Judging (DC's May) Books By Their Covers

DC's May Solicitations are up, so now is as good a time as any for us to make prejudgements based just on the covers (as we all love to make prejudgements, don't we? And DC's covers are at least detailed enough that we CAN make prejudgements based on them!).

Let's begin!
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How badass will this Batman cover look when put side by side with Bianchi's Harvey Dent half-face cover?



I posit quite badass.
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Man...not a knock on Gary Erskine...



...but how generic is this Legends of the Dark Knight cover?
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Luckily, Erskine recovers with this one.



This is not some awesome cover, but at least it is unique.
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Surprisingly average Catwoman cover by Hughes.



I think he has caused us to grow used to more flair from his covers.
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Jock is easy to comment on.



That is because he is incapable of drawing a BAD cover.

Tadhg has a good line about the solicit, though,

"Two Nightwings are on the prowl in New York - and one is a murderous madman!" Didn't Dixon do that, like, six years ago?

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Still not a fan of the new Robin costume.



But Gleason does his best to make it look cool here.
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Mike Huddleston is awesome, even on something I have no interest in, like Man-Bat.



Imagine if he drew a character I LIKED!!
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I think Pat Lee needs to learn a bit more about body movements.



I really do not know under what scenario someone would make their body do THAT.
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This is a sweet-ass cover to his new Batman mini-series by Sam Kieth.



The only reason it isn't top five is that I'm pretty sure I saw someone draw a very similar drawing for a DC Villains Pin-Up Book (I forget who did the Joker...maybe McKean?).
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Paul Pope is awesome.



His cover layouts for this mini-series, so far, have not been awesome. Great ART, but not great covers.
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Wouldn't it be smarter to have a Thrillkiller TPB out when they released the Elseworlds toys based on the Thrillkiller comic?



Nice cover.
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Strong cover design for Superman.



I'm not sure if Dodson pulls off the idea, though.
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I don't like the design OR the drawing on this Action Comics one...


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Not a fan of this drawing, but I think it is actually an IMPROVEMENT over the normal covers for Supergirl.



And I notice Ed Benes being announced as the new artist for Supergirl. Is he going to do both Supergirl AND JLA?
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CLIFF CHIANG, BABY!



Yeah!! Chiang is awesome. This cover isn't that great, but I am sure his interiors will be great.
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Still an Acuña fan, but MAN, is this cover dorky!



The Battle for Bludhaven...lordy lord lord.
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Nice job by Guice.



ESPECIALLY since I do not think there are any photo references for mermaids out there.
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Poor Prometheus.



Once beat the entire JLA, now about to get his ass kicked by HUNTRESS.

How the mighty have fallen.

AJ Lieberman is hurting comics well past him actually still writing them.
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Another strong Byrne cover.



Especially since I'm finally getting the Demom/Demon slash fiction I have craved for so long!

First Dracula vs. Apocalypse and now Demon/Demon slash! My dream journal has gained a life of its own!!
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52!!!

REALLY nice cover by JG Jones for #1!



Jones was a great choice for this assignment.

A little too much photo ref for #2's cover...



Like a bad Bolland cover.

#3 makes me say, "FRANK GORSHIN?!!?"



10 Cool Points for the reference.

Finally, #4 is fairly mundane as a cover.



Still, nice job overall by Jones.
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It's issue #3 of Blue Beetle, and there's already a fill-in artist?



Weak.
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Lee Bermejo sure knows how to draw, doesn't he?



I just wish he drew some cooler stuff for his Checkmate covers.
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Fire and Ice.



Clever idea. Not the most dramatic of covers, but nice idea.
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Ah...now THIS is the Scott McDaniel as cover artist I know so well.



Not the most coherent of covers. I wonder what my pal Jim MacQuarrie would say about the use of the bow and arrow. Sure looks kinda weird to me, but I am no archery expert.
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I just like the name Kalman Andrasofszky.



But when the name of the cover artist of this Ion cover is the most interesting thing about a cover - not a good sign.
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This is SUCH a 60s cover!!!


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So is this one!!!



Why isn't Hard Time just made a Vertigo comic?
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Mike Zeck apparently drew this JLA Classified cover.



But it sure as hell looks like Val Semeiks to me. What do you folks think?

