Cammy’s Favorite Covers for 6/12/13
Six-Gun Gorilla #1 by Ramón Pérez
Nothing more intriguing than a gigantic gorilla wielding some humongous guns, launching itself at the reader. Pérez’s zany style works well for such an interesting concept, for with the beginning of a new series the best angle to go with is the unexpected. Mammals and firearms should never mix, but Pérez makes it feel very natural and inviting with a dash of mystery. I wouldn’t necessarily trust this being around my children, but hey, that’s just me.
2000AD Prog 1836 by Leigh Gallagher
Such violent imagery, yet it blends so well together. I love the contrast of the faded logo and background with this howling blood-red zombie front and center, with the main cast of characters filling the space in its being. ‘The Damned Make Their Stand’ the title promises, and judging from the imagery alone, I’m willing to say it’s a safe bet. I especially love the crows and the flying monkey looking dude with the sword hovering around.
Batgirl #21 by Alex Garner
For a second I thought it was the artistic stylings of Stanley ‘Artgerm’ Lau, but was pleasantly surprised when I learned it was Alex Garner tricking my eyeballs only momentarily. With a character such as the Ventriloquist gracing the cover, Garner’s sophisticated painted style is reminiscent of tree bark upon closer inspection. I’m not sure if it was intentional or not, but it’s creepy when applied to a violent Ventriloquist and his blood-splattered beauty. Very creepy and well thought-out cover.
The Manhattan Projects #12 by Jonathan Hickman
If extraterrestrials ever do land and request that I take them to my leader, I’ll gladly point them in the right direction of Jonathan Hickman. Yes Hickman may be confused at first with little green men knocking at his door, but something tells me he’d know exactly how to approach it. All he would have to do is show them his cover art and his eccentric graphic design, and the aliens would bow down and proclaim him Supreme Emperor of the Galaxy. Oh, and it’s a nice cover too.
The Shadow #14 (Cover B) by Tim Bradstreet
It’s been a while since I highlighted a Tim Bradstreet cover. Not to say the covers he’s been putting out for the past few months haven’t been noteworthy (for the man is extremely talented), but this cover in particular really made me swoon. The skeleton hands emerging from the bottom of the page are absolute eye candy, as well as the praying skeleton in the Shadow’s shadow. The red scarf is a nice way to draw the eye, and this cover as a whole is downright awesome.
Thor God of Thunder #9 by Esad Ribic
This is my favorite cover of the week, hands down. First thing that comes to mind is “this trio of Thors needs to be painted on the side of some metal head’s van.” Each one of them reigns down the lighting while looking extremely badass in every version. Esad Ribic almost makes it look easy, the way he paints each character to life. Shit is about to get real this issue, and this is going to be a bloodbath you definitely don’t want to miss.
Cammy’s Favorite Covers for 6/5/13
The Fearless Defenders #5 by Mark Brooks
Ah, this cover brings back some awesome memories from my childhood. Arriving over at Paolo’s house on the weekends, putting in Street Fighter, and playing for the rest of the day. Since I wasn’t very good, I would always play as Blanco and try my best to electrocute my opponent to death. Sure it was a cheap move, but Paolo didn’t mind because he was able to kick my ass with every character. Oh, I also played Vega a lot. I could never tell if he was a guy or a girl. Speaking of women, it’s nice to see the women of the Marvel Universe featured on this cover. Now to play ‘Marry, Fuck, Kill’ as they fight to the death.
Fairest #16 by Adam Hughes
Not only do I love the use of warm and cool colors in this cover, but I absolutely love that explosion of sand from the horse’s hoof. It feels like this duo escaped in the middle of the night, and are still on the run in the desert while the sun is just rising over the sand dune over yonder. This cover could be a movie poster for a romantic drama with the right title; Desert Desperation, or maybe Sin & Sand. Whatever you’d want to call it, it’s a gorgeous cover, and definitely something I’d love to frame and hang on my wall.
Polarity #3 by Frazer Irving
A nice modern twist on the classic M.C. Escher piece Drawing Hands, Irving presents us with a magnificently creepy yin and yang with this cover. Who is drawing who? This is like an eerie version of Harold and the Purple Crayon for a more mature audience. I do like the sketchbook types of drawings surrounding the main character, and the use of pink in the overall design. I guess you could say that the tiny triangles tickle me…pink.
