Just when you thought you were free of your comic book cravings… Adventures in Poor Taste sucks you back in! We’ve got a release list with your name all over it and a critique of the best covers, the worst covers and the extremely unsettling covers.
Dave’s Cover of the Week
Avengers #3 (Variant)
Dave: What a pretty cover. Why I love this isn’t due to the exceptional craftsmanship, but the body language in each character. Cap is putting the alien down and doesn’t seem to relish it, Wolverine can’t wait to cut some dudes and Hulk…well I think he’s in between two emotions; rage and acceptance. The doomsday clouds only enhance the atmosphere.
Brendan: While I have deep appreciation for the gorgeous art presented here, I can’t help but feel that the poses are stale. Not only stale, those three dudes are doing the exact same pose, essentially. Couldn’t they give us a bit of variety? Outside of that gripe, the colors, shadows, and intricate detail (look at that earthy crust!) are mind blowingly good.
Brendan’s Cover of the Week:
X-O Manowar #9
Brendan: Now that is some gorgeous textbook action right there. I love the simple, clean cut lines of our figures and how they mix with the painted colors throughout. The cloud of debris along with the incredible use of negative space and color blurring make this cover everything you would want out of an action shot.
Dave: The color palette is what does it for me here. It’s so minimalist to the point where it’s going to jump off the rack. Especially considering how vivid covers are these days. The staging of the punch is filled with energy to the point where I can almost feel it.
Brendan’s Honorable Mentions:
Deadpool Killustrated #1
Brendan: Oh dear, this comic book might be magnificent. The synopsis reads:
“Deadpool has already killed every hero in the Marvel Universe. He isn’t through. This time…Deadpool’s gonna take on the most famous characters in classic literature!”
I’m not sure I have ever seen a comic I have wanted more in my life. This cover is a perfect summarization of what to expect from such a cheeky murder book. Why even bother chasing the whale with little spikes on sticks, Ahab? Why not just use a giant bomb?
Dave: I don’t know why, but I can’t stop thinking of the Seinfeld episode where Kramer knocks a golf ball into the blowhole of a whale. Equally funny to this cover I think. Also, I love the water.
Fables #125
Brendan: Fables doesn’t get nearly enough love around these parts. Buckingham has been producing quality art for over a decade now and the man needs to be shown some love! On top of that, I can’t remember the last time I saw Snow and Bigby gracing the cover, and in such elegant fashion! It’s a great representation of the couple, with plenty of fun details throughout for the avid reader! I mean, sure I’m a little weirded out by Rose’s floating head, but i’ll let that one slide.
Dave: I like how the juxtaposition of the flat cityscape makes those characters in the foreground stand out.
Dave’s Honorable Mentions:
Winter Soldier #14
Dave: And the country it did bleed! I love how badass Black Widow looks; she’s not too oversexualized, yet still looks sexy. The dot matrix making up the background allows everything to pop nicely. Being from Cape Cod however… what the hell is going on with that map? Cape Cod is just some weird blob. Ladies and gentleman, I believe we have our newest Mayan prophecy.
Brendan: The only people who care about Cape Cod are people who live on Cape Cod, Dave. I also love the shading of our heroes as well as the pop art effect of the background. This cover is oozing with intrigue, just like the cover of a Super Solider Sidekick Spy should.
Catwoman #16
Dave: What the hell, a Catwoman cover without tits or ass in the picture? Ye gods! I like the layering going on in this cover, from the gun, to the wood shards, to the figures to the background. The boot and blood flying really pump this cover up as well.
Brendan: There is some great action here and the layering, as Dave mentioned, really gives life to the cover throughout. There are also a lot of intricate details working their way into the colorful background, which I always appreciate. I also love the cat scratches on our villain’s face. It’s something of the unofficial symbol for Selina.
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.
Uncanny Avengers #3
Dave: Funnily enough the two WTF covers from me this week are DC and Marvel’s biggest titles. I’m not sure why, but Cassaday’s covers for this series have all been awkward or boring. This one is no different. I don’t really get what is going on with the heroes in the background. It’s as if he stuck them there because somebody told him Red Skull can’t be the only thing on the cover. The rather blank background doesn’t help matters and the line being cut by Skully’s legs is unrealistic and odd.
Brendan: I don’t fully understand why Skull is so shadowed while in the foreground. The way the heroes are lit up would require the burst of light to fall in between the opposing parties, but the good guys aren’t lit properly from that. I suppose they were going for an ominous Skull depiction but in honesty, I find Red Skull to be much creepier and threatening when they portray him with intricate detail.
