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. In this edition, we’re celebrating “Giant Days” by John Allison, Lissa Treiman, Max Sarin and Whitney Cogar.
“Giant Days” tells the story of Susan, Esther and Daisy, best friends in college going through the ups and downs that come with that. The series has reached its 25th issue and second year in printing which is cause for celebration. “Giant Days” was initially a six issue miniseries but was eventually picked up as a full ongoing and in a landscape where everything seems to start from scratch on a regular basis, a series going this long without a relaunch is special. Lissa Treiman began the series as the interior artist but has moved on to doing only the covers and it is her work that has given “Giant Days” some of the most appealing covers in all of comics right now. Congratulations to “Giant Days” and best wishes on another 25 issues!
Giant Days #16
This is a cover I’ve featured on here before but it still holds up as one of the best as well as teasing the actual dating shenanigans that happen within the issue. Treiman has an excellent sense of humor and it is on display in this cover.
Giant Days #15
Esther is a dramatic goth and in this issue she gets bitten by the acting bug. It’s the most Esther thing to ever happen in a good way and so, Treiman goes Old Hollywood with a goth twist on this cover. It’s easily one of my favorites in the series run and proof that Treiman has range.
Giant Days #23
If you’ve never read “Giant Days,” this is a cover that tells you all you need to know about each characters’ personalities. “Giant Days” is kind of one of those series that you could really jump into blindly and immediately fall in love with it.
Giant Days #21
This is another cover that’s appeared in this column before and like issue #15, this is Treiman showing that she has range. This is a great noir like cover featuring Susan being Susan. I love the way Treiman brings light and shadow through the blinds and the smoke rising to the top is a wonderful added touch.
Giant Days #19
“Giant Days” tells the story of Susan, Esther and Daisy throughout their entire college years so with that comes summer vacation and with that comes music festivals. You stereotypical Coachella goers need not apply because Treiman gives this cover her own spin that again reflects each of the characters’ unique personalities.
Giant Days #6
The early issues of “Giant Days” were focused on individual characters and of that first arc, this is by far my favorite. Esther has such an amazing look and I love seeing all the different things Treiman has done with her on covers. The hot pink background makes this pop in the most perfect way.
Giant Days #10
Babies are weird no matter how cute they are and this cover nails that so perfectly. I actually laughed when I saw this in my pull for the first time.
Giant Days #4
In “Giant Days” #4, Daisy goes on a very trippy experience in the early days of this series and not even this cover comes close to just how wild it really is. This is probably my favorite of Daisy’s solo covers.
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Giant Days #24
This cover is by far the heaviest of the series but Treiman still finds a way to keep the colors feeling light. The interior doesn’t get nearly as grim as this cover leads you to believe but again, it is another testament to Treiman’s range and ability to pull you into a story.
Giant Days #14
It is time for the ladies to move into a house and for that cover Treiman gets creative with a really fun and silly cover.
