COMIC BOOKS AND COVER ART
Flying in the face of the universally accepted maxim that warns us not to “judge a book by its cover” the cover of a comic is considered the most significant artwork within the book. A cover, much like a comic strip itself, tells a story, and sets the scene of imminent action and adventure. Like a movie director, the artist manipulates the viewer’s experience via his or her own vision and interpretation. The cover of a comic is considered the most significant artwork within the book. It is both a statement and an advertisement that will make the reader pick the comic up and buy it. Well executed, it can entirely transform the viewer’s understanding of a character and plot. The artist's use of composition, lighting and colour can help focus a reader’s attention on the important features on the cover.
However, as any Marvel aficionado will know, cover art can be as much a tool of misdirection as a glimpse into the ensuing narrative within. Whether the cover seemingly shows one or more of our heroes on the brink of death, or indeed the comic world as we know it coming to an apocalyptic end, the chances are that the inner pages will right the wrongs shown on the cover, and good will once again triumph over evil. Therein lies the delicacy of touch needed by the revered Marvel cover artists; the balance of messaging for the reader must be enticing yet elusive, with just enough of the plot played out on the cover to be not just a head-turner, but a page-turner also; new mythology for the twenty-first century.
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