Welcome to the eighth 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. She-Hulk 3 by Kevin Wada (Featured Image)
Kevin Wada has been killing it on his covers to the She-Hulk series. As a personal favorite of mine, I’ll admit that I have bias, but there is an undeniable charm about his carefully water-colored covers. Engulfed in the cloak of Dr. Doom, She-Hulk stares unfazed into the eyes of the reader. This is the most direct interpretation of She-Hulk that Wada has given us so far, and it’s very powerful. The green tones of Shulkie’s skin alongside the green of Doom’s coat play wonderfully off of one another, and the complimentary color of her purple outfit grab your attention.
4. Black Widow 5 by Phil Noto
Phil Noto is in many ways the perfect artist for a Black Widow book. Black Widow is a character rooted in old school spy stories, and Noto nails the aesthetics of the era perfectly. This cover is the most hardcore of action scenes, Black Widow escaping a crashing plane. But it’s the subtle touches that draw me in. The color choices are fiery and create tension. Natasha herself is gritting her teeth, racing against something clearly impossible. Outlining her in white instead of black helps to create a greater contrast between herself and the plane. But most of all, the pose screams desperation and makes you fear for her very life, though you know she’s more than capable of surviving.
3. Red Sonja 8 by Jenny Frison
I know next to nothing about Red Sonja. I’ve never read the comics, so I wouldn’t really have encountered her. What I do is this: Don’t mess with Red Sonja. She waits carefully in the waters, her cold, beating eyes drilling into the reader. Her teeth clutch onto a knife big enough to pierce the strongest of armors. And her hair rests on the water, creating the illusion of blood. Her hair is the core element of the image, playing off of the white backdrop and enveloping her. I have never open a Red Sonja book before, but this would be the issue that would draw me in.
2. Grindhouse Doors Open at Midnight 7 by Francesco Francavilla
Francesco Francavilla is one of the greatest comic book cover artists around these days. He allows the art to stand on its own, separate from himself and he has such variety that you’ll never know where he’ll pop up. Here, his cover for the Grindhouse comic uses everything that the genre is known for. A bold title rockets out alongside a semi-truck, blinding the reader. Its darkened windshield blocks out the driver, creating mystery and intrigue. But most of all, the two sets of teeth throws the entire image into question. As if a truck driving through a set of teeth wasn’t surreal enough, adding the second set of teeth behind them makes the image impossible to ignore.
1. Detective Comics 30 by Francis Manapul
Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato have been working wonders on the Flash book since the dawn of the New 52. But all things must end, and the team begins their run on Detective Comics this week. Previously they have been rather distant from the Batman books, aside from a few covers here and there for Red Robin back in the day. It is a true joy to see them stretch their legs with a new character, creating a look that is unlike anything Batman has had in years. The bold yellow background color contrasts with the dark foreboding Batman. Using shadows and silhouettes to show the cast of the book makes it visually distinct, but what really brings it all together is that Manapul is just that incredible.
Still gorgeous:
- The Shadow Year One by Alex Ross
- Moon Knight 2 by Declan Shalvey
- Moon Knight 2 by Phil Noto
- Inhuman 1 by Joe Madureira
- She-Hulk 3 by Kris Anka
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