Comic Book Resources

Why aren’t these articles archived like the rest of CSBG?

Also, I like that Scherberger drawing, what else has he done?

They’re archived like the rest of the blog – just check out the “Categories” section on the top right of the sidebar – “Judging Books By Their Covers” is its own category with an archive of all the “Judging Books By Their Covers” posts.

Scherberger was the very first winner of CBR’s Comic Book Idol a few years back! He’s done a number of Marvel Adventures Spider-Man issues.

The fantastic four chick looks like they took a guy gardner face from JLI, stuck a wig on it and grew him some boobs.

/ shudder

@ Brian; yeah but that’s only the ones from the CBR time.

I googled him a few minutes ago and he has really improved! Good on him

Also, what’s Mary Jane wearing? Seems kind of skanky.

ZOH MY GOD! You can see her navel! What a whore! Back in my day the women wore the burkas and they liked it!

I must say, I recall Yanick Paquette being HORRID in the 90s if I’m thinking of the right guy. To see that image from him, I must give him props. If I’m thinking of the same guy, he’s improved DRAMATICALLY. Very good show, I’m quite impressed.

That DD cover is pretty awesome. I love that X-Factor cover as well.

Am I the only one who thinks that Simone Bianchi work looks like something you’d get from a pack of Marvel cards, circa 1995?

The thing is, I’m pretty sure this is the second Stilt-Man.

Aw c’mon Brian,

it’s not like Zemo’s not the most interesting Marvel character of the last 10 years or anything. Past Omega Flight and maybe McDuffie’s FF, there’s nothing I’m looking forward to at Marvel more than the Zemo mini. He’s such a flawed, fascinating, multi-layered character, sort of like how Black Adam was used in JSA.

Yeah, sure, when I was a kid I laughed at how stupid his Secret Wars action looked with the poofy, furry arm things, but he’s still the best thing Marvel has going.

It’s not the navel, it’s how form-fitting the clothes are. If I see a 16-year-old girl wearing something like that, I’m gonna be totally creeped out.

It’s no Supergirl, but it’s close.

But, again, I certainly allow for the fact that that is, in fact, what kids dress like these days – so I’m acknowledging possible fuddy-duddyness.

My word! Those Horn covers are some of the worse covers he’s done. That Ms. Marvel cover is wretched. Heck, I can drag a better Ms. Marvel than that! And the facial expressions on She Hulk and Wolverine are so eye bleeding! Why can’t Mike Mayhew do a Shulkie cover every now and then? Or pull Adi Granov away from the Iron Man movie and have him do a cover.

@ Brian; yeah but that’s only the ones from the CBR time.

Ah yeah, good point.

Honestly, it would just be sooo much darn work for me to do that – as it’d involve uploading something like 1400 pictures on to the CBR photo servers.

Maybe I can put together some links to the blogspot ones?

My word! Those Horn covers are some of the worse covers he’s done. That Ms. Marvel cover is wretched. Heck, I can drag a better Ms. Marvel than that! And the facial expressions on She Hulk and Wolverine are so eye bleeding! Why can’t Mike Mayhew do a Shulkie cover every now and then? Or pull Adi Granov away from the Iron Man movie and have him do a cover.

I totally agree that his facial expressions and anatomy leave much to be desired, but Horn in the past was basically resigned to covers just featuring, like, She-Hulk straddling a fence or She-Hulk straddling Starfox or She-Hulk in a swimsuit carrying the scales of justice….so these are marked improvements in cover design.

The thing is, I’m pretty sure this is the second Stilt-Man.

Is it? He’s bald like the first Stilt-Man. He looks like Wilbur Day. But if it isn’t the first Stilt-Man, then I’m okay with it.

Michael: the solicits seem to indicate it’s OG Stilt Man and not the guy who showed up in Marvel Team-Up. Which is cool. I mean, sure they kill him off, buy anybody can wear that suit.

I really like the Punisher and X-23 covers, which I’d rank higher. Both make me wanna peer inside the book. The X-Factor cover is really sweet too. (I should probably be reading that title.) As for Uncanny, well, the covers reflect the rigor mortis that’s slowly been creeping into the story. (For one thing, Vulcan’s a blah villain.)

A big HELL YES on that Daredevil cover. I just had a good chuckle over that. It’s a treat when a title does something really unexpected on its cover (like the recent Lone Wolf & Cub homage in Catwoman).

Am I the only one who thinks the titles on Marvel Comics are way too long? They oughtta lay off the whole colon-subtitle thing. It’s dopey, sometimes crossing over into ludicrous. I mean, “Thunderbolts Presents: Zemo — Born Better” ?!

I actually like that Andrews Spider-Man cover. Doc Ock looks like a big spider.

Venom? Okay. The Juggernaught? Fine. But Barracuda? They’re making Barracuda the hero of a comic? What next? I know! A team-up comic starring Adolph Hitler and Benito Mussolini: Power Mad & Iron Fist!

They’re making Barracuda the hero of a comic?

There’s a difference between a hero and a protagonist.

It’s not the navel, it’s how form-fitting the clothes are.

Spider-man: total tramp.

Right, and if Peter Parker came to school wearing clothes as form-fitting as his Spider-Man costume, that’d be pretty darn weird, no?

– Actually, isn’t that Frenz cover at least slightly like the cover of Daredevil v.1 #172?

— Exiles #91 looks to me like another Extracted Panel Cover.

