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.
DC K.O. #3
Variant cover by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer
Admittedly, I’ve been favoring Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer’s K.O. covers like I’m the NWA and they’re Ric Flair circa 1984. But how can I not when we get such gems like this one for issue #3 of the event proper, where a deathmatch is held between two of the DCU’s most extreme combatants. I can’t tell if using both a fork and Lobo’s own chain against him is overkill, or if Harley is relying more on her brains than her overt insanity and unpredictability. I also love the individually rendered thumbtacks, which show this duo’s devotion to depicting the true grit and wonder of all that is wrestling. Heck, even the fact that the referee looks a bit like Charles “Lil’ Naitch” Robinson feels like a deep cut. Look, we don’t have many more chances for wrestling to be this timely in the DCU (depending upon their relationship with AEW, of course), and this feels like a profound synthesis that makes this frankly absurd event possible in the first place. Regardless, my money’s on the freaky clown — make him tap, Harley!
Knull #1
Variant cover by Kyle Hotz
Turns out, all of my recent interest in Marvel’s various “Knull-ified” covers isn’t for nothing, as the most evil space king this side of Darkseid is getting his own solo book. And, sure, I could get excited about, say, the main cover, which shows that Knull is the kind of leader who uses his very “people” as weapons for his own agenda. (Seems oddly familiar, yeah?) But I am mostly excited about this Kyle Hotz variant cover, which looks like something either from a Heavy Metal rip-off or an alternate version of those ’90s Big Dogs clothing line where all dogs are snarling demons. Mostly, though, it captures something more visceral and primal about Knull; he’s not the graceful beauty that could be portrayed by Brad Pitt circa 1995, but a genuine ghoul who could only be captured by Benicio del Toro circa Sicario. And that’s huge: If you’re going to make him the star, he needs to be all things at once to give us a portrait that’s real and nuanced, a version of Knull that isn’t just a big bad but someone we can approach even with a molecule of sympathy. I mean, I wouldn’t approach this guy at all, but you get my meaning, yeah?
Tomb Raider: Sacred Artifacts #1
Cover by Taurin Clarke
We’re just a few entries in to this edition, and there’s already been, like, four ’90s references. Well, here’s another as we prepare for a new Tomb Raider story from Dark Horse. The thing I’ve noticed about Tomb Raider is a kind of division among fans: Some folks only see the ’90s video games as being true Lara Croft, and others like the character’s evolution over the last 25-plus years as she’s become more nuanced and textured. (Take whatever lessons you want from said division.) I like this cover by Taurin Clarke because it splits the difference, if you will, and we get a Lara that’s very ’90s-coded still (that essential “uniform”) but with a grit and intensity that hints at her more recent and appealing character development/personal arc. It’s a snapshot that should make you excited cause of the dope climbing, but the person here hints at feelings and themes and moods more advanced than 100 PS1 consoles. It’ll be an adventure regardless, but I love the way this ought to unite these two “camps.”
Our Soot Stained Heart #2
Cover by Stipan Morian
No one over the age of, say, 14 has a need for Santa beyond as some short-hand for how we’ve transcended youthful ignorance. But I think that’s a little sad, and we should all be able to tap into Mr. Claus as a way to understand, for instance, a selflessness around the holiday season, and how there’s a power to belief no matter our ages. Plus, the creators of Our Soot Stained Heart show that the old guy still has some importance/power as he’s been “reimagined” on the cover of issue #2 (from series artist Stipan Morian). I won’t bother spoiling the first issue, but if you need a reason to read this great book, “Steampunk Santa” ought to do it as this cover expertly encapsulates the singular aesthetic of this book’s take on Xmas stories/mythology. Do I hope this is actually part of Santa’s annual preparation? Kinda, and not just because it takes some weight off the elves’ shoulders. Mostly because it shows that Saint Nick is a man of adventure and something bigger than life, and that’s the real reason this “character” has existed as long as he has. Plus, think of the sled he could build with all that tech.
Alice Forever After #1
Variant cover by Giorgio Spalletta
If you didn’t read 2022’s Alice Ever After or 2023’s Alice Never After, you missed out on quite the adaptation of that beloved Lewis Carroll tale. Across both titles, writer-artist Dan Panosian and artist Giorgio Spalletta created a different take on Alice, one where family drama and existentialism defined her split experiences between the real world and the aforementioned magical realm. This time around, Alice “faces her most perilous adversary yet — her own past!” And that’s why I chose Spalletta’s own variant cover to issue #1. Because it’s hard to tell if that re-emergence of her past is either a dark secret or something to celebrate. And while I’m assuming that the child is actually Alice’s offspring, I can’t tell with absolutely certainty, and so that uncertainty feels important as this book once more plays with our sensibilities and sense of gravity/time. It’s all about blurring and blending reality and whatnot until you don’t really know what to feel or what to do; it’s that wondrous confusion that gets to the heart of Alice and why this book honors the source material while doing something wonderfully new. Whatever rests down this rabbit hole, I can already tell it’ll be a wild time, indeed.
