I also thought it might also be a good way to introduce ourselves to any new readers stopping by the new blog, or to re-introduce ourselves to those of you we already know. So without further ado, here are some of our favorites …

Teen Titans Year One #3

Tom Bondurant

Naturally, my list betrays the bias of someone who reads at least 80 percent DC superhero books….

In Teen Titans Year One, writer Amy Wolfram and artists Karl Kerschl (penciller), Serge LaPointe (inker), and Stephane Peru and John Rauch (colorists) produced a playful, entertaining miniseries about the original group of teenage sidekicks. Wolfram, a writer for the Teen Titans cartoon, brought a similar sensibility to her scripts, while paying homage to storylines and elements from the comics of the ’60s and ’70s. Thanks to Kerschl, LaPointe, Peru, and Rauch, the book looked fabulous as well; with issue #5′s Speedy/Wonder Girl date a particular highlight.

After a couple of years, it seems almost obligatory to mention Ed Brubaker’s work on Captain America, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less enjoyable. In 2008, along with artists Steve Epting and Luke Ross, and colorist Frank D’Armata, Brubaker wrapped up the epic “Death of Captain America” storyline, establishing formerly-dead sidekick James B. Barnes as the new Cap and having him head off the Red Skull’s “Manchurian Candidate”-esque takeover of the United States. Although the book continues to have the requisite amount of superhero/super-spy action, its real strength is its characters: Cap, the Falcon, Sharon Carter, the Skull and his villainous crew; and, still hovering over the proceedings, the shadow of their mutual friend Steve Rogers. Fans might still expect Steve to be resurrected one of these days, but Brubaker et al. have shown that the book can succeed without him.

DC’s own espionage-oriented title, Checkmate, was canceled in 2008, some months after the departure of original writer Greg Rucka. However, Rucka, with co-writer Eric Trautmann and artists Joe Bennett and Jack Jadson, went out in style. “Castling” showcased Checkmate’s ultimate battle with the super-terrorists of Kobra, and brought in just about every other DC superhero along the way. Despite the high-profile guests, though, the story belonged squarely to our heroes: spies, diplomats, and the C- and D-list super-characters who had found a home in this title. (“Castling” ran from February through April, with the conclusion of a Mlle. Marie two-parter kicking off the year.) At its best, Checkmate was a blend of Rucka’s street-level work on Gotham Central and his “West Wing”-esque approach to Wonder Woman. The Checkmate-oriented Final Crisis tie-in, Submit (also written by Rucka and Trautmann) was likewise good enough to remind readers what they had been missing.

There’s no elegant segue from superheroes into Bottomless Belly Button, so I won’t try. However, I will say that Dash Shaw’s densely-packed story of one family’s last (?) beach vacation together still manages to work in its own Official Handbook. Maps, charts, and codes inform the world of the Loonys as if they were a group of Avengers. Shaw uses these artifacts, and other sequential-art devices, to great effect. Generally, the Loonys’ adventures are not entirely unpredictable, but Shaw fills his pages with all the information the reader needs. He doesn’t rely on hyper-detailed or over-rendered work, and he manipulates page layouts skillfully. All of these elements come together in a book which looks intimidating and ends up ingratiating.

Finally … yes, we’re back to the super-people; but oh what a fine little title this is. Writer Gail Simone, penciller Nicola Scott, and inker Doug Hazlewood have built upon their successful Birds Of Prey collaboration with Secret Six, a team of misfit super villains who represent the grimy underbelly of DC’s shared universe. Scandal Savage and Rag Doll have parental issues, Deadshot is separated from his wife and child, and Catman (the closest thing the book has to a star) might actually be in love with a superhero. (Bane is the fifth Sixer, for now; and the sixth slot doesn’t seem to stay filled for long.) Currently they’re in the middle of a road trip across the United States, keeping a highly-prized MacGuffin from every other bad guy within striking distance. This is nothing new. Secret Six isn’t about heroism or cool super-powers as much as it is about survival itself; which allows it a certain freedom in how it deals with its characters and their exploits. Although the book has sex, violence and “adult situations,” it all works without being prurient or gratuitous. It doesn’t hurt that Scott, Hazlewood and colorist Jason Wright are all in top form, so the book is very easy on the eyes. This is not necessarily to say that the Sixers make villainy look good — but they sure make reading about it fun.

Stephanie Chan

Deadpool

Two new monthly series caught my attention in 2008. Deadpool came back with a new, fun new solo series. The first story arc was tied into the Secret Invasion crossover, however, reading Secret Invasion was not required. Deadpool single-handedly deals with the Skrull threat in a way that should put the rest of the Marvel Universe to shame. The most refreshing new series that debut in 2008 was Tiny Titans. Art Baltazar and Franco Aureliani puts an adorable spin on the teen heroes. It’s kid-friendly but so well done; I’ve shown this series to more friends than any other this year.

