Yup, looks like it's that time again!
Now, I love looking at advance solicitations, but it's hard to get excited about covers that won't be seen for three more months or so. Instead, I like to take a more serious look at covers in the month they are made available. Not only is it more appropriate to get excited about what you are buying *at that moment,* but it's a neat reminder of what's actually going on in the stories *at this moment* too. In other words, while many people complain that covers are "too generic," I think it's a factor of having to work with advance solicitations, so that only the most icon-ic/generic ideas are allowed to go through. Because obviously the story doesn't matter, but the cover is still supposed to sell...
Anyway, as I was scrolling through the covers on sale at Marvel.com, I was waiting for that one Best cover to jump out at me. It was this one, Invincible Iron Man #20, on sale Nov. 25, cover by Salvador Larroca. The "jump" at me was twofold.
First, of course, it's a great visual. Second, I remember being excited about it when it was announced as a new trade dress for Iron Man comics. I've been saying for a while that the aesthetics of design in general and of magazine/book covers in particular have shifted, but comics haven't kept up with the change. Here, we finally arrive.
Yet, there's something Not Quite Right about the image above, as it wasn't quite what I remembered. After a bit of google-fu, I found this:
What happened? I hope the solicitation on Marvel's site isn't the drab and dull one, above, but instead is this really neat and vibrant one. Which begs the question if all the covers we see at Marvel.com are actually pale imitations of what they really might be on the stands, and another begged question-- why would they? Maybe if they did, it'd be a lot harder to pick out a Best every month!
Speaking of which--- the Worst was quite easy this month! Check it out tomorrow!
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