52 Review's Source Wall - Episode 2: The Deadman's Chest

And we're back ladies and gentleman! After a bit of a delay, Eric Holodnak and Bobbinette Carey return with a slightly Halloween themed episode of The Source Wall (formerly just the 52 Review). Several suggestions were taken into an account, some changed were made now, some have to be made later, and some (like me being replaced with someone less annoying) were just not touched upon.

On this episode, we go over several demon and monster based books. Demon Knights, Justice League Dark, Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E. and, because no one demanded it, I, Vampire. Then we talk about if it's possible, in a world like DC's, to have an actually effective horror line. Join us won't you?

And, as always, feel free to comment with suggestions and niceties.

THE FOLLOWING PROGRAM MAY CONTAIN HARSH LANGUAGE

VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

And if you want to just watch the full version because you've got that sort of time:

(VIDEO COMING SOON)

Changes in the works:

We are aware that it's still a little rough. We're working on a new location that doesn't have the atrocious echo so, bare with us. For now, I hope you can still enjoy us in the rough, as it were.

By Electric Nerd with 4 comments

Panels Of The Week - Week Of 10/12/11

Now that we're covering more than just DC comics, we'll be featuring 10 panels per week instead of the usual 5.  With so many great comics to choose from, it was a little tricky to narrow it down, but here's what we think were the top 10 panels of the week:

10. Generation Hope #12

Nominated by our resident Phoenix fanboy. He says this was more of a personal pick, but I have a feeling this was a cool moment for more than a few readers.

9. The Cape #2

It's not as catchy as "Look! Up in the sky!" but I'm betting this would be a common response to the sight of some dude flying through the air.



8. Batwoman #2

Superhero relationships can be a tough sell for me, but Batwoman #2 left me completely convinced. This panel in particular has me grinning.

7. The Shade #1

Just a great way to introduce a character. It helps that Cully Hamner's art looks fantastic.

6. Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E. #2

I'm going to have to figure out a way to drop this line into an everyday conversation.

5. Morning Glories #13

 




This one's a bit of a cheat, but both panels are great for the same reason. Click to see them full size.

4. Green Lantern #2

I'm not sure what I like better- sadsack Hal or annoyed hero Sinestro. Either way, I am really enjoying Green Lantern.

3. X-Men Regenesis #1

I've been on an X-book hiatus for a while now, but this panel makes me want to dive back in. Beast is terrific when he's written well.

2. Demon Knights #2

This is more adorable than it has any right to be.

1. American Vampire: Survival of the Fittest #5

Escaping from nazis on a motorcycle while they're attacked by a giant monster. It doesn't get any better than this, folks. Sean Murphy might very well be the best person in the world to draw this.

By Marceline with No comments

The Best of DC's December Covers

DC recently finished releasing their solicits for December, and there are quite a few gorgeous covers in there. I think the power of good cover art is often underestimated, and I always want to take the time to spotlight a great looking cover when I can. It wasn't easy narrowing them down, but here are my top 10 DC December covers.

10. Batwoman #4, by J.H. Williams III

At this point, I'm pretty sure J.H. Williams III is incapable of making a cover I don't love. This one is especially cool to me because of the way it recalls some of the Batwoman logos DC ultimately decided against. I love the contrast between Bette's muted colors and Kate's deep rich ones, and I'm fascinated by some of the imagery there at the bottom. Having read the first issue of Batwoman, that hook makes me think that we might see more crimes inspired by urban legends in some way. The feathers floating up by Bette's hand is a nice touch- one of those little details that you might not notice the first time you look at it. There's also a very cool variant cover for this issue courtesy of co-artist Amy Reeder. I'm looking forward to seeing how the current logo looks on a cover not done by Williams, and I'm even more excited to see how the images on these two covers wind up fitting together.




9. Captain Atom #4, by Stanley Lau

Stanley Lau's been doing some really nice covers for Captain Atom, but none of them have caught my eye in the way that this one did. I love the blur of colors trailing behind and below him, and the terrified expression on the face of the soldier at the bottom. I'm not sure if Stanley Lau colored this or if it was Jose Villarubia, but the whole color scheme is so striking, and uses the recommend "blue and orange" elements without looking like everything else on the stands. It's a good match for Freddie Williams II's new art style, and shouldn't leave readers feeling disapointed when they check out the interiors. There's nice detail all over, even at the top of the page, and it's a shame some of that's going to be obscured by the book's logo. Captain Atom is a tougher sell than many of the other new 52 books, but this is the sort of cover that could convince someone to give it a shot. Here's hoping this issue is a good jumping on point.




