Welcome to the thirty-ninth installment of Comic Book Cover-Up! Every week, We the Nerdy assistant editor Henry Varona weighs in on his choices for the best comic book covers coming out, along with some great honorable mentions worth checking out! Looking at the layout, artistic talent, and the overall craftsmanship, the covers are analyzed and ranked accordingly. At the end, each book will be given points based on their ranking. Then Henry adds up points for the various series, which will work towards earning further accolades in the future! Here’s a point breakdown for what every ranking will earn:
- First-10 Points
- Second-7 Points
- Third- 5 Points
- Fourth and Fifth- 3 Points Each
- Still Gorgeous- 1 Point Each
So with no further delay, here’s the week’s best!
5. All-New Ultimates 10 by David Nakayama (Featured Image)
All-New Ultimates is a diverse book with a unique purpose in the Ultimate Universe. The Earthiest Mightiest Heroes are also the Earth’s youngest heroes, defending people from certain doom because everybody else is too wrapped up in politics to be of much use. With a fresh perspective, David Nakayama has consistently provided distinct and memorable covers for the series, as have been featured here before. This time he focuses on Bombshell, who is arguably the least recognizable member of the team. Using her singular image to sell the book could easily fail, since many would be confused. Instead, Nakayama makes Bombshell look top notch. Her powerful design is complemented by an actual bomb, drawn in a classic animated style. The iconography of her posture on the bomb, as well as some very cool color choices, allow for one of the boldest covers of the week.
4. Batgirl 36 by Cameron Stewart
Last month, Batgirl underwent large changes in order to represent a new era for the character. Donned in a costumed that was more leather, less spandex, the character brought a huge sales boost to the company. Cameron Stewart, co-writer of the title, gives us a wonderful cover of Batgirl diving into the heat of battle. As she flies towards the biker duo of Yuki and Yuri Katsura . Stewart makes everything and everybody look great here, due in no small part to sensational body language. Barbara leaps into the fray, her shoulders spread and teeth gritting. Look great, wearing punk rock Japanese schoolgirl biker outfits. Their cute designs don’t make them any less deadly, ans Stewart is careful to straddle that line between cute and dangerous. Once again, I’m a sucker for nice colors, and the bold, unforgiving brightness of the comic really helps to earn it’s way into my heart. I look forward to watching the series grow and develop in time.
3. Axis: Hobgoblin 2 by Javier Rodriguez
Hobgoblin, for all of his faults as a character, has remained one of the most prominent Spider-Man villains of all time. Originally just a knock-off of the Green Goblin, the character has grown over the years to become a distinct supervillain in his own right. His recent turn in Superior Spider-Man left the character with a franchise of supervillain monikers, and it seems that his current mini-series is having a lot of fun writing a goofy Hobgoblin book. The newest cover showcases this to great effect, having Roderick Kingsley wear a shirt advertising his services. With a goofy grin and a very bizarre hook line, the character stands out. That’s not to mention the decision to have almost the entire cover be orange, something that you’d have to be crazy to willingly do. All of these choices make this a book that Javier Rodriguez should be proud to have in his portfolio.
Last month saw the end of the Cliff Chiang era on Wonder Woman. Here, it seems like he’s making his pitch for Batgirl, because his cover work is absolutely stunning! Reflecting the fun new attitude and direction of the character, Chiang showcases Barbara jumping off of GCPD Headquarters, with the Bat-Signal behind her. She has cleverly vandalized the signal so that it will summon her instead of Batman, and her carefree attitude exudes off of the image. While many people have been hesitant to pick up the new direction of the title, which I can’t help but recommend, Chiang sells you on the idea in a way that few others can. He makes the new design and approach to the character feel classic and engaging. A picture is worth a thousand words, but it’s the way that Chiang uses that one word that really shows you the power of design and attention to detail above all else.
1. Captain America and the Mighty Avengers 1 by Luke Ross
Mighty Avengers was one of my favorite titles to have launched as a result of Marvel NOW! With a cast of characters that lay somewhere between Heroes for Hire and the Avengers of yesteryear, the book managed to distinguish itself from it’s contemporaries by focusing on supernatural events. With the series entering it’s sophomore year, the new Captain America, Sam Wilson, takes hold of the team, stepping up from supporting character to lead anchor. To reflect the inherit patriotism of the character, Luke Ross has come on board, showing the team as iconic silhouettes spread across the American flag. Rising from the city, they follow the former Falcon into the sky, looking up to a new day and leaving behind the shackles that have defined them in the past. This image alone sells me on the title, and hopefully is indicative of a bright new future for the title as well.
Still Gorgeous:
- Bucky Barnes: Winter Soldier 2 by Andrea Sorrentino
- Django Zorro 1 by Jae Lee
- Evil Empire 7 by Marco Turini
- Hawkeye Vs. Deadpool 2 by Matteo Lolli
- Superior Iron Man 1 by Yildiray Cinar
Thank you all for checking us out! We’ll be back next week at our regular posting time, Wednesday at 2:00 pm! You can check out past editions of Comic Book Cover-Up HERE!
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