Judging (Image's July) Books By Their Covers
I sometimes forget about Image's solicitations, but since they're up, let's make some prejudgements based just on the covers (as we all love to make prejudgements, don't we?).
Let's begin!
___________________________________________________
A pretty decent City of Heroes cover...
but I'm not photo-realism fan.
On a side note, if you want to be credited a certain way, I think the company should credit you that way, unless you're asking to be called, like, "Fuck You Jones" or something equally offensive. If you want to use a pseudonym, they should let you use the durn pseudonym!!
___________________________________________________
I really enjoy Death, Jr., so I'm glad there's going to be a sequel!
However, why not let Ted Naifeh do the covers?
___________________________________________________
Not a bad Battle Pope cover...
but I think it encapsulates my main problem with Battle Pope. Way too slight of a story.
___________________________________________________
Question regarding the solicitation for The Psycho...
Was "The Psycho" really a "classic" DC series?
___________________________________________________
Come on now, I can't be the only one out there...
...who wants to see Occult Crimes Taskforce crossover with Tek-War, can I?
The character based upon Rosario Dawson and the character based upon William Shatner would have some cool chemistry, I bet!
___________________________________________________
It is good to know that Brian Stelfreeze is in better condition nowadays.
Although...The Ride? Really, Mr. Stelfreeze?
___________________________________________________
Damn.
Billy Tan needs to hone up on the storytelling skills department.
___________________________________________________
A fairly generic cover for Task Force #1.
Now that I think about it, "Task Force" is also a pretty generic name.
___________________________________________________
Giuseppe Ferrario manages to get as much humor as he can out of this concept..
It's not a lot, but it's something.
___________________________________________________
Pretty striking cover.
But it only really works if you're already a PvP fan.
___________________________________________________
Is there REALLY a market out there for the Shadowhawk story from the Image Anniversary Hardcover?
Really?
___________________________________________________
I don't know what's going on with this book, but it looks sorta interesting.
___________________________________________________
This is a fairly intriguing concept for a cover.
Not THAT intriguing, but still, it's something.
___________________________________________________
Here's what I don't get...
Why bring in another artist just to draw that cover?
Not a bad cover, but Doug Tennapel couldn't draw that himself?
___________________________________________________
Pretty nice action cover for Noble Causes.
___________________________________________________
That's a great drawing of whatever it is, but whatever it is isn't interesting enough for a cover.
Negative Burn rules, though.
___________________________________________________
Pat Lee's art looks better when he isn't drawing human beings.
So this is okay for him.
___________________________________________________
This cover for the Godland tradepaperback is actually fairly disappointing...
Not a lot going on there.
___________________________________________________
I love Ladronn, but his cover for this Hip Flash comic is too dark for my tastes...
___________________________________________________
How bland is that cover?
___________________________________________________
The Emissary.
Is this Ferreyra's current project, or is he doing this AND Rex Mundi?
___________________________________________________
MIKE HAWTHORNE COVERS!!
First, Umbra...
Pretty nice layout.
Next, Hysteria: One Man Gang...
I love funny covers!
___________________________________________________
When you look at the covers of Girls, don't you just say to yourself, "Ah...the Luna Brothers...remember that awesome Ultra series they did?"
Then you open up the comic, and it all falls apart.
___________________________________________________
Not a BAD cover...
...but every apect of this cover just seems to be a bit...OFF. Especially the faces.
___________________________________________________
I get the concept of having a consistent cover layout...
but I don't agree with it. Too much sameness is never a good idea, I say.
___________________________________________________
Strong Remender illustration for Last Christmas...
but I'm not sure if it works for a cover (not shown this month, because it was solicited a few months back, is an EXCELLENT Tony Moore cover for Fear Agent).
___________________________________________________
Strong visual by Rafael Albuquerque.
I think it is hurt by our unfamiliarity with the character.
___________________________________________________
That is one boring Invinsible cover...
___________________________________________________
This is a pretty sweet Jeff Amano cover for this Cobbler's Monster Graphic Novel...
___________________________________________________
Heh, Jimmie Robinson doesn't like to mess around, does he?
Granted, he didn't draw this Bomb Queen cover. His colorist, Angel Marin, did.
___________________________________________________
Keith Giffen...
NOT SCRIPTING!!!!
Woohoo!!!
This should rule.
___________________________________________________
WITHBLADE #100 COVERS!!!
Why, oh why, don't exclusive contracts prevent stuff like THIS?!?!
Yuck.
Oh, wait, Silvestri is jealous! He wants to match Turner! Does he?
Does he?!?
......
HE DOES!!
Good for you, Silvestri!
Uh, on Joe Linser is trying!
Does he make it?!?!
NO!!
He does NOT!
Foolish Linser, you can't give women actual believable waists!!
