Panels of the Week- 10/26/11

The last week of October was packed full of entertaining panels. Whether you were looking for spectacular art or just a good chuckle, last week's books had plenty to offer. It wasn't easy to narrow it down, but here's what we think are the top 10 panels of the week.

10. FF #11

Explaining jokes is always comedy. Alex Power kinda looks like a palette swapped Striker.

9. Astonishing X-Men #43

I don't want to live in a world where robots aren't taught about twirly mustached men.

8. Justice League Dark #2

Thanks for reminding us why you're awesome, John. Mikel Janin's art looks great here.

7. Gladstone's School For World Conquerors #6

This entire issue was full of great single panels, but I think this was my favorite moment.

6.  New Mutants #32

The best answer is often the one that makes you want to sigh.

5. All-Star Western #2

I love these two together. I can hear this exchange in my head perfectly. Beautiful facial expressions from Moritat.

4. Daredevil #5

When I see panels like this I feel like hugging my comic. Such great art on this book.

3. Green Wake #6

It's incredibly simple, but it says so much. Riley Rossmo is amazing.

2. Journey into Mystery #630

I was already considering picking this book up, but now I'm completely sold. The panel after this one is great too.

1. The Flash #2

This issue blew me away, and this panel was a big part of that. There's so much going on here, but it never feels overly complicated. If you want to know why Francis Manapul is one of my favorite artists, just take a look at this.

By Marceline with No comments

Review: The Flash #2

The concept of The Flash is a criminally underrated one. I think that the concept of a speedster is so simple that people underestimate their powers and don't really think about what being able to move that fast means. If you are one of these people, you need to read The Flash #2. This issue doesn't spend a lot of time explaining the speed force(thought we do learn a little), or feature big, epic fight scenes (though there is some nice action). What it does do is demonstrate how awesome The Flash can be in simple, subtle ways. Manapul has always been great at showcasing speed, but here, he does something a little different and lets the reader see the way The Flash can see the world when he's standing still. The look of pure joy on Barry's face when he puts everything together in his head and realizes what he can do is wonderful, and I was smiling right along with him.

This issue also continues the story of many Manuels. There's nothing wrong with this plot, and if it was in another comic, I might've been really involved in it, but right now, I think it's getting overshadowed by the sheer visual spectacle of this comic. When I reached the very cool cliffhanger ending, my first thought wasn't about what people are trying to keep Barry from finding, but about how great the panel looked. The story in Flash is a perfectly good one, but I think it's always going to be overpowered by the impressiveness of the book's art. Batwoman managed to get to a place where the storyline does as much to draw readers in as its jawdropping art does, and over time, I hope The Flash will get there too.

The characters, however, are something I'm really invested in. I want to see how the charismatic Manuel Barry knew in his youth wound up the way he did. I want to see Barry keep experimenting with his powers Love triangles frequently annoy me, but I'm actually really enjoying the one here. I think that's largely because both Iris and Patty are likable and have good chemistry with Barry, and there are no silly misunderstandings or people getting screwed over. Normally, I dislike undoing relationships, but it really weeks for me here. I don't think Barry and Iris ever had much of a courtship in comics, and they were married back in the 60's. With Barry dead for decades, modern readers haven't gotten to see much of the two of them together, and I didn't particularly care about the couple when Barry came back. I'm pretty certain that a Barry/Iris pairing is still the endgame, and I'm glad I now have a chance to enjoy the build-up.

There were a few lines from Barry that felt overly explanatory, but the back and forth between characters is another one of the issue's strong points. The dialogue feels natural, but there's also an interesting sort of rhythm to it that makes it very readable. I like these characters enough that I occasionally wish we'd heard a little more from them, but at the same time, I appreciate that Manapul and Buccellato held back a little and sometimes just let the panels speak for themselves. No one here talks just for the sake of talking, and I admire the restraint of any writing team that can resist going for goofy jokes when they have a superhero standing in the mud alongside pigs.

Somehow, Manapul's art is even more beautiful than it was the month before. The visual storyline here is practically peerless, and I don't think there's ever been a better feature for Manapul's style than the little boxes he uses to illustrate "Flash sigh" to readers. I keep picking up the book and looking at the pages over and over- there's way too much to appreciate here to read this comic only once. Manapul's watercolor heavy technique is really unusual, and it's a testament to Brian Buccellato's talent that his colors work with it so well. Manapul's uncolored pages are gorgeous, and I think it takes some real skill to alter them without taking away from any of their beauty. The two of them are a brilliant team in every respect, and I hope they keep on working together for a long time.

I've seen a lot of lamenting about the lack of titles to give younger readers, so I really want to take the time to suggest this book to anyone who's trying to find a good comic to give a kid. The Flash is a light, fun title that should be appropriate for kids old enough to have outgrown Tiny Titans. One of the most important things a story can do is encourage children to use their own imaginations, and I think The Flash does that in spades. I'm pretty far removed from my own childhood, and as I put down this book I couldn't stop trying to picture the world the way The Flash does. It's a great introduction to one of DC's greatest superheroes, and giving it to kids while they're young will assure the next generation never doubts the awesomeness of a speedster.

By Marceline with No comments

Panels Of The Week - Week Of 9/28/11

This was another week of strong art for the new 52. My favorite moment of the week would have to be the origin splash page in The Flash #1, but there were plenty of great single panel moments too. From John Constantine getting the chance to appreciate London, to Geoff Johns challenging our preconceptions of Aquaman, here are our top 5 panels of the week!

5. Justice League Dark

In a book that was often dark and creepy, this panel was so much fun. I can't think of anything more perfect for Constantine to have been teleported into. Milligan's been writing Constantine for a long time now, and obviously he has a good handle on the character, but it was still great the way I heard the character's voice in my head as I read this.

