Lazy Sunday #1: The Best of the Recent Deadpool Variant Covers

Happy Sunday!  This is the first of my "Lazy Sunday" posts.  You'll notice that it is longer than one of my normal posts and focuses on a little bit more than just the cover of a certain issue of a certain comic.  We'll see how this goes!  On with the show...

Someone loves Deadpool at Marvel.  He has three ongoing series, is popping up all over the Marvel U and stars on 21 Variant Covers this month!  Comics Alliance has a great Deadpool Variant Gallery that you should check out.  The covers range from fairly mediocre (Wolverine: Savage #1) and weird (Dark Wolverine #83) to insanely awesome (Avengers: The Initiative #33).  It was hard to pick a favourite from this multitude of comic covers. but here it is:

Amazing Spider-Man #620

Artist: Pasqual Ferry

From a pure parody perspective it is really fantastic but, aside from that, it also embodies Deadpool perfectly in one wedding-crashing image.

Of course, this is a parody of ASM Annual #21 by John Romita Snr, which you can see under the cut.

X-Factor #202

If the last X-Factor cover was Doom-tastic, well, this one is... Doom-credible?  Maybe that doesn't work, but the sentiment is there.  Put Dr Doom anywhere near any aspect of a comic and it generally turns out well.  Other non-Doom thoughts?  It is good to see a cover of X-Factor featuring the team but without Madrox on it.

X-Factor #202 - Marvel

Artist: David Yardin

(Previously: X-Factor #201)

Spider-Man: Clone Saga #6

I've not been following this Clone Saga "reboot", so I don't know if Chris Cross is going the interior art on the comics or not, but this cover is just great!  The webbing everywhere, the depth of the background and the "Don't Thwip" crossing sign are all awesome, but what really makes this cover great is the muted palettes in the background and then the contrast and pop on Spidey and the Scarlet Spider.

Spider-Man: Clone Saga #6 - Marvel

Artist: Chris Cross

Scarlet Spidey is wearing an attractive hoodie/tank-top hybrid on this cover, I'm sure you all agree.

Ms Marvel #50 [Updated]

As Marvel's "Heroic Age" gets through the final planning stages more and more books seem too be biting the dust.  For the last in the current volume of Ms Marvel it looks like a whole host of heroes will turn up.

Ms. Marvel #50 - Marvel

Artist: Sana Takeda

I'm most happy about noticing Dr Voodoo - Hopefully Marvel will continue to have him appear in books over the next few months and re-launch his title further down the line (as they did with Agents of Atlas); he's already turned up in Deadpool: Merc With A Mouth #7 & #8.  But, hey, I'm not holding my breath.

UPDATE! It turns out that this is actually a parody of the cover of Marvel's first ever graphic novel The Death of Captain Marvel.  Having now read the issue I can confirm that the only hero that turns up is actually Spider-Man.  No sign of Jericho Drumm anywhere.

Anyway, check under the cut for the cover that this is based on!

Azrael #5

I won't lie, I don't know too much about Azrael, but what I do know is that this cover is bad-ass.  I love the blending and the whisp of ripped fabric especially.  It reminds me a lot of the artwork in Assassin's Creed.

Azrael #5 - DC

Artist: Francesco Mattina

This is the latest in a short line of cool white-base covers from the folks at DC.  Check out a couple of other here: Green Arrow and Black Canary #29

Incredible Hercules #141

This has been out for a week now, and the solicits didn't really make too much of a secret of the end of this comic, so I don't think that me saying OMG HERC IS DEAD!!! is going to count as too much of a spoiler.  Sorry if it does count.  What an awesome cover for the final issue (for now) of Incredible Hercules.

Incredible Hercules #141 - Marvel

Artist: Marko Djurdjevic

As I have said before, covers shouldn't be encroached by Crossover/Event banners (Siege being the current main offender) - the print issue of Herc #141 has a huge "Assault on New Olympus" banner down TWO SIDES of the issue.  What a waste of space!

Hulk #20 and Incredible Hulk #607 (Variants) [Updated]

I don't read either Hulk book, so I can't comment on their quality, but when I get to see connecting variant covers staring both Red Hulk and Green Hulk SMASHING some other Marvel heroes I have to be thankful for their existence.

Hulk #20 & Incredible Hulk #607 - Marvel

Artist: Marko Djurdjevic

I like that these came out in the same week as each other - they would have looked awesome next to each other on the shelves.

[UPDATE: I combined the two images for you lucky people!]