Red She-Hulk #66 by Francesco Francavilla
Someone needs to inform She-Hulk that is not how you perform the Heimlich maneuver. Isn’t Man-Thing going to do something about it?! As a matter of fact, what is Man-Thing doing here? Is it the support group for superheroes who have a hyphen in their name? Surprised Spider-Man isn’t there, but then again knowing Peter; he probably forgot to bring the cookies this week and instead just called in sick to avoid the embarrassment. Oh, and another dazzling cover by Francavilla.
Swamp Thing #21 by Jock
Wait, what’s Man-Thing doing in this cover too? Oh wait, my bad. I always get confused with who came first. I do like Jock’s stylized take on the jolly green giant, with the layered multicolored ivy being a nice touch. Sharp contrast with the kneeling girl makes for some aesthetically pleasing imagery, and all together a great cover to look at. The stoic look on Swampy shows that he knows pain, yet endures. He’s to be respected, yet feared. Kids, eat your goddamn veggies or else Swampy will find you.
Winter Soldier #19 by Declan Shalvey & Jordie Bellaire
This is my favorite cover of the week, hands down. Since this is the final issue for the series, it only makes sense to go out with a major bang. The blinding white light from the explosion mixed with the rain of shrapnel makes this cover gripping and action-packed, drawing every wandering eye in the store to behold all its glory. Hell, even the title got rocked! This cover is sizzling with awesomeness, and I’ve come to expect nothing less from the dynamic duo of Shalvey & Bellaire. I can’t wait to follow them to their next series.
Cammy’s Favorite Covers for 5/29/13
Clive Barker’s New Testament #1 by Goñi Montes
The colors! Look at all the beautiful colors! It’s like Joseph and his amazing technicolor dream coat suddenly exploded after being zapped by a few proton guns, with this cover being the end result. I really do enjoy the psychedelic mash-up look that Montes has illustrated for this god-like figure, for it’s definitely a good way to stand out on the comic racks. I can see Lady GaGa looking at this cover, then incorporating it into her next outfit.
Fury MAX: My War Gone By #12 by Dave Johnson
Instantly seeing the American flag morphing into tentacles taking root all over the globe is an extremely powerful image, especially with the corporate overlord looking guy using the flag in question as a mere dinner napkin. Thanks a lot, Obama! Allowing the banks to dine on international wealth and…stuff! Moving on, The minimalist take on Fury is a cool looking one, for it’s obvious he’s not going to let this takeover happen on his watch. Another awesome cover by Johnson.
Chew #34 by Rob Guillory
Have you seen this cibopath? Or is this cover saying something deeper, like all cibopaths are the same in nature? Or maybe, just maybe, this cover is the result of one of those What Will My Baby Look Like in 30 years? websites if these three men shared a baby. For all I know, this cover is just another gimmick to buy multiple covers and cut them all up and glue them together on an upcoming blank Chew cover! There Layman and Guillory go again, making me throw all my monies at them. Well played, you two.
Elephantmen #48 by Boo Cook
This is my favorite cover of the week, hands down. And here I thought Ganesha was a god of intellect and wisdom. That’s obviously an out of date text I was getting my information from, for the being we see here on the cover is one that’s here to eat peanuts and kick some ass, and he’s all out of peanuts. Cook does a wonderful job with portraying Gabbatha as a force to be reckoned with, while at the same time keeping with the subtle Indian look and feel. The crosshairs on the bindi is especially well designed.
My ‘District 14′ review is up at Bleeding Cool!
As most of you know, I write for Bleeding Cool. This week, I was given the opportunity to review District 14 – Season 1 by Pierre Gabus & Romuald Reutimann (Humanoids).
Countdown To The Eisners – Early Readers, Kids, and Teens
As most of you know, I write for Bleeding Cool. Last year leading up to the Eisner Awards, Rich allowed me to have a weekly column in where I discussed my picks for each category. Well Countdown To The Eisners is alive and well again, with the fifth, sixth and seventh articles of 29 debuting this weekend. Be sure to go and comment on who you think is going to win for each categories!
