Here are the “rules“.
And if you’d like to see the full April 2011 DC solicits head over to CBR.
Though overall this month DC had less annoying and offensive stuff than Marvel, it was also pretty boring. Very little to pique my interest. Also, I almost always naturally end up with a few more DC covers I want to feature than Marvel covers, but this month it was the reverse. Hmmm.
Batman Europa 4. Very fucking cool. Of course I’ll never look at one of these the same again.
Young Justice 3. Hmm…issue #3…no ladies. What a fucking surprise Young Justice, what a fucking surprise.
Action Comics 900. Take it off big boy.
American Vampire 14. Love the colors in this, and the movement and positive and negative space…wish it was a little tighter overall though.
Batgirl 20. This doesn’t work for me. It’s a little confusing and unclear what’s happening, plus I’m not a big fan of the whole digital blur effect, also, I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned I hate purple…nice posing on Stephanie though.
Batman Inc 6. Hahahahahaha! I don’t know what this is about…but I laughed for like a full two minutes…so that’s good enough for me.
Batman & Robin 22. So I guess this was supposed to be the cover for the issue I just read (19?)…since this is exactly what happened in that issue…But it’s worth posting…because it’s very cool and kinda (okay, super) horrifying. I know DC was doing their whole “iconic” covers month, but this is WAY better.
Batwoman 1. Yup, we’ve seen this before. The first issue of Batwoman has been pushed back from February to April (which sounds like the original intended date anyway). Boo! That said, I’d rather it be done right than be rushed, or come out and then have delays after release. No harm in looking at this again since it’s completely amazing.
Birds of Prey 11. This is probably the most I’ve liked anything of Lau’s…it’s cute and fun and sexy. That said, I don’t love the angle he’s chosen as it’s very ass-tastic, which is annoying. Also, waaaaay too much purple for me. 
Cinderella: Fables Are Forever 3. I really like Chrissie Zullo’s work, but this does nothing for me. And I actually really dislike the coloring work on it.
Detective Comics 876. Hmmm…what is this…leftovers month at DC? We’ve seen this before too…at least it’s good. If I have to have re-runs at least they’re great covers.
DMZ 64. DMZ is always strong, even when it doesn’t hit it out of the park. This is one of those…a nice solid double…maybe a triple.
Fables 104. Hmm. I really like this. It’s got a very creepy but really creative and intriguing look to it. The whole Fables meets szuperheroes thing definitely has potential. I also like the softness of it and muted strange color palette.
Gotham City Sirens 22. Eh. I got nothin’.
iZombie 12. Woosh. This is cool to me but also seems really intense. Something about it is kind of creeping me out (the blood? the cracked horrible fingernails? the paper effects?), but in a good, I must read it way.
JLA 56. I don’t like much here (like anything) but the thing that really bothers me is that…that doesn’t look like Batman to me. AT ALL.
Jonah Hex 66. Wow. This is really effective. Excellent use of white space and composition, color and negative space.
The New York Five 4. Like all of The New York Five covers this is really strong. I’m a little worried about what’s going on and who that is in the top panel…but I guess that’s just good comics.
Power Girl 23. This is actually good, Zatanna looks great, but I’m sorry…all I can see is Power Girl’s giant cleavage…as usual. So annoying.
Red Robin 22. Is the implication that Selina is dragging “perfect Bruce” down? Who knows. I feel grouchy.
Scalped 48. Wow. Really great. So simple and smart. Evocative and scary and intriguing.
Secret Six 32. I honestly have no idea what the F is going on here…but I suppose that’s half the fun of Secret Six…plus we’ve got my favorite little voodoo cat figure back…which I love. WIN!
The Spirit 13. This is just some really great cartooning. Everything about it is so tight and well thought out, detailed and fun. Well, creepy fun, but still fun!
Superboy 6. Looking at this it’s hard to imagine that I was actually really interested in Superboy just a few issues ago.
Supergirl 63. This is really good – visceral and up close and personal, a way we surprisingly rarely see superheroes…vulnerable and surprised and intimate. Also, without seeming creepy (too late!) Supergirl’s clothing (and boob!) is moving like real clothing (and a real boob!) instead of body paint (and water balloons!). It’s nice to see.
