One of the beautiful things about the comic book medium is that it is one of the few art forms that allows readers to both literally and figuratively judge books by their covers. The work of a cover artist is not always to encapsulate the plot of the issue; in fact, most times the cover is completely unrelated to the content inside. The primary job of the artist is to make the book stand out - to grab readers by the throat and force them to take a look at the issue, even as it's speckled in with dozens of other books on the shelf, Wednesday after Wednesday.
It is entirely possible to purchase a book based on its cover and find the content inside to be complete drivel, or worse yet, with art that pales in comparison to the work of the cover artist. Alternatively, a poor cover could potentially lead readers away from books that are otherwise goldmines. There's a lot riding on that cover, so CraveOnline is taking it upon ourselves to take a look at the covers and artists that made us stop dead in our tracks for the month of September 2009.
5. Batgirl #2
Cover by Phil Noto
Though the new Batgirl series may not be living up to its hype, I'm pleased to say that Phil Noto's covers to the series promise to be delivering on a consistent level. Even with cutting off a portion of Stephanie Brown's body (spoiler! heh, get it?), Noto manages to bring an iconic aura to the piece that is laced with sex appeal. This is a prime example of how showing skin and cleavage and asscheeks isn't tantamount to being sexy, but rather body language and shape.
With Batgirl's toes pointed and her hands very gracefully slipping on her boot, Noto is able to emote more classy sensuality than any amount of boobage could deliver. I also adore the plain orange background, making your eye jump right to the figure work rather than being distracted by anything happening behind her.
4. Beasts of Burden #1
Cover by Jill Thompson
I'm going to pummel this series down all of your throats, until every last one of you buys a copy. If I don't get more occult fighting super cute domesticated animals after this mini-series, there will be hell to pay, I promise you this. Issue #1 features a rather simple cover that pretty much sums up the premise of the series, sans the animal's ability to talk. In the creepy red sky we see a skull, as well as a bloodstained tree that hides a pile of bones, clearly representing creepiness. In the foreground we see our cast of players, all of whom are brilliantly painted but looking certifiably creeped out. As such, we can only surmise that this book shall contain creepy situations through which we will get to know said cast of players.
Thompson's cover to the first issue of Beasts of Burden is the perfect example of a cover creating a robust representation of the issue to which it is attached. It helps when the interior artist is the cover artist as well, as you'll often find the image more relatable to what you will read in the book.
