Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Season 9 #5 by Steve Morris

Coming soon to Broadway, the Dark Horse Players present; Buffy The Vampire Slayer & The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat! All kidding aside, I would totally wear that outfit. Not only am I easily entranced by the bright happy colors, but I love the images and faces melting in and out of it. My eyes are having fun darting all around the cover, but then grow a little sad when Buffy looking worry comes into focus. She’s a tough gal though, so I’m not going to worry too much about her. So back to the pretty colors!

Batwoman #5 by J.H. Williams III

Hey look, it’s the movie poster for the sequel The Ladies In The Water (only, you know; better than the original). That’s the thing about vengeful spirits; they come in several different forms, and sometimes all at once. I enjoyed observing each different face, trying to make sense of it all. The way the four faces slowly converge into one is chilling and suspenseful, and the inclusion of Alice  is a nice eerie cherry on top. There are seven different faces in total on this cover; can you spot them all?

Doctor Who #13 by Mark Buckingham

“Of all the TARDISes, in all the worlds, in all the galaxies, they walk into mine.” -The Doctor

Dark Matter #1 by Garry Brown

I enjoy the sense of unity in this cover, with everyone holding hands. I think hand-holding is a slowly dying act of chivalry, and I’m glad to see it alive and-What’s that? They’re just posing? Oh. Well of course I knew that! Can’t a guy just rant about the good old days when people could hold hands without being whispered about behind their backs?! Moving on, I love the sense of sci-fi action you get at first glance of this cover. Garry Brown does a superb job with the background colors and textures, and the ship blasting-off and through the shards of the universe. I also enjoy the sketchy look of yellow lines around the figures, giving them a movement of sorts. Very visually stimulating, but then again, Garry Brown is synonymous with that.

The Shade #4 Variant by Darwyn Cooke

Darwyn Cooke continues to captivate me with the simple-yet-stylized covers. Immediately I can make out Vigilante, but the rest of it is like a fine painting that you can’t simply take-in all at once. You need to swish the image around in your brain for a few minutes, slowly deciphering its secrets and the underlying themes. Cities, people, tobacco, it all becomes abundantly clear what’s going on in the cover, and makes you feel more appreciative to Darwyn for not spoon-feeding you the overall image. ‘Times Past’ indeed, and Cooke’s notorious old-timey feel is just what the doctor ordered.

PunisherMAX #21 by Dave Johnson

Dave Johnson knows how to tell a story with only a few objects on the cover. Blood splatter, emptied gun, picture of family. A + B + C = I dunno, I failed at algebra in high school. What I do know is this; this is my favorite cover of the week. It’s intense, eye-opening, and makes you utter to yourself “Holy shit!” just looking at it. This wasn’t a game of Russian Roulette gone awry; this was intentional, and a last ditch effort. To assume from the picture and glove that it’s Frank Castle who just offed himself, that makes it even more shocking. Yes, both Hemingway and Thompson went out by their own accord, but they were accomplished authors! Why go the pussy route like Kurt Cobain?! No clue what the motivation is, but this cover has me freaked out about what I might read inside. Well played, Johnson, I now have to read this comic first just so I can move on with a clear head.