If you recall last year (it likely felt like it was actually a decade ago), I made a big deal about figures and metrics. Those numbers give our lives (or maybe just mine?) a certain level of meaning and structure — we can assign some value if they’re higher or lower than what we want/expect them to be when it’s time for a final count.
And, sure, this year I was maybe more busy than ever, and likely wrote as much or even more words than my 2023. But none of that really seems to matter as much. Because I’ve been doing Judging by the Cover for some four years now, and in that time I’ve learned a lot. Not only about publishers, creators, and certain titles, but other vital lessons. Like, how I connect with the medium of comics. Or, what trends and tropes we all grapple with in our daily consumption. And best of all, I think I’ve learned to be better — about writing about comics, celebrating what I like (or rallying against what I don’t), and knowing how to share with people to forge these vital connections.
In short, 2024 was less about the facts and figures and more about the feelings. A connection born not out of how much I did, but what I got out of doing what I did. And I hope these best-of picks reflect that: this year has been a chance to be a more loving, vocal, and generally impactful writer and critic of comics. Maybe it only mattered to me, but I’m still better off for it. So, assign whatever value that might have for you and yours; it’s certainly meant a lot to me to keep doing this column and finding new ways for it to improve my life as a writer and fan.
I’ll be seeing you again on Monday, December 30. You can count on that.
Swan Songs #6 (Released 01/08/2024)
Cover by Martin Morazzo
There’s a lot of reasons why this issue of Swan Songs is quite special. For one, it’s the end, and writer W. Maxwell Prince and his various collaborators have put in some solid work. It’s also the last book of a series about endings, and I for one am looking forward to the possibility of a slightly meta twinge. It’s also another collaboration between Prince and Martin Morazzo (aka the duo behind the weird and wonderful Ice Cream Man). But more than all of that, it sees the pair tackle Shel Silverstein’s seminal Where the Sidewalk Ends, which we get to preview via Morazzo’s excellent cover. As the solicitations promise a “dark, morose take on a beloved book of children’s poems,” we get just that (and the hints of a Ice Cream Man crossover to boot!) But dark undercurrents aside, there’s still something joyous and whimsical about this cover — it’s heavy and weird, yeah, but it’ll also make you chuckle. And that balance of energies isn’t just what these two do best but it also speaks to the real emotional spectrum that defines any proper ending. So, sure, be sad that it’s over, but maybe also appreciate that it was a thing in the first place.
Detective Comics #1081 (Released 01/24/2024)
Variant cover by Evan Cagle
Maybe I’m a bit of a chowder-head, but if you can have a fully colored piece versus just black and white, that’s always the best bet/option. It’s like only having one kind of cheese in your mac and cheese recipe, or choosing sprinkles only when you go to Cold Stone Creamery. But as much as I really like Evan Cagle’s main cover to Detective Comics #1,081, I somehow prefer the black and white variant/incentive instead. Maybe because it’s here where the sheer majesty, depth, and intent of his line work becomes so wonderfully clear. Or, that the more I look at said line work, the more I feel the sense of psychic pain and overt unease that defines the story itself. I think it could also be that it’s also this version that exudes more peace from the Bruce Wayne figure, and how that extends and subverts some of the raw emotion here. Pick a reason — heck, even if it’s just that black and white is the new black! — because all of them only hint at the sheer power I feel emanating from this page. Color in this instance, it would seem, only takes a way from a really profound snapshot of the way this book is affecting readers across the whole dang experience.
Antarctica #8 (Released 02/07/2024)
Cover by Willi Roberts
If I’m being honest, I didn’t really like Antarctica that much. So much so, in fact, that I sort of bailed after the first issue, and that’s not really like me given how I want to give everything the benefit of the doubt (even if that doesn’t always do me any favors). If I had to put my finger on it, I think that debut differed in that it wasn’t just a kind of misstep (that happens all the time in books) but I couldn’t really see how they might get back on track or “recover.” I was mostly OK with that decision until I saw the cover to the eighth issue from Willi Roberts. Obviously, I have zero idea who this and and what’s going on, and perhaps that alone made this piece all the more appealing. But mostly I love the sense of peace this facilitates (that hue of yellow is doing wonders), and yet the state of our “friend” here clearly counters some of that serenity with tinges of anxiety/worry. I love the near-sci-fi feel, and how that feels both oddly comforting somehow and still just a touch uncertain (and perhaps even terrifying somehow). And, of course, the kind of digital markings or “language” here — I may still have no idea what’s happening, but it feels like a really exciting development. Is this cover alone enough to make me go back and read the series? Maybe, especially if it can capture 1/10th of this emotionality.
