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.
The Amazing Spider-Man #15, by Alex Ross. (Marvel Comics)
If you were to take a moment and recall the Iron Spider armor from the first time Marvel Comics decided to Civil War all over our summer (provided you remove all memory of the nasty in-house bickering and that spiky Penance fella), you’ll realize that it was a pretty hideous piece of costume design. Of course, Peter Parker wasn’t going to wear that red and gold monstrosity forever, and if you haven’t caught up on Disney XD’s Ultimate Spider-Man, that armor has long been stashed behind the tool shed of your subconscious where it belongs. And yet Alex Ross’s cover to The Amazing Spider-Man #15, where a ravishing Mary Jane Watson adorns said nightmare machine to startlingly gorgeous effect, makes me feel that hearts can change on any given subject. *sigh*
Jackpot! #3, by Brian Stelfreeze. (AfterShock Comics)
Jackpot! has the Hitchcockian allure and the Soderberghian swagger you’d expect from a proper heist story. If it were a movie, and it has every reason to become one, you’d bet your sweet bippy that David Fincher would be all over it, supplying the opening title crawl with an artistic montage that would lie somewhere between The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and Skyfall. It isn’t hard to imagine, especially when Jackpot! boasts some of the more eye-catching covers found on stands today. Brian Stelfreeze is an artist amongst artists, supplying his qualified cool to a book already dripping with it. Now stare at his cover to Jackpot! #3.
Superman #2, by Patrick Gleason. (DC Comics)
You ever wonder what it would be like to fly? I mean, really fly — soaring above the clouds, far away from the madness that is contemporary life, to finally find peace and a bit of quiet? Here’s a fun trick from your pals at DoomRocket: stare at Patrick Gleason’s stupendous cover to Superman #2 for as long as you can, turn off all the noise that’s in your house (if you live in the city, insulate your windows — what? It won’t take forever!), and find a really, really quiet fan. Close your eyes, and let it blow directly onto your face. Now imagine the horizon rushing to meet you. Yes, you’ll still be firmly planted on this bummer of a planet, but try it anyway — Gleason’s cover is your ticket to nirvana.
Silver Surfer #5, by Mike Allred. (Marvel Comics)
Friends! Look at all these friends happening all over Silver Surfer #5! I wonder if Mike Allred ended up resenting any of them before this ludicrously detailed jam cover was finished. (“Oh no, we wouldn’t want to forget about Kevin Smith, now WOULD we?” — Mike Allred, in my mind.) Look! There’s Jim Lee, and Jamie Rich and Kelly Sue Deconnick and Matt Fraction’s hair — and Bill Sienkiewicz?! Neil Gaiman! How about that. I could say that this cover is a veritable “who’s who” of the comic book industry, but considering that it glaringly omits the presence of a single member of the DoomRocket family, I am physically unable to do so. Still… what fun!
And that’s it! Don’t forget to share your favorite covers from this week’s releases in the comments section below!