8. Justice League Dark #4, by Ryan Sook

Man, that Ryan Sook can draw! And while you might think he'd be getting sick of drawing Deadman right now, he seems to be full of ideas. This is a beautiful cover that really gives you a feel for the sort of book Justice League Dark is. There's a lot of negative space here, but he still manages to fit in a fair amount of the book's cast- I believe that's June Moon and Enchantress along with Deadman. I get more bothered than I should by nice deals being obscured when the cover goes to print, so I always appreciate a cover like this, in which almost nothing will be covered up. Justice League Dark may not make its debut until Wednesday, but this cover has me more excited to read the title than ever before. While I love all of Ryan Sook's covers, I hope we get to see the book's interior artist, Mikel Janin, take on a cover in the months to come.




7. Batman and Robin #4, by Patrick Gleason and Mick Gray

During Batman and Robin's last run, my favorite comic artist, Frank Quitely, turned out cover after cover for the series. While this cover is very obviously not drawn by Quitely, I feel like it appropriates a lot of the things that made his covers so cool, and such a great fit for the title. I love the image of Damian breaking free of Batman, with both of them breaking free of the city below, while Nobody lurks beneath them, and something sinister reaches out for them. It's a lot going on without looking crowded, and makes me really curious about what's going on plotwise. This is another cover that seems to have been designed with the book's logo in mind, and I think all those bats might actually look cooler when it appears that they're pouring out from beneath the Batman and Robin symbol.





6. Stormwatch #4, by Chris Burnham

There have been elements of this style in some of the other Stormwatch covers we've seen, but Sepulveda's never gone cartoon-y in this way. I absolutely love it. It's a joy to see this sort of take on the Stormwatch crew, and I would love to read an entire issue drawn like this. It's filled with wonderful facial expressions, from Adam One's look of panic to the reaction image worthy look on Midnighter's face. It also makes wonderful use of Martian Manhunter. When you really pay attention to it, this is a pretty gory cover, but the bright colors and overall fun look of the image distract from that. I keep looking and looking at this and spotting new details every time. There's some detail that will sadly be lost when the logo gets added, but I'm actually really curious to see how the standard Stormwatch logo looks against an image like this.





Edit: It looks likes the solicit was incorrect, and this cover was actually drawn by Chris Burnham. In that case, I'd love to see him fill-in for an issue or two! Thanks to commenter Jill for pointing this out.





5. Batman #4, by Greg Capullo

Greg Capullo's Batman covers just keep getting better and better. This cover has a few similarities with the next cover on the list, but it's so eyecatching that I couldn't help but include both of them in my top 5. The bleeding image of Gotham at the bottom of the page is so striking, and gives me so many ideas about what this story might be like. Capullo's Batman feels as though he's in a completely different world from everything else in the image, and I absolutely love it. We haven't gotten a look at the new owl themed Batvillain, but I have a feeling this image will only become cooler when we do. The gold against the black looks fantastic, and that's really a beautiful coloring job. I hope the silver of the new Batman logo is changed to gold for this issue- it'd look really striking with the rest of this cover. With the way these covers have been improving from issue to issue, I can't wait to see what Capullo has for us next.




4. Swamp Thing #4, by Yanick Paquette

Yanick Paquette isn't doing the covers for this issue, but he still managed to turn out an incredibly creepy and eye catching cover. I love all the symmetry in this image- the design at the bottom looks like something you'd see on a greeting card in hell, and that creature lurking behind the diver is the stuff of nightmares, That the image of Swamp Thing isn't symmetric makes him feel a little more real than everything else on the page- a very cool effect. There's been an awful lot of green in Swamp Thing covers past, and I like that this still heavily incorporates the green (hee) without it feeling so overwhelming. This is one of my favorite books of the relaunch, and seeing a cover like this just cements that.