The Flash #6 (Released 02/28/2024
Variant cover by James Stokoe
As a rule, I’ll cover almost any cover from James Stokoe. The man knows his way around a pencil and ink, as he constantly manages to show us, with great depth and precision, these increasingly bizarre and mind-boggling landscapes and battle scenes. That is certainly true for this cover to Flash #6, which promises to end the first arc of this book by answering the question of the Stillness’ ongoing pleas to a higher power. And based on Stokoe’s own variant cover, we’re certainly getting something akin to a Speed Force higher power, with these large Mutant Flash God Monsters encircling our boy for the Speed Force version of that scene in Prometheus where they meet that Engineer/progenitor dude. Sure, maybe they’re actually far more benign, but it’s Stokoe that bypasses any of the actual story elements or silly morality to give us what we really need: some super psychedelic, Jack Kirby-esque sci-fi oddities that feel like a powerful part of a story that’s been obsessed with pushing the Flash into some very bizarre, very fruitful territory. The kind of unspeakable weirdness that gets people thinking just how decidedly kooky The Flash’s lore already is, and how pushing it even further gives us a chance to reconsider a man who can run faster than the speed of light and works with an elemental force of nature like some goofy buddy cop movie. Let’s hope this doesn’t mean all the weirdness has been used up in one cover (seems unlikely), and that this is the beginning of a traipse down the metaphysical rabbit hole.
Washed in the Blood #1 (Released 03/13/2024)
Cover by Jorge Corona
The solicitation for Washed in the Blood #1 makes reference to a place called “Freak Snow” and even “Black Mirror with a post-apocalyptic twist.” But I’m most interested in the bigger question it poses: “What if you were called upon by the worst god of all time?” I assume that is the very god at the center of this cover from Jorge Corona, who as far as deities go look like a Jack Kirby creation mixed with some reject creation from the Avatar series. (Or, if Gamora was mixed with Galactus somehow.) So, given some of the strange, sometimes terrible gods in various pantheons, this one doesn’t seem so bad. Sure, the whole abduction thing isn’t optimal, but then who else gets facetime with an actual deity anymore? And it feels like all those hive things would be super sticky and/or quite smelly, and that might also pose some real concerns. But then that’s just the nature of most gods: they’re sort of peculiar in their ways, and we’re left to deal with that. Still, I have to give ample points for creativity: I’ve never really seen a god like this one, and good, bad, or otherwise, it already feels like it’ll make this book all the more interesting. Sure, beats having to pray the altar of Sterquilinus, right?
Kneel Before Zod #4 (Released 04/03/2024)
Cover by Jason Shawn Alexander
I get that after The Walking Dead Deluxe #86 cover, maybe we don’t need another “character staring through the human wreckage they’ve just wrought onto their foe.” But what can I say, I’m a fan of very specific tropes, especially when said tropes involve really intense body horror. But what I can say about this cover from Jason Shawn Alexander is that it’s markedly different from Walking Dead‘s offering. For one, there’s heaps of rage and fury permeating this piece, and that adds a wholly different, altogether more unsettling tone and feel to the piece. The “victim” here may also be a robot of some kind, and while that doesn’t leave as much space for totally awesome viscera, the destruction of mechanical parts and frayed circuits and whatnot is still nearly as satisfying. I also really like that I can’t tell if Zod used just his laser vision and/or his bare hands, and that small sliver of uncertainty only extends the rawness and sheer emotionality of this cover. So, yeah, there’s only so much that you can do with this core trope, but this cover demonstrates that it’s all about the execution and bits of “innovation” over the final product. Even if said final product continues to be the best visual device this side of “Clifftop Caterwauling.”
