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Multiversity’s Got You Covered: The Best Covers of May 2014

By | June 2nd, 2014
Posted in Columns | % Comments

Got You Covered is back, with another look at the best covers of the month. At the end of each month, we’ll be sharing the absolute best (in one writer’s mind) in comic covers for the month. Unlike before, they won’t be ranked, they’ll just be listed alphabetically with explanations as to why each is such a great example in the art of comic covers.

Share your thoughts in the comments about what were the best covers in the month, and thanks for reading.

American Vampire: Second Cycle #3
Art by Rafael Albuquerque

In ye olden days (2010), I wrote a very brief, very early Multiversity piece about my love for Rafael Albuquerque, an artist who for me I first experienced on “Blue Beetle”, but since has become one of the biggest artists in comics. In that piece, you can see the foundations of him as an artist, but over the past four years since that article, it’s astounding the growth we’ve seen from Albuquerque, particularly as a cover artist. This cover highlights those advances, as his brilliant composition abilities and accentuating washes both create a stunning cover but also showcase the new clubs he has in his bag. He’s always been a brilliant artist, but every once in a while we need a reminder to break us out of the monotony of “this guy is good”. This cover does that, as it practically yells at us that he isn’t just good, he’s one of the best.

Batman #31
Art by Greg Capullo

The old adage is that “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” but when it comes to veteran comic artists like Greg Capullo, it’s not necessarily about learning new ones so much as refining the things that got him there. If you’ve followed his career, I think you’d realize what I have: this is a guy who is always pushing himself and his craft, and finding ways to improve even if they are subtle. Capullo has refined his abilities at expressive, effective characters to the point he’s easy to point to as someone who is amongst the best in the business, and so much of this cover works because of the posture and pose of Batman, and what it says about the world he lives in here. It’s a gorgeous, contemplative piece that is elevated by the soft, powerful colors of – I assume – series colorist FCO Plascencia. DC as a whole doesn’t normally do it for me on their non Vertigo covers, but Capullo’s work is regularly a delight, and this cover is a great example as to why.

Deadly Class #5
Art by Wes Craig

I always say that a cover is supposed to give readers insight into what to expect from the comic it covers, and this cover – which looks like an acid trip through dias de los muertos – does a phenomenal job of just that. It’s an incredible piece by Craig, who is quickly becoming one of my favorite artists, as its usage of negative space puts all of the attention on the center image, which is beautiful in its utter madness. I continue to love the cover dress, with the titling being perfect and even the credits in the lower right corner having a little somethin’ somethin’ extra to them (1987!). This is an incredible cover, and one that happens to be on a book you most definitely should be buying.

Elektra #2
Art by Mike Del Mundo

How does one keep writing about Mike Del Mundo’s covers and continue to do them justice? This balletic piece shows the poetry in motion of Elektra’s violence, treating every non Elektra element like a fluid (which makes sense as much of it is blood) that moves around her and her tools. An underrated part of Del Mundo’s work is that he isn’t just technically brilliant, but he does a fantastic job of building the covers character out. This makes an unbelievable amount of sense for Elektra as a character, and it makes what it accomplishes all the more valuable. I recently heard an artist say – facetiously – that they hate James Harren for how amazing his work is, and part of me wonders what the art community’s thoughts on Del Mundo are. I have to imagine they’re red with envy, and it’s easy to see why given the work he brings in month in, month out.

Continued below

Hip Hop Family Tree Two-in-One (FCBD)
Art by Ed Piskor

Every little thing about this cover is magic. Piskor doesn’t just work a motley crew of hip hop’s royalty into this piece, he does it in such a way that emulates old Marvel 25th Anniversary covers, further tethering the connection between comics and hip hop. Then, with elements like “187” being the cover price and “FREE” being written across it in black marker, this thing goes to the next level. This comic is amazing – both the Two-in-One and Hip Hop Family Tree as a whole – and this cover does its job as something that perfectly captures the spirit and identity of the book it covers. Given that this was a Free Comic Book Day cover, I have to imagine it did its job of bringing in new readers – including this one.

MIND MGMT #22
Art by Matt Kindt

What you might not know about MIND MGMT and Matt Kindt is at cons, Kindt creates custom dust jackets for a few lucky folks. Having purchased one for Multiversity’s MIND MGMT scholar Drew Bradley at ECCC, I learned about those, and that Kindt uses paper bags to create these beauties. This cover has that same feel, with a paper bag like look being where the piece was created, with watercolors around the central image to help accentuate. It’s a beautiful, simple piece that really feels like nothing else you’ll see on a comic stand on Wednesdays, and I love everything about it, from the title dress to the very clean “Dark Horse Originals” icon. This doesn’t feel like a comic cover, and I am wild about that idea. Matt Kindt is a damnable genius (I say now that I’ve read the first hardcover of the book and am now head over heels about it).

Miles Morales: The Ultimate Spider-Man #1
Art by Dave Marquez

Spider-Man as a character is one that is known for very iconic imagery, and for the launch of this new series, Dave Marquez – series and cover artist for this book – went that direction on this cover. It worked quite well, as it’s just a simple, powerful image that really does say “ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN” when you look at it. Marquez’s greatest skill, in my book, is his character work, and the power and thoughtfulness of Miles’ pose on this cover says a thousand words about it, and for a #1, this cover really works its magic on me.

Nightcrawler #2
Art by Jamie McKelvie

There’s just something disco superstar about this cover, isn’t there? It might be because when I think McKelvie, music starts playing in my head, but this cover feels like Kurt Wagner has taken his show to broadway, and there are huge pink lights behind him as he performs. It’s an amazing cover, and one that excels because of its simplicity, which is worth underlining. McKelvie is someone who succeeds because he never tries to do too much, in an era where sometimes all readers want is “detail” in their work. Rather than trying to push this piece to be something that wouldn’t represent the character or McKelvie’s work, Jamie kept it simple and the piece works all the better for it.

Revival #20
Art by Jenny Frison

The cover of the month. Flat out. Jenny Frison is on the short list of best cover artists in comics today, and this is just a joyous, hilarious piece that makes me want to buy multiple copies so I can frame one and smile whenever I see it. I feel like explaining this piece might almost be missing the point – look at that thing. It’s just fun, it’s beautiful work, and it stands out completely from the books that surround it. Bask in the glory that is Jenny Frison, my friends.

Saga #19
Art by Fiona Staples

It’s fitting that alphabetically this cover is last, as it really works in a lot of elements from the other covers on the list. Fiona Staples is a brilliant artist, pairing the character work of Capullo or Marquez with the pop sensibilities of McKelvie, the virtuoso talents of Del Mundo with the effortless joy of Jenny Frison. She gets lauded on a near constant basis these days, and it is all completely deserved. Fiona Staples is one of the absolute best artists in comics, and this piece that depicts Alana’s career as a performer shows why completely.


//TAGS | Multiversity's Got You Covered

David Harper

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