Saddest news of 2008 was the demise of DC’s Minx line. Targeted to teen/young adult readers, these books were some of the best comics no one read. Not easily found in most comics shops or chain retail outlets, critics suggest the short-lived imprint died before it had a chance to find its audience. My favourite was Emiko Superstar, by Mariko Tamaki and Steve Rolston. It’s a great coming-of-age story about a self-described geek trapped in babysitting hell, until she breaks out as an underground art star. I sincerely hope the creators from Minx find new homes to continue telling these stories.

Michael May

Strangeways: Murder Moon
There’s a lot to love about Matt Maxwell’s Strangeways. There’s the easy flow of the story, which takes its time in introducing and developing characters and setting up the werewolf-Western scenario so naturally and believably. There’s the effortless dialogue that sounds so authentic without ever resorting to cliché Western slang. And there’s Luis Guaragña’s impressive use of shadow and remarkable restraint in depicting horror. Guaragña can do detailed work – there are plenty of examples of it in the book – but when it comes time for a werewolf attack or some other violent act, Guaragña goes subtle and lets the imagination do the work. But not before showing you a scary-ass werewolf lurking in the darkness.

Tiki Joe Mysteries
A gripping, atmospheric book. Though Joe figures out his mysteries quickly and learns who his bad guys are, there’s a lot of fast thinking, faster driving, punching, and shooting that goes into defeating them. And the thrills are only half of what makes the book so cool. Murphy also knows how to draw a tiki lounge you’d want to hang out in and the sheer style of his art makes you wistful for swankier times.

Halo and Sprocket

Halo and Sprocket, Vol. 2
To borrow adjectives from Phil Hester, Halo and Sprocket is funny, sweet, smart, and – without a single kiss or even so much as a longing glance – romantic. It does all this primarily by being perceptive about humanity. A real joy to read.

Minima! Vol. 1
This was the big surprise for me this year. I haven’t found many manga series that have grabbed me and I certainly never would’ve predicted that the one that did would be about a little girl and her talking teddy meerkat. But Minima! rejects the typical middle-school hijinks in favor of serious themes like celebrity, obsession, and the objectification of people. All while still being really sweet and entertaining.

Incredible Hercules
And I don’t even like Hercules. I’m not surprised that this has been wonderful though. Greg Pak kept me interested in Hulk in Space and Fred Van Lente is awesome enough to be an Alpha Flight and a Shang Chi fan, so it’s really like they’re making this book for me.

Guardians of the Galaxy
I came for Steampunk Star-Lord and Rocket Raccoon. I stayed for Gamora, Mantis and Drax; three characters I never cared about before. Hell, even Adam Warlock is cool in this comic. Oh yeah, and there’s a talking dog with a space suit and a Russian accent.

Chris Mautner

I already listed my favorite books of 2008 over at my other, other blog, but as you’d expect with lists of this nature, stuff always slips through the cracks. No sooner have you pressed the “post” button than you remember five or ten other great books you loved and how could you be so goddamn stupid as to leave that off your list. With that in mind, here is my restitution: five books that, either for reasons of senility or space, didn’t make it onto my best of list but should have.

1) Popeye Vol. 3: Let’s You and Him Fight by E.C. Segar.

I read a lot of great books this past year, but if I’m being honest with myself, I don’t think I enjoyed myself more than while reading (and rereading) this collection of thrilling, warm and downright hilarious strips by one of the all-time masters, E.C. Segar. You don’t just laugh at Popeye because it’s funny (and it is uproariously so, in the tradition of the Marx Brothers and other great 20th century comedians), you laugh at its effortlessness, its inspired wit, the sheer genius of it all. This is a book that within seconds you find yourself passing to the person next to you saying “You have to read this one right here.”

2) Acme Novelty Library #19 by Chris Ware

Who knew Ware was so good at horror? Other than Chris Ware himself I mean. I suppose it shouldn’t have been too surprising given Ware’s talent for evoking dread and anxiety. Still, this latest volume of Acme tells one of the most unsettling, creepy and downright frightening tales of 2008, zombies be damned. And if, yes, the second half of the book doesn’t quite match the fevered ecstasy of the “fictional” tale, it nevertheless provides an eloquent counterpoint to the story and underscores just how important and unmatched a talent Ware is.

