That enormous banner touting the fact that DC’s line has shrunk back down to a 32 page package for twenty cents does this piece a little bit of damage–not only does its color scheme not integrate well into the aesthetic of this piece, but it also causes the logo to crowd the head of the attacker with the blade. But even with that, this is a hugely striking PHANTOM STRANGER cover by artist Jim Aparo. The series was something of a cross between DC’s super hero and mystery titles, where the lead character wasn’t necessarily the lead in every story. Everything else here works very well, including the tilt of teh ground line to place that cliffside at a diagonal., and the red moon offsetting the strong blue monochrome effect, implying the violence to come without showing it. The Stranger’s shadow fading in over the snow is likewise a nice touch. The whole image is deceptively simple with few fiddly details, but especially with this color treatment, it works well.
The Tom Brevoort Experience 