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.