Got You Covered is back, with another look at the best covers of the month. At the end of each month, we’ll be sharing the absolute best (in one writer’s mind) in comic covers for the month. Unlike before, they won’t be ranked, they’ll just be listed alphabetically with explanations as to why each is such a great example in the art of comic covers.
Share your thoughts in the comments about what were the best covers in the month, and thanks for reading.
Chew #42
Art by Rob Guillory
I’m all about the covers that stand out because of design choices or sheer illustrative power, but this cover? This cover makes it because it’s straight up hilarious. That’s not to say Guillory doesn’t wow with his art, but this cover with Tony Chu gleefully enjoying the woods with a ton of cyborg animal friends makes me laugh every time I see it. That, my friends, is a magical gift. Thank you Rob Guillory for your magical gift.
Detective Comics #32
Art by Francis Manapul
While it wouldn’t matter who published this cover, ultimately, it is worth highlighting that DC’s covers usually are about as paint-by-numbers as you can find typically. This cover from Francis Manapul is something you certainly cannot describe like that, but it is outstanding, from its neon palette to the highly interactive titling. That latter aspect, particularly in how the Batman symbol creates the waterline Batman desperately tries to keep above, is one of the coolest aspects of the piece. Other little touches, like the splash of color at the top and the Ben-Day dots at the bottom, help push it to another level as well. Overall, this is an unexpected powerhouse of a cover. I really dig it.
Drumhellar #6
Art by Riley Rossmo
This piece is one that stands out heavily because of the design for me. While the illustration within is powerful as we’ve come to expect from Rossmo, I love the way everything is placed within the Cheshire like cat. It’s a device that could have fallen apart in the wrong hands, but Rossmo’s design eye and effectiveness with the atypical make him the perfect person to conceive and execute something like this. I also love the color palette, which all interact and amplify each other to make it work all the better.
Green Arrow #32
Art by Andrea Sorrentino
We just found out that Sorrentino is leaving this book, and I don’t care who takes over art duties: it will be a downgrade. Sorrentino’s one of the most underrated artists in comics today, and this cover does a lot to show the skills off that help make that true. I love the usage of white space to create the dragon silhouette, and even better is the way he colors and creates the image within. It’s a powerful cover that takes an image within an image that is conceptually like others we’ve seen before, but Sorrentino’s gifts as an artist help make it unlike anything else on the stands. Great piece.
Ms. Marvel #5
Art by Jamie McKelvie
Jamie McKelvie appears frequently in this column, and looking at this, it’s easy to see why. There’s a simple sadness to the piece, as Kamala looks across the city at a distance. There’s an element of mourning to it, but a real transcendent beauty that comes with it. McKelvie’s not someone who’s going to wow you with his intricate details or his convoluted designs, but he does by finding the power in a girl sitting alone having a moment. It’s a piece that puts the human in the superhuman, and it encapsulates a lot of the reasons why it’s hard not to love Kamala.
Saga #20
Art by Fiona Staples and Fonografiks
Sometimes, it’s the design formula that helps a cover make my list. Saga, for example, is a book that from day one knew what it needed to do to make its covers stand out completely. Fonografiks designs around a Fiona Staples image, and a single color exists as the background. It’s completely and utterly simple – a theme this month – but it’s become iconic for Saga that makes it instantly recognizable for readers. The art itself, with Hazel getting next level adorable and Marko bandaging up, is wonderful, but within the formula it becomes unmistakably Saga. That’s a powerful thing for a book to possess.
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Sex Criminals #6
Art by Chip Zdarsky
One of my favorite experiences with a cover is when it works from the start, but then you read the comic and you think, “Oh! Wow! That’s even more amazing now!” In a piece that has very little going on within it – really only three elements and their shadows – it tells a complete story, but in a way that’s certainly not obvious to a reader from the start. By the end, though, that aha! moment soars. Even without that though, this is a wonderfully stark image that stands against the vibrant world we’ve come to expect from this book, and one that fits into the look and feel of the book that Zdarsky has established so far. Tremendous work, as per usual, from Uncle Chip.
She-Hulk #5
Art by Kevin Wada
I have no idea where Kevin Wada came from, but I’m glad he’s here. He’s someone who snuck on me, but has really blown me away with his cover work on “She-Hulk”. This is just a cleverly designed piece, finding Shulkie working through some evidence tied to the story within, but the way it’s delivered tells so much about what is going on. The decision to place the evidence on a mirror so we can get insight into her case and get a good shot of Jennifer herself makes it work all the better, as it’s effective from both a plot and character standpoint. Plus, in true Wada fashion, I dig the dress. That’s a guy who has a key design eye on multiple levels.
The Wicked + the Divine #1
Art by Jamie McKelvie
Welcome again to this month’s breakdown, Mr. McKelvie. This is the cover to his latest creator-owned endeavor with Kieron Gillen, and it finds him teaming up with colorist Matt Wilson to create something iconic in cover form. It’s an image just depicting Luci, aka Lucifer, from the book, but it fits the book so well. Doesn’t it look like the type of image you could expect from a pop star’s latest record? It’s all I can think of, and with the fierce image at its center and Wilson’s flair in the colors, who wouldn’t buy this one without finding out what it has in store first? I know I couldn’t resist, and that’s a cover that does its job well.
Witchfinder: The Mysteries of Unland #1
Art by Julian Totino Tedesco
We’re used to great covers from the Mignolaverse, but I have to admit, Witchfinder as a series is one that I can’t really look back on and remember any standouts from. Enter Julian Totino Tedesco, someone who is often featured on Got You Covered for his gorgeous, thoughtful work. This Edward Grey centric cover is a simple one, but it works so well because of the painterly qualities Tedesco brings to it. Tedesco’s one of the most gifted artists around, and when he does covers, it’s hard for it to go unnoticed. That said, the red bottle? Totally makes me think subliminally that I’m looking at a Coke ad. True story.