Kramers Ergot 7

3) Kramer’s Ergot 7, edited by Sammy Harkham

Let the doubters be silenced. This mammoth slab of an anthology not only justifies its exorbitant price tag and size, it surpasses expectations entirely, creating a wondrous objet d’art that makes you reassess the way you read comics entirely. Kudos to Mssrs. Harkham and Buenaventura for pulling off a stunning achievement that was worthy of every ounce of hype it received.

4) Zot the Complete Black and White Collection by Scott McCloud

See this? This is how you do superhero comics, my friend. You don’t necessarily get rid of the fantastic or the outlandish scenarios and plot devices. You simply populate your magical world with real, down-to-earth characters that, even if they don’t seem like people we actually know, seem like they could be. Is it surprising that McCloud would follow this up with Understanding Comics? No, not really.

5) Ordinary Victories: What Is Precious by Manu Larcenet

Even if we known on some abstract level what direction we’d like our lives to head towards, even if somewhere down the road we can imagine us say, married with children, we very often will find ourselves kicking and screaming on our way there, only to discover that perhaps that wasn’t worth such a fuss after all.

Manu Larcenet understands that feeling completely, and captures it perfectly in the second half of this graphic novel concerning anxiety-stricken photographer Marco. This isn’t some wan, winsome chronicle of a childish adult learning to grow up, however, (though there are elements of that in here). Larcenet is all too well aware of how life and the lives of those around us can drag us down or remove the color from our perceptions. That knowledge makes Victories a richer, smarter book that fully earns the good feelings it engenders by the end.

Kevin Melrose

Fairy Tail, by Hiro Mashima
This is our favorite comics of 2008, not necessarily the best, right? Because I’m under no illusions that Hiro Mashima’s fantasy-adventure-comedy is among the most finely crafted works of the year. However, I can think of no other book I enjoyed as much for its exuberance, break-neck pace and downright silliness as Fairy Tail. I like a haunting horror yarn, a complex thriller, or an engaging slice-of-life story. But sometimes the mood calls for an antic tale about adventure-seeking sorcerers-for-hire, y’know?

Captain America, by Ed Brubaker, Steve Epting, Luke Ross, et al.
This series is epic in the truest sense of the word: Ed Brubaker & Co. have been crafting one long story from the very beginning, some four years ago. (Has it really been that long?) It’s an extended narrative that ignores some of the conventions of the modern monthly comic — the three-act “Death of Captain America” only recently wrapped up after 18 issues — to tell a tense, complex and utterly absorbing story about redemption, ghosts of the past, relationships (both personal and political), duty, the importance of symbols, and the burden of legacy.

High Moon

High Moon, by David Gallaher and Steve Ellis
One of the standouts of DC Comics’ Zuda online initiative, High Moon has a bit of an advantage with me: I’m a big fan of the Western genre and the werewolf subgenre. So, if someone can combine the two … well, they get my attention. Make no mistake, though; it’s no magic formula. I’m a fickle reader who’ll drop a comic as soon as it stops entertaining. Luckily, David Gallaher and Steve Ellis never falter in that regard: They deliver a story that’s consistently suspenseful, atmospheric and action-packed. And they’re bold, or confident, enough to change protagonists without missing a beat.

JK Parkin

One of the advantages of being the one to put together this post is that I get to see what everyone else picked before I finalize my own list. Considering my original list had about 30 or so comics on it, I felt less guilty about cutting titles like Secret Six, Acme Novelty Library #19, Bottomless Belly Button, Captain America and Incredible Hercules because they’ve already been mentioned by the rest of the crew. And since I always have trouble narrowing these sorts of things down, it was nice to have that kind of assistance.

So in no particular order, here are five of my favorite comics of 2008, plus a few honorable mentions that could have easily been on my list as well …

Skyscrapers of the Midwest

Skyscrapers of the Midwest by Joshua W. Cotter
I didn’t rank my selections, but if I did, I’d probably have this at the top. This hardcover collects the AdHouse mini-series, which itself collected Cotter’s award-winning mini-comics about anthropomorphic cats living in America’s heartland. It’s a dense, somewhat depressing and always captivating look at the terror of adolescence and the power of imagination. I almost feel guilty for liking it as much as I do.

The Sad + Lonely Life of Eddie Elephant-Ears: A Tale from Essex County by Jeff Lemire
The name is almost as long as the book itself, as this is a mini-comic by the creator of the Essex County trilogy and Vertigo’s upcoming The Nobody graphic novel. In 11 pages, Lemire tells the life story of Eddie, a kid who suffers an accident and is only left with four memories. It hits you in the gut, then extends a hand of hope and possibility at the end.

