They say you can’t judge a book by it’s cover. While that might be true for prose, it’s not entirely true for comic books. Comic books are a visual medium and more times than not, it’s the art that draws you in. With so many comic books coming out these days, a cover that stands out from everything else on a wall of new releases can determine how well it sells. I know that I’ve picked up new titles solely based on the cover.
It is with that in mind that we bring you Face Value, a column where we will be looking at the best covers in comics, both new and old, every two weeks. For this edition, I wanted to cover all of the December holidays fairly but this proved to be really difficult as there really isn’t much holiday representation outside of Christmas. There are interior pages but not covers. So to be fair, I retooled this month’s theme a bit and for this month’s special edition I’m looking at the spirit of the season. So here you’ll find covers capturing all aspects of the season from Christmas to celebration to the wintry weather.
“Transformers Holiday Special” 2015 by Agnes Garbowska
Look at these baby Transformers having fun in the snow. No way this doesn’t bring a smile to your face. Even though these are robots there is something so youthful about this that reminds me of when I was a kid and didn’t hate the winter.
“Power Man and Iron Fist Annual” #1 by Jamal Campbell
This is a recent cover, in fact it isn’t even out yet, but I really like it. “Power Man and Iron Fist” has been the exact series I wanted it to be and this cover does a great job at actually telling a story instead of just being a nice image. Campbell has been snatching up a lot of work lately and with good reason.
“Batman: The Long Halloween” #3 and #4 by Tim Sale
So I’m cheating a little here and including two covers from the same serious but when I thought about this theme, this was the first series that came to mind. Sale’s covers don’t do a lot but that’s what makes them effective. The New Year’s cover in particular is great minimal work. Usually, comic books go with something far more happier in tone for any holiday covers (even Halloween) but both these covers have this menacing darkness to them that isn’t overtly obvious. It’s great work.
“Star Wars: Return of the Jedi” #28 by Bob Wakelin
I have no idea what is happening in this book but this looks like the awkward holiday gathering I long for in Star Wars lore. What does one give as a gift if Darth Vader is their father in law? Why is Vader half assing his Santa costume? I have so many questions.
“Giant Days Holiday Special” by Lissa Treiman
So yes, no secret, I think “Giant Days” has brilliant covers. I like this one because it not only reflects what actually happens in the story but as someone who hates snow, this is what I feel like during this season. Wind, cold temperatures, all of it is terrible. Treiman is so good at expression and this cover is no different.
“DC Universe Holiday Special” 2009 by Dustin Nguyen
The only thing bad about this cover is the dressing. That font for the title is terrible but Nguyen cover is super adorable and really fun. I like to see superheroes doing “normal” things like this and it feels rare now to see superheroes smiling so much. Even Batman doesn’t look totally miserable.
“Punisher: Silent Night” #1 by Mike Deodato
When I started my search for holiday covers, this was an almost immediate stand out. Punisher is one of the most miserable people (with good reason) so holidays like Christmas, when everyone is full of joy, is like Hell on Earth for him. The expression on his face is the side of the holidays we don’t always like to acknowledge. It can be stressful and a lot to take in so I appreciate the tone set here.
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“Daredevil” #7 by Paolo Rivera
This cover is the same size as any other comic book cover but look how much space is actually is. The scale here is beautiful and there are lots of nice little details that capture the city during a snowstorm. You can make out the string of Christmas lights and if you look closely, you can see Daredvil smiling as he makes a snow angel. His bright red suit is a gorgeous contrast to the black and white city design and even manages to make you hear that quietness that comes over anywhere when snow is coming down like that.
What are some of your favorite holiday and wintry covers? Let me know in the comments below!
