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 new column where we will be looking at the best covers in comics, both new and old, every two weeks. For this first edition, we will be looking back at June 2016, before going biweekly in July. In the future, we hope to bring in creators for guest editions, solicit reader suggestions, and more – so let’s get started!
“The October Faction” #17 by Damien Worm
This series has really been chugging along very nicely. It’s sort of like The Addams Family with a Steve Niles twist. Damien Worm’s work has been a gothic masterpiece and I really wish he were getting more attention for it. This cover is striking. It kind of looks at you, calling you to it, which is really what I want from a horror cover. I like the danger this presents but it also has this feeling of loneliness which is a theme in the book itself.
“She Wolf” #1 by Rich Tommaso
Sometimes a cover doesn’t need to do much to get the point across. What is “She Wolf”? It’s a werewolf story. Tommaso goes minimal with his work here but he uses the space well. The elongated wolf at the bottom teases the kind of work you’ll see in the interiors and the color scheme pops. Not a lot of covers can get away with this but this one is just done so well that it stands out against everything else.
“Goldie Vance” #3 by Brittney Williams
Tell me you don’t have a smile on your face after looking at this cover? It’s delightful! Williams’ work is so energetic and with this cover, you really know the kind of thing you’re jumping into when you pick up “Goldie Vance”. You’ve got characters actually having fun and the retro feel and design is perfection.
“House of Penance” #3 by Ian Bertram
Before “House of Penance” I had not seen any of Ian Bertram’s art and I can’t get enough of it now. This cover does something similar to Worm’s cover for “The October Faction”. It looks at you and because of the way the characters are lighted, there’s extra menace that comes through.
“Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers: Pink” #1 by Babs Tarr
There were a lot of covers for this launch but my favorite by far was Babs Tarr’s cover. It really captures the duality of being a Power Ranger. Even better, it captures Kimberly’s personality better than any of the other covers that came out with this title.
“Black Canary” #12 by Annie Wu
Of all the DCYou stuff, this is the book I’ll miss the most. I love what Wu did here with her covers throughout the whole series and this is one of her very best. There’s so much emotion coming through as the series ends. The cover really nails the feeling of a singer on stage soaking in every bit of energy from the crowd.
“Gwenpool” #3 by Stacey Lee
I can’t believe “Gwenpool” made the list but here we are and it’s obviously well deserved. Homage covers can be really hit or miss but this tribute to My Neighbor Totoro is just too amazing to leave off. It almost got me to buy “Gwenpool” despite my complete ambivalence to this character.
“Scarlet Witch” #7 by David Aja
When looking at great cover artists you cannot ever ignore David Aja. He’s one of the absolute best cover artists in comic books right now. This “Scarlet Witch” cover is gorgeous in it’s simplicity. Aja uses red and black in a beautiful way to make shapes without harshly defined line work. It reflects Wanda’s reckless history in a way that isn’t immediately obvious.
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“Jem and the Holograms” #16 by Sophie Campbell
This has been one of my favorite series since it started and the covers have basically perfect since the start. Campbell’s work here is so exciting and she fits in every character without sacrificing their personalities. Everyone is featured here and it not only captures the tone of the series but it tells a story with the bands facing each other.
“Judge Dredd” #7 by Ulises Farinas
I’m not currently reading IDW’s “Judge Dredd” but this cover really stood out to me because of how cool it is. If you look closely, the Judge Dredd helmet is made up of smaller faces. I’m not entirely sure who those faces belong to but it’s that question and the great coloring that makes me curious enough to crack open this issue and find out what’s going on.
What were some of your favorite covers in June? Let me know in the comments below!
