Welcome to Comic Preview, where we dissect the cover art so you don’t have to. Note that Dave will be out of the AiPT office next week and won’t have access to our comic cover filing system. Poor soul. It was a good run. Let’s see what he has to say about the covers coming out August 28!
Hi kids, it’s Brendan. I just wanted to mention that Dave wrote the above paragraph about himself in the third person. I assume he was attempting to sound official. Stupid Dave!
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.
Catwoman #23
Terry Dodson
Dave: Much like the Internet, Catwoman is made of tubes. A series of tubes, I say!
Brendan: Are her legs being broken before our eyes? Wouldn’t her whip be slightly ablaze once coming in contact with radioactive man? Do those anonymous hands have odd phalanges on purpose? This cover raises so many questions!
Grimm Fairy Tales 2013 (Special Edition)
Emilio Laiso
Dave: At first glance it looks like the dude at the top is chasing our damsel, but in fact he’s rushing to save her from a deadly breast malfunction. Those giant clawed hands are going to contain the blast.
Brendan: Not even his oddly detailed falcon-hands will be able to contain breasts of that magnitude. I know we make a lot of jokes around here about breasts “as big as her head” but really, look. Her breasts are as big as her head. Also, her hands are tiny.
FF #11
Mike Allred
Dave: When a comic makes you dizzy it’s doing its job. You notice it on the shelf. Now excuse me while I puke.
Brendan: I think the warp effect on this cover is actually pretty cool. It definitely gives me a sense of unease that I’m not certain how to cope with. I think I’ve mentioned before that I’m not crazy about Allred’s work but you have to acknowledge when something is done well. Allred consistently creates quality art.
Honorable Mention
Vampirella #33
Lucio Parrillo
Dave: This is how you draw a woman. Curves, a little fat on the hip, and rule #67, “always draw a scantily clad woman holding a troll monkey” is also employed here. Parrillo has got the mysticism going full throttle here with all the green smoke and interesting lighting. The natural light on Vampirella on her right side keeps her sexy, too. If she was all green we probably would be grossed out by that bod.
Brendan: I do dig the mystic and unearthly tone that is brought on by the green smoke. Vamp is looking nice, but I’m much more intrigued by the devil monkey and the Mr. FullFrontal. Exactly what kind of party are we catching a glimpse of?
Pick of the Week
Batman: The Dark Knight #23
Alex Maleev
Dave: I like the sludgy look Maleev has given Clayface, but he’s still massive and stone cold dangerous. That’s because his texture is liquid but his outline is solid. The bloodied arm raises the stakes and the very thin and flat teeth are frightening, like a doll or grandpa’s dentures.
Brendan: I do love the use of shadows on this cover. It both amplifies Clayface’s monstrousness and equally improves Bat’s brooding calmness. I’m not sure it was on purpose, but the way Maleev has detail Batman’s face is somewhat comical. It looks as though the only thought running through his mind is “just another day at the office.”
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