Lemire sold it on his website last summer, along with a second mini-comic, both of which are now sold out. So if you don’t already own it, I guess your only hope of seeing it is if Lemire decides to do another print run or if it’s included in the upcoming collected edition of his Essex County stories (the third volume of which came out this year and was almost included on my list as well).

Update: Thanks to Top Shelf’s Leigh Walton, who points out that Eddie Elephant-Ears and its sister mini-comic, The Essex County Boxing Club, can be found on the Top Shelf 2.0 webcomic site. Both will be included in the Complete Essex County collection as well!

Fables by Bill Willingham, Mark Buckingham, et al.
As far as monthly series go, this was the one I most anticipated reading every month. Probably because they’ve been building to this year since the first issue — the year when we finally saw the big confrontation between the Empire and Fabletown. Both the journey and the destination have been well worth my time and money month in and month out.

New Avengers #47 by Brian Michael Bendis, Billy Tan, Michael Gaydos, et al.
Back before he was creating sprawling superhero event comics, Brian Michael Bendis, along with Michael Gaydos, created what was probably the best comic to come out from Marvel at the time, Alias. This issue reads like a “lost issue” of that series, as in flashback it shares a story about Jessica Jones investigating the whereabouts of Luke Cage’s father, before the two of them were an “item,” got married or had a kid. Quite simply, it’s Bendis doing what he does best – putting the humanity back into superheroes.

Necessary Monsters by Daniel Merlin Goodbrey and Sean Azzopardi
Goodbrey and Azzopardi’s webcomic features a cast of psychotic anti-heroes working behind the scenes to protect the human race … so they’ll have victims of their own. It’s a mash-up of horror films, super spies and conspiracy theories, and it’s sick, twisted fun. If I felt guilty for enjoying Skyscrapers so much, I’m probably going to need therapy over this one.

I also really liked: Kevin Huizenga ‘s Ganges #2 and Fight or Run #1, The War at Ellsmere, Chumble Spuzz V.2, North World, All Star Superman (#10 especially), Northlanders, Usagi Yojimbo, Proof, Ex Machina, House of Mystery, Daredevil, Umbrella Academy, FreakAngels, Aqua Leung, The Goon, Thor, Salt Water Taffy and the last issue of Y: The Last Man.

Tim O’Shea

Enough folks are tackling the DC and Marvel universe in this list that I’m not going to bother adding to the chorus on this for the most part. Instead I will focus on independent publishers .. for the most part.

• 

  Too Cool to Be Forgotten

• Too Cool to be Forgotten By Alex Robinson (Top Shelf): Robinson shows dealing with one’s past and appreciating one’s present all in one story.
• BPM By Paul Sizer (Cafe Digital): As a longtime fan of intertexuality, Sizer’s tale of music, clubbing, friendship and ambition has a solid rhythm. (Full disclosure, I was a beta reader on this book.)
• ACT-I-VATE : I was going to single out Dean Haspiel, but then I realized the entire collection of webcomics is must read material (Sorry Dean, you got singled out for The Alcoholic in enough lists, I figured you’d understand).
• Casanova By Matt Fraction and Gabriel Bá (Image): There did not seem to be many issues in 2008 honestly, but thanks to the CBR mention in their list I was reminded what a romp that book can be.
• Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam! By Mike Kunkel (Johnny DC): I really hope that Kunkel can get more on an actual monthly schedule in 2009. This treatment of Billy and Mary is the antithesis of DCU proper/Judd Winick’s take on the Marvel family. But if it can’t come out on a monthly basis, it has no chance of building a loyal following.
• Nat Turner: Collected Edition by Kyle Baker (Abrams): Granted this is a collection of the previously released version. But really I think Kyle Baker should be on the best of comics list every year. I almost made it his work on Special Forces (Image), but opted for this. Honestly, the most Baker entertained me this year was his work on Phineas and Ferb (the Disney show)–but in terms of comics–Nat Turner wins.
• The Lagoon by Lilli Carre (Fantagraphics): A work partially inspired by the Creature from the Black Lagoon not surprisingly makes effective use of black space.
• Bill Mauldin: A Life Up Front by Todd DePastino (W. W. Norton): I love DC war comics as much as the next guy, but this is the story of a guy who represented the tales of real soldiers during World War II. He gave a voice to the average Joe (pun intended).
• The Country Nurse by Jeff Lemire (Top Shelf): I love the third part of this Essex County trilogy, I’d love it even more if I could find my misplaced copy. I really look forward to years of stories from Lemire. Of all the new talent I’ve encountered in recent years, I’m most excited by Lemire’s potential.
• Daddy’s Girl by Debbie Drechsler (Fantagraphics): Kudos to Fantagraphics for reissuing this 1995 work in 2008.
• Madman Atomic Comics by Mike Allred (Image): The man made one entire continuous scene out of issue 9. If for nothing else, this makes the series worthy of best of 2008.

