By Molly Jane Kremer and Jarrod Jones. Undercover is our opportunity to lovingly gaze upon gorgeous works from magnificent artists. Each week, we single out the most striking covers that grace comic book stands and gush all over them.
Oh, and do you like free stuff? Well, keep reading! Details below.
Fight Club #4, by David Mack. (Dark Horse Comics)
JJ: Somebody slap that thing under glass, because David Mack’s cover to Fight Club #4 doesn’t belong on your coffee table; it belongs in a museum. (Just call me Dr. Jones.)
Aquaman #43, by Ant Lucia. (DC Comics)
MJ: The Bombshells variants have been immensely improved now that they’ve added some beefcake to the regular selection of cheesecake. The cover to Aquaman #43 might be the best of the bunch, in fact, because it equals the lady-bombshells in both cuteness and, well, exposed skin. Ant Lucia draws his men just as attractive as his ladies. This sailor-pantsed Arthur Curry is primed to totally float your boat.
Justice League: Gods and Monsters #3, by Gene Ha. (DC Comics)
JJ: I’m not going to lie. Everything about the Gods and Monsters DCU terrifies me. It’s monstrous, angry, and oftentimes, completely unpredictable. But this cover to G&M #3 — gorgeously concocted by The Nicest Guy In Comics, Mr. Gene Ha — is enough to lure me in for another month of weirdo nonsense and peculiar Timmian sensuality. So thanks a lot, Gene.
New MGMT #1, by Geoff Darrow. (Dark Horse Comics)
MJ: Mind MGMT may have just come to an end, but this one-shot fitfully concludes Matt Kindt’s monumental series. Geoff Darrow’s variant cover slightly mimics Kindt’s style – the watercolors and muted tones are a fitting and pretty touch – but the brightly colored and highly detailed spray of bloody randomness, flying from a well-placed punch to the jaw, is as Darrow-esque as can be.
Grindhouse: Drive In, Bleed Out #8, by Milo Manara. (Dark Horse Comics)
JJ: No, I haven’t gone simple. Milo Manara may be persona non grata in some comic book circles, but really, shouldn’t it be certain dippy comics editors who get most of that Spider-Gaffe acrimony? Manara only does what he must, which is dutifully painting sensual and inarguably compelling images that stir strange feelings inside the viewer–for good or ill. Just look at this thing. There is certainly a place for naughty fun in the comic book world; all it needs is an appropriate venue.
Rumble #6, by Lee Bermejo. (Image Comics)
MJ: I always think of Rumble as being a viscerally thrilling comic, and Lee Bermejo’s variant cover for the sixth issue makes that a graphic reality. Bermejo’s typically gorgeous use of reflective light and chiaroscuro are displayed, with Scarecrow/Golem Rathraq front and center, draped in shadow and standing in a shining puddle of blood. He wields his enormous blade, while behind him an even more enormous creature has been cleaved in two, exposing (extremely well-rendered) brains, bones, and—you guessed it: viscera.
What are the covers that float your boat this week? We want to know! Tell us about them in the comments below, and the best response gets a DoomRocket sticker/button combo sent to their door. Get to it!