Oh, and I'd be more excited about JLA Detroit having a Classified, but in the Steve Englehart chat awhile back, Steve mentioned he'd be doing a JLA Classified with JLA Detroit.
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Another strong Paul Gulacy JSA Classified cover.



It'd be nice to see a great be great again.
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What is this, JSA Shadow Cover Month?



That JSA cover is George Perez?!? Gotta give him major credit for drawing such a shadowy cover.
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I LIKE Shawn Martinbrough, but it is hard to go from Jae Lee and Jesus Saiz to Shawn Martinbrough.



But still, decent Manhunter cover.
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I think it would improve the enjoyment of Outsiders if the insides of every issue was like the following cover...



Then we could just pretend that Thunder and Grace AREN'T on the team!
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Strong cover idea by Barry Kitson.



I am impressed.

I like how he's used the cover theme from #1 twice now, to good effect (this one being better than the previous use).
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REALLY clever Sinister Six cover design by Karl Kerschel!



I almost put this in my top five.
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Do you think Willingham is a better artist or writer?



I can't say I'm looking forward to Shadowpact, either way.
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Not a bad Tony Daniel Teen Titans cover.


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I like that Kubert is changing the design SLIGHTLY.



But still, it is just a picture of a dude's head.

Well drawn? Yes.

Good cover idea? I say no.
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The new Guinness Record for balancing a rocketship on one's nose - TRAVIS MORGAN!!


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What's their relationship like on the TV show?


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Sean Galloway has been doing some nice, trippy covers for Teen Titans Go!


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Someone asked me if Albion was still coming out. I said yes, but I was afraid I was just lying.



Good to know I wasn't.

Neat Gibbons cover.

So is this Thunderbolt Jaxon cover by Gibbons...


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Very cool Team Zero cover.



This series has a very nice sense of "cool."
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Is there anyway we can challenge the nickname, and have the "Talent" part taken away?



There has GOT to be a court for this.
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This would have been such a striking cover after 9/11.



Early 2006?

Not so much.
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QUITELY COVERS!

A bit of a letdown this month.

This American Virgin cover is fairly blah.



And this Bite Club cover, while very clever in concept, is also lacking a bit in the interest-meter.


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Honestly?



I expect more from Dave Johnson.

Not a bad 100 Bullets cover, I just expect more.
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I KNOW that's why I am so hard on James Jean.



I just expect more from him on Fables covers.
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I like the DMZ cover image.



But, again, I don't like the overall "squeezed" design of the covers.
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Philip Bond has some striking covers, doesn't he?



This Exterminators cover is one of them.
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What, no pasties?


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Hehe...I wonder if, to get the photo reference for this Y cover, Massimo Carnevale scared some monkies.

"I WILL BURN ALL YOUR BANANAS!!"


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Speaking of photo references, where do you think Bermejo got them for this Claw/Red Sonja cover?


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As my pal Jake told to me...



...it is interesting that they have so much faith that we will recognize Majestic's costume.
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Nice to see Matador conclude.



Nice cover work. Much more clever than his Firestorm cover.
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Interesting Lucifer cover by Kaluta.



Not great, but interesting.
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It is like a glorious new day!

No Greg Lauren! No moody Bradstreet covers!!



Manco, you are a marvelous beast! It isn't even, like, the greatest cover, but it is still such an improvement!
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I'm telling you...colorforms.


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I think this belongs on "Generic Comics #2"



Nice drawings, though!
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TOP FIVE!!!

5. Not a total fan of the photo-realistic work, but this Detective cover is pretty damn strong.



Damn you, Bianchi, for making me go against my normal thoughts on stuff!!
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4. How cool is this Jonah Hex cover by Giuseppe Camuncoli?



Dude is missing a chunk of torso!

That's classic!!
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3. Bianchi again, and this might be the coolest cover ever for such a dorky character!



Best thing about Green Lantern these days in Bianchi.
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2. Not one of the best All-Star Superman covers, but still very impressive, especially during a slim "Great covers!" month.


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1. Eric Powell is amazing. This Swamp Thing cover is an example of why.



What a clever cover!!
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Okay, that's it for me, folks!

Feel free to share YOUR prejudices (and YOUR top five)!!

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