COVER STORY: Doom Patrol #42
What makes the best comic book covers? It is a great topic for debate. For us, as individuals, there is no wrong answer, of course; it is purely subjective. But, with a little thought it’s possible to explain what it is about a particular image that grabs you. The best images are the ones that make you stop and check out something you weren’t previously planning to purchase – and in some cases, you even end up picking up a title you’ve never even heard of before.
Once upon a time, DC Comics’ pre-Vertigo titles were indeed cutting edge. Animal Man, Hellblazer, Sandman, Swamp Thing, and, of course, Doom Patrol. These titles offered stories that stretched the creative limits of the comic book medium – as well as donned beautifully strange covers that begged to be picked up by longtime fans and new readers everywhere. In fact, they still do.
Even before Doom Patrol #42 – dated March 1991 – acclaimed writer Grant Morrison had offered his readers stories of weirdness and wonder. But teamed with Sandman co-creator and artist-extraordinaire Mike Dringenberg, he took the normally clichéd idea of the comic book muscleman to new levels of fun. To direct readers to this origin of the mighty Flex Mentallo, Morrison’s “Man of Muscle Mystery,” they needed a cover that would communicate the fun and fury of this must-have issue on comics stands worldwide. And turning to illustrator Simon Bisley, they gave comics fans just that!
Making the cover look like a Golden Age comic book that also brings in elements of the old Universal Pictures movie titles, Bisley’s frontispiece of Doom Patrol #42 immediately catches the eye while signaling the powerfully unique story within. Giving Flex a classic Namoresque appearance also captures the flavor and nostalgia of comic books of yesteryear, and once again, gets the job done.
One of the most interesting covers to come from a comic book line where strangeness and wonder were an everyday occurrence; this piece is nothing less than a four-color masterpiece. Search it out and be awed.
–Scott Braden
Popular Topics
Overstreet Access Quick Links
COVER STORY: Doom Patrol #42
What makes the best comic book covers? It is a great topic for debate. For us, as individuals, there is no wrong answer, of course; it is purely subjective. But, with a little thought it’s possible to explain what it is about a particular image that grabs you. The best images are the ones that make you stop and check out something you weren’t previously planning to purchase – and in some cases, you even end up picking up a title you’ve never even heard of before.
Once upon a time, DC Comics’ pre-Vertigo titles were indeed cutting edge. Animal Man, Hellblazer, Sandman, Swamp Thing, and, of course, Doom Patrol. These titles offered stories that stretched the creative limits of the comic book medium – as well as donned beautifully strange covers that begged to be picked up by longtime fans and new readers everywhere. In fact, they still do.
Even before Doom Patrol #42 – dated March 1991 – acclaimed writer Grant Morrison had offered his readers stories of weirdness and wonder. But teamed with Sandman co-creator and artist-extraordinaire Mike Dringenberg, he took the normally clichéd idea of the comic book muscleman to new levels of fun. To direct readers to this origin of the mighty Flex Mentallo, Morrison’s “Man of Muscle Mystery,” they needed a cover that would communicate the fun and fury of this must-have issue on comics stands worldwide. And turning to illustrator Simon Bisley, they gave comics fans just that!
Making the cover look like a Golden Age comic book that also brings in elements of the old Universal Pictures movie titles, Bisley’s frontispiece of Doom Patrol #42 immediately catches the eye while signaling the powerfully unique story within. Giving Flex a classic Namoresque appearance also captures the flavor and nostalgia of comic books of yesteryear, and once again, gets the job done.
One of the most interesting covers to come from a comic book line where strangeness and wonder were an everyday occurrence; this piece is nothing less than a four-color masterpiece. Search it out and be awed.
–Scott Braden
Popular Topics
Overstreet Access Quick Links
