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.
Absolute Wonder Woman #14
Cover by Hayden Sherman and Jordie Bellaire
By now, we’re all familiar with the artistic/creative feats of Hayden Sherman (as regularly joined by Jordie Bellaire) across Absolute Wonder Woman. Be it Diana’s overall re-design as “Goth Bog Witch Badass,” the giant, city-stomping monsters, and the many feats of jaw-dropping scale, the pair know how to bring it in many ways. And that continues on this cover to AWW #14. There’s fostering a sense of intimacy, and then there’s this extra close-up that offers real layers and textures (some that are uncomfortable or prickly) to a moment you wouldn’t assume would be so powerful. There’s a real weight to her armor, and a feeling of uncleanliness from those vines — we’re brought into what it’s like to be Diana like never before across this book. And even it it’s not as initially cool or epic, it works just as well; this book has challenged our relationship with Wonder Woman in many ways, and this cover right here is a distillation of the book’s efforts to poke and prod our sensibilities. We’re so close maybe we should be afraid of getting hit next.
The Infernal Hulk #1
Cover by Nic Klein
The Infernal Hulk (dope title, BTW) is meant to be “ten times the monster that everyone always feared…” And if you’ve read any Hulk ever (but I’d say mostly since Al Ewing previously took over writing duties), that’s quite the lofty feet indeed. Do I think the Hulk (as depicted on #1’s cover by Nic Klein) is the most ferocious version of the Big Guy I’ve ever seen? No, but it is something so much more effective still: The Quintessential Hulk. It’s the way the Eldest and the Hulk seem to be struggling for control in this literally physical way; it’s the chaos of humanity and man vs. monster that’s defined the character from day one. It’s also the sheer physical impossibility; muscles seem to layer endlessly, creating something that’s deeply human, entirely un-human, and something so much more still. And, of course, it’s the endless carnage left in his/its wake — there’s always something more to destroy (and carry with you, of course). It’s the one thing we know to be eternally true of the Hulk: Just when you think you’ve got this creature nailed down, he’ll throw a train of deep pain and existential uncertainty right on your soft head.
I Saw Santa: A Spawn Universe Christmas Story #1
Cover by Marco Failla
I certainly loved holiday-themed issues from DC and Marvel, but I didn’t know how I’d feel when it comes to Spawn. But then maybe that uncertainty is the point; I don’t always associate Spawn with such overt gimmickry, but maybe there’s something to be found when Spawn gets to cut loose and engage in a little yuletide joy (read: wintry murder and mayhem). Based on this Marco Failla cover, the blood and guts quota have almost been met before we even open the dang issue. This cover certainly feels like an OG EC Comics cover, and that kind of overt cheese and general aesthetic feels like it could be an exciting addition to the Spawn-verse. As if it might temper the blood and guts and violence of this story with humor, and I think Spawn being taken less seriously could be fun (without ever taking away from the intensity and overt brooding that’s defined him from day one). Plus, Ol’ Saint Nick is delivering a Spawn toy in the Spawn universe, and that kind of vaguely meta wink/nod just makes this affair even more weird and joyous. Ho ho ho!
Devil on My Shoulder #1
Variant cover by Martin Simmonds
If you dug Where Monsters Lie, then you’re going to probably like Devil on My Shoulder. Here, Kyle Starks and Piotr Kowalski have reunited for a tale of a woman getting her revenge on the men who tortured and brutalized her for 40-plus days. Based on the art released so far, Kowalski (alongside colorist Brad Simpson) is more than ready to deliver something brutal, harrowing, and perhaps a extra satisfying to boot. But in the meantime, I want to pause briefly on this Martin Simmonds variant cover. Because if we’re talking about gory revenge tales, this one tells me everything I need to know: The blood will flow like a mighty river; our heroine will move swiftly and mercilessly; the tension will be sharp enough to cut a cow’s hide; and it will grab every single one of us by the heart and ears and demand our earnest, perhaps slightly stressed engagement. And that’s what I want from a revenge story: Not just a solid, blood-soaked release, but something that makes us work for it by asking big questions about life and society, and what happens when these things break down and we’re left to fend for ourselves.
Cemetery Kids Run Rabid #4
Variant cover by Jenna Cha
Across both series of Cemetery Kids, co-creator/artist Daniel Irizarri has cultivated such a wondrous aesthetic. It’s the perfect amalgamation of biopunk wonder, horror gore and intensity, and fantasy and video game magic. That said, I love the prospect of allowing in other artists from time to time, and Jenna Cha’s variant cover to Cemetery Kids Run Rabid‘s fourth and final issue is a really great new spin on this singular universe. If you’ve seen Cha’s other work (read The Sickness now!), her penchant for intense realism, and an unwavering focus on the horrors of everyday life, stand out with every new piece and story. So, to see that applied to the more “cartoonish” aspects of CKRR feels really novel — an infusion of something huge, visceral, and emotionally overwhelming that makes you reconsider the existing characters, universe, and storyline in a way that really makes me appreciate it that much more (and perhaps even re-evaluate what this story really is doing). It’s still gore and terror to spare, but even just a shift in tone and perspective does a lot to really open up this book’s ability to make us ponder life in this era of the digital age. CKRR, I can dig it.
