Judging by the Cover – 03/18/26 new releases

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.

Lobo #1

Cover by Jorge Corona

Your boy my have mixed feelings about Jason Momoa playing the Main Man, but I’m all sold this new Lobo series. Part of that is because we’ve given writer Skottie Young a chance to write the grossest, most depraved scumbag in the entire DCU, and that is a good idea thing indeed. But mostly because series artist Jorge Corona absolutely nails Lobo to a tee with a retro sheen and modern oomph all at once. There’s the ripped leather like he stepped out of a post-apocalyptic CBGB; the Super Saiyan hair teased to its absolute ends; the smirk that reads both like mass murderer and edge lord; the over-sized weaponry that’s clearly not making up for anything; and even all those little signs that offer added pops of humor and intensity. In short, it’s Lobo exactly as he ought to be: crude, lewd, and one delightfully cantankerous dude. Step up, Momoa.

Cyclops #2

Cover by Federico Vicentini and Marcio Menyz

Perhaps you’re a plebeian who loves this cover for the giant burst of optic energy. And, hey, love what ya love, boy and ghouls; all of that big, lush color is quite the thrill (and of the more reliable aspects of Cyclops’ visual heft in a jam-packed MCU). But I’m more interested in the visor, and getting a sneak peek at the wires and circuits that make it all work. More specifically, how it’s both a weapon and a comms system, and how that feels really handy in trying to understand Mr. Scott Summers. Similarly, while it’s still early on in the run, this book has tried to take the same enthusiastic and dedicated look under Cyclops’ “hood,” showing us what really makes the man tic when he’s pushed to his personal limits. I’d like to think this book can give us both razzle dazzle and some substance, and in doing so, this character study can explode as truly intended.

Dead Teenagers #1

Variant cover by Caitlin Yarsky

Aside from the title’s rather blatant inference, Dead Teenagers ain’t your standard adolescent-starring horror story. (Perhaps, the, the title’s a red herring, yeah?) Without revealing too much, it involves a time loop element that really augments all the standard gore, drama, and cutting personal exploration that comes from the “genre.” But why ape Pretty Woman? Well, you don’t expect it, that’s why, and the comparison instantly disarms you and gets you considering the kind of humanity and relationships that most interest this specific book. There’s also something playful about both the movie and Caitlin Yarsky’s style — not only could this book be fun (and it is), but it’s absolutely dedicated to treating horror and all the corresponding emotional layers with much-needed frivolity. And that, folks, is how you lean into and away tropes to tell something truly deadly.

Rafael Garcia: Henchman #1

Cover by Kit Wallis

On its face, Rafael Garcia: Henchman isn’t entirely novel: By its own admission, it’s basically a weird amalgamation of Stripes, DC Comics, and The Office. But what has me excited isn’t “workplace comedy with a Lex Luthor henchman,” but rather the execution of it all. It’s not only that he’s eating a burger, but our henchman here reads as “schlubby dad in a sitcom” and not “soldier of fortune.” Similarly, the look on his eye has that glean of “oh boy, I did it again” sitcom magic that you’d expect from, say, Phil Dunphy or Danny Tanner. Even the way he holds the gun just seems hilariously out of place somehow. All of it together says that while Henchman ain’t doing anything new, it is doing it with heaps of purpose, joy, and a deliberateness that is hugely refreshing. And if all else fails, just “LOL” at that random flying eyeball. Hilarious!

Super Creepshow #1

Cover by Pye Parr

And speaking of not doing anything particularly novel but still earning my attention, we come to Super Creepshow #1. Like 1,643,218 covers before it, this bad boy is apeing Spider-Man’s first appearance in Amazing Fantasy #15. And just like with Henchman, it’s ultimately all about the details: The appropriate retro sheen (but not so much that the modern sensibilities are diminished); the balance of overt terror (exposed guts!) with pops of humor (that missing shoe!); and other little touches (chains instead of webs, the background ghouls, etc.) Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, but only if it’s done with the right level of commitment, celebration, and inventiveness. In the case of Super Creepshow, all that’s there and then some, and the cover uplifts its “target” while effortlessly commenting on and extending its own unique significance.  Now that’s scary good!

Baby Garfield #1

Variant cover by Asia Simone

Sort of like with Momoa and Lobo, I have a problem with Baby Garfield. Part of that’s my abhorrence of change, but mostly cause we don’t need to “Muppet Baby” our favorite orange boy. To understand Garfield, you don’t need to see his roots; just how he rules his roost with a firm, lasagna-coated paw . Still, if we are going to go this route, I’m game if the story proper can capture the vibes of this Asia Simone incentive cover. We get Garfield further dominating Jon, but in a way that’s endearing. All of his fave foods are also in play, and if you’re so inclined, maybe you’ll consider the implications of a food-obsessed cat. But there’s also a sense of wonder and joy here; Garfield may be a curmudgeon (a crumb-udgeon?!), but I’d like to think this story is ultimately less about a surly cat and instead how a surly cat learns to love the life he never expected. Emotions so layered, I’d eat them up like lasagna.

Deathstroke: The Terminator #1

Cover by Carmine Di Giandomenico

Pardon yet another reference to Lobo, but the new Deathstroke book is very much in the same vein. Because as much as it makes perfect sense to let Tony Fleecs write a story about a murderous assassin badass, it’s also a dang good opportunity for Carmine Di Giandomenico to shine. And that he does on this rather simple, deeply effective cover. The gun’s just as wonderfully phallic as with Lobo, but a little measured given Slade’s whole shtick/approach. The costume design may be familiar enough, but it’s given a modern sheen and added utility that does a lot. (Plus, those pouches are the perfect size!) And while all the violence and destruction is clearly a draw for the eye, it’s like the man himself: deliberate, efficient, and done with purpose over flair. If this is just the first cover, I can only imagine the fun we’re going to have inside. And by fun I, of course, mean endless stylized violence done with impossible precision and coolness.

The Sentry #1

Variant cover by Jae Lee and June Chung

Not only do we have Paul Jenkins back writing The Sentry, but co-creator Jae Lee is back with his own variant cover. A cover that I’d add is even more important than anything else attached to this latest series. (At leas for right now.) For instance, if you forgot the singular power and madness of Sentry, here he is after what I imagine was light exercise ripping Galactus’ head clear off. But maybe you forgot cause you were distracted by the mask. Could that be a subtle but powerful visual metaphor for the existential conflict between Bob and The Void (which seems to be a central focus of this new story)? I’d say that’s a darn good answer. But if absolutely nothing else, it’s always good to see Lee drawing heroes — I don’t think anyone else brings the same level of weirdo charm and decided freshness to these long-standing figures. Basically, if you’re a Sentry fan, you’re in a damn good place right now, and that’s worth celebrating, yeah?

Leonide the Vampyr: The House of Yonda #1

Variant cover by Mike Mignola

Looking at this cover to Leonide the Vampyr: The House of Yonda got me thinking about Patrick Kindlon. More specifically, during our interview for Tigress Island, he praised Mignola by calling him a genius for setting up “shots” that “generate more vibe, and to show the rest of the room.” And you can see a lot of that skill and power across said variant cover. The whole layout is interesting: Not only in the iconography that Mignola has chosen, but how he centers and spaces everything to draw in the eye. (All that negative space never feels like a missed opportunity, and instead moves your eye in some interesting/novel ways.) And there’s other stuff, too, like the interplay of the smoke and the bat’s wings (that suggests movement) and even the well developed face of the stone cat (it really is the details, folks). All of it together proves Kindlon’s words: Mignola is a whiz when it comes to bringing us in with maximum depth and power (no matter how “simple” the piece might initially appear).