Blood Hunt #1 (Released 05/01/2024)
Variant cover by David Baldeón
The PR folks are calling Blood Hunt the “bloodiest Marvel event ever.” And, hey, there’s nothing I love more than a big summer event that’s all about how vampires have “risen from the dark and hidden places of the world as one to drown the Marvel Universe in blood.” Not only because the use of blood in fiction is among my favorite devices for messing with people physically and physiologically, but that means we get more of a starring role for the Cal Ripken, Jr. of vampire hunters, Blade. And speaking of the Daywalker, he’s the cover star for this terrifying and amazing variant cover from David Baldeón. Part of me loves the idea, as I’d already mentioned, of giving a little more spotlight to Blade; he’s a perfect cover star not just for a vamp-centric story but also one that’s likely to call for his specific brand of moping/badassery/intensity etc. On the other hand, the idea of blood/spit combining in such a way causes a deeply, deeply unsettling chill to crawl down the entirety of my spine and pool in my stomach as endless worry and dread. It’s really great artistry, yeah, but if I stare at it too long I just start to dry heave. So I guess you can say that Blood Hunt is already off to a truly amazing start!
Carnage #7 (Released 05/15/2024)
Cover by Juan Ferreyra
Yes, I did just cover Carnage #5 in April. And, no, I won’t apologize — your boy needs more body horror in his life, and he’s going to share it with you no matter what your complaints. Because while there’s some pretty steep competition in the comics biz, artist Juan Ferreyra once again proves why he’s a true master. (And also why we may want to check in on him and/or search his backyard every now and again.) It begins, oddly enough, with the uneven angle of Cletus — it’s that not-so-natural angle or layout that instantly tells us something is wrong (even if we can’t wholly place our finger on it). From there, it becomes pretty obvious that all is not right at all as Carnage consumes its beloved host in a way that you’d be consumed by fire or devoured by crocodiles — in a massively painful manner that almost strips away every shred of your humanity. I especially like that we’ve caught him mid-transformation; it further plays up the lack of humanity (that’s a proper theme of Carnage in general) as well as trying to invite us into scarng and shocking ourselves by trying to understand just what’s going on with this piece. And if all that subtle, more thoughtful stuff doesn’t appeal to you somehow, spend a few minutes enjoying bloody tissue claws ripping up a human body.
Crocodile Black #2 (Released 06/12/2024)
Variant cover by Anand Radhakrishnan
As he tells it, artist Anand Radhakrishnan is just about done with covers for 2024. As such, we’re all luckier than a four leaf clover to be able to peep this utterly bonkers variant cover to Crocodile Black #2. There’s just so much to love about this cover, and that of course begins with the actual art. I make a lot of “this is like X on drugs or whatever,” but I generally thought that I was on the worst shrooms trip ever when I saw this. It’s the kind of in-your-face (get it?) and unwavering piece that makes you deeply upset but also makes it physically impossible to turn away from such a robust accomplishment. And not only is it brain-meltingly appealing, but I love the counter it presents to the more streamlined, wholly sleek art from this book (including Andrea Sorrentino’s own main cover) — it just adds a whole new set of layers and dimensions to this book. That’s especially true as the book begins to take shape in issue #2 — as the solicitation talks about Leo “(taking) a liking to Danny’s violent tendencies…,” the overt edginess and heft of this variant cover really starts to resonate even deeper than it has thus far. Sometimes you want a piece that doesn’t make sense because it just works so damn well, and this one cuts to the core of this still-young book to tell us everything we need to know — which is mostly, things are getting bad and we aren’t ready whatsoever.
Universal Monsters: Creature from the Black Lagoon Lives! #3 (Released 06/26/2024)
Cover by Dave Stewart and Matthew Roberts
Whether I mentioned it enough in my own reviews, the ongoing Creature from the Black Lagoon Lives! series really focuses on dichotomy. For one thing, there’s two writers (Dan Watters and Ram V) and often a couple artists (including Dave Stewart and Matthew Roberts) on this issue and cover. More importantly, the book itself is interested in idea of humanity versus our baser interests as well as the line we cross from good and decent people to outright killers. And it’s that very consistent interest that has informed this cover to issue #3, which explores the “surprising connection” that both Collier and Kate Marsden share with the Creature. This piece does a damn good job of showing the kind of “imperfect” dichotomy at play in this book — it’s not an even split between man and minster. One finger alone, for instance, rides the line between regular old phalange and a transformation into something more monstrous. And that says a lot: the lines between things and ideals aren’t so clear cut, and we can often ebb and flow between these “pillars” on a spectrum that’s infuriating to experience but a joy to watch play out across a story. That, and it can be hard to tell just which “side” is winning, which is another valuable point about how we force ourselves into these binary choices and how the world’s more ugly, brilliant, and entirely complicated. It’s just one function of this generally great book, and how it continues to do interesting things with a large fish man.
