Art Attack: January 2011's Coolest Covers

It's going to be an interesting period for comic book covers come the first of the new year, as DC will be opting for stark white backgrounds, iconic silhouettes, and logos in place of full titles as part of a special month-long initiative. It's a bold move that's gonna make for some distinct shelf displays, but it's also a true test for artists, as it really tests your chops to make a cover pop without any background bells or whistles. Thus the DC covers I've tagged here I really consider primo accomplishments.

Some other notes...

-A lot of months, it seems like Jim Cheung does very similar things for each of his covers, but he's so good it really doesn't matter--his art is that pretty.

-I haven't read a single issue of the new Azrael series (no offense to the creative team), but it has consistently excellent covers.

-My buddy Ryan "Agent M" Penagos really dug Simone Bianchi's Black Panther cover as did I, even more than we do his usual work, though we can't pinpoint exactly what makes this particular one special.

-I'm with Sean T. Collins: more Steel please.

-Phil Noto is kicking some ass on covers of late.

-Ultimate Thor kicking Ultimate Hulk in the head wins.

AVENGERS: THE CHILDREN'S CRUSADE #4 by Jim CheungAZRAEL #16 by Guillem MarchBATMAN: EUROPA #1 by Jim LeeBLACK PANTHER: THE MAN WITHOUT FEAR #514 by Simone BianchiBRIGHTEST DAY #17 by Ivan ReisBUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #40 by Jo ChenCAPTAIN AMERICA #614 by Marko DjurdjevicDEADPOOL #31 by Dave JohnsonDEADPOOL MAX #4 by Kyle BakerDRIVER SPECIAL #1 by JockTHE FLASH #10 by Francis ManapulHELLBOY: THE SLEEPING AND THE DEAD #1 by Scott HamptonIRON MAN: LEGACY #10 by Juan DoeLOKI #4 by Travel ForemanSCARLET #4 by Alex MaleevSTARMAN/CONGORILLA #1 by Gene HaSTEEL #1 by Alex GarnerSUPERBOY #3 by Phil NotoSUPERMAN/BATMAN #80 by Fiona StaplesTHE ALL-NEW BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #3 by Rick BurchettTHOR: THE MIGHTY AVENGER #8 by Chris SamneeULTIMATE COMICS THOR #4 by Carlos PachecoUNCANNY X-FORCE #4 by Esad RibicWEIRD WORLDS #1 by JustinianoWOLVERINE: THE BEST THERE IS #2 by Bryan Hitch

Art Attack: November 2010's coolest covers

Feels like it was only yesterday--or 16 days ago--I did the last one of these, but solicitations wait for no man!

We're almost at Thanksgiving in comic preview terms, and while the current big events like Shadowland and Return of Bruce Wayne will be tapering off, a lot of quality books keep on rolling and they've got some very pretty covers--here are 25...

ASTONISHING THOR #1 by Esad Ribic

AVENGERS VS PET AVENGERS #2 by Ig Guara

AVENGERS: THE CHILDREN'S CRUSADE #3 by Jim Cheung

BATWOMAN #0 by J.H. Williams III

BRIGHTEST DAY #13 by David Finch

DEADPOOL #29 by Dave Johnson

DEADPOOL TEAM-UP #887 by Humberto Ramos

DETECTIVE COMICS #871 by Jock

DOCTOR SOLAR, MAN OF THE ATOM #4 by Michael Komarck

FIRST WAVE #5 by J.G. Jones

FRINGE: TALES FROM THE FRINGE #6 by Diego Latorre

GREEN LANTERN #60 variant by Frank Quitely

IRON MAN: THE RAPTURE #1 by Tim Bradstreet

iZOMBIE #7 by Mike Allred

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #51 by David Mack

PUNISHER: IN THE BLOOD #1 by Francesco Mattina

SECRET SIX #27 by Daniel Luvisi

STRANGE TALES VOL. 2 #2 by Jaime Hernandez

SUPERBOY #1 by Rafael Albuquerque

THE STAND: HARDCASES #5 by Tomm Coker

TINY TITANS/LITTLE ARCHIE #2 by Art Baltazar

UNCANNY X-FORCE #2 by Esad Ribic

UNCANNY X-MEN #530 by Greg Land

WOLVERINE #3 by Jae Lee

YOUNG ALLIES #6 by Takeshi Miyazawa
-Hooray for the full-on return of Esad Ribic!

-I haven't been buying iZombie, but it looks so gorgeous, I may need to scope that trade.

-Amazing Jaime Hernandez piece for Strange Tales; I see what the fuss is about!

-I've got mixed emotions and expectations for the new Superboy series (happens when you love a character that much, of course), but that's one helluva way to start with that cover.

-That Young Allies cover makes me happy nostalgic for this.