Marvel's September Solicitations are up, so let's make some prejudgements based just on the covers (as we all love to make prejudgements, don't we?)!
Let's begin!
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Not a BAD Ferry cover for Ultimate Fantastic Four by any stretch of the imagination (oh lord, we've only just begun and I'm already punning)...
But nor is it all that dynamic of an image.
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The Clone Saga gets a lot of grief, and for the most part, it is deserved. However, the very IDEA of having a whole pile of the same character around at the same time IS pretty cool.
Case in point, the cover to the 100th issue of Ultimate Spider-Man.
Wouldn't it be cool if there were actually one hundred Spider-Men on the cover?
Someone count, please!
Speaking of how cool it is when a bunch of one character is around, check out this Exiles cover.
Pretty funny, huh?
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Not a bad cover from Tom Raney for Ultimate X-Men.
I like how it doesn't have that "computer-y" effect of his last few covers.
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CIVIL WAR COVERS!
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If it weren't for my strict "no Civil War covers in the top five," this Steve McNiven cover for #5 of the series would be a strong contender. What an awesome visual!
Although, it is a bit odd for the Green Goblin to be on the cover. Doesn't exactly demonstrate the importance of how no secret identity makes you vulnerable if you have Green Goblin on the cover, who has known the identity for ages.
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Strong cover design by Ron Garney, too, for his Civil War tie-in for Amazing Spider-Man
Haven't seen this many interesting arms since that Spawn issue.
Someone identify all the arms, please!
And that BETTER not be Black Panther on the Anti-Registration side.
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This Ms. Marvel cover, I believe, encapsulates the biggest problem with Civil War as a whole.
"In the Pro-Registration corner, we have Ms. Marvel, Wonder Man, Spider-Woman II, Prowler, Arana and The Shroud!"
Yeah.
Quite the Murderer's Row, eh?
Exactly (please note that, save Arana, I like all these characters. It's just...really? Are they even trying here?).
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This whole "murderer" thing for Speedball is a bit much.
Actually, beyond "a bit much," it is just absurd.
I look forward to the silliness that will be the prosecution's case.
Nicely illustrated Front Line cover by John Watson, though.
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Very smart angle by Brubaker for his Captain America Civil War tie-in.
These are the sort of tie-ins that are so intriguing, but you almost never see addressed.
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Very nice Juan Doe cover for the X-Men tie-in.
Now if only that banner wasn't there.
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Pretty clever idea for a Civil War tie-in. What does Iron Man know about the heroes in the Marvel Universe?
Nice McNiven art.
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Pretty decent Jimmy Cheung cover for Young Avengers/Runaways.
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This Wolverine cover attempts to try to show whether just a Civil War banner makes any cover seem more interesting.
It's just Wolverine chilling at the site of the disaster.
Weird.
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Nice, straightforward cover idea from Adi Granov.
I'd dump him if I were Sue, too. How creepy was he in #2?!?! Then again, in #1, Sue downplayed the problem of having a public identity not a day after her brother was beaten into a coma specifically BECAUSE his identity was public, so neither end of this relationship is looking too stable these days.
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Well, Billy Tucci sure has the "cover pose" down pat.
Heroes for Hire should be an interesting book. I dunno if it'll be GOOD, but it'll certainly be interesting.
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Man, when even the Punisher is taking the moral high ground, ya gotta figure the government is on shaky ground.
Nice Olivetti cover for this new #1.
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Nice Granov cover for New Avengers.
I bet Sentry will not choose a side. What say you folks?
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Very nice Amanda Conner cover for Cable and Deadpool.
Should be an interesting match-up.
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Very nice, old-fashioned Wieringo cover for Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.
Of course, the story in this issue cannot take place with a public identity Peter Parker, because there are fewer stories you can do with Peter having a public identity than you can with Peter having a secret identity. Wasn't that an important point for some guy? I forget who....
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Clayton Crain is back to the dark covers for this Sensational Spider-Man cover.
However, I think it still works, actually.
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Surprisingly bland cover from Takeshi Miyazawa for Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane.
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Annhilation has me until they kill off Quasar.
Which is probably any minute now.
Nice Gabrielle Dell'Otto cover, though!
