I’ve just realized that the past few months have been very kind to comic books, insofar as popular culture is concerned. Not only did DC relaunch all of its titles (maybe you’ve already heard that, I myself only just learned about it yesterday), but also Peter Parker died in the Ultimate Universe AND one of the highest rated shows on television is based on a zombie comic book! High times indeed.

But, what the public SHOULD be thinking about is none of those things. What they should be thinking about is, "I wonder what covers Andy B. will pick for his Best Covers column this week?" It’s a much more pressing issue, and if people knew what was good for them they’d understand how much more enjoyment they’d get out of life by reading this column each week. It’s just another step toward flourishing as a human being, what Aristotle called Eudaimonia. (Though some of the more cynical readers out there might refer to it as just another brick in the wall. But they’re jerks so we ignore ‘em.)

WOLVERINE AND THE X-MEN #1

Variant Cover by Nick Bradshaw

This probably isn’t the cover you’ve seen for this comic. Nope, it’s the variant by Mr. Nick Bradshaw, whose style you might recognize from any number of places, but I’m reminded of the "Escape from the Negative Zone" story arc that ran through several Marvel annuals. Full disclosure: I wasn’t the biggest fan of the artwork. I found the highly stylized faces very distracting! But with this cover I may be coming around.

Mainly, I love how short Wolverine looks. I know that in the comics he’s not exactly Manute Bol or anything, but in this rendering he’s bordering on Oompa Loompa status… and I love it. 

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