In this week’s Cover of the Week we analyize Marvel’s art appreciation covers, odd design choices from DC Comics and any other covers that caught our eye. In a way it’s a preview of the comics shipping this Wednesday; only with next to nothing revealed about the issues themselves and instead analyses based solely on how each cover tickles our fancy.
Best Cover of the Week
Brendan’s Pick:
Mighty Thor #13 (Variant Cover)
By Richard Isanove
Brendan: I’m not sure if this is simple photoshoppery or if Isanove went all out Pollock, but either way this cover is gorgeous. If it happens to be the staggeringly unlikely latter option, I would not hesitate to buy the original and put it on my wall. It is simple yet involved. There are new things to notice with every viewing. That, right there, is art.
Dave: This cover is unreal. It probably won’t sell more comics, but it’ll definitely separate itself from the pack come Wednesday morning.
Dave’s Pick:
Daredevil #11
By Steffi Schutze
Dave: I have a love/hate relationship with caricatures, but this cover is a very definite love. The flowing style is at once exciting and smile inducing. I also dig how the characters have been stacked on top of each other. Based on these two covers I’m going to take a guess that Marvel is doing some sort of art appreciation week.
Brendan: I have no love for this cover. While I admire some of the line work I think the proportions are awkward and as you move further back things just get weirder and weirder. If you extracted Hulk and had him as a stand alone figure he would look like something a 3 year old sketched up.
Brendan’s Honorable Mentions:
Spaceman #6
By Eduardo Risso
Brendan: I know nothing about the Spaceman series. I’ve never heard of it. Having said that, this cover is intriguing and ominous. I dig it.
Dave: The first issue of this book made little sense with a made up futuristic spaceman language. It was English, but barely. I can see the book hasn’t gotten any better at making any sense. I dig the buildings in the background though.
Uncanny X-Men #11
By Carlos Pacheco
Brendan: This one is all fanboy bias. I am affectionate towards Rulk, but I am God-damned in love with Collosonaught. If I were in the store I would pick up this comic first exclaiming “oh shit!” followed by avidly reading through the issue without purchasing it.
Dave: Brendan you’re condoning theft! Reading a comic without buying it!? My word!
This cover is like a fight of the century boxing poster. Two bare chested beefcakes with their gloved fists held up in the accepted fashion. The background is lazy and I hate artists who think they can do a good job on the subjects but not do a background. The first rule of being an artist is don’t be like Rob Liefeld!
Popeye #1
By Bruce Ozella
Brendan: Hahaaaaaaaaaa, references. All in all this cover isn’t too noteworthy outside of the blatant homage to another popular comic cover. However, I still got a good chuckle out of it. Also, Olive Oyl looks ridiculous.
Dave: The colors are groovy.
Dave’s Honorable Mentions:
I Vampire #8
By Andrea Sorrentino
Dave:This is very similar to the Detective Comics #880 cover which you can take a peek at here. Even though it’s not completely fresh it’s still very cool.
Brendan: I thought of that Detective Comics cover when I saw this as well. The art looks good but the concept is overdone and I’m fairly tired of it.
Vescell #7
By Johnny Rocwell
Dave: This cover could very easily be on the WTF list, I mean look at this trippy cover, but I can’t help myself. I love the insane Salvador Dali crazy going on, and the purple rose eyes.
Brendan: I love it. The colors pop so vibrantly it makes you step back and really think about what you’re looking at. The WTF factor is what makes this cover stand out in only awesome ways.
New Avengers #25
By Mike Deodato
Dave: Love the glow shining over the shoulders, love the flames coming off the fists and the scream Iron Fist is doing is just badass. I want to look this good on my autobiography. Somebody tell me why this guy doesn’t have a movie yet?
Brendan: I’ve never been a fan of Deodato’s work and this cover reminds me why. The pose and the lighting feel pretty generic. I think the glowing fists effect looks lazy, almost unfinished. Iron Fist is a cool guy, but this cover doesn’t make him stand out from any other muscley dude with a mask on.
WTF? Category
Where we don’t understand, are insulted by or would rather stab our eyes with acid pops than look at these covers for various reasons.
FF #17
By Julian Totino Tedesco
Brendan: Ok, so I may have a strong affection of referential art, but this is just weird. It is well executed, without a doubt, but who on earth thought this was a good idea?
Dave:What’s next, Spider-Woman with her eyebrows shaved off as the Mona Lisa? Actually, that wouldn’t be half-bad.
FF #17 (Regular Cover)
By Mike Choi
Brendan: That’s right, both FF covers are getting the WTF treatment. I mean, this isn’t the most horrid cover of the week by any means but they drew SPIDER-MAN TEABAGGING JONNY STORM.
That’s just poor breakfast/midnight snack etiquette.
Dave: Pete’s Spider-Sense isn’t the only thing that’s tingling! Am I right?!
Superman #8
By Ivan Reis & Joe Prado
Dave: Sure, Superman getting tentacle raped is totally normal in Japan, but in America? Just think of the children! His frightened eyes make me feel sick. I mean, can we honestly say we know there aren’t any more tentacles, you know…down there?
Brendan: I’m not keeping up with Superman at the moment so I am truly lost on this one. Big Baddy is obvz getting the one-up on our boy in blue, but howso? Is this some new 52 rethinking of Starro or is Supes really just vomiting tentacles? I have to say, either way I’m fairly intrigued.
Kirby Genesis #7
By Alex Ross
Brendan: Like him or hate him, Alex Ross can draw some intense shit. On occasions like this one, maybe he went a little too intense. Maybe he also ran out of any normal color and had to whip the entire product up using only the most vicious neons. There is too much going on and none of it is easy on the eyes.
Dave: I read one of these Kirby comics for the ComiX Weekly column a few months ago and I can safely say there is too much going on in the story as well. The book seems to be filled with tons of characters to make up for a indiscernible plot and this cover reflects that.
Teen Titans #8
By Brett Booth
Brendan: Hey, you guys, remember when Tron was a thing? Two years ago in 2010? No? No one?
Now with that bad joke out of the way can someone please tell me what’s going on? Is this cover applicable to the current TT storyline or is DC really just that far behind the ball?
Dave: I don’t know what internet you’re using Brendan, but I for one wear a Tron suit every time I plugin. Or do you normals call it “log onto”? “On the other side of the screen, it all looks so easy.”
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