3. Wonder Woman #4, by Cliff Chiang

I saw this cover before I had a chance to read the fantastic first issue of Wonder Woman, and while I thought it looking great, I didn't quite get how well it encapsulates the vibe of this books. It's hip and it's different, it's sometimes brutal and sometimes loud, and Diana herself feels a little separated from everything else in the comic. She's a presence, someone intimidating in both the world of man and the often terrifying world of the gods. I am so glad they changed the Wonder Woman logo before it went to print- this one looks perfect with both covers I've seen it on. This is the sort of comic that I really wish DC could get on newstands, because I have the feeling this cover could help drawn in a brand new audience. I never thought I would say this, but this is an image that would get me to hang a Wonder Woman poster on my bedroom wall.






2. Frankenstein, Agent of Shade #4, by J.G. Jones

Even without taking the book's leading man into consideration, Frankenstein is a title very clearly inspired by the Universal monster movies of old. To play tribute like that is awesome, and I love seeing this side of J.G. Jones' style. Frank looks like a real movie hero here, and not just like a monster. Working that title (which uses a great font) into the cover is also a clever idea. While those who've read the solicits have known about monster planet for a little while now, this sells the concept to anyone who might be browsing what's on the shelf. This really doesn't look like a DC book, and I think that's a good thing. Fans of indie titles, horror comics, and more are going to be picking this one up, and I have a feeling they'll like what they see. This issue will take place in the middle of a storyline, but I definitely think Jeff Lemire is the kind of writer who understands that every issue is someone's first.





1. The Flash #4, by Francis Manapul

Francis Manapul said he didn't expect DC to let him play the book's logo like this, but I'm so very glad they did. Everything about this cover is visually interesting, from the bullet traveling panel to panel Frank Quitely style, to the way the bridge in the two panels near the bottom comes together, to the flip-book like effect on the book's right hand side. Manapul uses a color scheme like this in a lot of his work, and it always looks fantastic. There's so much action going on here, but there's still this softness to the image, something that makes you want to pause and soak up all the details. This isn't just one of the best covers of December. I can already tell you this'll be among my top covers for the year, and maybe even one of my top covers of all time. I'm tremendously excited to read Flash #1 this Wednesday, and one look at this image should tell you why.

By Marceline with 2 comments

Top 10 Comic Book Quotes- Week Of 9/14/11

It's a new Wednesday and the comic shops are starting to open! Soon, the internet will be filled with chatter about the new Batman and the merits of a pantless Wonder Woman. But before we start enjoying a whole new round of books, here's one last look at some of the best lines from last week's comic books. From vacations to mars to car leases to dragon throwing, here are the 52 Review's top 10 comic book quotes of the week!

10. "You're not my partner, you're my son." -- Batman, Batman and Robin

9. "And don't think I didn't notice that the V.R. version of me is a total Mary Sue." -- Rose Wilson, Superboy


8. "Now where would I hide a ten-foot suit of biomechanical battle armor?" -- Mister Terrific, Mister Terrific


7. "Father Time was under strict instructions not to interrupt my vacation to Mars unless it was of the utmost importantance." -- Frankenstein, Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E.

6. "How about you just free me? Then I could, I don't know, establish a library system or invent the printing press? I really am full of love for humans at this point." -- Etrigan, Demon Knights

5. "So unless Superboy's cells originated in a deeply pathological, megalomaniacal narccisist, the likes of which the world has never know..." -- Dr. Caitlin Fairchild, Superboy


4. "We're the Alpha Dawgs. Dawg." -- Hughes, Deathstroke

3. "Carol...will you co-sign the lease on my new car?"- Hal Jordan, Green Lantern

2. "In case you haven't noticed, the world's gone mad. We've got Supermen flying around Metropolis and Batmen in Gotham. Times are changing, and stuffy old lab coats like you have got to change with them, unless you want to be left behind. -- Father Time, Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E.

1. ‎"We find the source of the problem...and throw dragons at it." -- Demon Knights

By Marceline with 1 comment

Panels Of The Week - Week Of 9/14/11

Much like last week, many of the best moments took place across an entire page. DC is really giving their artists freedom to play around with wide screen panels and page layout, and it's making for some great looking books. For me, this week didn't quite measure up to the stellar one before, but in spite of all that, I still had no trouble finding 5 great single panels. Once again, here are DC's top 5 panels of the week!

5. Deathstroke

For all my complaints about this week and planes, I have to say that this scene really worked for me. The idea of using Clayface DNA to experiment on soldiers is an interesting one, but more than anything, I just liked seeing Slade's sense of humor. It's also the panel where I figured out the voice I was going to read Slade in (he kind of sounds like Ron Perlman).