The Last Mermaid #5 (Released 07/03/2024)
Cover by Derek Kirk Kim
The Last Mermaid is one of those books that I’ve adored from the get go but couldn’t always feature or discuss because of the covers. Not that writer-artist Derek Kirk Kim has been slacking in that department; rather, I just don’t think some of the covers thus far haven’t really captured the beauty and power of this story of a mermaid trying to survive the horrors of a post-apocalyptic desert nightmare. But the cover for issue #5 (the penultimate offering of this “story arc”) finally does it, and we get a perfect snapshot of what Kim has been doing across the first four issues. Namely, the sheer detail provided here; we can practically feel the Mermaid smashing into our faces even as we just see her reflected brilliantly in the face of that giant mutant. And speaking of mutants, there’s a kind of organic but also unnatural vibe to this monstrosity, and that is such an effective design choice and just a small instance of how Kim has shaped and informed this world. And, of course, I can’t speak about the mutant without mentioning the red — it’s such an oppressive-feeling and another sign of how Kim has developed this world with maximum effectiveness. Heck, even the vaguely magazine-style layout/format just proves how unique this book is amid a sea of great titles. Get on this one while you can or may you wander your own personal desert hell forever.
The Nice House by the Sea #1 (Released 07/24/2024)
Cover by Álvaro Martínez Bueno
The solicitation for The Nice House by the Sea gives ample room for hyping up its predecessor, The Nice House on the Lake. And why wouldn’t it? James Tynion IV and Álvaro Martínez Bueno really rocked the house with that first series, presenting this tense and inventive take on horror that really made you feel both wholly uncomfortable and fully engaged in this robust, slow-burning mystery. But can the follow-up capture the same kind of magic, especially when the solicitation doesn’t give us too much to go off other than some through teasing (would you expect anything else from this series?) I think the proof is in Martínez Bueno’s own cover to The Nice House by the Sea #1. Not only is it a perfect parallel to Nice House‘s own debut cover — there’s still the skull motif and the subject is raising out of the water into something altogether more unsavory — it’s just as singularly breathtaking and captivating. I could spend hours in my non-artist brain trying to figure out the technique here, and I’d never achieve an answer. But I wouldn’t be mad as this piece just lulls me into a sense of total, motion-stopping peace. And then, only after some extended period of time, would I realize the horrors that I’ve been consuming and the violence and madness waiting inside. That’s this book to a tee, and I know the sequel can continue our exquisite torture.
Uncanny X-Men #1 (Released 08/07/2024)
Variant cover by Scott Koblish
A lot’s happened in the world of X-Men as of late. Krakoa is gone, and Marvel has re-launched several main titles, including X-Men and X-Force. Now comes Uncanny X-men, in which several main mutants “rise from the ashes to face a world without a home.” (Rogue, specifically, seems to be an essential part of this book’s theme of reuniting mutantkind, so that’s super neat.) So in the name of celebrating all mutants everywhere in this scary but exciting time, Scott Koblish has whipped up this visual feast with a wrap-around cover depicting basically every mutant ever. (And if you’re not on this cover, clearly you don’t matter, Forget-Me-Not.) On the one hand, it’s a massively impressive demonstration of Koblish’s robust skills — he’s balanced so many teams and eras and whatnot with such energy and precision alike. At the same time, what’s so impressive is how natural and organic this feels, as if we’re looking at the most amazing school picture day ever, with all the warmth and energy you’d expect from just such a feat. It’s the kind of cover that stops you in your tracks and gets you to think about how this new book is part of an amazing patchwork history, and we get to see thus history continue in front of our every eyes. That’s truly uncanny unbelievable.
