COVER SHOOT: Top Five Comic Book Covers for 7/17/13

Cover Shoot

By: Chris “DOC” Bushley

This weekly feature will take a look at the most visually compelling covers on the market today. Whether they be variant editions or standard ones, these are the top 5 covers that stand out amongst the bevy of books that are released each week. They say, “A picture is worth a thousand words,” these covers are worth more than that! No matter the storylines found behind them, these covers draw you to at least check them out, which can be worth exponentially more than just words to the companies that publish them! Enjoy!

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1. Fables #131 (Vertigo/DC): Joao Ruas continually creates some of the best artistic pieces seen in comics today. This piece in particular, grabs the reader with a myriad of techniques that tantalize the eye. From the bold use of color on the “Round Table,” to the simplistic sketches that decorate the background, this one has it all. But, it is the gaunt and burdened faces of King Arthur and his men that truly grab the reader and make them want to learn more.

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2. Superior Carnage #1 (Marvel): Artist extrordinaire, Clayton Crain, makes a stunning rendition of Marvel’s most ravenous psycho — Carnage! No one has made Carnage look more maniacal than Crain! Utilizing the background as dead space makes the crimson spilling forth that much more eerie and the layers upon layers he used to accentuate the sinew and movement of the symbiote, — perfect!

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3. Batman ’66 #1 — SDCC Variant Edition — (DC): Okay, this one is going to be hard to find but that doesn’t make it any less cool! Done by Mattel, this cover pays homage to the camp and innocence of the “60’s television show while making it a unique collectable that fans will be clamoring for! You may not be able to find it at your local shop, or be able to get it cheap, but it’s worth a try to have such a “swingin” book in your collection!

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4. Harbinger Wars #4 — Variant Edition — (Valiant): Juan Doe has been doing his stylized “propaganda” covers for awhile now, but this one will surely stand out above everything else this week. Stark, bold, black and white lines help to off set the violent oranges and reds of the background formulating in a dizzying array of complex shapes and figures. The figurehead of Toyo Harada prominently displayed above all else gives the cover a central, powerful image that commands notice. This one is outstanding!

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5. Thor: God of Thunder #10 (Marvel): Esad Ribic is one of the most soft spoken and underrated artists in comics today. For a man that is so quiet, his covers explode off of the racks! This complex image of Thor battling the God Butcher is exquisite in scope and execution. The painted image conveys so much raw emotion and power that you can practically hear the rage bellowing from Thor’s lips. With stark color contrasts and a dynamic visage, this cover hammers the competition!