On this week’s edition of our Best Covers article, I have a slew of good choices to pick from. In fact, unlike last time I was able to make a full list of five.
Let me know what your favorites were, and find out mine after the jump.
5. X-23 #17 with art by Kalman Andrasofszky
Why it makes the list: Is this cover a spectacular illustration? Not really, but it’s solid. Does it effortlessly tie in to the comic? I’m not sure, I didn’t read it. But I can say this: it references the 80’s movie Adventures in Babysitting, and any time you can combine X-23 with Elizabeth Shue films, I am in all the way people.
4. Northlanders #46 with art by Massimo Carnevale
Why it makes the list: This cover makes the list for one simple reason: Massimo Carnevale is one of the best in the business in all forms of art. The guy is just absurdly talented, and even though this isn’t a standout for him, seeing his work is always a joy. Especially when it involves blood and vikings.
3. Blue Estate #7 with art by Viktor Kalvachev
Why it makes the list: I’m not reading Blue Estate, even though I am a big fan of some of the creators that are involved. However, I can say this: this cover pops. When I was looking through the rack trying to figure out which covers should make it, there was something about the composition and design and coloring of this piece that made it stand out greatly in my memory. If for only that reason, Viktor Kalvachev’s cover makes my list this week.
2. Captain America #4 with art by Steve McNiven
Why it makes the list: Steve McNiven is a hell of an artist, and with this cover he created something that entertains greatly (there is just something magical about watching Steve Rogers get dropped to the Earth while chained to a bomb) and is attractive to the eye. The coloring of the background pairs together very well with Cap’s costume, and the look of everything combined makes the cover really stand out when looking through the rack.
1. Venom #9 with art by John Tyler Christopher
Why it makes the list: This is a remarkably simple image, and one that doesn’t really reinvent the wheel. However, in this blacked out shot of the lead’s covered face you get a great feel for the duality that haunts the character at every moment while out on missions. It is a subtle and powerful image, and the bold black background makes the white aspects of the evil side of the character stand out all the more on the page, almost telling readers that it is beginning to exert its dominance. It’s a story in itself, and those are my favorite types of covers.