4. Green Lantern

Oh Hal. I'm really going to miss stuff like this when you get your ring back. Bringing back Hal Jordan was obviously a good move on DC's part, but the character's never really grabbed me since he stopped being crazy. Sad, ringless Hal has sucked me right back in, and I hope the character can keep being interesting when he has powers again. "I've been out of town" is a nice line.

3. Demon Knights

What I love about this panel is that everyone's having a bit of a moment in it, even the perpetually dull Jason Blood. I like the use of the pale and larger, bolder text to convey the volume at which each character is speaking. The facial expressions here are brilliant too. Vandal Savage looks like he wants to wink so badly.

2. Batwoman

While JH Williams III is known for his complicated, intricate pages, this panel works because of its simplicity. His work is beautiful in black and white, and it makes for a really powerful moment. This was actually one of the most controversial panels of the week- many readers took this as a sign that Renee Montoya was dead. Rest assured, Williams himself has said that the wall photos were of officers who had received special commendations. Renee may no longer be The Question, but she's definitely alive and well.

1. Frankenstein

This panel doesn't even need words to make it work. Frankenstein shouting down a tiny schoolgirl with his finger on her nose is a terrific visual image all by itself. There were actually several panels from Frankenstein I wanted to put up here- I really like the shot of the team as the doors open on the city of monsters- but for me, this was the image that really summed up what made this issue fun. If you have yet to check out Frankenstein, I strongly suggest you do so.

By Marceline with No comments

Review: Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E. #1

Frankenstein's history at DC is an interesting one. He was first used by the company in 1948, but the current version didn't appear until the 2005 maxiseries Seven Soldiers. Since then, DC has tried their best to find a role for the character, using him event comics such as Infinite Crisis and Blackest Night. As a fan of the character, I appreciated his cropping up, but he never really seemed to find his niche in the comics universe. With Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E., I think he's found it at last.

In the first issue, writer Jeff Lemire succeeds in setting up an grand adventure series that's weird enough to differentiate itself from titles like BPRD and Atomic Robo. More than anything, this title reminds me of last week's OMAC. While Frankenstein lacks OMAC's retro style and isn't quite as action packed, both issues throw out wildly creative concepts one after another. From the Antfarm, S.H.A.D.E.'s secret headquarters that you have to shrink to enter, to the Universal Classics monster inspired Creature Commandos, Frankenstein is pure, crazy fun.

Several issues of the new 52 have struggled to work in the necessary exposition in a way that doesn't feel awkward or slow down the comic. Much like in Animal Man, Lemire uses unconventional means to convey important information to readers,  this time giving them access S.H.A.D.E.NET database. This is simultaneously entertaining and helpful, and really helped draw me into the story. I hope Lemire doesn't abandon this device in future issues, because I think it's got a lot of potential.

I have a feeling the art in this comic will be polarizing, which is a shame. Alberto Ponticelli was born to draw crazy looking monsters, and Frankenstein takes full advantage of that. There's a spread of monsters wreaking havoc on a town that I keep going back to look at again and again, and he gets in some really brilliant facial expressions. His art here looks a little more rough and sketchy than usual, almost as if he was inspired by writer Jeff Lemire's art style. I get the sense that the level of collaboration between Lemire and Ponticelli is very high, which makes me really excited for future issues. Ponticelli is capable of playing with perspective and panel layout in really interesting, Frank Quitely-like ways, and I'd love to see the book take advantage of that.

Frankenstein isn't an easy character to write, but Lemire really nails his voice here. He feels both like an old, world-weary warrior and someone completely accustomed to all thing strange, dropping lines like "Father Time was under strict instructions not to interrupt my vacation on Mars" on one page and quoting John Milton on another. I get the impression that he's often going to be playing the straight man to his creature crew, which should be a great source of amusement. Sticking Father Time into the body of a tiny Asian girl is another terrific idea. Every time a character referred to him as "Father" I wanted to giggle, and somehow, this form fits his take no crap attitude perfectly.

I really enjoyed Lemire's The Atom backups in Adventure Comics, and it was a pleasant surprise to see him using Ray Palmer here. Ray's new role as a government super scientist (who can still shrink) is a great one, and I hope DC takes note. I completely understand why they don't want 3 Flashes or 2 Blue Beetles running around, but there's no reason why these characters can't be used in other ways. I'd love to see Ted Kord start creating tech for the Justice League International, and befriending Booster Gold that way. Other members of Frankenstein's supporting cast seem promising as well. I especially like Nina, who we first saw in the Frankenstein Flashpoint miniseries. I'm really interested to see how she'll interact with Bride when she shows up.