Countdown To The Eisners – Best Publication For Early Readers (Up To Age 7)
Countdown To The Eisners – Best Publication For Kids (Ages 8-12)
Countdown To The Eisners – Best Publication For Teens (Ages 13-17)
Cammy’s Favorite Covers for 5/22/13
2000AD Prog 1833 by Glenn Fabry
An absolutely beautiful cover from Fabry to start things off this week. Cadet Anderson’s hair blowing in the wind is so sexy, even when that’s not her intent. The use of reds, the shadowing in the face, the wrinkled aged leather in her uniform all play vital parts in this portrait of hers. She’s a badass, and with that look she’s giving you, a cat-call is the last thing you should be thinking of doing right now. Fabry at his finest.
Daredevil #26 by Chris Samnee and Javier Rodriguez
Hey man, I just put those out to dry! Is it me, or is one of the Planeteers hanging their laundry on the line too? While the set-up is simple, the execution is exquisitely rendered as Murdock makes his way from one side to the other with ease. I also enjoy the title of the series in the sunset, for pink on that shade of blue is rather pleasant to look at. Wonderful job by both Samnee and Rodriguez!
Tank Girl: Solid State Tank Girl #1 by Warwick Johnson-Cadwell
I want that jacket. Shut up and take my money, I want that jacket! It almost appears that Tank Girl hunted down Spaceboy and skinned him alive, while at the same time she looks like an extra in the latest Gorillaz music video. Very stylized and punkish, Johnson-Cadwell has been gone for too long if he’s been holding back his brilliance with covers like this one. It’s so bold and radical upon execution, that if you look closely enough you’ll see a little nip-slip. SOMEONE ALERT THE ZILLION MOM MARCH OF THIS FILTH!!
Akaneiro #1 by Shu Yan
Whoa. If Little Red Riding Hood and Xena had a baby, I think this warrior woman would be the outcome. Brilliantly painted by Yan, it’s gorgeous yet violent at the same time which provides me with conflicting feelings; do I hang it on my wall, or recommend it as a heavy metal album cover? Whatever the outcome is, this cover is eye-candy pure and simple. Astonishing attention to detail!
The Unwritten #49 by Yuko Shimizu
This is my favorite cover of the week, hands down. With everything spiraling out of control, it’s hard to keep your balance. One small step and you’re falling through memories, both good and bad in a Phantom Zone kind of landscape. Shimizu’s design is hypnotizing, and the use of colors is so aesthetically pleasing that I find myself being sucked into the vortex, unable to resist its charms. I can almost hear the chaos unfolding on this cover, and like Pavlov’s dog, I salivate just thinking about what’s taking place on the inside.
Countdown To The Eisners – Best Continuing Series
As most of you know, I write for Bleeding Cool. Last year leading up to the Eisner Awards, Rich allowed me to have a weekly column in where I discussed my picks for each category. Well Countdown To The Eisners is alive and well again, with the third article (Rich has them out of order) of 29 debuting today. Be sure to go and comment on who you think is going to win!
My ‘The Grove Nymph’ review is up at Bleeding Cool!
As most of you know, I write for Bleeding Cool. This week, I was given the opportunity to review The Grove Nymph #1 by Jecaro (Fairie Folkways Comics).
Countdown To The Eisners – Best Short Story & New Series
As most of you know, I write for Bleeding Cool. Last year leading up to the Eisner Awards, Rich allowed me to have a weekly column in where I discussed my picks for each category. Well Countdown To The Eisners is alive and well again, with the second and fourth articles (Rich has them out of order) of 29 debuting today. Be sure to go and comment on who you think is going to win for both categories!
Countdown To The Eisners by Cameron Hatheway – Best Short Story
Countdown To The Eisners by Cameron Hatheway – Best New Series
My ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ review is up at the Sonoma State STAR!
This semester I’m both Arts & Entertainment and Online Editor at my college newspaper the Sonoma State STAR. I’ll have a group of staff writers I’ll be overseeing, but every now and then I’ll be submitting a review or article if we need to fill space. Be sure to write to the editor if you like what you see! In the meantime since the paper doesn’t get published over the summer, that means there’s going to be an abundance of exclusive online content!
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