Where Does the Rainbow End? #1
Cover by Stefano Cardoselli
At this point, I pretty much just love everything from Stefano Cardoselli on first glance. Whether it’s Don’t Spit in The Wind, Long Cold Winter, and/or Love Me: A Romance Story, the man knows how to draw weird near-future robots that are as janky as they are outright charming. But with the release of Where Does the Rainbow End? #1, it seems like Cardoselli and his collaborators are making people more of a focus than ever before. Now, people actually show up in these stories (duh), but the emphasis and placement on Cardoselli’s own main cover is still interesting. It’s sort of like a family photo, or something from the damndest amusement park ever. It feels both like a commentary but also nonetheless playful and fun. What we get, then, is something that’s a proper snapshot of Cardoselli’s various books, an examination of what is humanity, what happens to it as we move into the future, and what’s the things we maintain and what are we OK with losing in the process of this “evolution.” It may just look like kids playing with junk-bots, but then that’s the point: There’s going to be a point when this snapshot happens (it’ll be sooner rather than later), and it’s better we face the many implications now than after the fact. Plus, junk-bots are just darn cool!
Logan: Black, White & Blood #1
Variant cover by Adam Kubert
Any day we get Adam Kubert drawing Wolverine seems like an instance of total celebration. And any day when said Wolverine story/piece involves ample gore and bloodshed, brothers and sisters, I may just have to do a backflip. Regardless of what Dave Brooke and I may think about the unevenness of these anthologies, I’d like to add the covers are always killer, and Kubert brings it like few others. It is, of course, all about the gore; so much so that I can’t tell if the body to the right of the bar stool has been cut in half or is just drowning in inches of blood. It’s also the comedic joy of Logan being stuck with eight to ten weapons; it’s just enough to make you queasy, but not too much that also can’t generate a sturdy chuckle. And, of course, that look of rage and irritation across his face; that could be because he’s in pain or because he had less time to drink, and not knowing once again is truly the best case scenario. Who knows what will happen in the stories proper, but this cover will stab you in the gut with joy, intensity, and humanity to spare, bub.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #14
Cover by Freddie E. Williams II and Andrew Dalhouse
It seems like most of the time I talk about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in this column, it’s celebrating holiday and/or brotherly joy. So it’s quite nice, actually, to focus on the boys in peril as they face off with the mysterious new bad guy in Ujigami (courtesy of series artist Freddie E. Williams II and colorist Andrew Dalhouse). The detail here alone should disarm almost anyone; it’s as if you can see the etch mark of every line on a seemingly ivory mask and even feel the odd coolness of said material. From there, there’s also this profoundly animalistic quality to those eyes, as if you maybe have some greater sense of this character even as they very much retain a proper mystery. And, of course, the Turtles make an appearance reflected perfectly in those blades. It’s a way to give them their usual star-studded attention while clearly making this about the unique threat as posed by Ujigami. It’s proof that this run from Williams and writer Gene Luen Yang may still be young enough, but they’ve clearly got the skill and gumption to tell the big, bold TMNT stories that we all want.
Supergirl #9
Variant cover by Marguerite Sauvage
If you’re like me, you had two reactions to Superman declaring himself “punk rock” in 2025’s excellent film: your stomach churned but also you nodded in slight agreement. Because, with all due respect, the Big Blue Boy Scout has long transcended such punk-ish status at this point, but the sentiment remains true for one member of the Super Family: Supergirl. I mean, she grew up in the shadow of her more established cousin (sort of like actual punk and “traditional” rock ‘n’ roll). Plus, she’s always been about being young, a little angsty, and perhaps dismantling certain standards, systems, etc. (call that a product of her more overt Kryptonian upbringing, I’d reckon). So to see her go all full punk rock on this Supergirl #9 variant cover just feels right. Artist Marguerite Sauvage leans into certain tropes (spiked collar, plaid pants, over-sized guitar, etc.) while giving her some unique twists and whatnot (the uplifting choice of star tats, cat guitar sticker, etc.) The end result is that big “Super-Person Punk Rock Moment” that really and truly works because it feels more contextually appropriate and done more robustly. Funk yeah, Supergirl!
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