I'm curious as to what everybody thinks about covers with dialogue. They used to be very common, and now they're quite rare. Peter and I have talked about how we like them and we wanted to do one for a while, but it took us this long to find one that worked! They do present some logistical problems though: 1. Is the dialogue exactly as it appears in the comic? Then it runs the risk of feeling redundant. But if it differs too much from the content of the book, then it feels like a false representation of the story inside! What do you think?
Dialogue on the cover works in some instances. Look at Marvel Comics covers from the 1970s for examples of BAD dialogue on covers. A typical AMAZING SPIDER-MAN cover of the period might have the Bad Guy saying: "Ok, Web-head, I've been itching for a rematch" (next balloon) "And this time" (third balloon) "I'M GONNA WIN!" Then two thought balloons for Spider-Man. "He's not kidding! Once those electric shocks/sharpened blades/acid splashes/whatever hit me --" (Second thought balloon) "I'M FINISHED!!"
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #152 is a Fine/Bad example. Perhaps nothing is inherently wrong with this graphic/copy ... but in hindsight it felt like EVERY Marvel Comic of the 1970s was like this. Almost like Mad Libs. But the AMOUNT of copy leads that werid time discrepancy — how do the Marvel characters manage to address each other during a high-pitched battle?
Copy on covers? Keep it light ... or keep it to editorial/narrative captions ... or better yet, DON'T. Look to the classic pulp magazines (like DOC SAVAGE) for examples of powerful images that covey story ideas or details without lots of clutter.
I like it Dave, I think it fits in nicely with the image!!
The Punisher book is a great cover for sure, because it really plays on the idea of the Punisher as a somewhat ambiguous hero. You want the Punisher to care about that kid, so you better read the story just to make sure he actually does!
I'd love to share this cover from the very first Punisher comic I ever bought. I actually mentioned this just recently in a great conversation I had with @ Nick Welch here on the forum!
Personally, I miss having dialogue on comic covers. It harkens back to a classic era in comics. I like that the dialogue gives you some insight as to what might be in the book. In this instance, I saw this on a convenience store spinner rack and I knew I needed to spend my dollar to know what happened next.
The scenario on the cover wasn't present inside the book, in fact, what happened in the book was infinitely worse. The Punisher comes across a child pornogaphy ring set up at a military academy and he goes in to shut it down as only The Punisher can. I was 12 years old when I read this, and looking back I can't imagine my kid coming across this at that age.
However, getting back to the word balloons on the cover, I can certainly tell you that even though the dialogue wasn't pertinent to the story inside, it 100% got my attention. It gave me a glimpse of what I might be in for when I got home to read the book. From an aesthetic standpoint, I think it can give current books a classic look and that's not a bad thing, at least not in this guy's perspective. I hope this helps answer your question!
(PS- Tinseltown is great! Looking forward to "Moore". Yeah, that was awful...)
It has to have good placement not to take away from the art and feeling your trying to convey plus be a good one liner. Which is not as easy as it sounds these days. If you can pull this off well, then why not.