Judging by the Cover – 04/29/26 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.

Zatanna #1

Variant cover by Julian Totino Tedesco

Leading into her solo series, Zatanna is now the DCU’s Prime Magus (the Sorcer Supreme, if you will, even if that comparison isn’t fully accurate). As such, she’s got lots of big, magic-centric responsibilities and likely foes to battle as she tries to maintain the status quo. And just how will she do that? If you ask the solicitation, it’s “with a wink, a flourish, and a whole lot of magic!” And that’s precisely why this Julian Totino Tedesco variant cover to issue #1 is so dang perfect. If you didn’t know any better, we weren’t starring at magic’s all-powered guardian; just a magician working at some mid-level resort in, like, Boca Raton or something. But Zatanna wouldn’t care, and she’d be right there, freshly applied lipstick and boots shinier than 1 million sets of The Eye of Agamotto, ready to kick butt, save the day, and look damn going in doing it all. She’s a hero, yeah, but she’s always a show-woman first, and that’s what makes her balancing act so compelling (and her approach/personality so dang interesting). With a charisma like this, DCU’s magical community isn’t ready for the future.

Captain America #10

Cover by Valerio Schiti and Frank Martin

I don’t always do it, but we have a rare back-to-back showing with Captain America. (And, wouldn’t you know it, both pieces are by Valerio Schiti and Frank Martin.) But that’s where the similarities mostly end, and what we get between both covers is a larger story about telling a Captain America story in 2026. Issue #9 managed to play around with history and nostalgia, using that gorgeously-depicted flag, plus references to the Death of Captain America storyline, to address ideas of revolution and American patriotism. Meanwhile, issue #10 doesn’t feel quite as inspiring/motivating, and instead shows Cap riding full-speed on a horse toward his latest foe. For one, this image expertly encapsulates Cap’s role: He is both a modern salve and a proper relic, and by grappling with that, we’re actually reconciling with what he means after all these many years and if we still need Cap. From there, the background doesn’t exactly instill calm and confidence; rather, it reminds us of a similarly outdated view on America’s history of, say, dressing up violence as something bold and elegant. What we ultimately get, then, is another potent reminder of history and how we must take the good with the bad, the relevant with the irrelevant, and that’s the path we must traverse. Plus, that’s just a really well-drawn horse, folks.

Red Roots #1

Variant cover by Riley Rossmo

Red Roots absolutely nailed the art of a great solicitation. The whole thing reads, “The lives of a professional killer and a high school teacher are bound by a terrifying, mysterious force.” And while I’m excited to see what writer-artist Lorenzo De Felici does with such a compact ball of C4-grade horror, I found myself drawn to this variant cover by Riley Rossmo in the meantime. If that’s our high school teacher, I think he scores pretty high for his movement on the “Loser to Badass In An Emergency” spectrum. And if it’s the killer, well, ample points for the grounded look and generally approachable vibes. But I prefer not knowing in this instance, and letting the whole “premise” of this story trick me in the best way. Because if this story is about what I think (no matter who you are, you’ll know your truest self when tested by “mysterious forces”), then not knowing means we’re left on our own to sort out this significance. That there comes a day, badass assassin or mild-mannered school teacher, where the -ish hits the fan and it’s time to act. Death may come for us all eventually, but most of us can go out screaming and yelling (while rocking a dope cape/jacket). Now let me dig into this book pronto.

The Exorcism at Buckingham Palace #2

Cover by Kelsey Ramsay

When I interviewed Hannah Rose May back in February, she said something about The Exorcism At Buckingham Palace that stood out. Specifically, this idea that “our characters are dealing with demons that are both real and metaphorical, which gives us lots of room to play.” So, if we apply that even to this main cover by series artist Kelsey Ramsay, we’re left to grapple with some interesting ideas. Because, as an actual thing that could happen in the world, a “chamber full of dead royalty/royal family” is rather intense, and the kind of development that might rock the very foundations of a country. But if we’re looking at this as just a metaphor, well, it’s still quite intense, but instead speaks less about socio-political upheaval and more about how, say, death awaits us all and how all the gold and power in the world can’t do a darn thing about it. And, frankly, I love a book that can have it both ways. Great horror should be a punch to the gut and a whisper to the ear. It should affect you on every level, and a good story knowswhen and how to do that with precision and nuance. The Exorcism… series certainly seems to know the score, and this is one small instance of that very power.

I Hate Fairyland #50

Variant cover by Chris Bachalo

I can actually recall when I Hate Fairlyand was first announced, and thinking that Skottie Young could have an understated hit on his hands. Little did I know the book would make it to issue #50, which is a rare enough feat these days that demands a little enthusiastic celebration. And in terms of just such an honor, I can’t think of a better cover option than this Chris Bachalo variant. For me, this is a primo depiction of Gert; maybe she’s looked more bonkers and out-of-whack elsewhere, but resting peacefully with her axe, breathing in the broken shell of Humpty Dumpty, is exactly how I like to see everyone’s “cutesy green-haired psycho.” And speaking of Mr. Not So Egg-cellent, that choice of beloved fairy tale character is great. It’s a demonstration that even if IHF may be dealing with “familiar” tales, it tackles this lore with fresh insanity and a sense of violence, and that is exactly how you make a specific book like this really hum. Even the way the the wall seems to crack like egg shells — the story world itself is seemingly being affected, and that’s both 1) totes cool and 2) another way this book commits to its love of fairy tales. Can this book make it another 50 issues? Maybe. But if nothing else, this cover proves the first 50 have been a genuine blast.

