but that doesn’t mean they’re ever truly done with us.

Briar: Night’s Terror #2

Variant cover by Soo Lee

December’s big return saw Briar: Night’s Terror set up an interesting ending for this poignant fantasy tale. Briar Rose and company are now mere spitting distance from Grendrid, and while that last leg involves quite a hike, we can practically taste sweet, sweet revenge. Issue #2 promises some great interpersonal drama as they cut across the “perilous Fallswitch Traps,” but it also offers this really great Soo Lee variant cover. What’s it got to do with the story proper? Probably nothing! However, Briar Rose just looks dope AF, and the kind of powerful, extra regale type that’s meant to rule over lands and squash nasty witches. For me, it’s a reminder of who she was, how her destiny was “interrupted,” and how this is really the person coming for Grendrid (i.e., someone poised and strong). That to me feels like the most effective reminder that we’re really coming to the end of this wondrous, charming story, and that there’s real stakes (emotional, narrative, etc.) on the line. Endings may not always be easy, but this one’s going to be as gorgeous as it is gut-wrenching.

Death to Pachuco #4

Variant cover by Ben Passmore

There’s so much I like about Death to Pachuco. That list includes the commitment to history (but also the ability to embellish and deviate as needed for effect); writer Henry Barajas’ lettering; the one-two punch of Rachel Merrill and Lee Loughridge drawing zoot suits; and the grit and charm that is Ricky Tellez. But I also very much like the many variant covers that have been featured, and how each one both explores and adds to the the larger experience of Pachuco. Case in point: This Ben Passmore piece for issue #4. Sure, it’s more cartoonish than it is gritty, but I think that “infusion” of something more joyous and playful is important. It reminds us not only that there’s so many layers and structures within this story, but that the Chicano culture isn’t a monolith. This whole story is a living, breathing snapshot of just one moment, and it may not be the whole of this “world,” but it shows us the sheer humanity, culture, art, and joy that lives at the center of all these peoples’ lives. This variant may not be the story, but given the largeness sense of care and respect of this book, it’s just as valid of a perspective as we live this story more and more with each new issue. Also, love cool depictions of knives/switchblades!

Rogue #1

Variant cover by Daniele Di Nicuolo

In what’s one of my favorite fictional tropes, Rogue is living the good life with Gambit — until nasty, closet-based skeletons rear their ugly head. So, I’m expecting a story that’s going to be fraught with drama and intrigue, with passions boiling over as Rogue maneuvers her complicated past, present, and future. But as we’re so wonderfully reminded by this excellent Daniele Di Nicuolo variant cover to issue #1, she’s also got more charm than there is helium in a blimp while also being stronger than 1,000 locomotives. Does those skills/abilities somehow mitigate her real-world issues? God no! Rogue will always have to deal with the mess of her past while preventing her current, brighter situation from being swallowed up entirely. And she’s going to do it with that signature pizazz and personality, a combination that somehow seems more important than all of the superpowers in the world. Also, a one-handed Sentinel lift may be showing off for others, but here it’s practically endearing.

Titans #31

Cover by Pete Woods

I think when most folks look at the cover for Titans #31, they’ll instantly be drawn to the clash between Grail and Donna Troy. And, yeah, rightly so: Those two trading blows is going to be a clash for the ages, and set against Earth’s transformation into New Apokolips, I’m surprised they’re not charging PPV-level money for this bout. But while you enjoy the pure brutality, spare a few moments for one Roy Harper (and not just cause he’s clearly in danger). Rather, as this story focuses on the aforementioned transformation, I feel like good ol’ Roy is a stand-in for us, and the Parademons are (obviously enough) Darkseid. Even as he’s clearly out-numbered, Roy keeps fighting regardless, muscles straining and vocal cords hoarse as he counters the rising tide of the universe’s biggest bad. I’m sure the good guys will win in the long run, but Roy’s struggle in the meantime has some emotional, contextual, and narrative might, and it’s a small but profound snapshot of the real stakes behind this fun, gimmicky event. Give ’em hell, Roy!

The Darkness #2

Variant cover by Jason Shawn Alexander

I’ve said it a few times before (I think), but no character represents ’90s “xtremeness” quite like Jackie Estacado. And even if we’re far removed from the actual ’90s, the return of The Darkness maintains those some bold colors, overt edge, and dash of weirdo humor. (Even the main cover for issue #2, from Gibran Ferdian and Raymond Gay, is packed with all of that and so much more.) But I want to instead focus on this variant cover from Jason Shawn Alexander. Because it makes Mr. Estacado look like an actual demon, and you can’t tell where the man ends and the celestial/satanic “machinery” begins. It removes a buffer around Jackie, if you will, and we’re forced to really understand the depths this man has explored and not just that he’s, like, cooler than Cable with 1,000 tactical pockets. Hell, he’s even more scary than those little freaks, and it’s important to understand the way Jackie’s evolved and leaned into his “curse” as opposed to him just being a source of perpetual nostalgia. Good luck taking a mid-day nap after peeping this cover.