Plastic Man No More! #1 (Released 09/04/2024)
Variant cover by Tyler Boss
I recently got the chance to sit down with writer Christopher Cantwell for a proper deep dive into Plastic Man No More! And among the many great insights and perspectives Cantwell shared, one idea emerged to me: we have no idea who Plastic Man truly is. He’s not the shapeshifting joke we assume Eel to be (even as he very much is that), and Cantwell and company seek to capture some of that nuance and layers, this really shapeless, ever-changing humanity, within the miniseries. So, then, what does that have to do with this great Tyler Boss variant cover to issue #1? I think Boss has captured some of what I was talking about — this notion that Eel is a great many things, like varied pieces of art on a gallery. And that gallery “gimmick” has other meaning — this book is very much about Eel discovering some of these things himself, and so what better device to use than a gallery where huge truths are so casually laid out for our consumption? And, of course, we have to talk about the whole melting thing — it’s not only about this being a book about death, but also the way these truths can break us down and even how we’re maybe forced to keep it all together despite that process. It’s a cover that provides so much contextual and emotional value, and prepares us for the way this book might break opening our understanding of PM but also ideas of death, parenthood, and legacies. More like “Plastic Much More,” amirite?!
Zatanna: Bring Down The House #4 (Released 09/25/2024)
Cover by Javier Rodríguez
Inside of Zatanna: Bring Down The House, Mariko Tamaki and Javier Rodríguez have been telling one heck of a story about everyone’s favorite DC magical badas. (That isn’t John Constantine.) But on the main covers, Rodríguez himself has been telling a story all on his own. Each cover has not only been a different color (perhaps to mirror some emotional sentiment or other vital character-related thread?), but there’s something else. After issue #1, where Zatanna had her back turned as if she was mid-trick, the resulting issues feel like they’ve all been part of some larger trick. Which makes sense given that issue #2 and issue #3 maintained a steady focus on rabbits and hats. So, then, how does said trick move to Paris and suddenly involve Constantine himself? Well, this is a magical superhero we’re dealing with, and clearly Zatanna would have the skill and power to execute such a deeply complicated trick. But what I think it speaks to is how magic is used and regarded here — as if all of this is one big journey to the prestige, with layers and turns we couldn’t see coming. Story as a stage show, if you will, and just another demonstration of the magic that this book’s unleashing across every aspect. And even if I’m way off, just enjoy a little romance from the City of Lights, yeah?
Nightwing #118 (Released 10/16/2024)
Variant cover by Bruno Redondo
How do you truly commemorate an end? Especially that of the 40-issue run of Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo, who in this chap’s estimation have helped redefine and elevate Dick Grayson for a whole new generation. I think the best answer is to lean into everything good about this run, which Redondo himself does so absolutely perfectly with this variant cover to issue #118. While the issue itself promises a bit final battle between Nightwing and Heartless and Tony Zucco, the cover is a kind of best-of for Mr. Grayson’s growth as a premier DC hero. Like, the way Batman himself even smirks, acknowledging their new relationship and Dick’s own A-list standing. The always adorable Haley, who has become not just a source of joy but representative of Dick putting down roots as he develops in some vital ways. And speaking of friends, this book wouldn’t be what it is without both the Bat Family and Titans, and how that family has been crucial in Nightwing’s specific evolution. But best of all, a fourth wall-smashing adieu from the hero himself — a chance to recognize that we’ve been part of this story the whole time. Goodbyes suck, but this one makes all the sadness and longing feel really good. Until next time, Nightwing, may you fall ever higher.
Absolute Batman #2 (Released 10/16/2024)
Variant cover by Daniel Warren Johnson
No joke, I’ve had this cover as my phone wallpaper for a couple months. The 1,734,228 times I open my phone each and every day, I see another powerful piece from Daniel Warren Johnson, who isn’t just on a roll but does Batman like few other artists. Sure, the main cover (from series artist Nick Dragotta) has a sweet preview of the Dark Knight vs. Alfred Pennyworth battle royale that’s brewing in issue #2, but there’s a reason I just can’t get enough of DWJ’s offering. For one, he presents an especially solid version of “Jumbo Batman” — there’s an overt power but more so a sense of kinetic energy and even litheness as Bats’ sheer presence demands so much gravity and attention. I also love that the smashed robo-henchmen feel rather human, and that that kind of savagery and slight perception does so much to inform and shape our understanding of this “new’ Batman. Heck, even the minimalist, near-future-y architecture is important in trying to create and foster a mood and give this Batman his own space in the comics. I’ll continue to have this piece on my phone for sometime, because it just speaks to so much of what I love and appreciate about DWJ, Batman in general, and how the right tweaks can have so much power in establishing a new story/version of a character. 932-2005!
