Judging by the Cover – 05/20/26 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 #3

Cover by Jorge Corona and Jean-François Beaulieu

Another month, another Lobo cover from the insane brains of Jorge Corona and Jean-François Beaulieu. Whereas #2’s cover was a great study of a moment in the Main Main’s life (that was either going perfectly to plan or had gone entirely off the rails), Lobo #3 feels a bit more abstract. Or, at least I hope it’s abstract and the world doesn’t have to deal with a small Lobo (Lobette?) Rather, as our “hero” tries to get re-licensed as a bounty hunter, he’s going to revisit his childhood in a deeply unsettling therapy session/evaluation. Now, if I played armchair therapist here, I could make a few key points. Like, how this image demonstrates the most extreme case of Peter Pan-esquires underdevelopment in the history of the entire universe. Or, that Lobo has always and will always be an unwavering Id that horrifyingly owns a lot of high caliber weaponry. Even that some of what Lobo does is clearly born out of some terrifying combination of nihilism and self-hatred. But this is Lobo, after all, and just such analysis doesn’t always give us the true scope of the man. It’s sort of like this cover: Maybe you have ideas or questions, but it’s better to let the weird magic just unfold as it may. We’re all happier and more sane for keeping our hands off this guy’s brain.

Venom #258

Cover by Carlos Gomez and Frank Martin

With the end of Death Spiral upon us, everything is right as rain in Spider-Man’s world . Just kidding, oh my god do Mary Jane Watson and Peter Parker have some massive, life-altering things to talk about. Namely, how they’re going to move forward as on-again, off-again (and then back on when a vengeance) foes as Venom and Spider-Man. What I like about this Carlos Gomez and Frank Martin cover is that as things have changed and will further shift, things also seem pretty much the same. MJ and Peter are on a fun little date night, perhaps on their way to get ice cream. Meanwhile, their alter egos are engaged in their own deeply personal ritual of battling to the death. Only what’s really changed is the context: They’re not foes anymore, but husband and wife. And they’re not just a couple, but two heroes/superpowered folks a part of a massive and winding web of context. So, it’s all changed, but then it’s not? Or, everything remains the same, except for how these people feel about the lives they live together. It’s a veritable valley of landmines, and the very future of these complex relationships are about to evolve in front of our very eyes. My hope is that it’ll work out in the end, but man will it be a brutal clash in the meantime.

Odin #1

Variant cover by Martin Simmonds

Last week, I said something that I thought was novel enough — about comics being mostly about communication, and great stories being able to broadcast in a way to push “threads, ideas, energies, etc.” into “newer, equally as compelling heights.” As it turns out, that’s doubly true when the artist knows the creator and/or are regular collaborators, as Martin Simmonds proves with an excellent variant cover for James Tynion IV’s new series Odin. Now, Simmonds’ piece doesn’t really tell me what this book is about. (That’s a journalist embedding herself with Neo Nazi punks as they try to “summon Odin and achieve their promised white destiny.”) But it does a number of other equally vital things: Set the mood with the utmost precision; reference the book’s own Midsommar connection/influence; explore the race issues and white identity at the book’s center; feel inventive enough with the viking imagery; hint at the likely involvement of both nature and the supernatural; and, perhaps most important of all, make me feel deeply nervous (in a good way). Simmonds’ clearly understands Tynion in a way that he’s likely predicted not the story but the tone, emotionality, and scope that the writer prefers. And in doing so, Simmonds proves not only my point, but does so in the most stylish and compelling way possible.

Of the Earth #1

Variant cover by Jacob Phillips

Speaking of eco-tinged horror taking place at Image Comics, we come to Of the Earth. Here, Chris Condon and Charlie Adlard team up for what’s described as “Blood Simple meets John Carpenter’s The Thing.” And while I’m jazzed to see how Adlard draws the world of Solitude as created by Condon, I’m sort of on a roll with the whole “other collaborators making variants for their old partners” bit, and so I had to go with Jacob Phillips’ own offering for issue #1. It’s not just for the bit necessarily: In our chat with Condon and Adlard, the writer said that the book’s about “humanity taking advantage of the Earth” and “maybe the Earth doesn’t give a shit about humans.” Phillips nails that perfectly — it’s hard to tell where man ends and oil begins, and it’s this wondrous, succinct snapshot of this violent, cyclical connection between man and nature. It’s an image that shows you just how much we depend on the uncaring earth, and what might happen if we can’t break that dependency. I know the book’s about so much more than man’s greed, but when you pair that theme with the book’s exploration of family and interpersonal dynamics, then you see just how much codependency is such a rich idea to explore via the lens of horror. It’s a way to cut uncomfortably close, and Phillips’ piece practically drags the knife down to the bone.

Everyone Loves A Jewel Thief #2

Cover by Aaron Campbell

Even so early in, and Everyone Loves a Jewel Thief is this multifaceted, highly spirited spin on heist stories. And it all begins with the covers from writer/series artist Aaron Campbell, who manages to out-do himself out oh-so slightly with his second main cover. Because while the piece for #1 was, in my own words, “like someone took the movie poster to Ocean’s Thirteen and made it 150,000 times cooler,” issue #2’s cover manages to do some cool stuff with heist stories at large. For one, thanks to spelling out the chapter title right there, it both extends and comments on the procedural and exposition-heavy nature of these tales. From there, the food and cars and spray paint tell us what we need to know, but does so in a way that’s just abstract enough to not outright spoil things (and while also maximizing its overall sense of coolness and generally primo style). And, given what we know about what happened in issue #1 (and the fate of our crew), the sense of chaos as the items rain down is another perfect way to set up and play around with our understandings and expectations. Add in a little blood red color — is that another warning or a red herring? — and this cover is ::chef’s kiss:: I love a jewel thief, and so should you.

