Welcome to the nineteenth installment of Comic Book Cover-Up! Every week, 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 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 without further ado, here’s the week’s best!
5. Elektra 3 by Mike Del Mundo (Featured Image)
Mike Del Mundo is doing wonders as an interior artist on Elektra, but his origins show every month with his stunning covers to the series. Easily outmatching the work of many of his peers, Del Mundo makes his covers very fun and very clever. For issue 3, he shows Elektra diving into the depths of the ocean into a mysterious cavern. The cavern, shaped like one of her trademark sais, is a visually engaging choice that guides your eye across the cover. The cool blue tones of the water offset the red of Elektra, and though she is the smallest element in the cover, she is all you pay attention to. That is a very smart design, and not done by accident.
4. Fatale 23 by Sean Phillips
Sean Phillips creates a very simple and timeless cover for Fatale 23. Casting our lead in stone, Josephine is made to look ageless, which is appropriate for her character. But beyond that it evokes a sense of classic Greek sculptures, worn through the passage of time and eventually shattering, still holding the beauty of the original image. It is wonderful imagery that resonates with the themes of the title, and by placing it against a cosmic landscape, where the stars and a sun complete the face, Phillips makes one of the most memorable and unique covers of the series to date.
3. MPH 2 by Eric Canete
There is so much to love in Eric Canete’s variant cover to MPH. First, and most importantly, is his incredible choice of angle for the cover. Speed is something that is frequently portrayed in comics. As a result, it is rare for somebody to reinvent it and make it unique again. Canete does that by moving the camera to the ground as we watch our leads race past us. Beyond that are the phenomenal colors, which are out of this world and make the book stand out among the pale colors of many others. Lastly is the style of Canete, which is undeniably urban, perfect matching the book and the designs of the characters.
2. The Wicked + The Divine 1 by Jamie McKelvie
The Wicked + The Divine is the latest project by Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie. With a crazy concept revolving around reincarnation of the Gods as super-celebrities, it’s a very fun read. For the cover, McKelvie chose to focus on two of the characters, each in their own piece. Complementing each other beautifully, the dual images of Laura and Luci bleed into one another. Their strong character designs guide you, and the lettering of the title over their faces makes the book feel like an album cover, which is perfect for this book. It’s very simple but it’s striking in how well McKelvie executes the concept and how immediately iconic his characters feel. And if you think this is pretty, wait until you see the interior art.
1. The Wicked + The Divine 1 by Bryan Lee O’Malley
Bryan Lee O’Malley is a creator best known for Scott Pilgrim. His work on that title was an homage to a bygone era of music and video games. As such, it is great to see him do the variant cover to The Wicked + The Divine, which so heavily plays with the music industry and the world of celebrity. For his piece, O’Malley brings his unique stylings to Laura, who lays in her bed jamming to music. Her walls adored in posters of Amaterasu and Lucifer, the cover is incredibly distinct and detailed. It feels like a moment frozen in youth, instantly teenage and endlessly relatable. It’s the kind of moment you’ve seen time and time again perfectly represented in the cartoonish style of one of comics best independent creators.
Still Gorgeous:
- Alex + Ada 7 by Jonathan Luna
- Batwoman 32 by Ant Lucia
- Drumhellar 6 by Riley Rossmo
- Harley Quinn 7 by Ant Lucia
- Magnus: Robot Fighter 4 by Gabriel Hardman
Thank you for tuning in and be sure to check back next time for more covers of the week!
You must be logged in to post a comment.