This may be considered cheating, but I reserve the right to add to my list in the comments section. I know I have forgotten some great talent in 2008 and I hope my fellow Robot Sixers fill the myriad gaps that I have in my list–in fact I know they will. The great thing about these kind of topics is, no writer can consider every work and I’m willing to bet our fine readers will point out anything we may have missed.

The Amazing Remarkable Monsieur Leotard

As difficult and time-consuming, yet thoroughly enjoyable, as it was to narrow down my 25 favorite covers of the year, it was a task made much tougher by one thing: the holiday calendar.

Despite what the DC Comics website led me to believe, this week’s releases came out today (2009) and not Wednesday (2008), which meant a couple of early entries had to be bumped off the list late in the game. I’m a stickler, at least when it comes to that. Maybe those covers will make the next edition.

I’ve tried to explain, to the best of my ability, what makes the covers so successful, at least in my eyes. In some cases I’ve probably gone overboard, while in others I’ve failed to put a finger on that indefinable quality that makes an image stand out. That’s the nature of art, I suppose.

So now, without further delay or caveat, here is my list of the 25 best comic-book covers of the year (in alphabetical order):

100 Bullets #92

100 Bullets #92, by Dave Johnson

For the past nine-plus years, Dave Johnson has created a jaw-dropping look for the covers of the Vertigo crime series that blends elements of ’50s pulp novels, classic Blue Note album jackets, the works of Saul Bass, and Soviet propaganda posters with a modern, and bold, design sensibility. The result is often sexy and savage (occasionally at the same time), but seldom, if ever, boring.

As Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso’s byzantine saga winds down — 100 Bullets ends with February’s Issue 100 — Johnson is producing some of his strongest work on the title. Chief among them is this cover to August’s Issue 92: An execution occurs beneath the looming, moon-like symbol of The Trust and a leafless tree whose bloody roots entangle in skulls (graves, perhaps). It’s stark and stunning.

The Amazing Remarkable Monsieur Leotard

The Amazing Remarkable Monsieur Leotard, by Eddie Campbell and Charlie Orr

It’s not often the word “whimsical” is used to describe a comic-book cover, but in the case of The Amazing Remarkable Monsieur Leotard, it definitely applies. Whimsical and clever. It’s exactly what’s called for by an offbeat graphic novel about a young man trying to live up to the legacy of his uncle, the famed circus performer of the title.

Jacket designer Charlie Orr, who worked with Eddie Campbell previously on the covers to The Fate of the Artist and The Black Diamond Detective Agency, lets his imagination run wild with type, twisting more than a dozen adjectives into a bird’s nest of hair, and transforming the book’s title into eyebrows and lips to accent the expressive watercolor eyes and mustache. To complete the picture, a subtitle becomes the chin, and the creators’ names turn into the perfect bow tie.

The Amazing Spider-Man #575

The Amazing Spider-Man #576

The Amazing Spider-Man #575 and #576, by Chris Bachalo

It may seem like a bit of a cheat to include two issues in one entry, but to fully appreciate either of Chris Bachalo’s covers you really need to view them in context. That’s not to say each doesn’t stand on its own. It’s rare that a superhero-super villain brawl is depicted on a cover in such close-up fashion; typically, we’re removed from the action, in part so we have a clear view of the title character(s).

Here, however, we have a front-row seat to the brutality: On the cover to Issue 575, you can count the cracks and creases on Hammerhead’s massive fist as it connects with Spider-Man’s face, the impact creating a crater in the fabric of the mask. With the addition of Issue 576, the covers become sequential art as Spider-Man strikes back, sending his opponent’s sunglasses, and teeth, flying amid a shower of blood.

An Anthology of Graphic Fiction, Cartoons and True Stories, Vol. 2

An Anthology of Graphic Fiction, Cartoons and True Stories, Vol. 2, by Daniel Clowes

Daniel Clowes’ cover to the second volume of An Anthology of Graphic Fiction is delightfully understated in its execution: A woman talks, with the globe of a hanging light conveniently providing the word balloon, while a row of street lamps lead up to a low cloud, creating the man’s thought balloon. Ah, the symbolic language of comics, reinforced by the framed print on the wall.

I feel as if I should say more, but the image is so wonderfully, and perhaps deceptively, simple that it probably speaks for itself.

Batman #682

Batman #682, by Alex Ross

Alex Ross’ raucous ode to the 1960s Batman television series is too busy, too loud, too garish. In short, it’s perfect for a nod to the William Dozier show, which was all of those things and more.