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Hey, how did Deathlok's series END, anyways? I have totally forgotten.
Pretty good Scott Kolins cover.
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I bet Black Panther and the Inhumans can have a fine time commiserating about how bad the American government is.
Nice Esad Ribic cover.
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Strong cover by Marko Djurdjevic. What number series is this for Blade, by the by?
Anyone know what else Djurdjevic has done?
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This Claws cover by Linser is actually pretty good.
Very fun cover.
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What an odd "re-envisioning" of Makkari.
"Take off his helmet! Brilliant!"
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What do you think folks? Will Dr. Strange do something other than deus ex machina-y or get beaten up?
The previews aren't looking good!!
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Wait, Iron Man ISN'T the killer?!? Did it involve Space Phantoms? Please tell me it involved Space Phantoms!!
Nice Granov cover (that's three nice covers by him this month).
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Very interesting style change by Yu for this 1602: Fantastic Four project.
It almost looks like 'Ringo.
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Not a bad Phil Hester cover...
...but not a great one, either.
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Are there actually two covers for this issue?
Weird.
Pretty cool cover.
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Man, Captain Marvel couldn't keep it in his pants with those Skrulls, could he?
Oh? That's not another one of his half-Skrull kids?
Never mind.
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Okay, folks, Dan Slott still has a chance to make Starfox not a rapist! Sweet!
Not a bad Greg Horn cover.
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STAN LEE COVERS!!
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Who drew this Doom/Stan Lee cover?
Pretty neat.
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Very cool Coipel cover!
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Oddly somber looking Stan from Alan Davis.
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Man, America is SO lame.
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Boy, Tom Grummett sure loves him the "heroes flailing around in the sky," doesn't he? Twice in the last six issues!
But hey, it works!
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David Williams has an interesting style.
Interesting Marvel Adventures Fantastic Four cover.
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Pretty neat Sean Chen cover for Marvel Adventures Avengers.
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Ah, now THAT is a cool Bradstreet cover!
Did you see this bit about how MAX books have a strict no overprint policy? Weird.
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Pretty cool Zombie cover.
I can't believe DC doesn't have a zombie book. What the hell is their problem!?!?
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Big Wolfsbane head...so....aggravating....can't...comment....on....anything....else...on...X-Factor...cover.
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Nice Billy Tan drawing, but it is a bit static for an Uncanny X-Men cover, I think.
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Much cooler design by Chris Bachalo for his X-Men cover. Much more dynamic, while still being basically a pose cover just like the Uncanny cover.
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Strong Quesada cover for Wolverine Origins #6.
Very "old-school" cover design.
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Pretty decent New X-Men cover.
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Ah, I am so pleased to see a take-off on the classic New Excalibur #1 cover!
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On this cover, the X-Men are looking up at a giant Phoenix.
I would have put some reflections of it, rather than the X-Men just standing there, bathed in light.
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HONORABLE MENTIONS!
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Nice idea by Lee Bermejo for this Daredevil cover...
A lighter month, and this could have been top five easily.
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I like this Jay Anacleto cover for this Spider-Man one-shot, but there were a few other painted covers that were slightly better.
And I like the idea of getting rid of the inventory stories from when Spider-Man had a secret identity...hehe.
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Cameron Stewart rocks!
This Marvel Adventures: Spider-Man cover proves it!
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What a bold idea by John Cassaday for this Astonishing X-Men cover!
MAJOR respect!
I almost made it top five based strictly on the ballsiness of it!
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TOP FIVE!!
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5. While it is basically just a "pose cover," the nice touch of the backdrop makes this a strong #1 cover for Union Jack.
I approve. Good job, Mike Perkins!
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4. Tomm Coker knows what we want!
Big gorillas.
Globes.
Hard liquor.
Rock on!
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3. Yet another strong Ladronn cover for Planet Hulk.
He's on fire!
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2. ANOTHER very good cover this month by Marko Djurdjevic! This one is for X-Men First Class.
I think this is a strong #1 issue cover.
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1. I have a soft spot for Monica Rambeau, so when I see an awesome depiction by Stuart Immonen?
You guessed it - number one on the charts!
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Okay, that's it for me, folks!
Feel free to share YOUR prejudices (and YOUR top five)!!