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Burrpee’s Got DCnU Covered!

By | June 19th, 2011
Posted in Columns | % Comments


In keeping with the DCnU motif of the week here at Multiviersity, I will not be looking at the best covers of the week but instead I will be looking at the best and worst of the DCnU preview images. These preview images, like covers on the racks, are the first line of offense in trying to convince readers to drop some hard earned green on their product. In the case of these preview images not only are they trying to sell the new books they are also trying to sell us on a whole new direction for the company itself. On top of that they are also meant to entice those who normally wouldn’t buy a comic.

With that in mind these images are particularly important for DC. So it’s interesting to look at what we’ve got from DC as an opening salvo. Some were excellent and others were just plain bad.

Hit that jump to take a peek at my thoughts on these images for better or worse…

Ok, so let’s look at the ones that just didn’t work first. This way we can wash the chemical burn from our eyes with some refreshing and non-toxic covers. So here are my least favorites of the DCnU preview images.

No Es Bueno:

4. Mister Terrific #1
by J.G. Jones

Why It’s Bad: Ok, so the outfit here doesn’t work for me. The other thing that bothers me with this image is the red junk around the mouth. It just doesn’t work for me in the slightest. I feel that the incredibly busy background only helps to point out how dull Mister Terrific’s new duds are. The perception of the T-Spheres coming toward the reader is neat but not enough to save the image.

Will it attract people who don’t read comics normally?: I doubt it. They may think it’s a cover that stands out but I don’t know why this cover would make anyone think they had to have the book.

3. The Savage Hawkman #1
by Philip Tan

Why It’s Bad: Where do I being with this one? I love me some Hawkman. This is well documented. One of my New Years wishes in an article we did here was to get a new Hawkman book; this cover convinces me that this was a wasted wish. I typically love Philip Tan as well but the design for the new Hawkman outfit is just so over the top 90’s Image that I can’t take it seriously. I know the outfit may not have been his design necessarily but he is going to have to draw it on a regular basis and this is not a god sign for that.

Combine this with the white background and not only is the costume bad but the image is boring as shit. He’s frozen in the white space. How exciting! Wait, no it isn’t. This cover should have had Hawkman knocking the fucking taste out of some poor sods mouth. This should have been savage, if you will. Instead it is not even salvageable.

Will it attract people who don’t read comics normally?: Not likely. I don’t think people will be able to make heads or wings of what the hell this is supposed to be or why they should care. It has no pizzazz, if you will.

2. Birds of Prey #1
by Jesus Saiz

Why It’s Bad: When I first saw this cover I couldn’t help but think, “Really? This is what you came up with for the look of DC’s premier team of female asskickers. This is the best you could do?”. The costumes are dull and this is just simple inaction. These women look neither powerful nor beautiful. They just look like they got stuck in a tree and are having a degree of difficulty getting out. Ivy and Canary’s new looks stand out as some of the worst redsigns to come from the DCnU in my opinion. Both characters before were powerful in that they were beautiful women who used their looks to sucker you into thinking they were another pretty face, then WHAM! They’re knocking your Chiclets down your throat. Not anymore. They look flat out generic. They’re like Sams Choice soda from Wal-Mart. They look vaguely similar and taste the same as something else but they lack the real uniqueness that sells the brand name version.

Continued below

Will it attract people who don’t read comics normally?: What is there here to attract people to? Hey reader! Yeah you! Do you like women who are aesthetically dull and are stuck in a tree for some reason? You do?! Great, I’ve got a title to sell to you!

Not thinking that’s going to work on many potential buyers. Maybe they are environmentalists now. Maybe that’s why the tree sitting is going down. Maybe that’s the audience they are aiming for. Not sure though.

1. Suicide Squad #1
by Ryan Benjamin

Why It’s Bad: This cover is what would happen if Greg Land went through a depression and drew his characters as such. I mean two of the three characters are smiling but they are evil as hell looking.

What the hell happened to Harley here? She looks about as trashy as possible. This is by and far the worst character redesign to come out of the DCnU. Toss in the other two characters and their change of species, in one case, and just weak in the other and you have one really terrible cover.

Will it attract people who don’t read comics normally?: Who will it attract? It might attract some people but this book won’t be purchased by a lot of women I’d guess. It also won’t be purchased for small children by their parents. I am absolutely unsure of who this title is geared toward. This is one book that I’d be willing to bet will be on cancellation row sooner than most.

