There is a veritable cornucopia of new comics hitting stands each week. While readers often know exactly what it is they’re most interested in (those in the know have got their pull-list sitting in their comic shop’s ever-reliable hands), there is something to be said about going against that old truism and Judging a Book by Its Cover.
Some truly astounding cover art hits each and every week, and these are the ones that caught Colin’s eye the week of May 21st, 2025.
Amazing Spider-Man #4
Variant by Mark Chiarello
There is something of a classic animation production sketch to this creepy Hobgoblin cover — the chunky lines, the pastel smears — or, really, of a very particular style of commercial art of the 1950s. I’m not entirely sure why that does it for me (I’m not sure what I mean by “it” in this scenario, but that’s a question for brighter aesthetic minds than me), but it really does. This is a retro Halloween image, almost, and that appeals to both my sense of childhood wonder and my appreciation for clean, immaculate portrayals of modern myth.
Batman and Robin: Year One #7
Variant by Javier Rodríguez
It feels as if I’ve included every Batman and Robin: Year One issue, which seems appropriate: the slate of main cover and variant cover artists has been fantastic. This Rodríguez cover had a little competition this week, but the title treatment being repurposed as a batarang really sold me here. It is a subtle inclusion in a long tradition of messing with the title (you might remember Hulk smashing through his own title, and other equally iconic examples that you might rightly assume that I could reference off the top of my head, no problem, don’t you worry about that).
Darkwing Duck #4
Variant by Ciro Cangialosi
Quackerjack has BIG Arcade vibes in this image: finally, Disney has embraced the much-clamored-for inclusion of an animated Murderworld. It is truly a fine day to be a comics ‘n cartoons fan. We can all rest easier knowing that St. Canard’s psychopaths have embraced their true, muder-gimmicky potential.
Detective Comics #1097
Varianty by Ashley Wood
Who is this giant soldier robot and why is he throwing a tantrum? One must assume that it Batman has — quite accidentally, certainly — done something to upset the big boy. Perhaps he has unjustly knocked the robot’s ice cream from his hand, or perhaps he has naively denied the boy’s request to get ice cream at all. Perhaps the boy is simply in need of a robo-nap. Whatever the case, he’s stomping that poor belfy to bits and there’s nothing Bruce Wayne can do about it.
Superman Unlimited #1
Variant by Frank Quitely
We’ve all got Supes on the mind this summer — they’ve made an entire extended holiday of the thing — and, because of this, we’re all thinking just a little bit about All-Star Superman (even those of you who aren’t always thinking a little bit about All-Star Superman). Getting Frank Quitely to contribute a cover to the new Superman Unlimited book is a (perhaps unjust) nod to one of the greatest Superman stories of all time. Few people draw the Man of Steel in such a spindly, buff-but-wonky way, and it’s a delight to see every time.
Thunderbolts: Doomstrike #5
Variant by Iván Talavera
I truly cannot begin to fathom the sweaty hell Black Widow must endure every time she takes off that shiny, presumably air-tight costume. I imagine that her post-mission routine includes a forced fluid intake, a sort of superheroic superhydration reserved for only the sneakiest of spies. Talavera makes her costume super shiny, here, contrasting that smoothness with the more textured layers of Doom and his insignia. I love the red detailing across her collarbones.
Vampirella #2
Variant by Jenny Frisson
It is not possible to include a Vampirella cover in this column without some accusations being bandied about that we are a cheesecake feature intended to a very particular type of illustration pervert, and though it is not my job to argue the merits of skimpy clothing in an industry not infrequently hostile to women, I can say that Vampirella has become an unavoidable fixture of pulpy pop culture and must be embraced. Doubly so if the incredible Jenny Frisson presents a clean, rather iconic feeling masterpiece in which the character looks dutifully bitey. This is a Vampirella who will eat someone and think nothing of it.
Weapon X-Men #4
Cover by ChrisCross
Red Ronin! It’s a joy to see the forgotten and esoteric of the Marvel Universe get a nice, shiny new cover treatment. For those unfamiliar: our big robo-boy was a creation for Marvel’s (insanely canonical) Godzilla book in the 1970s. ChrisCross does a wonderful job at making the robot feel massive on this cover, which is infused with a lot of energy and chaos below. Also love to see a massive, should-mounted Cable canon and Chamber doing literally anything again.
Colin shares his favorite covers from this week’s new comics. Read More