The Strange Case of Mr. Hyde #1 by M.S. Corley & Jim Campbell
Instantly my eyes wrap themselves around every curve and contour, as if trying to solve a non-existent maze. I love the multiple beakers intertwining with the smoky concoction Mr. Hyde holds in his hands. The earthy tones do a wonderful job of giving this cover that classic old-timey feel, and from what we do know from old-timey horror movies, drinking whatever potion you yourself brewed is always a good idea. M.S. Corley really knocked this cover out of the park, and I can totally see this as a poster in a punk-rock scientists bedroom.
Venom #2 by Tony Moore & John Rauch after Todd McFarlane
A very fitting homage to McFarlane first of all, and secondly, how much of a badass does Flash look like in this pose?! Swinging into action, assault rife firing backwards without a care it seems; all of it really grabs your attention by the balls and yanks you forward to pick this comic off the shelf. And that’s what covers are suppose to do, right? Give you a little taste of the honey, hoping you then want the whole beehive! The details in the web excite me (yet I don’t know why), and the red circle in the background helps highlight all the black and white features on the costume. I’m no expert, but I think it’s awfully careless to just fire an automatic weapon willy-nilly. What if some pigeons were perched on that ‘V’?! Very uncool, Venom. Didn’t you watch Bowling For Columbine?!
American Vampire #14 by Rafael Albuquerque
Rafael Albuquerque is on notice for being too disgustingly talented for his own damn good. The man just oozes creativity and unity from every pore of his body, and transforms a blank piece of paper into a thing of beauty. I’m always a fan of the rising sun in imagery, but this takes it to the next level. So much energy and intensity on this cover, that instantly you’re aware of the situation; it’s taking place in Japan, it’s World War II, and the soldier pointing his gun at you is a vampire. The washes Rafael uses in this cover are beyond stunning, and the colors balance out the image perfectly. Muddled, action-packed, and just plain pretty to look at. This is a poster I want hanging on my wall.
Scalped #48 by Jock
The first thing that comes to my mind when seeing this cover is that old song Kiss of the Spider Woman by Kander & Ebb. Some out of focus individual can be seen in the background, with a simple, yet beautiful imagery of the spiderweb in the foreground. Yet, why is the web incomplete? Is it symbolizing something deeper about unfinished tasks in this issue? Did something break the web? Perhaps I’m reading into too much, but it doesn’t matter; Jock is once again killing it on these covers, proving time and time again he’s like the Wu-Tang Clan; he ain’t nothin’ to fuck with!
Turok: Son of Stone #2 by Raymond Swanland
So while I don’t read this series, that doesn’t take away from me loving these covers. Swanland’s painted style really fits the content well, giving it that needed feeling of intensity conveyed to the reader. Turok is in trouble, and only his girlfriend and his trusty bow are in the way of him becoming velociraptor chow in these next few seconds. Chaos happening on all layers of the image give it that great sense of an epic battle taking place, and only a few will be surviving to tell the tale. Great image, through and through.
Justice League: Generation Lost #24 by Dustin Nguyen
A fitting cover to an explosive ending! Featured; the entire Justice League International team finally going toe-to-toe with Max Lord, the one man they’ve be after for the past 24 issues. This exquisitely done image tells the viewer all that and more. Great use of psychic-rings blasting forth from Max, trying to hold his own against our heroes. Nguyen’s style in particular is just very clean, a bit muddled in all the right places, and just rendered wonderfully. I’m not sure if it’s watercolors or what, but it certainly does delivery justice to this cover. I can see this being the cover to the last trade paperback or hardcover. Either, really.