Thursday, January 26, 2017
Judging DCs August Books By Their Covers
Judging DCs August Books By Their Covers
DCs August Solicitations are up, so now is as good a time as any for us to make prejudgements based just on the covers (as we all love to make prejudgements, dont we? And DCs covers are at least detailed enough that we CAN make prejudgements based on them!).
Lets begin!
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Jock is incapable of drawing a bad cover.
This comes pretty close, though.
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I LIKE the idea of giving Son of the Demon a new printing.
I DONT like the idea of having Andy Kubert draw a bland cover for the new printing.
What, Jerry Bingham doesnt have a website where you could easily reach him?
Wait?
Whats that?
Jerry Bingham HAS a website where you could easily reach him?
Said website is even CALLED jerrybingham.com?!!?
Funny that.
(Dont mind me, as Im totally full of crap, as my big problem with the cover is not not asking Jerry Bingham, so much as not asking Jerry Bingham in favor of using such a bland cover - this was Quitely? You wouldnt hear a peep from me)
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Dammit...Andy Kubert even managed to foul up an image as awesome as a whole pile of ninga bats fighting Batman.
Imagine if Kubert drew We3.
No, dont imagine that!!
Too horrific.
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I love me some Simone Bianchi.
However...
A. At some point, too much detail is kinda creepy
and
B. Batman looks waaaaaay too smooth there.
What is he, made out of porcelin?!
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Wait, HUSH is in Man-Bat, TOO?!?!
Where do I sign up?!!?
Cool Huddleston cover, though.
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Adam Hughes seems like he rushed this cover a bit.
Not on Zatanna, though, just the faces on the wheel.
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Neat Pachecho cover for Superman.
I didnt know the underwear-on-the-outside had the belt loops on it - looks kinda funny, no?
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That is officially the creepiest cape drawing ever.
We see her asscrack THROUGH THE CAPE!!
No WONDER shes crying.
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Good lord, I spoke too soon!
NEW WINNER for creepiest cape drawing!
Thats how you draw, like, Man-Bats wings or something.
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I dont get this drawing.
Unless the All-New Atom has a power staff.
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I love Jerry Ordway.
Im pleased as punch to hear that he has an exclusive contract (RENEWED!) with DC.
But damned if that isnt a bland cover. Nice drawing, but while I get the Silver Age-y feel hes going for there, it just isnt bold enough.
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Another dynamic Duncan Rouleau cover!
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That is a WEIRD Checkmate collage.
And, shouldnt Lee Bermejo, on a Lee Bermejo cover, be responsible for more than, like, 10% of the cover?
Way too much of that cover looked like stock footage, as it were.
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Thats not actually the cover, right?
So I dont know why that was given to us.
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Not a bad Flash cover.
Is that supposed to be the Piper?
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Very nice abstract-y cover for Green Arrow by McDaniel.
Impressive work.
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52 COVERS!
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1 cool point for each cover that also references this famous Hamlet scene!!
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Decent cover, but a bit too generic.
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Man...that is a weird Lobo revamp.
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PATRICK GLEASON COVERS!!
First, an example of how to do an action-packed cover...
Next, an example of how to draw a sputtering action cover without much coherence.
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Well then.
At least Chaykin is equal opportunity with the whole "creepy drawings of peoples naughty bits" thing.
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KID AMAZO!
YAY!
I thought we had lost you forever!!
Not a bad job by Porter on the cover, at all!
Did he originally work on Kid Amazo, or is this the first were seeing from him on the project?
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Not a bad Phil Noto cover.
However, you shouldnt have to be TOLD its a Jonah Hex cover to know that it is a Jonah Hex cover.
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Decent Ed Benes cover.
Splitting the covers up to an A and a B version is smart marketing by DC.
Although, if the split is done down the middle, I think two black heroes will get cut in half.
Such racism from DC.
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Wow.
Thats a pretty sloppy Ion cover from Kalman Andrasofszky.
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NOW I see the Ordway in the cover!
Neat-o JSA Classified covers.
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Isnt it funny how, originally on Manhunter, Jae Lee was the famous artist doing the covers while the less-famous Jesus Saiz did interiors, and now Saiz is the famous artist doing the covers.
Nice touch.
Too bad to see this go. I wonder if the end of her SOLO career means a relaunch, or just her joining a team, like the JLA or Outsiders.
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Pretty cool Justice cover by Alex Ross.
Hawkman kicks ass.
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When your costume redesign is as bad as Al Barrionuevos Martian Manhunter one, choosing a cover like this is smart.
Good move by Barrionuevo.
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That is one wacky-ass The Next cover.
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They have to stop doing covers where sucky Outsider members are threatened!
Because I invariably end up hoping the cover comes true!!
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Karl Kerschl rules, but Im not thrilled by this Secret Six cover.
Not his best work.
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Pretty nifty idea for the Supergirl and the Legion of Superheroes cover by Barry Kitson.
Hes been having quite a few nifty cover ideas lately.
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Ooooh...while he did well on the JLA Classified cover, I think Howard Porter screwed the pooch here.
