The Best of the Week in Covers – 03.28.2012

Covers. You make my heart sing. Groovy.


Daredevil #10
By Paolo Rivera

Let it be known: The cover to beat in 2012. An absolutely mesmerizing level of painstaking craftsmanship, even Matt Murdock would take notice.


American Vampire #25
By Rafael Albuquerque

The Aristocrats…


Morning Glories #17
By Rodin Esquejo

There’s something extra creepy when you imagine this image burnt into the floral texture wallpaper. An after image of fear.


The Twelve #11
By Paolo Rivera

Paolo Rivera isn’t making it easy for anybody. Another image sure to land in the Best of 2012, the only thing holding this back from feeling truly vintage is that damned bar code. Look at that dude’s eyes! He’s turning the sky blood red through sheer force of will. Move over Alex Ross. This is how you paint superheroes.

Comments

  1. The Daredevil cover really stood out to me. Feels like an engraving or etching and that red of DD ‘s costume is such a nice touch. The acting of the characters is really expressive as well….Doing more with less can really be awesome.

  2. The DD cover was very awesome and I really like The Twelve as well. I do not read The Twelve however; I really like that cover, very classic comic book feel. There were a lot of great covers this week I will admit and there were so many great stories, just a great week for comics.

    K

  3. i was going to start a riot if you didn’t mention that dd cover. glad to see that it is getting its due praise.

  4. That American Vampire cover is so good I can almost hear the chiming of the spoon against the glass.
    Great Choices all around.
    I would also have included the Secret Avengers cover.

  5. I love that Paolo Rivera has two completely different covers yet both are equally beautiful, that dude has talent oozing from his pores

  6. The American Vampire cover just makes me happy that Rafael Albuquerque is going to be teaming up with Snyder again on Batman starting next month…even if it is just for the backup story.

  7. Spot-on selection, Paul. The DD production is simply stunning.

  8. That Daredevil cover blows my mind – I have been showing it to everyone I can. It’s amazing.

  9. How could the DD cover NOT be up here

  10. Whoa, whoa, whoa!

    Paolo Rivera’s painted covers are great, but we do not diss Alex Ross.

    • Avatar photo Paul Montgomery (@fuzzytypewriter) says:

      Sure we do.

    • *shakes fist*

    • I do. As often as I get a chance.

    • I mean…..Okay his covers today aren’t the best but his early days/prime? Can’t get enough of them.

    • I love Paolo Rivera’s art as much as I should but I agree with champion, Alex Ross has a huge collection of great painted super heroes. His work on Kingdom Come particularly on SHAZAM!’s face being evil is classic, Secret Wars Omnibus cover, Xmen Omnibus vol1, course those are a rework of others and not the best example, his alternate covers to Eaglesham or was Eaglesham the variant? I don’t know and I don’t care but love those 1st 11 issues or so each w a solo JSA on a black background cover were great then #26 had 3 covers, put em together and they make one big timeless JSA image. In any case he’s not my favorite but wouldn’t knock him either and based on this The Twelve #11 cover alone I wanna buy the HC. DD cover is some intricate pencilling, I’m in love w the seeing through Matt’s eyes wavelength lines, every panel w those is pure eye candy.

    • Alex Ross (along with Mark Waid) made Kingdom Come. Still one of the absolute greatest comics EVER! I don’t always get the hostility, but I’m guessing it’s from people sensing how much talent he has but him mostly spending it on endless covers that look more and more the same with each passing year. And of course that dreadful Black Terror comics universe. I know I’ve tried my share of Ross-related projects that left me hostile!

      But, if Alex and Mark ever put the band back together, you’d see suckas like Flanagan at the front of the line waving money!

      Alex’s ground-breaking imagery of aged Superman, heavily inspired from the B&W TV series Superman actor Reeve(s?) is still one of the most awe-inspiring characters I’ve ever seen in comics.

    • @Urthona: You definitely would not see Josh at the front of the line waving money.

    • Avatar photo Paul Montgomery (@fuzzytypewriter) says:

      ZZZZZZZZZZZ

    • I wanna revise an earlier statement. Cause I said his ‘current’ work isn’t that great. But look at some of these covers!

      http://mobile.freewallpaper4.me/320×480/3393-alex-ross-spider-man.jpg

      http://www.comicbooknewbie.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Victory04-Cov-Ross.jpg

      Those are great! Again I’m not dismissing Rivera’s painted covers cause they have been amazing to look at. But to dismiss Alex Ross over one of them when Ross has twice as much experience (and counting) ahead of Rivera then that makes the comment even more easier to argue on.

  11. I remember Rivera showcasing the Daredevil cover on his blog a while back and being totally blown away then and thinking how much it reminded me of an Albrecht Durer engraving. I then forgot about it till I saw it on the shelf this week and it still blew me away. In fact my first thought ( after WOAH!) was, “I bet that’s on Best Of the Week In Covers.” I even thought about buying it just based on that cover alone but my comic buying purse strings are pretty tight these days so I stuck with what I already had. Rivera posted again about the cover and it’s process again this week and it’s pretty fascinating:

    http://paolorivera.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/wacky-reference-wednesday-no-168.html

  12. @ TheNextChampion: Alex Ross did Amazing #600? Didn’t notice and I have that issue, and them man-shark w creature from the black lagoon arms are awesome, that’s a great horror cover. Haven’t read any of the Kirby Genesis books but love some of the covers.

    • How about a book or portfolio series of classic comics adventurers covers by Ross done mono chromatic, like the famous James Bama covers?

    • @JSAkid: I completely forgot he did ASM #600 too. He’s been really busy at Dynamite doing those Golden Age/Kirby Genesis comics, which admittedly I don’t read, so his mainstream output has been rather small.

      @CaeuZokul: That would be cool….I think he did do a mono chromatic cover once but I’m not 100% sure.

  13. It is really exciting when you get to see two different styles from one artist. Paolo Rivera shines this week with THE TWELVE ( which is a great book by the way) and DAREDEVIL continues to be the book of the year.

  14. I have to say Daredevil #10. I just finished reading Avenging Spider-Man #1 and teh DD #10 cover just gave away the next issuses I assume.

  15. *The