Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Art Attack: January 2011's Coolest Covers

It's going to be an interesting period for comic book covers come the first of the new year, as DC will be opting for stark white backgrounds, iconic silhouettes, and logos in place of full titles as part of a special month-long initiative. It's a bold move that's gonna make for some distinct shelf displays, but it's also a true test for artists, as it really tests your chops to make a cover pop without any background bells or whistles. Thus the DC covers I've tagged here I really consider primo accomplishments.

Some other notes...

-A lot of months, it seems like Jim Cheung does very similar things for each of his covers, but he's so good it really doesn't matter--his art is that pretty.

-I haven't read a single issue of the new Azrael series (no offense to the creative team), but it has consistently excellent covers.

-My buddy Ryan "Agent M" Penagos really dug Simone Bianchi's Black Panther cover as did I, even more than we do his usual work, though we can't pinpoint exactly what makes this particular one special.

-I'm with Sean T. Collins: more Steel please.

-Phil Noto is kicking some ass on covers of late.

-Ultimate Thor kicking Ultimate Hulk in the head wins.

AVENGERS: THE CHILDREN'S CRUSADE #4 by Jim CheungAZRAEL #16 by Guillem MarchBATMAN: EUROPA #1 by Jim LeeBLACK PANTHER: THE MAN WITHOUT FEAR #514 by Simone BianchiBRIGHTEST DAY #17 by Ivan ReisBUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #40 by Jo ChenCAPTAIN AMERICA #614 by Marko DjurdjevicDEADPOOL #31 by Dave JohnsonDEADPOOL MAX #4 by Kyle BakerDRIVER SPECIAL #1 by JockTHE FLASH #10 by Francis ManapulHELLBOY: THE SLEEPING AND THE DEAD #1 by Scott HamptonIRON MAN: LEGACY #10 by Juan DoeLOKI #4 by Travel ForemanSCARLET #4 by Alex MaleevSTARMAN/CONGORILLA #1 by Gene HaSTEEL #1 by Alex GarnerSUPERBOY #3 by Phil NotoSUPERMAN/BATMAN #80 by Fiona StaplesTHE ALL-NEW BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #3 by Rick BurchettTHOR: THE MIGHTY AVENGER #8 by Chris SamneeULTIMATE COMICS THOR #4 by Carlos PachecoUNCANNY X-FORCE #4 by Esad RibicWEIRD WORLDS #1 by JustinianoWOLVERINE: THE BEST THERE IS #2 by Bryan Hitch
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3 comments:

  1. Mike BilleterOctober 20, 2010 at 6:16 PM

    In trying to comment about my shared enjoyment of that Black Panther cover, I realized it was tougher to explain than I'd thought it would be. I think, for me, it's the way Bianchi managed to (in a smooth and completely polished way) make the Panther seem broken and beaten yet still ready to put up a fight. In my mind, he's always such a graceful, regal character and, with this cover, I see him more as a kid who got beaten up on the playground, doesn't want to admit it to anyone, and is ready to fight the first person who asks him about it (which, based on his body language, appears to be the person looking at the cover).

    Also, I might end up buying Loki #4 based solely on the cover. Any time cover art looks like it would fit better on a museum wall than a comic book cover, it's tough for me not to buy it. The Loki cover definitely fits that description in my book. It's crazy in all the right ways.

    Thanks for posting these, Mr. Morse. Stay true.

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  2. AnonymousOctober 24, 2010 at 3:50 AM

    You picked the Starman / Congorilla 1 shot over the Wonder Girl one? Why?

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  3. Ben MorseOctober 24, 2010 at 4:24 PM

    Personal preference. I find Gene Ha's work my eye-catching.

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