Thats a pretty nasty Trials of Shazam cover.
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Nice Teen Titans cover IDEA by Tony Daniel.
Execution is a bit off, though.
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If the car symbolizes my interest in OMAC the series...
then this cover works.
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Not the most unbland Shadowpact cover by Steve Scott.
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Pretty interesting Warlord cover from Bart Sears.
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Phew!
When an old man opens his long trenchcoat like that, I have post traumatic stress to that time when...no...never mind that.
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I dont get it.
All-New Wonder Woman?
But, uhmm...how is that NOT the old Wonder Woman?
Am I missing something?
Or are the Dodsons just drawing the new Wonder Woman the same way as the old Wonder Woman?
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VERY interesting Batman Strikes cover from Dave McCaig.
The "reflection in the goggles" thing is an old trick, but reflecting DIFFERENT things, depending on where the goggles are situated?
VERY clever!
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Ty Templeton knows what makes for good covers.
This Justice League Unlimited cover shows.
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Sean Galloway, on the other hand, screws the pooch a bit.
Too bland of a Teen Titans Go cover for such a neat concept.
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TIME TO RACK UP SOME COOL POINTS!
One cool point for every cover (one cool point PER cover, first come, first serve) of a #1 issue that has files of people on the cover like this The Boys #2 issue.
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#1 of The Boys isnt much more original.
Darick Robertsons a great artist, though.
Oh, Garth Ennis? "Out-Preacher Preacher?"
What does that even MEAN?!?
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Nice Georges Jeanty drawing for The American Way.
Put fairly bland for a cover.
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NEWSPAPER COVERS!
First, a GREAT one (Honorable Mention for Top 5) from Dave Gibbons for Action Comics.
High-larious cover.
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Next, a fairly bland one from Tony Harris for Ex Machina.
Just HAVING a newspaper cover isnt enough of an idea!
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Thats a pretty neat Gen13 cover from J. Scott Campbell.
That book was fun once, wasnt it?
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Glenn Fabry sure can draw animals!
Nice Kev cover.
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This Nick Bradshaw cover for Rokkin is a bit too busy for my tastes.
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Dustin Nguyen does a nice job of making this Manifest Eternity cover look appealing.
I hope Scott Lobdell gives him a nice story to draw.
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I love John Paul-Leons work.
I might be being too hard on this cover because Winter Men is just frustrating me, but anyway, this cover seemed boring.
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JAMES JEAN COVERS!
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Two good covers, with excellent drawings. Neither seem grand enough to be GREAT covers, though. Still, good work.
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Garry Leach can draw the hell out of fighter planes!
As you can see on this Battler Britton cover.
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I like John Watkiss.
This Deadman cover is pretty intriguing. Good layout.
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Haha!
Nice Joshua Middleton cover for American Virgin.
Very clever.
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This Chaykin cover for Bite Club reminds me of how experienced Chaykin is.
HE knows what will and will not work as a cover. Impressive.
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Very nice Brian Wood cover for DMZ.
I like the tagline idea - nice touch.
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Im not feeling this Liam Sharp cover for Testament.
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Great Massimo Carnevale cover for Y The Last Man.
VERY dynamic.
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Man.
Claw?
Seriously?
WHY CLAW?!?!
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HONORABLE MENTIONS!!
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GREAT Creeper drawing by Justiano.
Just well done.
Not exactly a great cover, though.
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Jock covers rule!
Rush City sounds cool!
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Very nice Niko Henrichon cover for Pride of Baghdad.
VERY inviting cover.
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There is a reason Dave Johnson is a cover king.
Its because he has too much work outside of comics, so he can only do covers.
The OTHER reason, though, is that he has an amazing design sense (hence the loads of work outside of comics).
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Marcelo Frusins covers have been a continual high point of Loveless.
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Excellent Lee Bermejo drawing for Hellblazer.
If it werent for the fact that this cover could fit on almost ANY issue of Hellblazer, Id have it in the top five.
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TOP FIVE COVERS!!
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5. Just a striking Legends of the Dark Knight cover by Ariel Olivetti.
Its like the poster for a kickass Batman movie.
Awesome job.
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4. I know the idea of a bunch of "back from the dead" heroes trying to ressurect Sue Dibney is both creepy AND dorky.
But damned if JG Jones doesnt make it look pretty damn cool on this 52 cover.
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3. Matt Wagner takes his turn at drawing an awesome poster for a Batman movie.
He does an even better job than Olivetti on this Batman and the Mad Monk cover.
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2. I MAY have this cover so high because its the last issue of Solo.
Or Brendan McCarthy might be THAT awesome.
You decide!
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1. What a GREAT visual for 52 by JG Jones!
He HAS to be homaging this image! 5 cool points to the person who can find a drawing/photo that inspired this cover.
If there ISNT...then, well, damned fine work by JG Jones.
Especially the way he work so many ensemble members into the cover of an ensemble work.
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Okay, thats it for me, folks!
Feel free to share YOUR prejudices (and YOUR top five)!!
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