Come one come all, as we preview this week’s comic offerings. We critique the best, worst and most messed up covers for your viewing pleasure.
Brendan’s Cover of the Week
Conan The Barbarian #12
Brendan: At first glance, this cover intrigued me. It was only when I noticed the fabric draped over the step that I realized that our lady seems to be at Death’s Door and the entire cover is washing out into white and red to symbolize this. Beyond that, the artwork is gorgeous and intriguing.
Dave: “And the streets they did run with blood!” Is it just me or does anyone get a Japan vibe from the red and white? I like the contrast between the pasty white woman and Conan’s tanned physique.
Dave’s Cover of the Week
Deathstroke #16
Dave: Oh god, I’m in love with the textures at play, the colors and incredibly cool composition. Scott Clark got an honorable mention from me last month and once again he blows me away. Deathstroke needs Scott Clark on that wall, he wants him on that wall. The cover is at once exciting, due to the guns, and interesting, due to the relationship between the face in the background and the hero. I want to frame this and put this on my wall.
Brendan: The colors are amazing. This reminds me of a Judge Dredd cover on an LSD trip. Everything about this cover works: the color selection, the pose, the composition. It’s a quality image all around.
Brendan’s Honorable Mention
Wolverine Max #3
Brendan: No lie, I only picked this one because every other comic cover coming out this week is either bland or genuine WTF material. At least Jock gives us some action along with some artistic depth. I enjoy deep black streaks that make up the majority of Wolvie’s frame.
Dave: If there’s one thing Jock is good at it’s exciting contrasts. I’m not sure what those black streaks are but I sure do love Wolvie’s warrior scream.
Dave’s Honorable Mentions
Savage Wolverine #1
Dave: I don’t know why there’s a sexy woman at the top right, but that don’t mean I don’t like it! I love the print work of the background and its relationship to the story, the character and the well drawn figure popping out at us. The Snikt is pretty cool, but damn son, look at those short legs. Wolverine actually looks cool and is accurately drawn as the stubby hero we love.
Brendan: I love it when Marvel gets bold and draws Wolvie as the tiny man he is! This artwork is great, especially the prints that make up our background. I’m actually pretty bummed that they felt the need to throw that “snikt” in there. We know it’s Wolverine. You don’t need to drive the point home with word association.
Threshold #1
Dave: Having not read much Green Lantern in ages I have no clue what this orange lantern is doing, but I want to explore his pile of goodies nonetheless. The stark background makes all the great detail pop in this treasure pile. Very imaginative design and interesting to look at.
Brendan: That guy is Larfleeze, David. He is probably the only good thing to have come out of the Blackest Night debacle and well worth looking into. His orange lantern/ring encapsulate the power of greed, hence all of ‘Fleeze’s goodies. They really need to just figure out how to give this guy his own ongoing already. The character is too good for backup stories.
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.
New Avengers #2
Dave: “With our powers combined” or is it the Wonder Twins we’re witnessing? Okay, so the Infinity Gauntlet gems are super cool in this odd formation, but WTF is this? Are they giving the peace sign? Why would these heroes ever do that? Ugh, so dumb.
Brendan: Jock was probably pressed for time and did a quick scan through his Pinterest feed. He saw a photo of a group of preteen girls doing the finger-star and said to himself “Yep. That’ll do.”
Black Kiss II #6 (of 6)
Dave: I’ve read one issue of this vacuous miniseries that only cares about cheap shock value of the sexual kind. So far the covers have been about as pointless as the book, but this cover takes the cake. I guess they used the best for last—or should I say the most tactless—as the previous issues at least showed the woman’s face. I look at this and just think…butt. The damn thing takes up half the cover! Although…on closer inspection it’s not the butt we should be looking at. I’ll let you, gentle reader, decide what it is we are intended to eyeball.
Brendan: Dave’s talking about the hair. Chaykin can draw really nice hair.
