In what has become a weekly Wednesday tradition, here are my favorite comic book covers of this week’s newest releases:
Batman: Creature of the Night #1 (cover art by John Paul Leon)
At the heart of the Batman story is Bruce Wayne, an orphan forever driven by the deaths of his parents and this cover neatly encapsulates the theme of innocence lost, the contrast of light and dark with the young child in the foreground in what I assume is his Halloween outfit, the ominous gunman (who bears a striking resemblance to The Walking Dead’s Norman Reedus BTW) looming large in the background, tragedy set to strike.
Eternity #2 (cover art by Jelena Kevic-Djurdjevic)
As a sucker for creature designs, I can’t help but love this portrait of an other-worldly creature with its horn like protuberances, inhumanly narrow chin, shocking white eyes, and affinity for turtlenecks.
Glow #1 (cover art by Anny Maulina and Dia Ja)
I really like the earthy hues of this post-apocalyptic (?) cover – all browns and beiges, grays, and blues, with a tiny shock of teal in the foreground shirt worn by the youngster staring up at the foreboding tower. I appreciate its elegance.
Heart Throb: Season 2 #5
Now this one is interesting – a classic automobile, its driver his back to us, glimpsed through some opaque filter. A marked contrast to the hard line candy color displays of some of the younger skewing titles.
Lola XOXO: Volume 2 #5 (cover art by Siya Oum)
Syia Oum’s pencil work is sublime, the details of our young protagonist and the curious backdrop elements (the Hollywood sign, the gas mask) telling a tale in a single static shot.
Old Man Logan #31 (cover art by Mukesh Singh)
Probably the most beautiful covers of the week right here. The colors are gorgeous and check out the texturing of the red leather outfit, Logan’s jacket, the details of the hair, the serrated blade.
Renato Jones: Season 2 #5 (cover art by Kaare Kyle Andrews)
A moment of clarity amid the violence as our protagonist draws respite, oversized gun still smoking, bullet holes and blood marking the backdrop.
Skies of Fire #4 (cover art by Pablo Peppino)
I have to give it up to artist who creates a gorgeous circa WWI tableau incorporating six distinctly different characters (seven if you count the dog). Some really nice touches here with the shading, the suggestion of a breeze in the frozen flow of hair.
Beauty #17 (cover art by Jeremy Haun and John Rauch)
You’ll be hard-pressed to find a more beautifully eerie set of covers than the offerings for this unnerving little series, and the latest entry delivers yet another gem. Contrast the gorgeous textures of the dress with the cracked skin and decaying visage of its owner.
Ghost Butterfly (cover art by Martyn Lorbiecki)
This one is foreboding yet borderline whimsical, reminiscent of water color work of Jeff Lemire. Very intriguing.
The Ghost Fleet: The Whole Goddamned Thing (cover art by Lauren Affe, Jonah J. Hill, and Daniel Warren Johnson)
Okay, let’s talk composition. Lonely, cowed figure at the bottom surrounded by a sparse emptiness, a veritable avalanche of destruction raining down in a torrent of mud and metal.
Rosalynd (cover art by Stephan Franck)
Often the simplest of covers are the most compelling. Who is this lonely figure with the suitcase? What circumstances have found her in this beguilingly bleak setting?
The Woods vol. 8 (cover art by Michael Dialynas)
Originally, I wanted to cap my selections at single issues, but a few collected editions this week were just too beautiful to overlook. Like this puzzling snapshot of a windswept warrior on his long drop down. He’s falling, not flying, but something about his body language, that open-armed acceptance, seems to suggest he knows exactly what he’s doing.
SAM vol. 1-3 (cover art by Shang)
Either of the covers for these three volumes would rank as my favorite of the week, so I include all three (since, appropriately enough, all three were released today). There’s a wonderful anime feel the proceedings – giant robots, kids, and post-apocalyptic mayhem. Love the design work.
Injection vol. 3 (cover art by Jordie Bellaire and Declan Shalvey)
Another excellent cover in a long line of excellent covers for this series. A convergence of tech and nature, and a foreboding sense of the calm before the storm.
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