Ryan L's Cover of the Week - Peter Parker #4 by Brandon McCarthy
Ryan L.: This one was easily the most eye catching cover for me this week. It's got a great colour scheme that just pops and the thought of Parker just chilling out at the beach is a nice image. I like to think he's draining salt water out of that suit because he still swims in it, imagine the clinging, dear lord. I haven't tried Bob Gale's run but I hope it's going well, a shame he isn't in the Amazing Spider-trust anymore but great to see his ideas and stories get a run over here.
Kirk: Bat-Pirate? Cover of the Week for all weeks. Again, I also love how the trade dress forms the distinctive bat symbol. With art this good, they shouldn't be obscuring it with gaudy trade dress designs like other covers.
Kirk's Cover of the Week - Batman: Return of Bruce Wayne #3 by Andy Kubert
Matt's Cover of the Week - Justice League: Generation Lost #4 by Tony Harris & J.D. Mettler
Runners-Up: American Vampire #4, Avengers #2 (Variant), & Secret Warriors #17
Matt: I don't know if I've mentioned before, but I have an unhealthy love with covers that have Communist-propaganda-posters style. LOVE THEM. I think every comic would be better if they had one. I don't even know who those characters are supposed to be in this Justice League: Generation Lost cover, but I love it nonetheless.
Runners-Up: American Vampire #4, Avengers #2 (Variant), & Secret Warriors #17
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11 comments:
I believe that's a new design for the Rocket Reds.
I don't think Peter is on a beach. More like he's on top of a building, wishing he was at the beach.
@Rawnzilla - I like to think he's made a little beach on a rooftop, he got the water from the water tower behind him and he just defeated Sandman. If he builds it, they will come. Force of will style relaxation.
I'm not gonna lie, Secret Warriors lost my love of its covers this week. The previous cover style had been so captivating, but now it's just another generic cover with a Heroic Age banner.
Anyway, I'm with Matt, the JL:GL cover is great, as are most commmunist propaganda style covers
I usually agree with your COTW choices and love reading your analysis of the art, but I can't find anything noteworthy in the Harris cover. The text is inverted (maybe I'm missing something here), the art appears photo-shopped, and the gear design is obviously borrowed from Ex Machina. Based on your description, it almost seems Harris took an early sketch of "The Great Machine" added a star, and put the JLA stamp on it.
I didn't choose the cover, but I think the text was inverted to make it look cryllic, but still be readable for English audiences.
As for the gear design, it's a basic gear. Ex Machina's are actually more rectangular in their notches than the Harris one, which are angled notches. The gears are definitely different in shape, but all gears look like that. It would be like saying its stolen from Gears of War or any other gear-based design.
Regarding why the gears were used, Ive heard of Russia referred to as the big red machine or red machine or other similar descriptiosn before. The characters are all wearing robotic armour as well, making the gear symbol more relevant.
And the star is on the Russian flag above the hammer and sickle (well, the old flags) and is typically used in Russian imagery from Cold War era.
To me, it looks like Matt described it - an old propaganda poster, but with some comic characters. I can understand if you dislike that type of image or this cover in particular though.
That 'The Heroic Age' banner has ruined so many good covers so far in the past few months.
Has the Secret Warriors ditched the usual Black and White(kinda) theme for their covers now?
@Wez - Seems that way. I liked the Civil War-styled layout they were using. Might be just for this arc or maybe the artist is complaining about his art being covered/scrunched up.
@Rick: My love for communist posters is irrational. Can't explain it. That being said, I wouldn't say this is Harris best cover.
Also, I have to agree about the Heroic Age banner. It's not bad in of itself, but it looks like an eyesore depending on the cover. The Secret Avengers one comes to mind, which looked completely off in my mind.
I want the Heroic Age banner to trip and fall into a pit of syphilitic glass and then get an electric eel thrown on top of it so it thrashes uncontrollably in the glass for minutes so that I'll never be able to recognise that banner again.
Too harsh?
I think it's an eye sore and adds nothing to the cover while detracting plenty. At least the Dark Reign banner was kinda neat looking, and it really stood for something. The Heroic Age banner seems to be more for what it doesn't stand for, it doesn't stand for Dark Reign.
Question: Do Marvel actually experience raised sales on titles that carry a banner anymore?
@Kirk: I hope its just a Heroic Age variant. It would be a shame for the series to lose their cover style. I quite liked how it caught my attention on the shelf and I instantly knew that my new Secret Warriors was out.
@Ryan: If anything that is not harsh enough. I do agree the banners are an eyesore but they are pale in comparison to some of the variant covers with the re-used pedestal for each character.
Allow me to present exhibit A.
http://theheroicage.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/The-Heroic-Age-Amazing-SpiderMan-633-VC.jpg
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