Batman and a smiling Robin are framed by their opponents, The Penguin, The Riddler, Catwoman, Two-Face, Mr. Freeze and The Joker. In the background, Batgirl rides in to provide backup while Bat-Mite (!) watches from atop one of the neon signs that double as the show’s trademark sound effects (“Pow,” “Biff,” “Bam”). As if all that, plus trade dress and credits, weren’t enough, Ross squeezes in the Bat-Signal — it’s mostly covered up by the title and the “Last Rites” banner in the final cover — and a modern Dark Knight superimposed over the action. It’s almost too much to take in. Almost.

The Boy Who Made Silence #6

The Boy Who Made Silence #6, by Joshua Hagler

Joshua Hagler’s covers to his Xeric Grant-winning series don’t bring to mind comic books as much as they do prose memoirs. It’s not difficult to envision the surreal images wrapped around a somewhat tragic autobiography in the “New Arrivals” section of Borders. And maybe that’s in part why the covers, and the cryptic title, initially stand out.

Hagler toys from cover to cover with logo placement and size, and with two images versus one. With Issue 6, the experimentation succeeds as the title’s wave effect — a consistent element — appears to interact with the water. The cheery colors of the logo and the soothing blue tones of the main image stand in stark contrast to the cold, even bleak, feel of the secondary image. It’s an interesting juxtaposition of moods.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight #14

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight #14, by Jon Foster

All five of Jon Foster’s covers for Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight are wonderful, but the one for Issue 14 — the third part of the “Wolves at the Gate” story arc — really stands out. To get the humor of the image, all you have to know is that the storyline takes place in Tokyo, and Buffy’s sister Dawn has been transformed into a giant by a curse. Of course, a passing familiarity with Godzilla or the kaiju genre may be helpful.

I appreciate, too, that the comic’s title has been incorporated into the illustration, on a sign, rather than plopped down on top of it.

Captain America #39

Captain America #39, by Steve Epting

Once upon a time, when comics were sold primarily on spinner racks, covers were designed to catch the eye of a passing kid. There might only be a few seconds to grab his attention, so the image had to work quickly. Never mind that it might have had little, if anything, to do with the story inside; its job was to make the kid pick up the comic and march with it to the counter.

I’m not overly nostalgic for the days of the newsstand. Distribution often was spotty. Comics were battered. And the move away from the spinner racks has permitted more experimentation with cover design.

But Steve Epting’s cover for Captain America #39 is one of those old-school covers — the kind that makes you want to pick up the comic to find out immediately what’s going on. Has Steve Rogers returned from the grave? Is it the time-displaced Captain from that Avengers/Invaders miniseries? We have to know!

Casanova #14

Casanova #14, by Gabriel Ba

One of the hallmarks of Casanova, the trippy spy-fi series by Matt Fraction, Fabio Moon and, later, Gabriel Ba, has been its bold and imaginative covers with their shifting color palettes (the first seven employ oranges and purples, the second seven oranges, yellows and greens).

The final four covers, by Ba, are perhaps the strongest, with Issue 14 the best of the bunch. Ba makes liberal use of white space, which is disrupted by the wing and head of a couple of abstract crows — but not before that negative space transforms into the face of … well, I’m not sure which character it is. No matter, though. It’s a striking effect.

Criminal 2 #2

Criminal 2 #2, by Sean Phillips

Sean Phillips’ wraparound covers for his and Ed Brubaker’s Criminal are lush and atmospheric and sexy — and all the other things jackets for a good noir story should be. But this is the only one to date that’s felt … I don’t know, dangerous.

Teegar, with his bloody and broken nose, seems real: You might’ve sat beside him at a corner bar so seedy that you realize, a little too late, that you probably should’ve passed it by. His face and his pose tell a story — that’s a recurring theme in some of my favorite covers — and not a particularly happy one. You just know that as bad as Teegar looks, the other guy is in worse shape. You also know that he wants nothing more in this world, at this moment, than to enjoy that cigarette. So you’re better off not asking him about the fight.

DMZ #34

DMZ #34, by Brian Wood

For the covers of “Blood in the Game,” DMZ‘s recent election storyline, Brian Wood played with the repetition of familiar campaign visuals such as stars and political buttons, sometimes pairing them with more militant imagery, such as guns, masked operatives and a raised-fist salute.

He brings many of those elements together, and then distills them, for this, the concluding issue. The stars are still there, though here they’re much larger and fewer in number. Gone are the guns, and the city skylines, and the disguised figures. And here the clenched fist of solidarity, or defiance, is replaced by a finger dipped in blood and signaling “No. 1.”

