My love/hate relationship with variant covers will swing wildly to love in December when DC Comics releases books with Darwyn Cooke variants. These are landscape style covers and they show the DCU that exists in my mind. The covers were sprinkled over many websites but Comics Alliance gathered them all up here: http://comicsalliance.com/darwyn-cooke-dc-variants-december/
Now I have talked about my love for Darwyn Cooke in the past. I tried desperately to get a commission from him at the Boston Comic Con a couple of years ago (he wasn't sketching). His look is clean, nostalgic, beautiful.
I have to showcase the Supergirl variant, a complete throwback to a simpler time. From the blue skirt to the super-pets, this is Silver Age gorgeousness. We see a smiling Supergirl rarely these days and it's a shame.
This is perfect.
Yes I will hopefully be buying this.
And while all the covers are beautiful, I have to highlight my favorites.
The Justice League United cover is a great group shot featuring Supergirl in her new uniform. It reminds me of the ending splashes of New Frontier when we saw the heroes flying in the same manner.
It is a Supergirl variant so I may end up buying this.
I had a hard time just picking a couple of others to show. They are all so good.
I loved this Batman/Superman cover. It showcases so many things I wish was true in comics today. Look at how easy they are around each other, even in the aftermath of an adventure. You can tell they are easy friends. Batman smiling!! Superman relaxed and willing to show that he was worried.
This is perfect.
Check out the Wonder Woman cover with Diana in battle against some hyena-like or Minotaur soldiers.
No sword on her hip. Just her magic lasso and her tenacity.
What is not to love about this cover.
This is perfect.
The idea of the Silver Age Teen Titans being a rock band seems like it would be plausible in Bob Haney books. And Wally on drums seems dead on. I love how Wonder Girl and Speedy are leaning against each other as they jam. This is one of the sillier covers but it works.
And it reminded me ... again ...how much I miss Donna Troy.
This is perfect.
Contrast that cover to this cover of Batgirl. There is no silliness here, just hard core action. There is a pulpy, noir feel to this with the dark colors and stark angle of the bike. Despite that, Babs is smiling, like a femme fatale.
This is perfect.
I really am not a fan of variant covers. I wish these were the main covers so everyone, including me, could easily nab some. I might buy a new book simply for this cover. Isn't that what covers should do? Put new books in readers' hands?
Anyways ... these are beautiful and perfect. I'm going to start saving my pennies.
The crafty thing about DC's new system is that the themed covers in a given month can actually be ordered separately from the main covers and aren't tied to a 1:25 or 1:50 order ratio. So a shop that wants them can order as many as they like! The first month in which they did this was June with the bombshell covers, and we saw how much that affected the orders of the books which had one. It's an excellent sales-boosting scheme for DC. Comic shops didn't go quite so wild for the Batman or Selfie covers, but I'd be amazed if Cooke's covers aren't popular, I expect serious demand for these. It's a nice serendipity that Supergirl's book is included in the gimmick in the first two months of the new writing team. Variants are only a short-term gimmick of course, but hopefully some of the people who buy it for the cover will actually read it and give the new story a chance in the medium-term too. If it's good, that is, that's the big question!
ReplyDeleteI like all of Cooke's covers, there isn't a single bad one. I'd be tempted to buy them all if I had money to burn.
I, too, normally detest the alternate cover gimmick ... but in this case I'm thinking there are at least a couple I'll have to get. Supergirl, of course; Aquaman, definitely; Teen Titans -- and I'm not even getting that title! If cost were not an issue, I'd probably get them all.... Dammit, DC, for making me feel like a hypocrite!
ReplyDeleteDarwyn Cooke is among my favorite artists of all time and certainly one of the best living creators in the business. So many of these variant covers are, as you said, perfect. Cooke captures the heroes at their best, most iconic. The Wonder Woman, Flash and Green Lantern covers look like they came right out of The New Frontier, and I agree that the Teen Titans as a rock band sounds like a missing chapter from Bob Haney's Greatest Hits.
ReplyDeleteWhat's best, though, is I think you really lucked out here, Anj. The Supergirl cover is one of the Top 3, in my opinion, along with Aquaman and Batman & Robin. The carefree joy on Kara's face. The Superpets. Pa Kent (I assume) waving from the tractor in the distance. Absolutely beautiful!
Thanks for all the comments.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know they were like the Bombshell or selfie ones, same cover price. I guess I might be trying some new books that month.
They are all awesome. If I had to pick 3, I'd go Supergirl, Wonder Woman, Titans.
It's great Supergirl has grown to the point where she will hopefully get regular variants.
ReplyDeleteI will be picking up JLU and Supergirl for sure.
JLU has been on a constant roll with the Variants different shots of the various team members smiling yes please.
Oh my word, these are so beautiful - surely DC wouldn't miss a trick and deny us the lot as a calendar, or poster book?
ReplyDeleteOf the ones you show, the only change I'd make would be to stick Diana in her classic shorts, I'm not a fan of the flappy-dappy armour skirt.
Of the ones you don't show, there are so many that are equally gorgeous - Arthur and Mera snogging in the surf, Clark's cupboard, Wayne Manor ... I so wish there was a Legion pic in there.