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 April 2009.
5. The Flash: Rebirth #1 Cover by Ethan Van Sciver
It's easy to forget this book came out in April, mostly because we've been seeing this image for months now as an ad in DC books since it's debut around New York Comic Con earlier this year. I'll be honest, I almost passed this one up in favor of something else, but I realized that just because it has been spread a bit thin doesn't give it any less impact. Van Sciver is known for epic, iconic images like this one, but the hype and excitement (or controversy, depending) surround Barry Allen's return is fairly unique, and justly required a smashing first image to make it clear. Barry is back, no ifs ands or buts. The coolest part about this cover to me isn't even Barry himself, but all the lightning swirling around him. It's so obviously simple, but immediately gives the impression that something big is happening. Combine that with Barry bulling on his boots preparing for speedforce breaking action, and you've got yourself an example of the quintessential cover. It draws your attention, piques your interest, and encourages you to check out just what all the hype is about.