Fables #76

Fables #76, by James Jean

In composition and in style, James Jean’s cover to Fables #76, “Around the Town,” probably has more in common with his advertising work than with most of the pieces he’s done for the Vertigo series. Jean typically has reserved a more cartoonish approach for those covers spotlighting Snow White and Bigby’s children. Here he uses that not-quite-real look to great effect on Pinocchio as he gives a certain guest a tour of Fabletown.

My favorite parts of the cover are the stickers and the graffiti, many of which give nods to previous Fables storylines. A sticker at the bottom of the signpost even clues readers into the identity of Pinocchio’s mystery guest.

Joker

Joker, by Lee Bermejo

If there was one noticeable trend in cover art last year, it was the rise of the close-up (there are a half-dozen on this list). And you can’t get much closer than in Lee Bermejo’s beautifully grotesque cover to the Joker orginal graphic novel.

The yellowed, jagged teeth, the smeared lipstick and the razor nicks, or pimples, on The Joker’s neck — viewed at close proximity — combine to make the Clown Prince of Crime seem very real. And that’s more than a little disconcerting.

Justice League: The New Frontier Special

Justice League: The New Frontier Special, by Darwyn Cooke

The word “iconic” gets tossed around a lot, particularly when discussing the art of superhero comics. A certain pose is iconic. Or a costume. Or the emblem on a character’s chest. But it wasn’t until I saw Darwyn Cooke’s sketchy cover for this New Frontier one-shot that I gave much thought to how even the hands and forearms of certain characters have become instantly recognizable.

Using sparse, and choppy, lines, Cooke demonstrates what few clues we need to identify the icons of DC Comics: the jagged edge of Batman’s glove (closed in a fist, naturally), the blue of Superman’s costume and his hand posed as if in flight, Wonder Woman’s bracelet, Green Lantern’s ring, The Flash’s lightning-bolt trim, Adam Strange’s ray gun. And so on. The only place the iconography falters is with the inclusion of the little-known John Henry, created for the original miniseries, and in the use of the completely alien form of Martian Manhunter (versus his more familiar humanoid form).

Kramers Ergot 7

Kramers Ergot 7, by Sammy Harkham

The more I look at the cover to the much-discussed Kramers Ergot 7, the deeper it draws me in. I honestly have no idea what’s going on in the image, but I desperately want to find out. Sammy Harkham’s detailed illustration reminds me, of all things, of the post-apocalyptic setting for the early-’80s cartoon Thundarr the Barbarian. The ruins of once-great cities now reclaimed by nature? Never mind.

I can only speculate what event led to this street being overtaken by vegetation, naked hippies and wildlife. I can only wonder what happened to the more guy in the yellow car (maybe he was killed because he was wearing clothes). Or what the couple on the left, and those ducks, are doing. Or what’s going on with the sky. Or … well, every time I look at the illustration, I come up with another question. Not too many covers can do that.

Meathouse S.O.S.

Meathaus S.O.S., by Tomer Hanuka

When I came across this Tomer Hanuka cover while compiling candidates for this list, I wrote in my notepad, “Like something from a David Lynch movie.” It brings to mind the opening moments of Blue Velvet, sure. But it runs deeper than that: It’s the idyllic scene corrupted, or destroyed, by something tragic. It’s the meeting of the playful and the ghastly, the natural and the unnatural. (I don’t just mean the body in the otherwise lush and tranquil setting; note the smoke stack in the background.)

The white, featureless butterflies and the dancing, worm-like letters lend an otherworldly, dreamy quality to a scene that, at least for the boy running away, is all too real. This cover tells a story, too — or at least encourages the reader to begin crafting one. Did something happen while the two boys were playing? Did one boy find the other? Does the smoke stack have anything to do with it? It’s engaging.

Power Pack: Day One #3

Power Pack: Day One #3, by Gurihiru

The art duo known as Gurihiru — Sasaki on pencils and inks, and Kawano on colors — has consistently created solid covers for Marvel’s all-ages Power Pack books. But it’s with the two most recent miniseries, Power Pack: Day One and Skrulls vs. Power Pack, that Gurihiru has hit upon an approach that really conveys the humor of the title.

The Skrulls vs. Power Pack covers that cast the Power children as street thugs, complete with tattoos and “Pack Life” brass knuckles, were funny, but the one for the third issue of Power Pack: Day One is what won me over. The look on Katie’s face as she frantically, and futilely, tries to feed dozens of hungry baby “Snarks” — yes, that’s what they’re called — is near perfect.

From a technical standpoint, I have to praise Gurihiru for either drawing dozens of little aliens or disguising all the copy-and-pasting by making changes to each of the clones.