The Amazing Spider-Man #60 (Released 10/30/2024)
Cover by John Romita, Jr., Scott Hanna, and Marcio Menyz
In recent months, the cover squad over at The Amazing Spider-Man (John Romita, Jr., Scott Hanna, and Marcio Menyz) has been getting heaps of love from this column. They’re basically becoming the new Alex Ross or “God, I sure do hate Scott Summers.” But just look at the cover to issue #60, which also happens to be Zeb Wells’ own farewell issue, and tell me that the thing most consistently amazing is the covers. Because in an issue that’s going to be all about surprise guests and a prelude to “The Eight Deaths of Spider-Man” story/event, this simple but dark and direct cover speaks to exactly what the trio have done in recent months. You can feel the almost jagged qualities of the webs; it’s as if Spidey’s crawling across tension wires. There’s no grace or playfulness to our hero’s pose, and that just feels like such a beaming message about where he is leading into this issue. And just the way shadows and darkness operate here — it’s a different kind of unsettling and insidious. All together, those aspects make for a cover that feels appropriately intense — for what’s going to happen, what’s about to come, and how this book’s tried to do interesting things with Spider-Man (even if it hasn’t always been a rousing success). Forget happy endings, give me more of this each and every time.
Storm #2 (Released 11/20/2024)
Cover by Mateus Manhanini
Hopefully this isn’t a spoiler by now (it’s been a month, folks), but Storm #1 was a big way to kick off a solo book. Storm has, without also spoiling too much of the means, found herself staring at her final days after the Oklahoma Incident “turned her cells into ticking time bombs.” So, in issue #2, she’ll either get life-saving help from Night Nurse’s medical capabilities or enchantments courtesy of Doctor Voodoo. And based on this cover from Mateus Manhanini, it would seem as if Voodoo might be the best/only bet, but I think it goes deeper still. Storm being consumed by magic and wildlife is an extra powerful metaphor for death — she finds herself being dragged by things she may not full grasp or connect with, and that’s a terrifying end if there ever was one. That, and there’s a kind of shock mixed with defiance on Storm’s face, as if she’s trying to work through the sharpness and suddenness of it all, and to retain herself amid this slow creeping terror. Add in the sheer detail — that water on her hands! — that just brings this situation home and makes it feel so undeniably real. For all her power, Storm ultimately finds herself in a universal position, and that grounds her in a way that only makes her all the more approachable and compelling. Let’s hope this isn’t end, but if it is, it’s one for the ages.
The Toxic Avenger #3 (Released 12/11/2024)
Cover by Fred Harper
Admittedly, I wasn’t the biggest fan of The Toxic Avenger #2. It’s less that it was outwardly “bad” but rather indicative of the issues that creators can face when updating and/or adopting a beloved franchise like Toxic Avenger. Still, I’m more than willing to see if Matt Bors and Fred Harper can get back on track, and it seems like that could be easy enough with issue #3 as they promise a confrontation between Toxie and “the armored Radiation Rangers.” For one, baddies that look like a mix of Doom Guy and Gatchaman does a lot for me, and it’s another way this still-young book can play around/remix pop culture in a way that adds to its own efforts. I also love that we’re getting more “face time” with Melvin’s tutu: it’s the one aspect of this story that I think can link both the original flick and this adaptation in a way that’s actually meaningful. Plus, the squishiness of Toxie’s design continues to be really important in showing how this certain Avenger has something new to add. And if nothing else, more toxic action is always going to be important — we need that rush if the story’s emotional and thematic interests can really take root. This disaster ain’t nearly over, and I’m ready to keep wading through the sludge.
