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.
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Daredevil #1, by Joe Quesada. (Marvel Comics)
It’s only fitting that the best variant cover to Daredevil #1 would come from Marvel’s former EIC, Joe Quesada. The man knows the House of Ideas through to his bones, and this image pays proper homage to not just ol’ Hornhead himself, but his history as well. The stark black and whites (along with the sock on his head) recalls Frank Miller’s days in Hell’s Kitchen, while simultaneously hearkening to Netflix’s absolutely stupendous Marvel series. And then there’s the small fact that the Q useta scribble in the Devil’s funny books himself. There’s no other cover out this week that gets my nostalgic feels firing more than this. Amazing.
Miracleman By Gaiman & Buckingham #5, by Gene Ha. (Marvel Comics)
Look into this man’s eyes. He is an evil beyond your comprehension. But you know his name. There’s no artist more well-suited to conjure such sinister imagery than… Gene Ha? Everyone has a dark side, that’s for damn sure, but Ha’s rendering of Miracleman’s most vile nemesis is giving me the willies like crazy. (Why is his thumb in that man’s mouth, Gene? Whyyy.) Just when you think you know a guy.
Gotham By Midnight #11, by Bill Sienkiewicz. (DC Comics)
A beautiful companion piece to Mr. Ha’s nightmarish imagery, Gotham By Midnight‘s cover artist Bill Sienkiewicz has painted yet another daunting piece of hellish delight. There’s a touch of Stoker found here, with Jim Corrigan being flanked by three vampiric sirens in the most blackest of nights. Ray Fawkes’ operatic horror is beautifully conveyed with each successive cover from Mr. Sienkiewicz. Let’s just move this book over to Vertigo already before it’s gone forever.
We Can Never Go Home #5, by Michael Walsh. (Black Mask Studios)
When the first arc to your wildly acclaimed new series comes to an end, you want the cover to convey something monumental. Michael Walsh went in the opposite direction for this front to Black Mask Studios’ finest offering, We Can Never Go Home: he let his work convey something elemental. When you look at this image, what do you see? I see something reckless and hopelessly romantic just seconds away from happening. It’s only right I get that feeling of wistful dread from a cover to what is one of my favorite books of 2015. Bravo.
Harley’s Little Black Book #1, by Amanda Conner. (DC Comics)
There’s nothing wrong with a little cheesecake, especially when it’s as hilarious as Amanda Conner’s cover to Harley’s Little Black Book #1. The artist’s attention to varying body types is played to hilarious effect, with Diana’s signature bulletproof bracelets falling all the way to Harley’s armpit. (I’m pretty sure I’ve seen it all now.) Even Wonder Woman’s waistband — which I was never aware was a waistband, mind you — is perilously close to clattering around Harley’s wobbling feet. Diana’s got the short end of this exchange, that much is painfully obvious, so Conner takes care to lay out a pitch-perfect look of casual forbearance. Stupendous.
Howard the Duck #2, by Joe Quinones. (Marvel Comics)
When I talk to people about how great Howard the Duck actually is, I always make a point to mention Joe Quinones’ interpretation of the character’s isolation and loneliness. This image, right here, is a perfect example of the celestial melancholy you can expect from the quacky world brought to us by Chip Zdarsky. (You better believe it! Waugh!) This cover to Howard the Duck #2 isn’t just the finest in the series’s history (yes, I’m lumping in all five volumes here, people!), it just might be Joe Quinones’ best published work to date.
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!