— newuniversal’s covers look like graphic design portfolio pieces or promotional posters for some kind of seminar.

— That Wisdom cover, like the last few, does a perfect job capturing the spirit and appeal of the book.

— Why do all of David Mack’s covers for White Tiger make her look like she’s either stoned or postcoitally blissed out?

— I think my problem with the MJ attire on the Ultimate SPidey cover isn’t so much that it’s skanky as that it looks more like a superhero’s getup than a normal person’s. It’s not a belly shirt and jeans so much as it’s a supertight cutoff tee and spandex pants with a belt. I’ve literally never seen a real person dressed like that outside a Halloween party. I tend to find Bagley’s male and female figures pretty sexless, at any rate, because he’s so stylized and cartoony.

— Of course, if you think MJ’s outfit is skanky, it’s still not as bad as Storm forgetting to wear pants on Turner’s cover. Good thing it cuts off where it does….

I like the Yu cover as well but this one immediately came to mind: http://www.comics.org/coverview.lasso?id=38794&zoom=4

Why, Brian Cronin? Why did you omit the cover of Hellstorm #5?

Does the Ghost Rider: Trail of Tears cover remind anyone else of Too Much Coffee Man?

Check out the last panel of this comic and tell me Ghost Rider’s not ready to suck down some java and rant about consumer culture…

http://ringlord.com/people/walrus/tmcm/022-big_death.jpg

Girls Mary Jane’s age today absolutely dress like skanks, and their moms think it’s cute and encourage it. But, Mary Jane’s been dressing like that through the entire run of USM.

Hey Brian,

every month, my girl and I are glued to the monitor to see your judgement on one of my covers that I’ve done in the previous month and it has always been great fun to read your crits or compliments. Thanks for pulling this off and putting the effort into this little thing. It keeps us entertained!

Best
Marko

I agree about the skank thing, but in addition, her body is drawn way too much like a hot gym rat body, similar to Madonna’s recent overtoned physique. What 16 year old suburban girl is ripped like that?

BTW, FWIW: I care that they killed off the Jester and Jack O’Lantern. I mean, I don’t care a lot, but I do care. Marvel’s business is managing intellectual property–you’d think they would avoid capriciously killing off characters in much the same way that landlords would avoid capriciously blowing up their own buildings. (It’s worse when they do this with heroes, who are potential titles they can publish, but every hero needs a villain, and if you keep bumping them off, you’ll have to keep bringing them back. And that strains audience goodwill.)

Pretty sure the new Avengers cover and the She Hulk cover are both nods to previous Daredevil and Incredible Hulk covers. I’ll have to look it up and post some scans.

And if Katie Power becomes possesed by Venom in the actual comic, I’m so going to buy that.

Speaking as a fan of all things Punisher, I’d love to see a Barracuda/Russian team-up!

and if Peter Parker came to school wearing clothes as form-fitting as his Spider-Man costume, that’d be pretty darn weird, no?

Your judgments in this area don’t seem to be limited to school attire. You didn’t say Mary Jane was dressed inappropriately for school; you said she looked skanky. I would suggest this “skankiness” you keep noticing has less to do with the “form-fittingness” of her clothing, which has been de rigueur in superhero comics for well over half a century now, and much more to do with the fact that she has two X chromosomes and a vagina.

I would suggest this “skankiness” you keep noticing has less to do with the “form-fittingness” of her clothing, which has been de rigueur in superhero comics for well over half a century now, and much more to do with the fact that she has two X chromosomes and a vagina.

Fair enough.

You would be wrong, then.

ETA: That was far too pissy on my part. I apologize. I still definitely disagree with you, but doesn’t mean I have to be all lame and pissy in response to it. Terribly sorry.

Hey Brian,

every month, my girl and I are glued to the monitor to see your judgement on one of my covers that I’ve done in the previous month and it has always been great fun to read your crits or compliments. Thanks for pulling this off and putting the effort into this little thing. It keeps us entertained!

Best
Marko

Glad you’re digging ‘em, Marko!

Dr. DOOM attending the funeral for STILT-MAN???

Uh…WHY?

Doom thinx:

“At LAST! NOW I can steal the technology for that simpering Stiltman’s expandable / retractable limbs!
Then I can design a NEW suit of armor for myself that will allow me to combat that accursed RICHARDS in his own style!

RICHARDS!!!!!!”

Yeah. That MUST be it.

~P~
P-TOR

“Is that what the kids are wearing these days?”

No, it’s definitely not. This is another example of the truism that most superhero comic book artists have absolutely no idea how to draw real clothing, let alone what females wear. This may have something to do with their lack of experience in that area.

Honourable mentions:

Spider-man: Reign 3 – because he makes Doc Ock look strange and edgy and that’s an achievement
Ghost Rider 8 – cos it’s scary
Punisher War Journal 4 – nice set up, funny and look at all the bad guys in their suits and masks – I mean, that’s weird
New Excalibur 16 – very good group shot
New X-Men 35 – nice and slightly off kilter portrait

Top Five

5 Daredevil 94 – a brilliant cover by JR Snr, reflecting times gone by, very sweet, very cool.

4 White Tiger 4 – because David Mack is brilliant and doesn’t he make White Tiger look like she has bags of attitude?

3 X-23 3 – another disturbing cover – is the reflection thing a reoccuring theme? Shesh, this Choi can draw.

2 New Avengers 27 – odd and original and seriously stunning.

1 Ultimate X-Men 79 – just a sweet, breathtaking portrait.