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.
Batman: The Long Halloween – The Last Halloween #0
Cover by Tim Sale
As we already mentioned, Jeph Loeb is honoring his late creative partner Tim Sale with the truly massive Batman: The Long Halloween – The Last Halloween. A slew of A-list artists — from Becky Cloonan to Klaus Janson — have contributed work to help tell the final chapter in Loeb and Sale’s masterful Last Halloween saga. Sale, too, has work featured in this massive endeavor: not only with A covers but also this really awesome piece for issue #0, which reprints the event’s must-read prelude. Few people drew Batman like Sale — there’s a kind of heft and mystery here, and he understood the character’s many layers and overt complexity. (Also, no one got the ears quite like Sale.) And his Commissioner Gordon and Two-Face are just as impressive; he nails Gordon’s noir-y origins and makes Mr. Dent the perfect balance of creepy and intimidating. Even the sense that this piece is only semi-finished (or, perhaps more of a rough sketch) is hugely important as it adds to the whole emotional subtext of Last Halloween and how this is all about celebrating the legacy of Sale. Sometimes Halloween comes a bit too early for my taste, but in the case of this cover, it’s a treat to consume all year round.
Dazzler #1
Variant cover by Ashley Witter
I get it: not everyone wants or needs a Dazzler series. Even the solicitation for her very own book (from writer Jason Loo and artist Rafael Loureiro) recognizes that everyone’s favorite roller-blading, songbird-ing mutant often dips and weaves out of stories and narratives. But, as the solicitation also recognizes, “the time has finally come for her to take center stage,” and I can’t think of a better way to kick that off than with this excellent Ashley Witter variant cover to issue #1. For one, really leaning into the late ’70s/early ’80s nostalgia is huge — Dazzler’s whole shtick is about celebrating and lampooning celebrities of this era, and this one really taps into that in a way that feels thoughtful. (Plus, any display of nostalgia these days just gets the people going full bore.) I also love that it’s a pinup but with that sex appeal and intensity softened in a way; it’s about engaging those undertones but also doing it in a way that feels more deliberate and thoughtful. And if you don’t even want to think about it so intellectually, you can just enjoy them dazzled rollerblades and the sheer joy and flirtatiousness of this whole cover. So, yeah, we perhaps do need more Dazzler in our collective lives — if only as a reminder that comics can be weird, fun, and sexy in some very vital ways.
The Moon Is Following Us #1
Cover by Riley Rossmo and Mike Spicer
There’s a lot going right for The Moon Is Following Us before anyone even has the book in their sticky lil’ hands. I mean, for one, that title alone — give me a long-winded, wholly clever titles everyday, and if it can involve the moon and ominous vibes, that’s even better. And, of course, Daniel Warren Johnson is on writing (and also art) duties, and he’s on something of a streak after his work with Transformers. Even the premise sounds great, as two parents have to work with “magical beings” cherished by their young daughter in order to rescue her from some unknown evil force. But let’s not for one second forget that this book will also hinge on the work of artist Riley Rossmo (alongside colorist Mike Spicer and letterer Shawn Lee). I’ve not always been a massive supporter of Rossmo, but as I’ve begun to see more and more, there’s so much energy and emotion in his work. He’s able to blend what feels like sci-fi and fantasy into such a fun little package, where all the influences and ideas melt into this snapshot of deep family love. And that’s what art should do, yeah? Give us something to latch onto with our hearts, and to do so in a way that feels hugely exciting and that the adventure is about the wonderful and quirky people. This book truly could hit the moon, and Rossmo will bring us there with heart and joy to spare.
Lilith #1
Variant cover by Zoe Thorogood
And from a sweet, endearing family adventure to something a little more erotic and sinister. Lilith (from writer/artist Corin Howell, coloristWarnia K. Sahadewa, and letterer Jim Campbell) is about “an immortal who’s been banished from her home, a dimensional plane suspiciously similar to mankind’s idea of Hell.” While living on Earth (as a model that consumes human), she’s presented with a “tome that might hold the secret to returning Lilith to her dimension.” As far as capturing the essence of such a book, Zoe Thorogood’s variant cover totes nails it. But there’s something more here than just the kind of intense sexual energy that’ll burn your eyes out. Thorogood manages this sheer potency in a way that doesn’t feel overtly overwhelming. Sure, it’s suggestive as all hell, but it’s done in a way to emphasize certain elements and a sense of theatricality to balance the themes and messaging with something altogether more playful (in a different way). I’m all for “adult”comics, but not everyone has the same inclinations, and this cover is a damn fine example of how you play with those energies and ideas in a way that considers your larger audience. It’s not about censorship or even pulling back, but rather creating things of a specific nature with more universal potential and range. And if this is the start, we’re in for a real show across this series.
