Another week, another list of top notch comic covers from the best in the business. Who made it? Who didn’t? You can find out those answer below.
5. Angel & Faith #15
Art by Steve Morris
I really dig this cover for a number of reasons. I love the coloration difference between the foreground and background. It’s a nice blend, and it makes both parts feel more individualized yet somehow still cohesive. Then, I love the individual elements – the expressions that Buffy and Angel have in the background, and basically everything that is going on with the gentleman in the foreground. I love the title design. Basically, all of the elements are fantastic.
It just doesn’t mean much to me. I think if it did, it would finish higher on the list. Instead, it takes the #5 spot and puts Steve Morris on my “to watch” list.
4. Fatale #9
Art by Sean Phillips
Man, how great are the covers to Fatale? For one, the consistent elements between every cover – the white box that surrounds it and the very tall FATALE with the issue number directly below it – connect every issue of the book in an easy to digest sort of way. Then, you have Sean Phillips just doing what he does: expertly pairing a femme fatale with a man (Elvis?) who has no idea what he’s getting himself into, as the shadows in the background reveal the danger far more than she herself does. On top of that, keeping the character models to variations on white and black to make her jacket and the background pop all the more? That’s just exceptional design work, and something that makes it stand out all the more. Another stand out cover by one of the best.
3. Ghosts #1
Art by Dave Johnson
How great is this cover for something that came out on Halloween? I want to highlight this for one specific thing that Dave Johnson does better than pretty much anyone on covers: using only one color in his work to make the cover itself pop all the more. Everything is black and white save for the blood spilling out of the victim’s face and the windows in the background, and it makes the cover creepier and stand out all the more. Throw in a blend of highly intricate work (the walls) and simple, silhouetted choices like the assailant up the stairs, and you have another cover from Johnson that keeps him established as one of the absolute best, if not the best.
2. Haunt #27
Art by Nathan Fox
I’m a big fan of basketball, and a player I’ve really enjoyed watching is Rajon Rondo, the Boston Celtics point guard who often seems like he’s from another planet. They like to say about his passing that he sees things on the court that no one else does. When he’s playing, there are things available to him that aren’t there for anyone else. That’s kind of how I feel about Fox. When you see his work sometimes, you’re spellbound by the ideas he brings to life on a page. To me, this cover is a piece I couldn’t imagine any other artist in comics creating. It’s a purely Fox creation, with bursts of bold colors and apocalyptic visions making this an irresistible piece when you’re walking the racks.
1. American Vampire #32
Art by Rafael Albuquerque
God. This is so simple but so damn effective. Pure black with basic titling up against the background, as well as the image of an open book with red pages spilling out of it. Nothing flashy, but it’s deadly. Really, this is a case where a picture really is worth a thousand words, and it’s undeniable to me that this is the best cover of the week. I’m sure you’ll agree if you just take a second to look at it too.
Update: This was not the final cover they went with for the book. That said, as Rafael Albuquerque said on Twitter, “Thanks guys. Its a non final cover, but I also like it more than the final one.”