Justice League #16
Dave: What a mess of a cover. After you’ve deciphered that the heroes are fighting each other, (because that’s what’s going on right? I still don’t know.) please take a nap because your brain probably hurts.
Brendan: I think this is another foray into the “no seriously guys Aquaman is a super badass” campaign. Although I do love seeing Supes get knocked off his feet, outside of that single focus point it all falls to chaos. I think the composition was derived by a need to show every hero in action, and not what the action required from the scene.
Wonder Woman #16
Brendan: What emotion are we trying to portray here? Wondie’s right eyebrow is giving a pissed off vibe, while Mr. Left Eyebrow is going for a “help me I’m scared” configuration. Then, she has the gritted teeth of a Spawn villain and the glassed-over eyes of a typical drawing of the Scarface doll. It all just leaves me rather confused.
Dave: I think Nick Cage said it best in The Wicker Man when he screamed “OH GOD NOT THE BEES!” I have to admit this is an annoying cover due to the points Brendan made as well.
Comics Being Released This Week
This is a cleaned up list via ComicList.com. Comic availability subject to change.
- BOOM! Studios
- Clive Barker’s Hellraiser The Road Below #4 (Of 4), $3.99
- Peanuts Volume 2 #5, $3.99
- Steed And Mrs Peel #4, $3.99
- Dark Horse
- Answer #1 (Of 4), $3.99
- Buffy The Vampire Slayer Spike #5 (Of 5), $2.99
- Buffyverse Sampler (One Shot), $4.99
- Dark Horse Presents #20, $7.99
- Massive #8, $3.50
- Mind MGMT #7, $3.99
- Number 13 #2, $3.99
- DC COMICS
- Batwoman #16, $2.99
- Before Watchmen Minutemen #6 (Of 6), $3.99
- Birds Of Prey #16, $2.99
- Blue Beetle #16 (Final Issue), $2.99
- Catwoman #16, $2.99
- DC Universe Presents #16, $2.99
- Fables #125, $2.99
- Green Lantern #16, $2.99
- Green Lantern Corps #16, $2.99
- Green Lantern New Guardians #16, $2.99
- Hellblazer #299, $2.99
- JSA The Liberty Files The Whistling Skull #2 (Of 6), $2.99
- Justice League #16, $3.99
- Legion Of Super-Heroes #16, $2.99
- Nightwing #16, $2.99
- Red Hood And The Outlaws #16, $2.99
- Saucer Country #11, $2.99
- Superboy Annual #1, $4.99
- Supergirl #16, $2.99
- Sword Of Sorcery #4, $3.99
- Wonder Woman #16, $2.99
- Young Justice #24, $2.99
- IDW
- Borderlands Origins #3 (Of 4), $3.99
- Cobra #21, $3.99
- Godzilla #9, $3.99
- Judge Dredd #3, $3.99
- Mars Attacks Transformers (One Shot), $3.99
- Star Trek Countdown To Darkness #1, $3.99
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Secret History Of The Foot Clan #2 (Of 4), $3.99
- Image Comics
- Bedlam #3, $3.50
- Chew #31, $2.99
- It Girl And The Atomics #6, $2.99
- Prophet #33, $3.99
- Revival #6, $2.99
- Witch Doctor Mal Practice #3 (Of 6), $2.99
- Witchblade #163, $2.99
- MARVEL COMICS
- A+X #4, $3.99
- Astonishing X-Men #58, $3.99
- Avengers #3, $3.99
- Castle A Calm Before The Storm #2 (Of 5), $3.99
- Deadpool #4, $2.99
- Deadpool Killustrated #1 (Of 4), $2.99
- FF #3, $2.99
- Gambit #8, $2.99
- Marvel Universe Ultimate Spider-Man #10, $2.99
- Punisher Nightmare #4 (Of 5), $3.99
- Ultimate Comics The Ultimates #20, $3.99
- Uncanny Avengers #3, $3.99
- Uncanny X-Force #1, $3.99
- Winter Soldier #14, $2.99
- Wolverine And The X-Men #24, $3.99
- Young Avengers #1, $2.99
- VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT
- Harbinger #8, $3.99
- X-O Manowar #9, $3.99
- Zenescope ENTERTAINMENT
- Grimm Fairy Tales Animated Series (One Shot), $3.99
- Grimm Fairy Tales Presents Wonderland #7, $2.99
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