Comic Book Cover-Up: Covers for the week of April 16th, 2014

Welcome to the tenth(!) installment of Comic Book Cover-Up, where We the Nerdy writer Henry Varona weighs in on his choices for the best comic book covers coming out this week, along with some great honorable mentions! Each week, Henry explain his picks and just what makes them so darn pretty. At the end, he adds up points for each given series, which will work towards earning further accolades in the future! Point breakdown:

• First-10 Points
• Second-7 Points
• Third- 5 Points
• Fourth and Fifth- 3 Points Each
• Still Gorgeous- 1 Point Each

So without further ado, here’s the week’s best!

5. Sinestro 1 by Dale Eaglesham (Featured Image)

I’ll admit that I was initially underwhelmed by this cover for Sinestro. Dark and moody, it lacked the bright yellow burst effects that I was expecting. But the more that I thought about it, the more I realized that this was the perfect cover to reflect the direction of this series. The transition of Sinestro in his uniform against the rags is incredibly powerful in itself. He commands respect and is addicted to his power, yet the smoky body of Lyssa Drax does wonders to show his worth. Eaglesham is a master artist and it’s nice to see that this book will have such a strong start and strong hook.

4. Hulk 1 (Baby Variant) by Skottie Young

There once was a time where I didn’t enjoy the baby variant covers of Skottie Young. But at some point in the last year and a half since these began, something has changed. Maybe it’s my taste evolving, but I suspect that it’s the ever growing skill of Young. Where once it was enough to just show Marvel’s characters being little and silly, Young really plays off of your expectations now. His Hulk is a being of pure joy instead of anger, and it’s young Banner that looks enraged. The colors elevate the image too, and make for a cute cover that I would gladly pick up.

3. Wonder Woman 30 by Cliff Chiang

Cliff Chiang has transformed Wonder Woman into an iconic character for the first time since her famed television show. With strong design and empowering imagery, his covers are some of the most memorable in modern comics. Here, Wonder Woman leads a battalion of Amazons, ready for the fight. His decision to cast the image in unnatural hues heightens the tension of the moment. Their flags and Dianna’s outfit draw you in and the pink complexion of our hero instills a bloodlust that is sure to bring terror to her foes. The lack of harsh inking allows the image to truly become a pop art work worthy of display.

2. Ms. Marvel 3 by Annie Wu

Ms. Marvel is a wonderfully delightful series. Thus far focusing on the origins of our hero, it is only a matter of time before we see her struggle with a normal life in high school. Annie Wu clearly saw this as a great opportunity for comedy, as young Kamala finds herself slamming her locker closed. Stuffed with her costume and newspaper clippings on superheroes, she doesn’t seem to be doing a very good job. It’s immediately endearing and helps to make Ms. Marvel a book that younger readers in high school and middle school can latch onto.

1. Winter Soldier: The Bitter March 3 by Andrew Robinson

Winter Soldier: The Bitter March is a throwback series to the great spy books of old. Rich in Steranko flair, Andrew Robinson makes every cover unique through his layouts. Here, the Winter Soldier is engaged in combat with our heroic S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Ran Shen in what appears to be a railcar of some sort. The lettering creates energy with his punch, lifting the agent across the page. The blood pouring from his mouth shows the trajectory of the punch and just how painful it must be. And lastly, the pink shocks you and pulls you in, since one must immediately question a pink Winter Soldier book. It’s almost an afterthought that this is a Winter Soldier book. He himself is not the focus of the image and the lettering hides half of the title. And yet we don’t care, we just want to pick this book up and find out what mysteries lie within.

Still Gorgeous:

• Harley Quinn 5 by Amanda Conner
• Hulk 1 (Animal Variant) by Chris Samnee
• Morning Glories 38 by Jose Eisma
• Supergirl 30 by Kenneth Rocafort
• Superior Spider-Man 31 (Mass Distribution Variant) by J. Scott Campbell

As an aside, thanks for checking out Comic Book Cover-Up! Feel free to check out our previous features and share with your friends! I’m very happy to be ten installments in and I can’t wait to see where the year takes us!