This week’s edition of Got You Covered has a bevy of huge names in the world of comic covers making the cut, while quite a few don’t. Who makes this week’s top five?
You can find out after the jump.
5. Glory #25
Art by Ross Campbell
While I’m not actually reading “Glory,” it’s hard not to say that this isn’t a cover that resonates with me as a reader. With the bright pink leaping off the racks and the way the title is laid out across it, this is a bold, eye-catching effort that is, frankly, quite badass. Top notch work from Campbell, for an issue that earned raves from most everyone it seems.
4. Thief of Thieves #3
Art by Shawn Martinbrough
I really love these Thief of Thieves covers Martinbrough is giving us. The individual image of the new detective character is quite striking, but what I really love is the cascading Redmond’s going across the stage, each with a different piece he’s stealing as his pursuer looks on. It’s not just a powerful image, it’s a metaphor. And I dig the hell out of it.
3. The Unwritten #36
Art by Yuko Shimizu
How great is this? It’s a wonderful cover in so many different ways, especially, as per usual with covers from Yuko, after you read the book itself. The way the Tinker and Mr. Bunn look on to the coming apocalypse, in the fairly stereotypical way that old men are thought to do that (from a park bench), is quite ingenious. Even outside that, it’s just a beautiful cover, with Shimizu’s line work identifying this as one of her pieces far better than a simple signature does for other cover artists. She’s one of the best in the business, it just happened to be a top heavy week in covers.
2. Saga #2
Art by Fiona Staples
Foiled again! What does Fiona Staples have to do to get one of her covers to the number one spot in this column?
Well, first off, I just have to say it’s a shame that she once again bumped up against a tremendous cover from one of the best in the biz. She herself is too, but you’ll hear my thoughts on #1 next. As for this cover? Well, this continues to give me hope that “Saga” will be a book with a legendary run of covers like so many others I’ve loved, as Fiona’s solid color backgrounds and the tremendous title work on it have perfectly meshed against the compositions that beautifully and subtly tell a story right on that front page. Bravura work that, alas, did not come out on top.
1. Northlanders #50
Art by Massimo Carnevale
If it’s possible for someone of his talent level to be underrated, Massimo Carnevale is. He, in many ways, is the artist’s artist. You frequently hear the best in the business speaking in reverential ways about his work, always saying only the most positive things simply because the guy has an uncanny gift. If you don’t believe me, check out his art blog where he brings a litany of famous movie scenes and images to life.
Many were saddened by the end of Brian Wood’s “Northlanders” this week, but for me, the biggest loss will be not seeing Carnevale’s exquisite covers each and every month. This cover is a perfect example of that, as he in one simple image provides a fitting coda for the series, pairing an icon of death for the Viking culture with a fallen helmet (something you’d rarely see unless said Viking has died). It’s a beautifully spare work, deftly combining the negative space of the sky with the powerful image to create a greater whole.
If this was to be the end, Carnevale gave the book a send-off that does the book right in the best ways. For that, he earns the best cover of the week.