Now, the consolation rounds!!!
First up, Gonzo!
I have nothing to say about that.
That is just...WEIRD!!
Finally, artist emeritus, Mike Choi...
Not bad, Choi. No wonder he's leaving.
___________________________________________________
TOP FIVE COVERS!!
___________________________________________________
5. I have to give them credit for this Casanova cover...
Gabriel Ba really pulls off the "skimpy outfit while still looking cool" design.
___________________________________________________
4. I think Ryan Ottley should pay attention to what Charles Adlard is doing on Walking Dead covers...
That's a really interesting cover.
___________________________________________________
3. I don't know exactly what that is that Adam Hughes is drawing on this 24/7 collection cover...
but it is awesome looking!
___________________________________________________
2. Yes, it's about a year past any relevance....
but I'll be damned if that isn't a sweet cover by JG Jones for Savage Dragon.
___________________________________________________
1. It's Frank Espinoza.
Unless someone else steps up, he gets this spot automatically.
___________________________________________________
Okay, that's it for me, folks!
Feel free to share YOUR prejudices!!
AND your top five choices!
Let's begin!
___________________________________________________
A pretty decent City of Heroes cover...
but I'm not photo-realism fan.
On a side note, if you want to be credited a certain way, I think the company should credit you that way, unless you're asking to be called, like, "Fuck You Jones" or something equally offensive. If you want to use a pseudonym, they should let you use the durn pseudonym!!
___________________________________________________
I really enjoy Death, Jr., so I'm glad there's going to be a sequel!
However, why not let Ted Naifeh do the covers?
___________________________________________________
Not a bad Battle Pope cover...
but I think it encapsulates my main problem with Battle Pope. Way too slight of a story.
___________________________________________________
Question regarding the solicitation for The Psycho...
Was "The Psycho" really a "classic" DC series?
___________________________________________________
Come on now, I can't be the only one out there...
...who wants to see Occult Crimes Taskforce crossover with Tek-War, can I?
The character based upon Rosario Dawson and the character based upon William Shatner would have some cool chemistry, I bet!
___________________________________________________
It is good to know that Brian Stelfreeze is in better condition nowadays.
Although...The Ride? Really, Mr. Stelfreeze?
___________________________________________________
Damn.
Billy Tan needs to hone up on the storytelling skills department.
___________________________________________________
A fairly generic cover for Task Force #1.
Now that I think about it, "Task Force" is also a pretty generic name.
___________________________________________________
Giuseppe Ferrario manages to get as much humor as he can out of this concept..
It's not a lot, but it's something.
___________________________________________________
Pretty striking cover.
But it only really works if you're already a PvP fan.
___________________________________________________
Is there REALLY a market out there for the Shadowhawk story from the Image Anniversary Hardcover?
Really?
___________________________________________________
I don't know what's going on with this book, but it looks sorta interesting.
___________________________________________________
This is a fairly intriguing concept for a cover.
Not THAT intriguing, but still, it's something.
___________________________________________________
Here's what I don't get...
Why bring in another artist just to draw that cover?
Not a bad cover, but Doug Tennapel couldn't draw that himself?
___________________________________________________
Pretty nice action cover for Noble Causes.
___________________________________________________
That's a great drawing of whatever it is, but whatever it is isn't interesting enough for a cover.
Negative Burn rules, though.
___________________________________________________
Pat Lee's art looks better when he isn't drawing human beings.
So this is okay for him.
___________________________________________________
This cover for the Godland tradepaperback is actually fairly disappointing...
Not a lot going on there.
___________________________________________________
I love Ladronn, but his cover for this Hip Flash comic is too dark for my tastes...
___________________________________________________
How bland is that cover?
___________________________________________________
The Emissary.
Is this Ferreyra's current project, or is he doing this AND Rex Mundi?
___________________________________________________
MIKE HAWTHORNE COVERS!!
First, Umbra...
Pretty nice layout.
Next, Hysteria: One Man Gang...
I love funny covers!
___________________________________________________
When you look at the covers of Girls, don't you just say to yourself, "Ah...the Luna Brothers...remember that awesome Ultra series they did?"
Then you open up the comic, and it all falls apart.
___________________________________________________
Not a BAD cover...
...but every apect of this cover just seems to be a bit...OFF. Especially the faces.
___________________________________________________
I get the concept of having a consistent cover layout...
but I don't agree with it. Too much sameness is never a good idea, I say.
___________________________________________________
Strong Remender illustration for Last Christmas...
but I'm not sure if it works for a cover (not shown this month, because it was solicited a few months back, is an EXCELLENT Tony Moore cover for Fear Agent).
___________________________________________________
Strong visual by Rafael Albuquerque.
I think it is hurt by our unfamiliarity with the character.
