This is the start of a new periodic (read: when I feel like it) feature — Cover Love! I'll be showcasing some covers that have really struck me for some reason or another. With this week bringing the end of Stanley "Artgerm" Lau's run on the Batgirl covers (it seems), I thought it would be a good time to give them some love. At left is my absolute favorite, #12. Read on to see all of them.
These first few covers are part of the “Flood” storyline, so they all have Batgirl in the rain. I mention that because this cover isn't as eye-catching as some of the others, but that rain looks good. Also, the clothes actually look like clothing. Check out the wrinkles caused by her twisting. It's a small thing that's usually overlooked.
Nothing really stands out to me on this one — just a solid cover. I do like that everything has an overall blue tone. It adds to the creepiness of the zombie attack.
When I first saw this cover it was a thumbnail-size image in the DC solicits. It looks really bad like that. It looks a lot better in a larger size, but it's still not my favorite — it's a little too busy. But, I think Man-Bat looks good and gets some deserved loving here, even if he is being schooled by Batgirl.
My absolute favorite. The level of detail is amazing. I love the rain-blurred, impressionist background contrasted with the very detailed Batgirl. She really pops out. This issue closed out both the “Flood” story and Stephanie Brown's first year as Batgirl, and it does it perfectly. Her costume's ripped in several places, she's obviously taken a beating, she's bleeding from the mouth, but that mouth is also giving a “that's all you've got?” smile. She's comes through a rough ordeal, but she made it through on her terms. Makes me want to read all 12 issues to find out about it. Awesome.
This is just a fun Clayface cover. Nothing special, but nothing against it, either.
This final issue sports a very nicely drawn Supergirl to go along with yet another nicely drawn Batgirl. It's a little cheesy, but so is the story: multiple copies of a silver-screen Dracula pop out while Batgirl and Supergirl are watching a movie. This is what comics were made for. As for the art itself, notice how he makes it look like we're watching an old, starting-to-get worn-out movie reel with the grainy streaks and lightly washed-out colors. Nice.
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