By 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.
Ninjak #9, by Mitch Gerads. (Valiant)
Sometimes you just need to watch a ninja do some ninja stuff. Mitch Gerads’ uber-slick front to the latest issue of Valiant’s stupendous Ninjak series scratches that itch with brio. (Who’s he taking on here? Sam Fisher? Three Sam Fishers? ‘Scuze, I need to go grab my fanfic journal.)
Men’s Feelings #2, by Ted May. (Alternative Comics)
Full disclosure: I feel despair sometimes. (Wait, you too? Crazy!) And that feeling of staring off into nothingness is perfectly conveyed by Ted May’s brilliant work on the cover to his series, Men’s Feelings. What makes this cover one of the best this week isn’t the look of doom painted all over this guy’s face; it’s the pissed off seagull casting shade his way on the right. “Ain’t you got work to do, chump?” The bird is definitely saying. “The world ain’t got time for your damn feelings. Hop to it.” Oof. I needed this cover today.
Howard the Duck #1 (Again), by Joe Quinones. (Marvel Comics)
Welp. Here we go again. I have to give Marvel credit; at least they know this “All-New” initiative is kind of a kick in the pants. As we soar the spaceways of Silver Surfer and thrill to the exploits of The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, it’s an annoying thing indeed to endure the distracting reset back to issue #1 Marvel felt it needed to give to its entire line. But look at the expression Joe Quinones gives to poor, put-upon Howard. His look of bemused acceptance shows us all that this is a duck who is definitely trapped in a world he has begrudgingly grown accustomed to. Keep the spirit of Howard the Duck alive, Mr. Quinones. *fist in the air*
Survivor’s Club #2, by Bill Sienkiewicz.
When I was younger (like, too young to be reading anything without a ‘Super’ affixed to a comic book cover), I always flipped through the “grownup” section of my local retailer while taking care to make sure I wasn’t about to get busted by my grandma. That’s why I’ve always felt that the hallmark of any good Vertigo cover is that merely glancing at it inspires the unmistakable feeling of committing an egregious sin. This eerie, beguiling front to Vertigo’s latest series by Bill Sienkiewicz makes my skin tingle in a way that would certainly make my dear, departed grandmother clutch at her rosary. That’s how I know this fits the bill. (Love you, Nana. Wherever you are.)
Paper Girls #2, by Cliff Chiang.
Any chance I get to gush over the works of Cliff Chiang, I take. The shock of neon pink, yellow, and blue would attract the eye of just about anyone, but it’s Chiang’s sharp, utilitarian inks that really make this cover pop. If you’re reading Paper Girls (and you really, really should be), you know that the gun is a harbinger of dire things to come. But Chiang keeps his focus on the walkman, meaning that if things are about to go down, at least it will have a killer soundtrack playing over it.
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!