___________________________________________________
That is one boring Invinsible cover...
___________________________________________________
This is a pretty sweet Jeff Amano cover for this Cobbler's Monster Graphic Novel...
___________________________________________________
Heh, Jimmie Robinson doesn't like to mess around, does he?
Granted, he didn't draw this Bomb Queen cover. His colorist, Angel Marin, did.
___________________________________________________
Keith Giffen...
NOT SCRIPTING!!!!
Woohoo!!!
This should rule.
___________________________________________________
WITHBLADE #100 COVERS!!!
Why, oh why, don't exclusive contracts prevent stuff like THIS?!?!
Yuck.
Oh, wait, Silvestri is jealous! He wants to match Turner! Does he?
Does he?!?
......
HE DOES!!
Good for you, Silvestri!
Uh, on Joe Linser is trying!
Does he make it?!?!
NO!!
He does NOT!
Foolish Linser, you can't give women actual believable waists!!
Now, the consolation rounds!!!
First up, Gonzo!
I have nothing to say about that.
That is just...WEIRD!!
Finally, artist emeritus, Mike Choi...
Not bad, Choi. No wonder he's leaving.
___________________________________________________
TOP FIVE COVERS!!
___________________________________________________
5. I have to give them credit for this Casanova cover...
Gabriel Ba really pulls off the "skimpy outfit while still looking cool" design.
___________________________________________________
4. I think Ryan Ottley should pay attention to what Charles Adlard is doing on Walking Dead covers...
That's a really interesting cover.
___________________________________________________
3. I don't know exactly what that is that Adam Hughes is drawing on this 24/7 collection cover...
but it is awesome looking!
___________________________________________________
2. Yes, it's about a year past any relevance....
but I'll be damned if that isn't a sweet cover by JG Jones for Savage Dragon.
___________________________________________________
1. It's Frank Espinoza.
Unless someone else steps up, he gets this spot automatically.
___________________________________________________
Okay, that's it for me, folks!
Feel free to share YOUR prejudices!!
AND your top five choices!
posted by Brian Cronin at 4/17/2006 05:31:00 PM
10 Comments:
I think Naifeh did the pencils/layout on that cover and Brerton painted it. though I could be wrong, it still feels like Naifeh.
I'm not sure what's up with the Godland cover. It should be crowded, filled with energy. That blank spaces need some planets or nebulas or something.
Ultra was considered to be awesome? Did I miss that?
Man, even Invincible looks bored with those stupid cyborg zombies.
I don't know about that Savage Dragon cover. Seeing the word Wanted in big letters on a cover gives me painful flashbacks.
That Rumble cover is nice. Good colors, good technical work. I have no idea who the character is, but it makes me want to find out. Plus the artist's last name is Albuquerque. As a proud native of Duke City, that kicks ass.
That INNOCENTS cover. Oh god, good god, can we please stop it with the Image and Wildstorm overdone motif of the thong purposefully riding above low-cut jeans?
I live in New York City. I spend a fair deal of time on college campuses. I'm in clubs occasionally.
Women...or girls...do not dress like this. At least not with the regularity Image would like us to believe.
Cos, you know, I've been lookin'.
Yeah, that would definitely qualify as one of the "off" aspects of the Innocents cover.
I've wondered whether maybe it's often the writers/artists idea to let someone else do the cover, specifically some friend they want to help beef up a resume.
Shadowhawk's a chick?
I haven't read Hysteria, but those covers always makes me think Paul Crocker has had some sort of weird breakdown.
And yeah, loved Ultra, didn't make it past issue #1 of Girls.
It would be clever if the Bomb Queen cleavage pattern was supposed to make you think of the Image logo.
So that's not some sort of actual Wanted/Savage Dragon crossover? Bad choice of font, then.
So just the trade cover for Godland? There wasn't an entry for issue 13? It's not canned is it? That's one of my fave comics and I can't find the actual solicitations on either newsarama or cbr.
"So that's not some sort of actual Wanted/Savage Dragon crossover? Bad choice of font, then."
Oh, sorry to mislead, it IS, in fact, a sorta crossover.
It is Savage Dragon versus the villains from Wanted.
"So just the trade cover for Godland? There wasn't an entry for issue 13? It's not canned is it? That's one of my fave comics and I can't find the actual solicitations on either newsarama or cbr."
If I recall, Godland takes occasional breaks.
As far as I know, it is not ending.
bully- i dont know what its like there, or how oblivious you are being, but down here in texas, i see that crap all the time. too much actually. and go deeper in the south and it gets out of control.
I see the thong/low riders thing all the time in San Diego. Granted, it's usually only in back that you see the thong, not the front.
Aside from Casanova, Walking Dead and Savage Dragon, I didn't really care for these covers at all. Even this Rocketo one looked flat to me.
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