Savage #1

Savage #1, by Mike Mayhew

There’s something almost magical about the union of the right art with the right title. Here it happens: Savage. That’s the word that comes to mind when you see that open maw, those enormous incisors dripping with saliva. (Or is that blood?)

I’m not crazy about the distressed logo, but that image sent me looking for more information about the comic.

Scalped #15

Scalped #15, by Jock

One of the things I’ve enjoyed about Jock’s work on Scalped, and The Losers before that, is his willingness to move and manipulate the logo to serve the artwork. Sometimes it’s a matter of shrinking the title or pushing it to the side to give the illustration more room. Other times, such as with May’s Scalped #15, it’s turning the logo into an art element. Here, the blood-like ink spills out of the letters as it’s washed away in the aftermath of … something. Something gruesome.

Stickleback: England's Glory

Stickleback: England’s Glory, by D’Israeli

I have a feeling the cover to this collection of Ian Eddington and D’Israeli’s Stickleback comics from 2000 AD is even more impressive in its physical form. But until I get a copy, I’ll have to be satisfied with the digital image with its nearly Day-glo blue and green, and its woodcut-like lines. I like how the stooped posture of the title character in the background is reflected by that of the figure in the globe, and repeated, more whimsically, in the first letter of “Stickleback.”

Superman #680

Superman #680, by Alex Ross

Despite a legion of fans, Alex Ross receives a fair amount of criticism for his brand of superhero adoration. Now, I’m not a Ross devotee, but I’m willing to give credit where credit is due: There aren’t many artists who could take an inherently goofy Silver Age concept — a super-powered alien dog in a cape — and make it look believable. Heck, Ross makes Krypto appear downright noble.

After seeing the cover to Superman #680, you will believe a dog can fly — or at least look good trying.

The Transformers: All Hail Megatron #4

The Transformers: All Hail Megatron #4, by Trevor Hutchison

With a title like All Hail Megatron and a plot that involves conquest by the evil Decepticons, it’s not surprising that Trevor Hutchison referenced Soviet propaganda posters for his alternate covers. However, he only uses that classic imagery as a starting point for an exploration of white space, limited color palettes (just one or two colors per cover) and typography.

His most successful cover of the series to date is for Issue 4, which features the white silhouette of an Autobot, small against a field of blue, as it bows in submission to the comic’s title. The words “All Hail Megatron” serve as a stand-in for the character of Megatron and, at the same time, evoke a monolith. I hesitate to say it’s brilliant, but it’s pretty darned clever.

Vagabond, Vol. 1 (VizBig Edition)

Vagabond, Vol. 1 (VizBig Edition), by Takehiko Inoue and Yukiko Whitley

Although Takehko Inoue has utilized a couple of extreme close-ups for the covers of his popular samurai epic, he more often uses full-body shots surrounded by plenty of white space. Similarly, while he sometimes employs intense reds and deep blues, he’s more likely to use muted colors or pastels.

So it’s a little surprising, but in a good way, that for its first VizBig Edition of Vagabond — it contains the first three volumes in a larger format — Viz Media goes in tight on Miyamoto Musashi’s face, obliterating the usual white space. Gone, too, are the pastels, replaced here by Viz’s in-house designer Yukiko Whitley with gold, a field of deep red, and the splotchy blacks of Inoue’s brush.

Wolverine: Flies To A Spider

Wolverine: Flies To A Spider, by Tim Bradstreet

Tim Bradstreet’s cover for the apparently Christmas-themed one-shot was done a serious disservice by whomever stacked the oversize title atop the ironic “Peace” lights. Had the production artist only shrunk the words a little, readers would’ve gotten a better look of Bradstreet’s image in all its wry glory: the juxtaposition of “Peace” and the dove with Wolverine’s claws, the splatter of blood that may or may not morph into Christmas-tree lights, and Wolverine’s belt buckle.

Yes, Logan’s apparently a Scorpio.

Y: The Last Man #60

Y: The Last Man #60, by Massimo Carnevale

Massimo Carnevale gives the well-regarded Y: The Last Man a fitting send-off with this appropriately complex and eerie cover that conveys both hope and hopelessness.

If the straightjacket doesn’t signal to longtime readers who the old, bent man in the cell is, the shafts of light that, with his chair and body, form a “Y” certainly do. The wisps of white hair make it clear the story has moved further into the future, so we have just a moment to brace ourselves for what the cute little stuffed monkey represents: Ampersand is no more. (Sorry.) But — but! — the presence of the little boy makes it clear there’s still hope, even in a world in which almost every male mammal has died.