Those covers are GREAT. I remember, one of my favorite books from a few years ago (StormWatch: Team Achilles) tried it out too. In fact, the covers were done by Portland-local (at the the time) Jason Pearson. Still couldn't save the book from getting the axe but damn, it was great art and great writing.

Not to drift this thread too much but I couldn't figure out your e-mail addy (me am smart) so I'll just post this here:

Erik-

Don't know if you've seen this (or if you watched Angel when it was on) but it looks like IDW will be publishing Angel Season 6 comics:

http://idwpublishing.com/titles/angel_atf.shtml

Yeah, I did see that! And while I'm really, really digging the Buffy comics right now, I can't seem to get too excited about the Angel ones. Partly 'cause I've never been able to get into that show. (I just tried again recently, and couldn't even get all the way through the first season. I've heard it gets way better, but man, that first season BLOWS.) Let me know how the comic shapes up, though; if it's as good as the Buffy ones, I'll give this whole Angel thing another go.

what's the one more day story line about? should i try getting back into marvel? i only really like spidey up until web of spiderman. i started reading dc for the first time in my life recently.

The newest Buffy comic is awesome!
Just sayin'.

Ben, this whole "One More Day" thing is being marketed as a really big deal. The press release I got says, "The most controversial storyline in Marvel history begins today, as Amazing Spider-Man #544 marks the first chapter of One More Day! As Aunt May lies in a coma, and Peter remains a fugitive from justice, the wall-crawler will face the hardest decision of his life. How far do you go to save the ones you love? What’s the cost of doing the right thing?" and adds it'll be an "emotional tour de force that will challenge Peter Parker at his very core and leave readers breathless."

Uh huh. I've heard a couple of things from my "sources" inside "the biz" (none of it enthusiastic), and it sounds like there'll be some big changes to the core Spider-Man books as a result of the story, and maybe the Marvel Universe as a whole. What I heard is that Spidey will make some sort of big, continuity-altering decision for the chance to live "one more day" in a different way... or something. (I might have also heard the phrase "reset button." Just saying.)

I'm interested, I guess, but cautiously so. After the "holy shit it's gonna be a big deal that'll change comics forever... oh, never mind" events of "House of M" and "Civil War," I'm a bit wary. But we'll see.

Nonono...you have to stick with Angel...the character arc is so good it's delicious.

I don't know what I mean either.

Man, too bad they gotta use that butt ugly font, huh?

Aunt May's in a coma!?! Peter wanted by the law?!?! Wow, sounds like a very original storyline.

/sarcasm

By reset button, from what I've gleaned from preview images and solicitation and such, sounds like Mary Jane is going to get it soon.

On topic: I do understand the appeal of the "retro" covers. I've always had a fondness for silver age comic covers, there's a certain forthrightness to them. They literally scream for the newsstand browser to "buy me! buy me! buy me!!!"

Still, while the occasional nod back to the past is cute, I much prefer the more modern comic cover. If the direct market gave us anything, it freed the cover artist to experiment and try new formats. Instead of just advertising the contents of the issue in question (important, don't get me wrong), abstract design and innovative layout are viable artistic alternatives to the standard comic cover. Give me a new Dave Johnson, Ashley Wood or Tim Bradstreet cover to the "message" cover of old.