Here are the DC solicits for October, and here are my Top Ten covers for the month!

This was a weird month for covers - besides one cover, I didn't really see many covers that made me think, "Wow!" but at the same time, I also didn't see any covers that were so bad that they made me laugh. In fact, I don't have a single cover to make fun of this month, which is rare. So yeah, it's a weird month for covers.

On to the covers!!

10. Suitably spooky Shield cover by Francis Manapul.



It has been a great delight seeing Manapul develop into one of the best cover artists working at DC. He always clearly had the talent to do it, but his cover designs often left me puzzled - more recently, though, his art has maintained the same brilliant dynamism it always had, but now his cover designs are getting really good, as well. It's awesome watching a guy go from a really good artist to a great artist right in front of your eyes.

9. Cover designs are a specialty of Jock's, as he can do the most sparse actual drawing, yet arrange it in a manner that gets across so much - this Scalped cover is a good example of this.



Not a whole lot going on on this cover, yet how Jock arranges it conveys so much mood and characterization that it's really quite striking.

8. I presume the effect is achieved through the use of computer colors/effects, but however he does it, Scott Gross always manages to make his Looney Tunes covers "pop" more than most other covers.



The cover concept is good, the character drawings are good, but it is the background that really makes the image stand out - I wonder how Gross does it.

7. Andy Kubert has been doing a really good job on these Blackest Night: Batman covers.



This is another standout cover - really using the character's history to good effect.

I wonder why his covers for this series, in particular, have been so good?

6. Again, Jock uses an interesting cover design to almost throw us off-kilter with this Azrael #1 cover.



This time, though, the character work stands out, as well, which is why I have it ranked higher than his Scalped cover.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

I've mentioned before that I thought the cover for Mark Bagley's first issue of Justice League of America was very clever, with the little in-joke about Bagley's last project.



I'd have it in the top ten if it weren't for the fact that I don't think Bagley plays it entirely fair - the picture in the background with the Trinity on it - what would it look like if it were not tilted? It wouldn't really work as a picture, would it? That's what I mean by Bagley not entirely playing it fair there.

I think this Batman: Widening Gyre cover by Bill Sienkiewicz is just a BIT too over the top, but damned if it isn't a well drawn cover.



5. This Wildcats cover is just a standard pose cover. Not really an interesting design. However, Ryan Sook just draws the hell out of the characters SO much that I couldn't help but put it on the list.



That's some astonishingly good character work right there by Sook.

4. Cover artist Yuko Shimizu compares favorably to J.H. Williams' covers for the Unwritten and Crossing Midnight (both Mike Carey projects), and I think that, in and of itself, is a great compliment.



But to be more specific, I think Smimizu does a wonderful job evoking the old-school story aspect of the Unwritten with an ornate and striking cover.

3. Oh, J. Bone, how do I love you - let me count the ways!



Okay, never mind, I don't feel like counting - let me just say that this is another striking, clever cover by J. Bone that is infused with characterization and gives the target audience something to make them want to grab this book off of the shelf (and its even topical, with this being an October release).

Great work - I especially love Green Lantern lighting up his face with the ring and the look on Aquaman's face.

Classic.

2. Speaking of characterization work, Massimo Carnevale delivers on that beautifully with this Northlanders cover that captures the terror of the plague beautifully, with a well-designed, detailed cover that features emotive character work.



1. This final Planetary cover (which you can click on the image to enlarge) almost seems like it is John Cassaday saying, "Yeah, so we're late, so what, look at what I'm giving you!!!"



It's a beautiful, classic image that makes the wait worth it.

Okay, so that's my top ten! What's yours?