Gilt Frame #2
Cover by Matt Kindt
I called Gilt Frame #1 “a true work of crime comics art,” and “this rich and lively masterclass in [Matt] Kindt’s genius as an artist” as he “blurs the lines between cartoon, surrealism, and real life.” And, sure, I may still be a jackass for quoting myself, but all of that’s true — and even doubly so as we look at Kindt’s own cover to issue #2. I’m assuming that’s an actual model and not drawn — though I wouldn’t be surprised if Kindt was capable of just such a feat. But I’m fairly certain, and so I have to say that Kindt’s diorama work is up there as some of the best I’ve seen. Sure, I think drawing comics and making dioramas is both comparable enough and still wholly different (both seem to need a deft hand and a keen attention for detail). But going the extra mile really just proves how hungry and inventive Kindt is, and that even after all these years and accolades, he’s doing something so simple and yet so declarative and meaningful. And then there’s the little touches — the meta tinge with issue #1’s cover, the sweet little dog, the details of the laptop, the use of lighting, etc. — that make this piece not only interesting but such a powerful realization of this book’s themes, interests, and storytelling potential. Maybe it’s cause I can’t even do one kind of art, but damn this is impactful, boundary-pushing work.
Rick and Morty Youth in Rickvolt #2
Cover by Tony Gregori
I don’t know if you’ve read the many Rick and Morty comic books. I haven’t even gotten through ’em all (talk about a dang multiverse, amirite?!), but one thing’s clear: they’re super important. Because while there’s been heaps of comics adaptations of your favorite shows (especially this year with Thundercats, Biker Mice from Mars, etc.), not all of them feel as interesting and ones from the Rick and Morty-verse. Case in point: Rick and Morty: Youth in Rickvolt, and perhaps more specifically, the cover to issue #2 from series/cover artist Tony Gregori. Because Gregori’s approach is totally, utterly on point with the show — and yet it’s got a bit more joy and rambunctiousness to it that makes a genuinely huge difference. It’s sort of like yet another parallel world, but this one is fun and more accessible than ever. That, and he nails key things, like the grumpy face of Rick or the way the dinos feel especially stylized (animals in this series/canon are always so dope for some reason). It’s about celebrating what’s there, doing something wholly new and interesting, and creating a series that builds on the spirit and potential of that previous thing. Also, I’d be a damned fool if I didn’t mention that this subtitle is the best entry in all the Rick-centric episode titles.
Catwoman #68
Variant cover by Tirso Cons
Let’s keep up with some of those same ideas and themes from the Ricky and Morty cover. Because part of a great and meaningful adaptation is being able to take something familiar and give it a new spin (even if that’s just dope dinosaurs). And this Tirso Cons variant cover to Catwoman #68 very much does the same thing. Because the idea of of “Selina has a boatload of cats” is very much overplayed by now, and yet Cons does something neat and important regardless. Each cat has its own energy or personality, and be it the sleeping white one or the one pretending it can read, it feels like a powerful way to 1) humanize these kitties to assign them value/significance and 2) perhaps even reflect some parts or elements of Selina’s own personality. Then, you take some other aspects — the barebones design of the apartment and what that might say, or the especially feline-looking Catwoman suit — and how that adds and extends this rather deliberate and thoughtful examination of Selina. It’s a cover that takes the most gimmicky parts of the character, renders them in a new/novel light, and lets us better understand Selina and our own connections/relationships with her. Yeah, cats are always a lot and also rather weird, but this cover makes me think I finally understand them a bit (maybe).
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Nation #1
Cover by Javier Fernández and Patricio Delpeche
The further we get along with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series/story, the more bonkers things get. And if you thought the edgy, post-apocalyptic-y vibes of Last Ronin were crazy, then you are not ready for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Nation. This debut cover from Javier Fernández and Patricio Delpeche tells you everything you need to know about the miniseries. Like, how it focuses on the badass and stoic Raphael, who would of course color-match his ride after he hits the road post-“The Armageddon Game.” But while he has one destination in mind (or maybe nowhere in particular), he clearly ends up at Area 51, which is wonderfully depicted as this kind of lush, slightly terrifying desert stronghold. And when in Rome Area 51, you’re going to meet aliens, and maybe he’s trying to find new friends or a home for that little darling called Pepperoni. (Is he a dino-alien or just a dino?) There you have it: motorcycles, cutie creatures, and a wandering hero, or everything you could ever ask for as TMNT finds new ways to tell increasingly involved and complicated stories. But like Last Ronin and the others, Mutant Nation could easily be as emotionally rich and rewarding as it is layered and insane, and that’s what makes the Turtles’ “sojourns” so damn impressive. Minus .5 points, though, fort not calling it “Mutnation.”
X-Factor #2
Variant cover by Joshua “Sway” Swaby
Admittedly, I’m not as studied up on every mutant as I should be given what I write about weekly. But I guess I never really thought of Polaris’ power as being like some kind of forcefield that envelops things and facilitates a mastery of magnetism. And, sure, it could be just a really solid visual device (courtesy of artist Joshua “Sway” Swaby), but it would be a neat way to show the kind of skill and mastery Polaris has, and how she’s very much different from other magnetism users a la Magneto. (Even as I think that pose is very much Magneto-esque, and another really cool layer to hint at/explore.) And if we’re going to have Polaris play such a vital role in the all-new X-Factor series — she’s both leading the mutant rebellion and may be mucking around with the group’s “classified missions” — this snapshot of skill, expertise, and general power sure does it. It’s 100% the perfect way to position Polaris for an exciting starring role in the reborn X-verse, and to show that things have changed and we’re in this wholly exciting new era of possibilities. Toss in some dope “armor” design, and the resulting craving for Ecto Cooler that this cover also facilities, and we’ve got an extra shiny winner.
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