Toxic Avenger Comics #5
Variant cover by Grim Wilkins
While Toxic Avenger Comics #5 is described as a “Dreamlike Fantasy,” it does get at the very heart of this very series. Because as Melvin gets to live his dream by “[leading] a pack of misfits through a post-apocalyptic hellscape on a mission to confront the new world’s mysterious rulers,” the issue makes us aware of the Melvin-Toxie dynamic at the very heart of Toxic Avenger. That, at least as I’ve always read it, Toxic Avenger is about what happens when a lovable loser finally gets the power (via toxic transmogrification) to become a capable badass. But this variant cover shows that our dear Melvin has had the power all along, and if you can rock a tutu and help save the lives of desert mutants, then maybe you’re more strong and powerful than you’d ever imagined. Sure, having toxified superpowers does help, but Melvin is clearly strong for his sense of self-confidence amid dire circumstances, reliance on the mighty mop (talk about layers of metaphors there), and the belief that he can make a difference just as his puny ol’ self. We should all be more like Melvin, and this cover celebrates the mighty loser in all of us.
DC K.O. #2
Variant cover by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer
Even I can admit that sometimes I rely too heavily on Daniel Warren Johnson (and often colorist Mike Spicer) for Judging by the Cover. But based on his recent variant cover for Marvel / DC: Deadpool / Batman #1, DWJ does superhero combat like no one else alive. And given that DC K.O. is basically an uber nerdy excuse to pit our faves together like we’re all 6-year-olds with every action figure ever released and nothing but free time, how could I not feature the “DWJ Special” for issue #2? I’d argue this is even more satisfying than that time he made Batman bust out the One-Winged Angel on a cop — if only because Diana using the ol’ V-Trigger just feels more thematically appropriate. (Plus, if Batman used a suplex as a finisher, it’d clearly be the Emerald Flowsion from Misawa.) I can hear/feel/taste Joker’s face smashing against that mighty knee, and that sound effect itself is so perfectly placed and stretched out that it makes me chuckle without ever pulling my jaw off the floor. Even his teeth cracked perfectly, and they’re also just the right shade of yellow. It all goes to show that DWJ should be allowed to do this forever and ever — as long as his next piece is the Flash superkicking Gorilla Grodd.
Daredevil / Punisher: The Devil’s Trigger #1
Cover by Kendrick Lim
And speaking of awesome hero fighting action, we come to Daredevil / Punisher: The Devil’s Trigger #1. I know they have a long and storied rivalry both in comics and in the MCU, but I guess I always associate these two with other heroes when it comes to petty professional beefs. But then something like this Kendrick Lim/kunkka cover reminds me of the sheer potential of the Punisher-Daredevil rivalry. Both are stupid enough to fear basically nothing, and so we get moments like this where they ignore both falling glass and the crushing weight of gravity in order to fight for a few added seconds. Add in some heavy rain, as well as the picturesque backdrop of NYC (albeit flashing by at, like, 70 MPH), and there’s almost something romantic and essential to this back-and-forth. Only we never forget the brutality and the aforementioned asinine tendencies of our heroes, and so what we really get is a moment that captures not only their beef but what makes these heroes so textured and compelling. Few people would be this brave and/or dumb, and in that way these two will do this little dance forever and ever. Still, I’m here for it now more than ever, so that’s got to be worth the sudden landing.
Conan: Scourge of the Serpent #3
Cover by Gerardo Zaffino
I’ve got a bone to pick with Conan. I love your stories, bud, with all the violence and brutality, where you, the conquering hero suffer just as much as your foes in a narrative device that’s packed with important lessons and context. But your covers, Conan: They often (but not always) look like a Fabio romance novel and/or the lost cover to a lost Dio record or something. Sure, posing with rather large weaponry sells books, but where’s the struggle and the fury, bud? Oh, it’s right here on the cover of Conan the Barbarian: Scourge of the Serpent #3. You can almost feel the serpents’ blades nicking our hero’s flesh; the weight of the column as its turns Conan into a beefy pancake; and the desperation (but gritty determination) pouring off that well-chiseled jawline. It’s about showing us that Conan’s life truly is an endless battle, and that for as many glorious moments in the sun, there’s moments like this where we generally think his ticket is about to be punched. (Or, at the very least, this battle will test Conan like never before.) It’s bloody, it’s raw, and most of all, it feels very, very real. Also, that serpent on top is doing A+ work for mostly being Conan cannon fodder.
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