Caligula Heart of Rome #2 (Wrap Cover)
Brendan: In truth I didn’t know which one of the three variants for Caligula I wanted to pick. That was, of course, until I found the one with the man sporting a baby’s arm for genitalia. The nutty thing is that this is incredibly well done art. The colors, shading and figures are all top notch. It’s only when you take the time to, y’know, look at the content that you realize how effed up the whole situation is. Well done on all fronts, Mr. Nobile!
Dave: That chick is every S&M fanatic’s dream come true and the room is simply gorgeous. The baby arm though…wow what is that thing coming out of his stomach?! I didn’t realize this gladiatorial series was so weird.
Comics Being Released This Week
This is a cleaned up list via ComicList.com. Comic availability subject to change.
- AVATAR Press
- Caligula Heart Of Rome #2 (Of 6), $3.99
- Fashion Beast #5, $3.99
- Ferals #12, $3.99
- Stitched #11, $3.99
- Dark Horse
- B.P.R.D. 1948 #4 (Of 5), $3.50
- Billy The Kid’s Old Timey Oddities And The Orm Of Loch Ness #4 (Of 4), $3.50
- Black Beetle No Way Out #1 (Of 4), $3.99
- Conan The Barbarian #12, $3.50
- Ex Sanguine #4 (Of 5), $3.99
- DC COMICS
- Ame-Comi Girls #4 (Of 5)(Featuring Power Girl), $3.99
- Batgirl #16, $2.99
- Batman #16 (Greg Capullo Regular Cover), $3.99
- Batman And Robin #16, $2.99
- Batman Arkham Unhinged #10, $2.99
- Deathstroke #16, $2.99
- Demon Knights #16, $2.99
- Frankenstein Agent Of S.H.A.D.E. #16 (Final Issue), $2.99
- Green Lantern The Animated Series #10, $2.99
- Grifter #16 (Final Issue), $2.99
- Insurgent #1 (Of 6), $2.99
- Legion Lost #16 (Final Issue), $2.99
- Ravagers #8, $2.99
- Suicide Squad #16, $2.99
- Superboy #16, $2.99
- Team 7 #4, $2.99
- Threshold #1, $3.99
- IDW
- Chasing The Dead #3 (Of 4)(Cover A Dietrich Smith), $3.99
- Crow Skinning The Wolves #2 (Of 3)(Cover A Jim Terry), $3.99
- G.I. JOE #21 (Cover A Kenneth Loh), $3.99
- High Ways #1 (Of 4)(Cover A John Byrne), $3.99
- Mars Attacks The Real Ghostbusters (One Shot), $3.99
- Transformers Spotlight Thundercracker #1, $3.99
- Image Comics
- Comeback #3 (Of 5), $3.50
- Creator Owned Heroes #8, $4.99
- Elephantmen #45, $3.99
- Hoax Hunters #6, $2.99
- Li’l Depressed Boy #15, $3.99
- Saga #9, $2.99
- Todd The Ugliest Kid On Earth #1 (Of 4), $2.99
- MARVEL COMICS
- All-New X-Men #6, $3.99
- Alpha Big Time #0.1, $2.99
- Avengers Assemble #11, $3.99
- Avenging Spider-Man #16, $3.99
- Captain America #3, $3.99
- Captain Marvel #9, $2.99
- Daredevil #22, $2.99
- Dark Avengers #185, $2.99
- Hawkeye #4, $2.99
- Indestructible Hulk #3, $3.99
- Marvel’s Thor Adaptation #1 (Of 2), $2.99
- New Avengers #2, $3.99
- Punisher Nightmare #3 (Of 5), $3.99
- Savage Wolverine #1, $3.99
- Ultimate Comics Iron Man #4 (Of 4), $3.99
- Venom #30, $2.99
- Wolverine MAX #3, $3.99
- X-Factor #250, $2.99
- X-Men #40, $3.99
- VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT
- Archer And Armstrong #6, $3.99
- Bloodshot #7 $3.99
- Zenescope ENTERTAINMENT
- Fly Volume II #4 (of 5), $2.99
- Grimm Fairy Tales #81, $2.99
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