Lemire really excels at writing about families, and I'd love to see him put that talent to use here. I can easily see this comic developing a sort Doom Patrol dysfunctional family dynamic, and I think that would add a lot of heart to the book's off the wall adventure tales. Frankenstein is shaping up to be the sort of comic I can curl up with when I just want something fun, while still being a title that can fire up my imagination. I hope this comic doesn't get lost in the shadow of some of this week's bigger titles, as I think it has the potential to appeal to a pretty wide audience. I'd recommend this book to fans of adventure stories, old school horror movies, and crazy comic book science, and of course, to any fan of Seven Soldiers.

By Marceline with 1 comment

The 10 Best Covers of the DCnU (So Far)

We may not have any comics to review just yet, but we've got covers. Three months worth of covers. Some of them are not so great, but some of them are awesome, and they're the ones I'm here to talk about today.

First up, an honorable mention, because my favorite cover of the DCnU is not actually a cover.

For whatever reason, DC decided not to use Rags Morales' update of the classic Action Comics #1 cover for the series' second first issue. In spite of that, it's become a symbol of the reboot, and I really hope it's released as a variant. This image will someday hang on my bedroom wall. Now, onto the list!

10. Batman #3, by Greg Capullo 

I have to admit that I wasn't a huge fan of the first two solicited Batman covers. Greg Capullo's a talented artist, to be sure, but the covers didn't seem to fit Snyder's style and made me miss the beautiful covers that Jock had created for Snyder's run on Detective Comics. Seeing this cover, however, put all my fears to rest. It's eyecatching and manages to showcase an action-packed pose while still remaining pretty minimalistic. When I look from Batman cover to Batman cover, I can see Capullo's Batman been drawn deeper and deeper into a strange and different world, and I really like the idea in that. This is a Batman comic and shouldn't have any trouble drawing in new readers, but a great cover like this shouldn't hurt.






9. Red Hood and the Outlaws #1, by Kenneth Rocafort

I'm a huge fan of Rocafort's art, and I've really enjoyed all the covers we've seen from him so far, even the fanservice laden cover for issue number 2. What really pushed this one to the top for me was how well it sold the overall feel of the book. Anyone looking at this cover and the book's title should be able to get a general feel for what this comic is supposed to be. That's something that any number one issue should be trying to pull off, and I hope it garners this series some readers. I also really like the use of color and the way it showcases Rocafort's sketchy style. The cover for issue number 3 of the series, which showcases the main cast fighting their past selves against a surreal backdrop, was a very close second.






8. Deathstroke #3, by Simon Bisley

I'm not a huge fan of Deathstroke's redesign, or even Deathstroke himself, but Simon Bisley has been killing it on these covers. They're all great, but the bright colors and the awesome, dynamic pose on this one pushes it to the head of the pack. It's the sort of cover I can easily see drawing in a new reader and getting them to give the book a chance. Going by the solicits, this seems like it might even be the start of a new storyline, making this cover even more perfectly placed. Sadly, Bisley's not doing Deathstroke's interiors, but the preview pages from Joe Bennett and Art Thibert look solid, and shouldn't disappoint those who do pick up this comic on the cover alone. I'm not very familiar with the book's writer, Kyle Higgins, but here's hoping he can sell me on Deathstroke as much as this cover is.






7. Batwoman #2, by JH Williams III

Batwoman's spent most of her superhero career being drawn by JH Williams III, which means almost every piece of art associated with her is stunning. Making a Batwoman cover that stands out among many so other beautiful Batwoman covers is a feat in itself, and it's one this cover pulls off flawlessly. A lot of her Detective Comics covers used this same split effect, and it's always effective. I especially love the bleeding colors of the bat symbol and the little details of the fish swimming around the skeleton. The water motif also fits perfectly with the preview pages I've seen, which involve a waterlogged ghost known "The Weeping Woman". Because Batwoman was held back for the relaunch, I actually saw this cover for the first time more than half a year ago. It's still just as stunning, and I can't wait to see it in person.