Batman Superman Annual 5. What. The. Fuck. Is. Going. On. Here.
Teen Titans 94. This is great. I love everything about it. Great composition and movement. Great character acting and use of lights and darks. I think I’m going to start picking this up.
Titans 34. Another comic from dudes that have never seen real breasts in their entire life. And who are hoping that some sad dude will buy it because you can ALMOST see up her freaking skirt. Yeah, I hate this with the heat of a thousand suns…or y’know, just the one.
Wonder Woman 606 (variant). You would think a brilliant powerful gorgerous Amazon Warrior fighting a half dude-half stag (?) would be cool…but no, it is boring as shit.
Zatanna 12. FANTASTIC. So fantastic. Adam Hughes is an INCREDIBLE artist but I frequently have a hard time loving his work because it’s so crazy on the boobilicious (and beyond) side. So it’s really fun when I can get a great illustration that’s not super-exploitative. Love it.
And what a nice way to end! 
15 comments
January 26, 2011 at 1:39 pm
Rubin
Fiona Staples is the real deal.
January 26, 2011 at 2:28 pm
James Figueiredo
I will disagree with on regarding the WW cover, Kelly – I think this was a really strong picture, Diana looks beautiful and with a FIERCE expression on her face, and I really like the depiction of the action! Still hate that costume with a passion, though.
Now, that Ladronn cover for the Spirit book is absolutely STUNNING, I can’t stop staring at it! Such beautiful, beautiful linework! AND THE COLORS! Adam Hughes’ Zatanna cover is a beauty as well.
January 26, 2011 at 8:02 pm
litbandit
I wish they had made a Buffalo-Riding Batman toy when I was a kid. I would have been all over that!
January 26, 2011 at 9:27 pm
KELLY YOU SO CRAY-CRAY!
That Batgirl #20 cover is amazing!!!! The motion, the colors, the movement. I think it’s gorgeous. Even before I read what you said about it, I was gonna be like “Batgirl #20 is an early contender for best cover of the year!!!”
BTW, what do you have against the # sign?
January 27, 2011 at 2:00 am
ross
yawn to everything but the awesome NY5 cover and Amy’s Supergirl (love that one).
January 27, 2011 at 10:12 am
dcwomenkickingass
I HATE that cover of Batman & Robin #22. Probably because Damian looks like a kid. The Hughes Zatanna is really off in a class of its own as far as the rest of these, although I agree the Fiona Staples Jonah Hex cover is very good.
January 28, 2011 at 9:05 am
Basque
I don’t understand, Sue. Damian looks like a kid because, well, he is one. There’s probably something really perverse and sadistic about me, but I always think the smaller and more child-like Robin looks (any Robin, really) the more appealing he is as a character. Which is why I love Damian so much, because he’s the smallest and most child-like of all the Robins – while at the same time the most brutal and potentially deadly. I love that disconnect.
Anyway, about the Red Robin cover, I think it’s actually pretty great, and I don’t think it’s meant to imply that Selina is weighing down Batman. I’m not sure how that whole Lady Justice metaphor usually works, but would the heavier side be the “winning” one anyway? I don’t know. It looks good thought. It’s a shame I will actually be skipping this issue, since it’s part of some annoying crossover I have no interest in.
January 28, 2011 at 9:06 am
Basque
(posting again, ’cause I forgot to subscribe to follow-ups by e-mail.)
January 28, 2011 at 3:59 pm
1979semifinalist
@Rubin: Where Fiona Staples goes, so goes my nation.
(bonus points for anyone that knows where I got that modified quote)
@James Figueiredo: As we say all the time, art is subjective. In fairness, that kind of really slick overly digital look is not a favorite of mine, so that probably had some effect on my like/dislike of the WW cover.
@Litbandit: Ditto!
@Kelly You So Cray-Cray aka NICK MARINO (gasp!): I guess you’re referring to the fact that I don’t use the # sign when I do the numbers for the covers? I think it’s mostly just economy of time and/or laziness. I have no registered bias against the #. I have a friend that does though.
