This week brings the long awaited return of our cover analysis column – Multiversity’s Got You Covered. You can expect this column every Friday on the dot, and I’ll be breaking down the top five comic covers of each week, while providing a monthly breakdown as well as a running ranking for cover artist of the year.
For now, the week starts with one hell of a list of covers from some stellar artist. Check it out below.
Art by Joao Ruas
Is there anyone who does creepy as well as Ruas? Look at this cover. I love the way Ruas depicts Therese’s sunken, lifeless face with the harsh, evil colors, and then weaves in the very simple, almost chalk line drawings of the toys around the edges. It really gets to the root of the evil of what has been going on in this arc so far, and it continues to showcase the skill set that Ruas has proven to have throughout his run on this book.
Art by Jenny Frison
Frison’s art really stands out for the tremendously clean lines and the dark tones she creates with them, and this is a perfect example of that. Look at that face on Ghost and the background itself. There’s a real sense of the macabre present, and when combined with the ethereal beauty of Ghost’s figure, there is a palpable juxtaposition that really makes this cover pop off the racks. Stellar work, and I can’t wait to see more of her cover art.
Art by Paolo Rivera
Daredevil is a book of absolutely incredible visuals, with names like Marcos Martin and Chris Samnee providing truly stellar work throughout. That said, arguably the best artistic contributor to the book has been Rivera, the artist of this cover. Look at that thing. How gorgeous is that? The pure black background, the “how have I never seen this before?” design and the way it is all brought to life…it’s all remarkably elegant and completely gorgeous work. Rivera is off the book now, but damn if it isn’t a shame. I personally can’t wait to hear what he’s up to next. I can only imagine it will be tremendous as well.
Art by Yuko Shimizu
What more can I say about Yuko? Every issue of The Unwritten is guaranteed to have a cover that matches the quality of anything else on the racks, and she’s been doing it for 41 issues. This cover, which depicts our favorite vampire journalist Savoy, is another superb example of the storytelling and powerful design eye Shimizu brings to the table. It’s a visually arresting piece, and one that I’d almost assuredly have more to say about if I had had the chance to read the issue itself as of yet.
Art by Tonci Zonjic
It takes a lot to knock names like Shimizu and Rivera off the top of my list, but you know what, Tonci Zonjic deserves it. Not only did he knock this issue of Lobster Johnson’s interiors out of the park, but this cover is absolutely superb as well. I love the ethereal quality Zonjic displays LoJo in, as he looms over the city that he protects. It’s a powerful story unto itself, as Johnson is the apparition like defender of the city. Combine that with the muted blue and gray palette that really stands out on the stands, and you have one brilliant cover and the clubhouse leader for cover of the month.
