There is a veritable cornucopia of new comics hitting stands each week. While readers often know exactly what it is they’re most interested in (those in the know have got their pull-list sitting in their comic shop’s ever-reliable hands), there is something to be said about going against that old truism and Judging a Book by Its Cover.
Some truly astounding cover art hits each and every week, and these are the ones that caught Colin’s eye the week of April 23rd, 2025.
Absolute Martian Manhunter #2
Variant by Tom Fowler
Without tapping directly into the sort of colorful, swirling chaos that artist Javier Rodriguez is bringing to Absolute Martian Manhunter, Tom Fowler latches perfectly onto the concept of the book, which uses smokey auras as a sort of shorthand for the Manhunter (and his human host [?], Jones’) telepathy. While I’m sure filling each of those auras with fun little objects and ideas was great, it is our central pair’s expressiveness that is the most engaging aspect of Fowler’s image: a couple, divided in their attentions.
Amazing Spider-Man #2
Variant by Paolo Rivera
Paolo Rivera’s images sometimes have the feel of being somehow definitive, as if he somehow synthesizes the hundreds of takes on a character and costume and then produces the perfect distillation. This Spidey captures all the high points: the dynamic pose, the Ditko-esque hand gestures, the wavy Spider-Sense bolts. He even creates a brilliant stylistic abstraction with the impact bursts from Spidey’s wall-crawl landing, making the energy webbed.
Batman #159
Variant by Michael Cho
Another example of an artist capable of making definitive design choices, Cho captures Batman here in a way that blends eras and aesthetics. There’s even a bit of the satin costume from the Batman television series in the way the fabric is inked, suggesting shine. I love how sparingly he’s shaped Gotham in the bottom background: simple lines and negative space to indicate the vague idea of a city.
Black Hammer: Spiral City #5
Variant by Tyler Crook
I love Tyler Crook’s whole moody deal. Images like this Black Hammer: Spiral City cover make me want to dive myself right back into his lush and grim worlds of Harrow County or The Lonesome Hunters. Whether it’s a variant cover like this or a stray Beasts of Burden story, all his work urges you to find more.
GI Joe #6
Variants by Daniel Warren Johnson and Lorenzo De Felici
I have never had a working knowledge of which Transformers are which (aside from the Big Deal Major Characters™), so forgive me if I don’t immediately clock this amazingly rad Daniel Warren Johnson Autobot Jeep (I’m assuming it’s Hound, but if I’m wrong I’d appreciate it if no one firebombs my house). Regardless, this cover nails the feeling a person might have when confronted with a massive robot. He absolutely towers here, looming in the dark. It’s moody, creepy, and rad.
. . . and speaking of rad, this Lorenzo De Felici Commander is incredibly cool. Writhing head of snakes aside, Cobra Commander’s look is iconic here — his shining faceplate, his visually striking lapels. This is a powerhouse image, the sort of illustration that could become synonymous with the character if not the franchise.
Superman #25
Variant by Dan Hipp
Dan Hipp is a favorite around the spotless, austere AIPT Offices (we like to call the place The Hall of Justice, but rarely do so in print because we fear legal reprisal). It seems like we spent months passing around new Marvel Snap card art — but only Dan Hipp‘s card art. All the other (brilliant) artists on that game, deserving of their own admiration and praise, came in behind the goofy, off-the-wall, and frankly spot-on Hipp. So much of his work finds something iconic to latch on to, and then he dials that small concept up to its cartoonish ten.
Superman: The Last Days of Lex Luthor #3
Variant by Chris Samnee
A nice portrait of Metropolis’ classic First Responder squad, Superman and the two people who inexplicably end up at every disaster area before anyone else in the city: Lois and Jimmy. Twisted, smoldering rubble be damned, these two will be right in the middle of everything. As always, Samnee hammers home the neo-classic version of the characters: this is how these characters reside in our minds, now; Samnee just went ahead and fished them out for us.
Colin shares his favorite covers from this week’s new comics. Read More