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Philippe Negrin
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 01 August 2007
Location: France
Posts: 2644
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| Posted: 11 January 2016 at 2:33pm | IP Logged | 1
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Everytime I catch sight of one of these wonderful Wonder Woman issues with a Bolland cover, I feel an urge to buy and I have to stop myself ("It's only the cover, only the cover!" Same with those glorious Adam Hughes Catwoman comics. Cheating !
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John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 133317
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| Posted: 11 January 2016 at 3:23pm | IP Logged | 2
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Covers should be thought of the same way as movie posters. How often do those REALLY represent the "interior pages"?
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Andrew W. Farago
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 19 July 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 4079
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| Posted: 11 January 2016 at 5:17pm | IP Logged | 3
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The generic/pin-up cover trend kind of peaked when Marvel's Ultimate line did, right? The majority of monthly titles I buy have covers that reflect the content now, and have for a while.
The really generic covers started in full force when publishers completely abandoned the newsstand, killing off casual sales. If Superman's on your pull list at a specialty shop, you've already committed to buy it whether or not the cover hooks you or not, and shops are counting on the actual title of the book to sell the copies on the rack, not the picture on the front.
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Stephen Robinson
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 5835
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| Posted: 11 January 2016 at 7:45pm | IP Logged | 4
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"Pin-up" covers or "stock" covers might be attractive but they aren't as
compelling to me as the classic comic book cover, which felt unique to comics.
And what's dispiriting is the idea that the PTB moved away from this unique
form *because* it was "comic booky." A shame.
The story hooks in superhero comic covers or the "jokes" on Archie comics
covers still stick in my memory. Generic covers despite any artistic appeal
simply fade from my memory. Even when they were part of a storyline I
actually liked. I still can't recall the cover when I see it again. And that's a
problem.
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Eric Jansen
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 27 October 2013
Location: United States
Posts: 2364
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| Posted: 11 January 2016 at 11:30pm | IP Logged | 5
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I understand that Jim Shooter and Cary Bates got their start in the business as teenagers selling cover ideas to the SUPERMAN editor...and then writers would be assigned to write stories based on those cover ideas!
Try writing a story like that now!
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James Howell
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 23 September 2012
Location: United States
Posts: 363
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| Posted: 12 January 2016 at 1:48pm | IP Logged | 6
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"The generic/pin-up cover trend kind of peaked when Marvel's Ultimate line did, right?"
These are some of the books Marvel is putting out this week...
and my personal favorite...
Edited by James Howell on 12 January 2016 at 2:15pm
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Marc Cheek
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 18 June 2014
Location: United States
Posts: 1785
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| Posted: 12 January 2016 at 2:18pm | IP Logged | 7
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Seeing those covers makes me realize how much I miss the Marvel I grew up with...
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Paul Reis
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 April 2004
Location: Canada
Posts: 926
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| Posted: 12 January 2016 at 4:06pm | IP Logged | 8
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me too!i think i can in all certainty say: if i was just starting off and exposed to the above comics, i would not be a comic collector.
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James Howell
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 23 September 2012
Location: United States
Posts: 363
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| Posted: 12 January 2016 at 4:09pm | IP Logged | 9
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"Seeing those covers makes me realize how much I miss the Marvel I grew up with..."
That Spider-Gwen cover is particularly horrible...
Boring layout, color and font choice, no background, Photoshop outer glow effect catastrophe.
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Andrew W. Farago
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 19 July 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 4079
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| Posted: 12 January 2016 at 5:04pm | IP Logged | 10
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The All-New Wolverine comic seems to have Dr. Strange as the guest star, the Captain America comic introduces the new Falcon, and Spider-Gwen indicates an encounter with the Green Goblin. Those are a far cry from the early 2000s trend of "hero stands there scowling at you" or "generic demonstration of powers" in my book.
The Scarlet Witch cover's eye-catching enough that I'll give it a flipthrough when I see it on the stands, so I'd argue that it's doing its job as a cover.
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James Howell
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 23 September 2012
Location: United States
Posts: 363
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| Posted: 12 January 2016 at 5:26pm | IP Logged | 11
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All-New Wolverine Cover:
Who are they fighting? Are they even fighting anyone, or are they posing for a photo? It's just a generic pinup, with no inkling of what the story inside is about. It could be for any story. You use the same cover for a Dr. Strange issue, guest starring Wolverine, and it wouldn't make a difference.
Captain America Cover:
Remember when the Punisher was introduced? Or Wolverine?
Or Vindicator? You can do more for an introduction than a plain pin-up.
Spider-Gwen Cover:
My critiques aside, if they didn't tell you on the cover about the Green Goblin being in the story, would you have guessed that by looking at the cover alone?
Scarlet Witch Cover:
What is this book about? If you didn't know who or what the Scarlet Witch is, or what her current story is, would you be able to surmise it just by looking at this cover?
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James Howell
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 23 September 2012
Location: United States
Posts: 363
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| Posted: 12 January 2016 at 7:11pm | IP Logged | 12
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'or "generic demonstration of powers" in my book..."
Dr Strange on that Wolverine cover seems to fit that bill..
Edited by James Howell on 12 January 2016 at 7:27pm
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