6. The Shade #1, by Tony Harris

James Robinson's The Shade mini was one of the biggest surprises of the relaunch, or at least it was for me. The announcement of series beyond the original 52 was a bit of a game changer, and the incredibly line-up of artists this boasted (Cully Hamner, Darwyn Cooke, and Frazer Irving, just to name a few) didn't hurt. This issue will come out in October, and I can't imagine a more perfect cover for the month of Halloween. This cover is simple enough at first glance, but there's so much detail that I keep coming back to look at it over again. Sometimes I see a great cover solicited and then wince a little, knowing that some of the detail that makes it great will be obscured once the logo is added, but this seems specifically designed to counteract that. Here's hoping that the finished product remains every bit as wonderful to look at. I'm really looking forward at seeing this series' future covers.





5. Wonder Woman #3, by Cliff Chiang 

I'm a huge fan of Cliff Chiang's art, but I hadn't really been sold by the covers that preceded this one. They looked great, in spite of the pants/no pants shenanigans, but nothing was sucking me in and telling me that this was a comic I wanted to read until this cover. It perfectly backs up Azzarello's claims that his Wonder Woman will be a "horror comic", and it's just a stunning image all on its own. I'm not a fan of the Wonder Woman logo, and it's a shame that the visual impact of this cover will be dampened a little bit by having that atop it. Still, I think that this is a strong enough cover to overcome a tacky looking logo, and I hope it gets some readers to give Wonder Woman a chance. If nothing else, a cover in which Wonder Woman's costume isn't up for discussion is a welcome break.






4. Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E. #3, by J.G. Jones

I love Grant Morrison's Seven Soldiers, think Lemire's Flashpoint Frankenstein tie-in is pretty great, and was generally looking forward to reading this. Seeing this cover, however, pushed this series from "should be awesome" to "OH MY GOD I MUST READ THIS NOW" in my mind. It sells Frankenstein as the DC universe's answer to Hellboy and B.R.P.D., and it sells it pretty darn well. J.G. Jones has been doing a lot of great covers for the DC relaunch, but I think this is his best work hands down. There's just so much going on in this cover without it feeling cluttered or over the top, and I think the blue is really going to look nice when the issue's on comic shop shelves. Thanks to Sweet Tooth and his run on Superboy, Lemire's mostly proven himself to me, and I have faith he can live up to all the awesomeness that this cover promises.




3. Animal Man #1, by Travel Foreman

For whatever reason, covers that are predominately yellow are considered to be a poor choice in the publishing business. Marketing research says that they tend to sell poorly when compared to covers of other colors, and as thus, you don't see a lot of bright yellow in comic book covers. Maybe it's because of that that a cover with as much yellow as this one has pops so much. The insane detail levels of Travel Foreman's art don't hurt. I really like how much about Animal Man you can get just by looking at the cover. You get The Red and his connection to it. You get a feeling for his powers, and you get the feeling that this book is maybe a little creepy and not your standard superhero book. The only thing it's really missing is his family. I hope this cover defies the commonly accepted wisdom about yellow covers and sells a lot of readers on Animal Man, because I really think they're in for a treat if they give it a chance.




2. The Flash #3, by Francis Manapul

Francis Manapul's beautiful Flash interiors had me completely sold on this comic from the moment I saw them, but I was disappointed that his covers weren't really showing off what he could do. Then this was solicited. This actually isn't the issue's final cover, but it's so striking and seems so destined to become an iconic Flash image that I couldn't help but put it on this list. Not only does it completely sell the concept of a speed-powered superhero to new readers, but it showcases everything wonderful about Manapul's art. Even the use of negative space on this cover is perfect, and I really hope it doesn't go through too many changes before it hits stands. This issue is actually going to feature two different variant covers, but I can't imagine anyone wanting to buy them when the real deal looks this good.






1. Men of War #2, by Viktor Kalvachev

I frequently struggle with the top rankings of lists like these, but this was effortless. For me, this is hands down the best cover of the new 52. With one image, Men of War went from being "Call of Duty: The Comic" to being a modern day version of The Odyssey. Taken by itself, this cover is absolutely gorgeous, but in context, it's a complete game changer. Military versus metahumans is the kind of concept I've been wanting to see in comics for a long time, and this cover put Men of War on the map for me. Viktor Kalvachev's work here is the reason this is one of my most anticipated comics. I can easily see this image catching the eye of someone who'd never even consider reading DC or Marvel normally, and that's incredibly exciting to me. All of Men of War's covers have been wonderful, but this one is truly something special.

By Marceline with 2 comments