Most comic book fans have a pretty good idea what they’re going to buy every week when they visit 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. 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 contributor Trevor Richardson and Manga Editor Eric Cline’s attention this week.
Trevor’s Picks:
Daredevil #8
Variant cover art by Lee Garbett
What immediately draws me to this cover is the eyes; the ethereal, foggy white coloring is really striking against all the red and black and draws the viewer’s eyes right to Carnage’s vicious teeth. That maw exhibits a great use of negative space to convey how spooky Carnage looks and the little touch of drool is icing on the cake. The rest of Matt’s body isn’t cluttered with a lot of line-art which lets the featured details really shine.
Silver Surfer: Black #2
Cover art by Tradd Moore
I love the way Moore renders the Surfer’s anatomy. All the musculature looks like liquid shaping itself into the Surfer’s body and that circle of black around his head looks like a black halo in the style of old religious artwork. This is another cover that makes great use of negative space with the use of black around the Surfer’s head and the planets. It really makes the planets and the Surfer’s body pop.
Little Bird #5
Cover art by Ian Bertram
This cover is a little gross in a way that’s lovely. All that pink in those entrails(?) makes the arm stand out well. I hesitate to invoke this ever-present name in the world of gaming, but the cover reminds me of Dark Souls. The metal arm reminds me of knight’s armor reaching out of the fleshy mess and looking completely overwhelmed. Bertram does a great job of managing gradually smaller lines as the eye travels to the center of the illustration while still keeping everything readable.
Eric’s Picks:
Aquaman #50
Variant cover art by Ryan Sook
Black Manta! Easily my favorite DC supervillain from a design perspective, and Sook uses him to good effect here. Aquaman and Mera being reflected in Manta’s eyes is a nice touch, as are all the bubbles throughout the piece. Plus, orange and blue are complimentary colors so everything pops really boldly.
Silver Surfer: Black #2
Cover art by Tradd Moore
The contrasts between the different elements of this piece are great. Moore’s outlines on the Surfer are extremely clean and the fluidity of his body’s sheen is great too. The sense of scale is fantastic as well; the planets in the background look absolutely lovely. This is just plain pleasing to look at, and a poster in the making.
Daredevil #8
Variant cover art by Lee Garbett
Also a poster in the making, albeit more of the “Cool™” variety– and there’s nothing wrong with that. Of all the Carnage variants this is one of the best, thanks largely to the characters’ shared color scheme. The clawed hands, the tendrils coming off the body, and the teeth are all awesome, but my favorite details are those intimidating eyes. The decision to have the background be plain black is also a wise one that keeps all your focus on the deadly being at hand.
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