Welcome to the twenty-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 without further ado, here’s the week’s best!
5. Punisher 10 by Mitch Gerads (Featured Image)
The current Punisher series has had some of my favorite covers with the character to date. Playing with expectations and design, Mitch Gerads has had many great concepts for the book. Here, he shows Frank Castle in a rotten prison cell, miserable. With tattered clothes and a makeshift shiv, he sits there, marking tallies on the wall. But it’s the tallies themselves that grab my attention, as they make out his trademark skull. But what’s more interesting to me is what the tallies represent. Do they represent the number of days he’s been in jail? That’s what they generally mean. Or do they possibly mean the number of men he’s killed? Or the number of men he’s killed since he’s been in jail? Just like Rorschach in Watchmen, the idea of the Punisher being incarcerated is actually more dangerous for the crooks he hunts. And Mitch Gerads captures this concept beautifully.
4. The Legendary Star-Lord 3 by Dustin Nguyen
Star-Lord has one of the most distinct designs in modern comics. His design sells you on the character, and the vintage science fiction origins he has. Dustin Nguyen channels this vintage science fiction energy in his variant cover for the new solo series. Washing the cover in red and orange hues, Nguyen is able to make this seemingly innocent cover very mysterious and foreign. The colors make it look like he’s coming from the reaches of Mars or some other far off world. Beyond that, there is such an allure to the image, in no small part due to the fact that it’s Dustin Nguyen, who has done almost exclusively DC Comics work. Seeing his unmistakable style on a Marvel Comic is engaging. These factors, plus the composition, which places Nguyen at the forefront of adventure, really make this comic distinct and memorable amongst a see of crossovers and gimmicks.
3. Superior Foes of Spider-Man 15 by Steve Lieber
I think that I’ve been afraid to accept Superior Foes of Spider-Man into my heart. When it initially came out, the book was compared to Hawkeye, one of my truest loves. But then people said it was better than Hawkeye. People said it was one of Marvel’s best books. So, like a spoiled child, I ignored it and pretended it didn’t exist, so that I could cherish my toy. Well, that’s silly. The cover to issue 15 shows how delightfully charming the book is, with the entire cast flipping off the reader, each time blocked by creative lettering. It’s a great way to sell the team of low-lifes, as it makes them look completely moronic and rude. The joke is pretty straightforward, but it’s rare in this day and age to see a book so unafraid to scare away readers, especially when it so desperately needs them. Superior Foes of Spider-Man has the balls to challenge the reader not to buy the book, and I really appreciate that in today’ market.
2. Justice League 33 (Batman 75th Anniversary Variant) by Darwyn Cooke
The one advantage to the delay on Justice League is that the variant covers stand out even more from everything else on the stands. Capitalizing on July’s variant theme of Batman Anniversary covers, Darwyn Cooke draws the entire Justice League in his signature style. An homage to a bygone era, this cover is so incredibly refreshing when placed against the current wave of Future’s End covers from DC. Cooke is such an incredible artist too, so it easily blows everything else out of the water. The League looks sensational and heroic, rushing to save the day with dazzling smiles. DC has broken the trend lately by allowing themselves to have some fun, and it’s positively refreshing to see. For fans new and old, this is the Justice League, and it’s incredible to see them drawn in their full might without all of the angst that can bring these characters down. Sometimes, it’s enough just to have fun.
1. Hawkeye vs. Deadpool 0 by James Harren
Speaking of fun, Hawkeye vs. Deadpool is the very personification of the word. James Harren takes the concept, which is absolute gold, and milks it for all it’s worth. Years ago, when Bullseye (As Hawkeye) faced against Deadpool, it resulted in one of my favorite comics of all time. I’m glad to see that since then Marvel has only gotten quirkier. Deadpool, leaping through the air with a Nerf bow in his hand, takes aim at Hawkeye, who is clearly a better shot. It’s wacky and exciting and knows it’s market so well. Almost every single person picking up this comic will be familiar with Nerf blasters, and will know how perfect it is for Deadpool to use them. Forcing Hawkeye to be the serious one is so much fun too, because he is such a wild card in most titles that feature him. Hawkeye vs. Deadpool has the potential to be another incredible Deadpool mini-series, and launching it with this title gives me hope that it will be exactly that.
Still Gorgeous:
- Concrete Parks R-E-S-P-E-C-T 1 by Tony Puryear
- Lumberjanes 5 by Noelle Stevenson
- Madame Frankenstein 5 by Jamie Rich
- New 52 – Future’s End 18 by Ryan Sook
- She-Hulk 8 by Kevin Wada
Thanks for checking us out! From now on, Comic Book Cover-Up will be back on it’s regular schedule! Be sure to look at past winners HERE!
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