Also, as an aside in this category of attracting new readers I showed all of these images to my wife and asked which should be least interested in and most interested in and this was by far her least favorite. She actually laughed when it came up because it was so bad. I’m guessing this might be a regular occurrence.

Now let’s get to the good stuff shall we? These are the best of the bunch in my opinion. Let’s break it down.

Muy Bueno:

5. Deathstroke #1
by Simon Bisley

Why It’s Good: It stands out for one thing. It is a redesign I actually kind of dig as well. I think it’s got the ability to make you at least look at it for a bit. If you’re trying to sell someone on a series then you want them to look at the image for awhile. Burn that image into their brain. Will it burn into your brain? Maybe not. It will catch your attention though.

Will it attract people who don’t read comics normally?: Well if my wife is any indication then no. Having said that I am not sure my wife is the target audience for the book either. I think though if you were to put this near some fantasy books there’d be some people who’d pick it up and possibly take it home.

4. Red Hood and the Outlaws #1
by Kenneth Rocafort

Why It’s Good: Rocafort is awesome. The guy has a unique look and instantly draws eyes. If he is on a book I am more likely to thumb through it and possibly buy it. I like the three characters and I like Rocafort. So this book is probably coming home with me. I’ll thumb through and make a choice at the time.

Will it attract people who don’t read comics normally?: My wife loved the cover. It was one of the few she really was drawn too. No pun intended. As you can tell my wife was the lab rat for these. She was a great sport. While she loved the cover she said she probably wouldn’t buy it.

3. Justice League #1
Continued below

by Jim Lee

Why It’s Good: It’s Jim Lee. I love Jim Lee and will buy whatever he does. Growing up my X-Men was the Lee design era. I am excited to see him tackle the JLA and really stoked that Geoff John is writing. I dig the younger looks and the new costumes. I think it was the perfect image to present to initiate the wave of change. It gave people something beautiful to look about and dissect.

Will it attract people who don’t read comics normally?: I think Jim Lee is a safe bet to attract people. He’s got a nice accessible style that clearly has selling power. I know when I started reading X-Men comics Jim Lee was all over them and it drew my ass in. I’m betting he still has the power to bring in readers.

2. Green Lantern: New Guardians #1
by Tyler Kirkham and BATT

Why It’s Good: This is a cool cover because it doesn’t show a lot. It allows readers to really keep guessing. I’m excited for this book and I’m excited to see why the characters are blocked out. Some appear to be easy to guess but others will hopefully be fun reveals.

Will it attract people who don’t read comics normally?: Not sure that it will. People won’t know what is going on or why they should care. That doesn’t really help. I think they’ll reveal the characters as we get closer but for now it isn’t really new reader friendly.

1. Animal Man #1

by Travel Foreman

Why It’s Good: This cover has a lot going for it. At first glance it elicits a total what the fuck is going on moment. Then upon further examination you realize there is something cool going on in the way Foreman has stylized Animal Man’s powers and the way he draws upon them. It’s an instantly engaging cover.

The yellow background is an excellent choice because it makes all the other colors just pop. This is especially true for the red found in the veins/roots that he is drawing upon.

Will it attract people who don’t read comics normally?: I truly believe it will. I honestly wasn’t sold on the book entirely. Then I read the solicitation and I was more so on board. What actually sold me on the book was my wifes enthusiasm over the book. This was the one book of all the relaunched titles that she was genuinely jazzed for. This is a comic she has said she will buy herself. This image actually got her asking who is involved in the title and if I had any of there stuff. I gave her Essex County and now she is working on Sweet Tooth. While the cover isn’t by Lemire it did enough to draw her in to comics, which she hasn’t really touched in a year or so.

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Well, there you have it. The best and the worst that DCnU and their marketing matching have to offer. I am very interested to see if I’m right about these images and whether the books sell well or terribly depending on the group I put them in. Maybe I will be wrong and the #1 selling book will be Suicide Squad.

What do you fanpeeps think? Am I right with my selections or am I way off base? Hit the comments selection below to make yourself heard.


//TAGS | Multiversity's Got You Covered

Brandon Burpee

Burpee loves Superheroes, Alaskan IPA, 90's X-Men and is often one more beer away from a quotable.

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