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.
Detective Comics #934, by Rafael Albuquerque. (DC Comics)
Look at this. Instantly iconic, inherently reverential, absolutely stunning. For those of you who were on the fence about the Batman’s all new, post-Rebirth duds, let Rafael Albuquerque’s variant to the newly-launched, “old is new again” Detective Comics teach you a lesson. Batman’s costume has always needed a splash of purple — you just never realized it until now.
House of Penance #3, by Ian Bertram. (Dark Horse Comics)
I’m not gonna front — House of Penance scares the hell out of me. I could fill an article about how Peter J. Tomasi’s Dark Horse horror comic makes me keep the lights on at night. But what’s getting under my skin this week is artist Ian Bertram’s unnerving cover to Penance‘s third issue. Bertram’s chilly Burnham-esque nightmare fuel gives me Nameless memories that will doubtlessly pop back up in my brain just as I’m about to fall into REM sleep. Thanks, I guess.
Revival #40, by Jenny Frison. (Image Comics)
When you think about the concepts rooted the rural horror comic Revival, you come to appreciate Jenny Frison’s gorgeously subtle covers to the Norton/Seeley series all the more. The dead walk among the living — an idea so familiar that literally every image that could convey it has already met your nerdy gaze. And then something like Frison’s cover to Revival #40 happens. Death? Resurrection? Here’s how Jenny Frison interprets “resurrection”: — a translucent being, with cold-gray eyes staring out, chilling you to your very core. And then you notice the second-hand, “seen better days” hoodie — Frison’s own patchwork Frankenstein monster. It snuck up on you, didn’t it? That’s why this cover is brilliant.
Adventure Time #53, by Mickey Quinn. (BOOM! Studios)
Look at this thing. Mickey Quinn’s phosphorescent cover to Adventure Time #53 makes me want to grab my earbuds, throw on some Robyn and get my ass on an elliptical. Like, right now. If there was ever a more ebullient, energetic, and wholly appropriate image to throw onto a motivational poster, this would be it. What the hell are we doing just sitting here! To the gym!
And that’s it! Don’t forget to share your favorite covers from this week’s releases in the comments section below!
