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.
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!
Martian Manhunter #11, by John Romita, Jr. (DC Comics)
If you haven’t heard by now, DC Comics is celebrating the fact that it has long held on to an exceptional artist, one of whom it could definitely be argued is one of the greatest in comics. (And also that this artist largely made his name over at Marvel. Hey, right is right!) DC’s celebration is spanning nearly its entire line of books this month, in an array of striking variant covers from John Romita, Jr. (Of… well… Romita fame.) What makes his variant to Martian Manhunter #11 so great is that there finally exists an iconic image of J’onn J’onzz (one of my all-time favorite characters) in our post-New 52 reality. If I was still thirteen, you’d better believe I’d be writing DC for a poster-sized print of this sucker for my bedroom. *pauses* I still might.
BPRD: Hell on Earth #140, by David Mack. (Dark Horse Comics)
Does David Mack work on album covers? Wait, scratch that question — of course he does. Well, if this were still the Nineties (and dammit that it ain’t), and I were an influential record producer, you’d better believe that I’d be calling up Mack’s representatives to commission album art for these particular artists: Björk, Massive Attack, Pulp, Mazzy Star, Tori Amos, Moby, Elastica and practically every single popular musician that I could convince they needed David Mack in their life. Because that’s what Mack’s art does for me — it inspires music in my mind. And this cover to BPRD: Hell on Earth #140 is a testament to that. So let’s stare.
Superman: American Alien #6, by Jonathan Case. (DC Comics)
I live in Chicago, a city where street art is serious business. But for all the amazing pieces I’ve seen during my time here, I’ve yet to spot an honest depiction of Superman on a single wall. If I could attribute a single reason for such a glaring oversight, it’d be that the general public’s perception (which is generally not very perceptive) holds that Superman isn’t very important to our day-to-day lives anymore. I know that’s not the case. I hope you know that’s not the case. An inspiring Superman painting on a city street, showing the World’s Greatest Hero beaming an encouraging smile onto us brow-beaten city folk? Think of the possibilities. Spot the reaction it’s getting from a young Kenny Braverman in Jonathan Case’s great cover to Superman: American Alien #6. Kenny gets it.
Robin: Son Of Batman #11, by John Romita, Jr. (DC Comics)
My girlfriend once got me an awesome sketchbook to bring to conventions, for the purposes of having my favorite artists fill it with their renderings of my favorite characters. I generally leave it at home, primarily because I don’t have the money to purchase such a commission, and what’s more, I get bashful to even request such a thing from these busy people. (Ironically enough, I don’t have a problem nagging them for interviews.) But my Sketchbook Bucket List is a very specific one, and on that list lies two things that could easily converge one day: Damian Wayne and the artwork of John Romita, Jr. How do I know it would be the greatest thing in the world? Direct your eyes towards this cover to Robin: Son of Batman #11. You’ll get the idea.
And that’s it! Don’t forget to share your favorite covers from this week’s releases in the comments section below!
