Well folks, it appears we have an issue. Our fearless leader David has apparently eloped with the love of his life: liberty. That’s right, Dave has cut off all ties with our little periodical and I assume he has moved all precious belongings to our gorgeous capitol, Washington D.C. (Have you ever been to DC? You should go. It’s fantastic.)

Luckily for you, I, Brendan Harvey, have no plans on leaving you, ever. I don’t even plan on leaving my house if you want to know the truth of it. Enough about my hermitage, let’s get into the beautiful comic covers that I’ve heard so much about.

WTF? Category

Where we don’t understand, are insulted by or would rather stab our eyes with acid pops than look at these covers for various reasons.

Damsels: Mermaids #5

Jean-Paul Deshong

Brendan: My only real issue with this cover is that it’s just so damn messy. There is so much going on and sadly none of it is very well defined. I think the blurring colors and similar character palettes really causes some confusion.

Savage Wolverine #9

Joe Madureira

Brendan: Somewhere during our favorite medium’s history a man got the idea that “short and stocky” translated to “every muscle is twice as large as the characters head”. The proportions don’t come off as intimidating or badass to me. They’re just kind of comical.

Uncanny X-Men #12 (Variant)

Milo Manara

Brendan: When I first saw this cover I thought, “lolz it looks like one of those old porn comic covers!” so I Googled Milo Manara. Guess what? He used to draw those old porn comics! So hey, grats on still getting work, guy. And props to Marvel for accepting art from all walks of life.

Brendan’s Honorable Mentions

Conan the Barbarian #20

Massimo Carnevale

Brendan: These Conan covers by Massimo Carnevale have been consistently stunning for as long as I can remember. His use of colors is just amazing and his characters are gorgeous. I love the vibrant greens of the bottom juxtaposed with the gloomy, black night of the top.

Morbius Living Vampire #9

Marco Checchetto

Brendan: This Dia De Los Muertos motif is pretty fantastic. The design is stellar and the colors are mesmerizing. I especially love the haunting reality that is depicted within the confines of the coffin when contrasted against the cartoonish simplicity of the outer drawings.

Brendan’s Pick of the Week

Half Past Danger #5

Stephen Mooney

Brendan: Stephen Mooney is a goddamned talent. I have loved every single HPD cover that I have seen, and this one is no exception. The perspective and scale are jaw -dropping. I love the colors of the background and the way they stir up some dusty action. The dark shadows throughout the dino’s face and our hero’s back really causes a sense of looming danger.