@ross: Yeah, boring month overall.
@dcwomenkickingass: Hmm…what do you have against Damian looking young? He’s supposed to be right? I’m super curious about this! The Zatanna is gorgeous…as is the Fiona Staples – so good!
@Basque: I agree that Damian being the smallest and most “child-like” of the Robins but the most brutal/adult and potentially deadly is really an interesting juxtaposition. Also a lot of writers write him VERY well. I didn’t think I’d like Damian initially but he is a hell of a lot of fun.
Re: Red Robin. yeah…maybe…as my sentences suggested…I really didn’t know what I was supposed to be getting from it…and then got grouchy because I didn’t know and moved on.
January 28, 2011 at 6:42 pm
Barry Deutsch
I’m guessing the quote is paraphrased from Oz in Buffy (“As goes Willow, so goes my nation”).
Understandably, this probably isn’t something you’d do (since it’s not good for economy of time), but I’d love it if you’d say who the illustrator of each cover is when you do these posts.
In any case, I absolutely love this feature of your blog — I don’t even read most of these comics, but it’s so much fun looking at the covers (and reading your comments)!
For me, the Spirit cover is the real stand-out this week, but the Supergirl and the Zantanna are really nice too.
The Batman and Robin is really disturbing looking because Robin is so young, and we hate seeing a kid in pearl like that; I think it was the right choice for the illustrator to make, because the cover wouldn’t be one-tenth as effective if Robin didn’t look so young.
January 28, 2011 at 7:12 pm
1979semifinalist
@Barry Deutsch: OMG! You got it. It’s totally from Buffy…and you got the exact quote and characters to boot. I wish I had some kind of prize to give you!
There are actually two reasons I don’t comment on the illustrator of the cover. #1 is exactly what you said. It would be a considerable time addition to these posts, and they are already VERY time consuming, so I can’t really find the time to do more. But the other reason is because I often feel bad about talking smack, even if it’s supposed to be in fun, about some artists’ work…so I guess I feel slightly (but only slightly) better about that if I don’t acknowledge them by name in the post.
I love doing cover solicits, but I do feel conflicted about it. If you guys didn’t all love it so much, I’d probably stop cause sometimes it makes me feel like a jerk.
I agree that the B&R cover works in part because it’s so disturbing.
In other totally unrelated news – I got Hereville – it looks great and I can’t wait to get into it! Also congrats on it making CBR’s top 100 of the year!
January 28, 2011 at 7:16 pm
Barry Deutsch
I’m a total Buffy fanatic! My dream job would be to do a comic about the fat slayer (she appeared in one shot in the final episode).
Re: Hereville, thanks! I hope you enjoy it.
January 28, 2011 at 10:29 pm
Nick Marino
I was not the author of “KELLY YOU SO CRAY-CRAY”… it was my mean-spirited cousin, Rick Nareno, who also happens to like comic books and was using my computer and therefore had the same IP address.
January 29, 2011 at 1:45 pm
Hutch
No Superboy or Miss Martian on the Young Justice 3 cover. Hmm. Hopefully that doesn’t mean they are off training somewhere and Superboy is showing her his moves.
Gotham City Sirens 22 – You got nothing?
I’ve got “Wow, I wonder what the heck is going on there. I’m going to have to find out.” Which translates to – a job SUCCESSFULLY done by the artist and editor.
I already buy the title, but if it were not one of my usual titles, I would still pick it up when it hit the stands and thumb through the first couple of pages to determine whether I liked the art and if story looked interesting enough. If it satisfied both of those requirements, it would go home with me.
What the heck is Dinah doing on the cover to iZombie 12?
That is a great image by Amy Reeder on the cover of Supergirl 63.
I think the cover to Wonder Woman 606 would be a lot better if the colors were not so muted and there was more of a background behind the two characters. Otherwise, I think the characters look very good.
The cover to Batgirl 20 could have been saved by a background image. There is too much black in it so the two characters get kind of lost.
January 31, 2011 at 10:33 am
Adam Greene
I LOVE that cover for The Spirit and the Supergirl cover is badass too. Also, you are very funny.