OLIVIER COIPEL

A great comic book cover is an advertisement, a work of art, a statement, and an invitation. A great comic book cover is a glimpse of another world through a canvas no bigger than a window pane. In Best Comic Book Covers Ever (This Month), we look back over some of the most eye-catching, original and exceptional covers of the past month. 2015 got off to an impressive start with stunning compositions from Riley Rossmo, James Harren, and Ken Niimura; wonderful character portraits from Marko Djurdjevic, Becky Cloonan, and Kaare Andrews; amazing colors from Darwyn Cooke and Artyom Trakhanov; and a really fun He-Man piece from Stjepan Sejic.

In the process of writing my article about muscles vs curves, and how the big dudes of superhero comics typically fail to represent the tastes of most androphile women, I gathered a collection of images and recommended artists from my correspondents that illustrate the sort of art they'd love to see more of -- but which there's sadly very little of compared to all the T&A fan-service targeted at straight men. I had far too many recommendations to put in the article, so I've compiled the collection (and a few personal favorites) into a very special one-off post. The collection includes pin-ups, fan art, sketches, and some traditional superhero art from artists who aren't afraid to put a little male eye candy in their work!

As a man who reads superhero comics, I confess that I share a commonly-held prurient interest in big-chested, long-legged heroes in skin-baring costumes that barely cover their naughty bits -- or as I like to call him, Namor. Sadly, Namor is pretty much alone in his category. Contrary to the perception that male heroes in comics are frequently sexually objectified, it's my experience that even Namor is only rarely presented as someone to lust over. Yet I'm fortunate that my tastes run towards the Hemsworth end of the scale. Like many straight men, I admire the kind of buff dudes that are the staple of superhero comics, even though they are rarely sexualized. If I shared the tastes of most of the women I know, I think I'd find superhero comics an even more frustratingly sexless wasteland.

Just as Marvel has started winding down one big Spider-Man event, it's gearing up for another. In a live chat on Marvel.com Monday, Amazing Spider-Man writer Dan Slott and Marvel.com editor Ben Morse announced Spider-Verse, an event that will start in November and feature "every Spider-Man from every universe," according to Morse. The event will feature art by Olivier Coipel. It will tak

Another week, another Marvel crossover. No sooner has Infinity packed its bags and left the planet than the universe is propelled into Inhumanity, a more nebulously constructed event that weaves between a dozen or so books this winter, all marked by the sound of a disaffected teenager who doesn't want to take out the trash, "inh." The event will lead up to a new ongoing series, Inhuman,

X-Men. It's a bland title for a comic. No astonishment here; no bid for universal novelty; no claim to the ubiquitous label "uncanny". The new series, headlined by writer Brian Wood and penciller Olivier Coipel, is called only "X-Men", and the simplicity of the title suggests a statement...

The recently announced relaunch of X-Men, from Brian Wood and Olivier Coipel and featuring a team made up of Storm, Jubilee, Psylocke, Rogue, Rachel Summers and Kitty Pride, has been pushed back to May, due to a bereavement for Wood.Wood posted about the decision: "Obviously this is a very personal matter... Read More ...

Marvel Comics has announced a new X-Men title launching in April that spotlights the female members of the team. Yes, finally, a book dedicated to some of the many X-Women who have won fan hearts for years! The X-Women who have dominated the franchise since the Chris Claremont days...

Art: The Kirby Museum has posted some awesome unpublished Devil Dinosaur art, which should delight any Jack Kirby fan. TV: Joss Whedon is apparently already shooting the SHIELD pilot. TV: David E. Kelley cops to his missteps shooting a Wonder Woman pilot, but says the CW is smart to try their own take with its Amazon series...

On a conference call with comics press today, writer Rick Remender and editor Tom Breevort revealed additions to the Uncanny Avengers team. Starting with issue #5, the team's roster will expand to nine members, with Sunfire, Wonder Man, and The Wasp joining the cast...