Back from Comic-Con, and I grace you all with a Fast Five! Picks include X-Men: Schism #2 (Marvel), The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen – Century: 1969 (Top Shelf), Criminal: The Last Of The Innocent #2 (Icon), Detective Comics #880 (DC), and Amazing Spider-Man #666 (Marvel).

It’s good to be back!

You had me at ‘hello’, cover. As soon as I saw this cover in Previews a few months back, I just fell head-over-heals in love with it. Jock is well-known for doing beautiful pieces, many of which I’ve highlighted before in this segment, but this one in particular left me in absolute shock. The Joker is portrayed as wickedly gorgeous, with his face being composed of a bloody twisted smile, and a thousand bats darting everywhere. The final touch of the red bat logo in his eyes sends a shiver down my spine, for it makes sense that Mr. J only has that one thing constantly on his mind. I want this piece painted and hung in a museum so I can break-in and steal it. Simply amazing work by Jock, perhaps one of my favorite covers that he’s ever done.

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen – Century: 1969 by Kevin O’Neill

Absolutely trippy cover, man! It’s a shame Alan Moore has O’Neill chained to a drawing table doing nothing but LXG stories until the end of time, because I love this cover and would be thrilled to see what other covers he could create for various series. It’s almost as if Moore lent him some acid from his personal stash, and just let him go wild. The story is suppose to take place in 1969, and the outfits, colors, and mood certainly do convey it. Even the typography is a blast from the past! From the hair of flowers, to the one-eyed skull with winged eyeballs, this cover definitely intrigues the reader and makes them crave more.

Wolverine / Deadpool – The Decoy #1  by Skottie Young

This cover is just silly. That being said, Skottie Young makes one sexy Deadpool! I always pictured him as a redhead. While I have no intention of reading the comic itself, I am a great admirer of the cover because it’s really simple, makes you laugh, and in the end makes you agree with Logan’s thought-bubble. Young should illustrate every cover / variant cover until he’s old and gray, because they’re consistently fun and original.

A rather fun week for comics this time around! Pick of the week from Alan Moore and Kevin O’Neill is The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen: 1910 #1 (Top Shelf).  Fast Five picks include Cable #14 (Marvel), Irredeemable #2 (BOOM! Studios), Destroyer #2 (MAX), Superman: World Of New Krypton #3 (DC), and War Of Kings #3 (Marvel).

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