Seven Wives #1

Variant cover by V. Gagnon

Both crime and horror stories often do this thing where it’s not about the savagery and violence within, but who it’s happening to. By choosing the right “target,” both genres can get us thinking about social structures, interpersonal relations, the value of certain systems, and a host of other frankly neat-o ideas/themes. In the case of Seven Wives (which kicks off IDW’s new crime imprint), writer Zoe Tunnell and artists V. Gagnon and Tesslyn Bergin-Dicoi opted to explore what happens when the leader of a fundamentalist sect of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is killed in his own compound. And based on Gagnon’s own variant cover, the end result is interesting. With or without the Jesus statue, it’s hard to deny the oddly poised nature of our new corpse friend. Similarly, even the stab marks exude a certain elegance, and it’s even hard to deny the stigmata-like feel of that hand wound. Toss in that angelic lighting, and it’s a renaissance painting if I’ve ever seen one. What we ultimately get, then, is a little more complicated: With such an unblinking, oddly romantic tinge, we are forced to grapple with this sect and its belief and standing in society. That if religion is meant to empower all lives, what’s it mean when a divisive figure like this dies and we consider questions of legacy, justice, community, and even fate? Should we celebrate or mourn this instance, and what’s that say about us and the demand of being truly good people? It isn’t about the dead, but about how the living keep on in this new world.

Absolute Green Arrow #1

Variant cover by Tyler Kirkham

In the Absolute universe, you’ve got to have a gimmick. Batman is big and broke; Superman is an even bigger leftist; and Wonder Woman was born in Hell. For Absolute Green Arrow, the Emerald Archer has become (and this ignores some vital context and story bits) a giant horror fiend a la Jason or Leatherface. Do I trust the talent of the creative team (Pornsak Pichetshote and Rafael Albuquerque) to execute this novel bit of genre storytelling? For sure. But am I also a wee bit worried that an infusion of horror (especially in a crowded marketplace) may not be enough and/or that the Green Arrow “model” isn’t inherently a good fit? Sure. Luckily, we have this badass Tyler Kirkham variant cover to #1. We have the Jason-esque vibes of the mask; the ample blood (including just some really solid splatter); the swords as a makeshift bow, which is just a brilliant design choice; that perfectly tattered clothes; and, of course, the singular feeling that this man just murdered a house full of drug-dealing fiends (and maybe high school virgins). Ya know, all the true signs of great horror, and done in a way that we feel the connections and all that bloody good history without feeling like it’s not still a Green Arrow story. Maybe it doesn’t 1,000% assuage my doubts, but even I can’t deny that this could land like an axe to the face.

Ultimate Impact: Reborn #1

Variant cover by Leinil Francis Yu

If you find yourself experience “Marvel Ultimate Exhaustion,” maybe yet another title/chapter may not be your favorite thing. But set aside some of that hesitation because Ultimate Impact: Reborn promises what we all need more of every day — brand-new characters! And we get our first official introduction via this Leinil Francis Yu variant to issue #1. Now, admittedly, it’s not the most visually arresting configuration; it’s closer to the band photo of a very weird English post-punk group circa 1986. But it’s Yu’s depiction and approach that does heaps to make this cover really stand out, and to show us how these new heroes might exist on the page. Mogul, for instance, feels like he splits the difference between The Hood (the biz casual look) and cartoon Metallo/John Corben, and I’m interested in the very inference of that hybrid. Meanwhile, Sightseer is herself a hybrid between Ms. Marvel and Doctor Strange, and while that’s a little more approachable in my mind, the visual end result is utterly arresting. Wonder Man seems the most familiar, but even that snapshot of raw power and leisurewear feels interesting somehow. But I’m most interested in Hostilicus, who is seemingly a new Hulk but by way of The Thing and Apocalypse. Does this cover tell me anything new about these four? Meh. But does it show enough dazzle but also a sense of being grounded in the existing MU to make it clear that this book actually deliver? Sure. And if nothing else, “very weird English post-punk group circa 1984” is a story idea in and of itself.

Young Hellboy: Thrilling Sky Adventures #1

Variant cover by David Hitchcock

Of all the many story alleys Hellboy has explored over the years, the “Young line” feels really interesting. It’s really a honing down for our favorite demonic adventurer, and as The Hidden Land from 2021 demonstrated, a chance to really explore the true pulpiness of the character’s early days/origins. And we get another such chance even before Thrilling Sky Adventures drops thanks to this super neat-o variant from David Hitchcock. Amid all that wonderful visual candy, the Young Hellboy design really stands out. It’s even more exaggerated than ever, and there’s something about that melding of pure innocence and “why does that child have a sledgehammer for a hand” that really works. (Also, that dog is letting off some really “Gritty Wishbone” vibes, and it’s also quite effective.) From there, I also quite like the design of Scarlett Santiago — that proximity to Hellboy’s own design tells you everything (intended and otherwise), and if we’re going for the whole pulp thing, than that smile reads “mission accomplished.” (And our strange friend over there exudes the borderline uncomfortable vibes you also want with a good villain.) It’s a cover so charming and fun that the little meta bit (Hellboy, a comic character reading comics) reaches new levels of thoughtful and endearing (and isn’t irksome). It’s all so great that I’m willing to say “The sky’s the limits!” with nary a hint of irony.