White Sky #3

Variant cover by Eliza Ivanova

From the get go, I’ve hoped that White Sky wouldn’t be too much like its ilk (i.e. The Last of Us and The Road). And across the first two issues, William Harms and JP Mavinga have made choices that push this book into newer, more existential/spiritual directions to make it more than just another “man-girl journeying across a post-apocalyptic America.” (Even as some decisions have also been made that might at least partially stymie said momentum.) However, I’d put this Eliza Ivanova variant to issue #3 firmly in the category of “novel to the max.” I don’t know who would dare threaten (what I assume to be) is a “ghost-angel-robot-demon-hybrid,” but that clearly takes some balls. Yet it’s not just a super cool image; to point a gun (a deeply human gesture, for better and worse) at such a clearly divine creature is perhaps the most human act I’ve ever seen. It’s that wondrous combo of brave, stupid, and perhaps fruitless, a moment that encapsulates why anyone would, say, keep on fighting in a world overrun by super powerful ghost monsters. You obviously shouldn’t do that type of thing, but if you must (and you will), it should look badass as all heck and also be a way to affirm your deepest humanity amid the endless trudge of death and destruction. And in that way, White Sky has already outpaced some of its “brethren.”

Swamp Thing 1989 #1

Variant cover by Michael Zulli

I sure do love the occasional bit of controversy, and that’s exactly what we’re getting with Swamp Thing 1989. If you don’t already know, this shelved storyline by writer Rick Veitch is roaring back after nearly 30 years on ice. And just why was it banned for so long? Well, Swamp Thing travels back in time to meet Jesus Christ, that’s why. And whether you agree with it or not, you can see why this moment is such a big deal: there’s clearly been a change in certain attitudes (and maybe also a teeny, tiny need for controversy-fueled earnings?), and that means people are open to new ideas. (Well, old ideas, but I reckon you get it.) And so if we’re really doing this, this variant by series artist Michael Zulli feels like the absolute best approach. It’s the creative team really and truly embracing the religious imagery and iconography of this moment. And they do that by expertly showcasing Swamp Thing in some kind of glorious agony so you don’t think for a second that this story won’t lean into its subject matter with maximum gusto. Is that at least upsetting (or, depending upon your own belief, at least theoretically so)? Absolutely, and that’s the point. We’re at a place collectively where we can better talk about these things, and even with that access, the story clearly won’t pull any punches. This might be a tough one to swallow, but the process it self should be a blast.

Uncanny X-Men #27

Variant cover by Juan Ferreyra

The best variant covers do one of two things: 1) they lean into the story so fiercely that we can understand so much of it via one image or 2) they lean away from the story almost entirely, and their power comes from speaking almost “abstractly” to get you into the coming issue. Uncanny X-Men #27 is clearly in the former category, and that’s totally a good thing. Because in no instance of peeping this Juan Ferreyra piece would you ever guess it involves Haven House and a cursed Gambit. (If you did just from this image, may you somehow earn a Gambit-style coat as some kind of prize.) Instead, you’d likely feeling something essential or elemental about these characters — like the unwavering ferocity of Wolverine, the playful mischief of Nightcrawler, and/or Gambit’s own sleek, sexy cool. You know, a reminder of the power and relatability these characters contain, and how no matter the depths of any given story, we can connect to them in a way that has proper relevance and significance. What you get in the actual story, then, is just a bonus; all you really need to remember is how these characters make you feel, and that can happen in a instance like some grand flood of memories and sensory input. It’s X-Men at their purest, and it rocks hard.

Heavy Metal #5

Variant cover by John Stanisci and David Baron

There’s a lot of reasons to be jacked about Heavy Metal #5. For one, it’s yet another issue of the relaunch, and the more books coming down the printing press, the more people will discover this bona fide classic rag (I say with ample love). But it’s also a chance for artist John Stanisci (joined by colorist David Baron) to show off his creation, Gladiatrix, which debuted back in issue #1. And all of that really, truly matters because Gladiatrix is perhaps the most on-brand thing this book has done throughout its various iterations. There’s sex appeal that instantly butts up against ample blood and horror, and that feels like such an integral part of the Heavy Metal experience. Similarly, it’s hard to tell if this old or new, alien or Earth-bound, and that uncertainty is often a kick to the temple that dazes readers in the very best way. Heck, just the mutant zombie things here are novel enough to make me interested and to consider the larger tradition of Gladiatrix (which actually connects her back to a bigger context despite being so darn “young”). I want people to see that Heavy Metal is weird comics at its best, and this cover does so much of that by speaking to shared backgrounds and interests in a really forceful way. Plus, all that blood looks like raspberry jam!