4. Green Lantern: New Guardians

Most days of the week, Guy Gardner is my favorite Green Lantern, but Kyle "Manga Nut with a Power Ring" Rayner will always win in the constructs department. Even though a good chunk of the issue involved a recap of Kyle's origin and the various other lanterns of the universe, Kyle still got a few chances to show off what makes him great. The smile on his face is terrific.

3. All-Star Western

This panel summed up so much of what I loved about All-Star Western. The expressiveness and energy of Moritat's art, Gabriel Bautista's rich and atmospheric colors, and most of all, the Sherlock Holmes-esque vibe between Arkham and Hex. Clearly Arkham is the Watson in this equation, but I feel a little weird calling Hex Holmes. Still, you can't fault his detective work. If punching guys is good enough for Batman, it's good enough for Jonah Hex.

2. The Flash

Like I said in my Flash #1 review, little moments like this are why I love comics. Well executed onomatopoeia is always appreciated, but Francis Manapul's beautiful, intricate artwork really takes this to the next level. Water is something that's drawn badly a surprising amount of the time, so this splash looking perfect really highlights how great Manapul is.

1. Aquaman

I bet that Geoff Johns was giggling to himself when he scripted this one. The line is the sort of thing that might've appeared in a "stuff Aquaman would never say" thread not that long ago, and the image of him sitting at the booth in his full costume is a terrific one. I always appreciate superheroes wearing their costumes like they're the most normal things in the world. This was my favorite panel of the week, and I'm really looking forward to more moments like this as Aquaman continues.

By Marceline with 1 comment

Review: The Flash #1

Before I begin this review, I need to be honest about something: I was going to enjoy this comic no matter what. Francis Manapul is one of my absolute favorite comic book artists, and I knew going in that even if every word bubble was filled with Wingdings, his art would be enough to make me happy. But in spite of that, I wanted something more for this book. There are so many things about The Flash that I love. Speed powers are fantastic taken alone, but with the Flash, they're at a whole other level. His rogue's gallery is second only to Batman's. And maybe more than anything else, I wanted a reason to love Barry Allen.

To me, Wally West is the Flash. Barry Allen died before I was old enough to read, and I've never really warmed up to his return. It's not that he's a bad character; it's more that he felt weighed down by all his past heroism. Nothing was going to top his sacrifice during Crisis on Infinite Earths, and I felt reminded of that all the time. He needed some kind of clean break, some sort of fresh start. And with The Flash #1, he has that.

In the grand scheme of things, not that much about Barry has changed. Despite that, he manages to feel like a brand new character here. Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato were unknown quantities as writers going into this, but they've now proven they know how to write a real #1 issue. When I got to the splash page with Barry's origin condensed into a single paragraph, I wanted to cheer. It had such a throwback vibe that I could the old school narration style in my head, but Manapul's incredible stylization skills made it feel really modern and different. And it makes perfect sense. Of course he'd speed through his backstory. He's the Flash.

Manapul is always fantastic, but this is truly some of the best work of his career. In speedster comics, the art takes on a whole new level of importance. Things can never feel static. There always has to be a sense of motion for readers to really grasp how different the world is for someone with these powers. Manapul's been doing an excellent job of drawing Barry for a while now, but in this issue, the character feels fast in a way he never had before. There's plenty of energy in the scenes with Barry as himself, but once he completes his tokusatsu hero style transformation into the Flash, it's like we've entered a whole new world. It reminds me of how artist Paolo Rivera has strived to show the reader how Matt Murdock experiences the world in Daredevil.

Onomatopoeia isn't always used well in comics, but here, it's rendered brilliantly. The splashes and kapows feel like the move as much as the Flash himself does, and they really added to the excitement of this comic. In sharp contrast, the intricately drawn backgrounds feel peaceful, making it all the more powerful when our hero interacts with them. Manapul takes full advantage of the freedom being a writer/artist allows him, and plays with the way Barry moves from panel to panel and across the page in an interesting way that remains easy for a newer reader to follow. While this issue is absolutely readable via Comixology, I'd recommend using the guided view feature. This comic is better taken one page at a time.

Colorist and co-writer Brian Buccellato frequently collaborates with Manapul, and I'm really grateful that he's a part of this book. There are lots of little details in Manapul's work that could be lost in the coloring process, but Buccellato really understands how to highlight the best aspects of his art. There were several times reading this when I was struck by the textures of various objects, and that they stand out is largely due to Buccellato's work. Sometimes his colors look more like a standard superhero book, and other times they look like they're part of a painting, but he always seems to understand what's right for each panel.

Little things like this are why I love comics.

The plot itself is a little lightweight, but I'm fine with that. Lightening up on the angst is a good thing for a Flash comic, especially when the series is getting a new start. I genuinely liked all the characters we spent time with here, from Barry to Patty to the mysterious Manuel. The dialogue felt natural, and was sometimes pretty witty, and was occasionally highlighted by a nice bit of lettering. There's a lot more to the issue than it feels like at first read through. We're not the Flash- sometimes it takes us a little longer to catch up.

This is one of those titles I recommend everyone check out. Even if you're sick of Barry, even if you've never been that into The Flash, give this issue a shot. It's one of the best introductory issues I've seen in the new 52, and it does a great job of selling the concept of the Flash as well as Barry Allen as a character. I've had faith in the aesthetic appeal of this comic since it was first announced, but now I'm genuinely excited to see where this book is going to go. If Manapul and Buccellato could sell me on Barry so easily, just think of what they could do with Wally and the Speed Force.

By Marceline with 1 comment

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

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