Most comic book fans have a pretty good idea what they’re going to buy every week when they visit 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. 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 Movies Editor Nathaniel Muir and Manga Editor Eric Cline’s attention this week.
Nathaniel’s Picks:
The Unstoppable Wasp #5
Cover art by Stacy Lee
Marvel Comics
The best comic book covers are the ones that get someone to buy a comic they would never even consider looking at. Stacy Lee’s work always look great and this cover is no different. Wasp looks very heroic in a cover that may seem unoriginal but will capture everyone’s attention.
Relay # 4
Cover art by Andy Clarke
Aftershock Comics
Sticking with the theme of covers grabbing the attention of non-fans is this frightening cover by Andy Clarke. Clarke’s cover perfectly gets the science fiction aspect across. More importantly, it makes someone like me who has never read an issue want to know more. What exactly is happening? Whose faces are those? Does the person with the melding faces even realize what is happening to them? (Bonus points for making a character’s hair look like another face’s mustache.)
Justice League # 18
Cover art by Pasqual Ferry
DC Comics
Drawing in new readers is important, but it’s also important to keep your current fan base happy. Pasqual Ferry’s cover is perfectly comic booky in all the right ways. The way the title is crossed out to read Legion of Doom is a nice touch while the subtitle at the bottom of the image adds the perfect flair. Brainiac looks absolutely terrifying and the color scheme is perfect.
Eric’s Picks:
Monstress #20
Cover art by Sana Takeda
Image Comics
Sana Takeda’s work is lovely as always. The soft textures and airy mist are great, as is whatever the hell that creature in the background is. All the little details in the patterns and such are also nice, plus I love the pile of bones at the child’s feet. All in all, there are some awesome classic fantasy vibes here.
Venom #11
Cover art by Dave Gibbons
Marvel Comics
Talk about speaking something into reality! Who could have predicted that Ryan Stegman’s marketing of Venom as being better than Watchmen would lead to an homage cover by Dave Gibbons himself? The mixture of Venom’s twisted smile and the classic smiley face button is fantastic. The attention to detail here, particularly in the duplication of Watchmen’s trade dress, is fantastic. I love this.
Jughead: The Hunger #12
Cover art by Adam Gorham
Archie Comics
I like how this cover incorporates both the character’s comedy and this series’ horror bent. Jughead’s posture here is great. He looks surprised, but the way he’s reacting to the werewolf is almost comically understated. The contrast between the creature’s wide, bloody grin and Jughead’s semi-casual look matches the comic’s mixed tone perfectly.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login