Cover Up: Batman: Year 100 #3

I had fun doing this last week, so I'm doing it again! I'm even considering making it a regular feature, so let me know what you think.

Now, Paul Pope has a drawing style that's like a thumb print or Barry White's voice — it's easily recognizable and there's no way it could be mistaken for anyone else. His work is, simply, unique.

In 2006 I was already a fan of Pope's squiggly, sketchy and kinetic work (it reminds me of watching someone hyperactively fidget around a room, occasionally stopping to breathe heavily on the edge of the couch), but I wouldn't have been sure it would be a good fit for something like Batman.

But then Batman: Year 100 came out and it kicked my skepticism right in the ass, starting with the covers for this four-issue mini-series.

Click for larger size!

All them are good, but my favorite is the cover to Batman:Year 100 #3. So dark it almost takes a second to register Batman sitting in the middle of it, the cover blends Pope's near-future cyberpunk aesthetic with the "man in the shadows" imagery we've all come to associate with our favorite Dark Knight. There's some grit to it, and a definite sense of speed and urgency and danger — even though all you see is Batman on his motorcycle, you can tell he's being chased.

I also like the tinge of red on the string of out-of-focus lights in the background, giving the subtle impression of a line of cop cars in the distance (we can thank colorist Jose Villarrubia for that). And the long arcs of electricity streaming off and away from the Bat-cycle also give it an undeniable energy.

This cover says a lot with a little, and that says plenty about Pope's skill with detail and tight, highly focused scenes. (Oh, and one more thing: That logo designed by RINZEN rocks my world. It's wildly stylized and almost looks like a graffiti tag, but also gives a nod to the spread-wing designs of the old Detective Comics and 1960s TV show logos. Pretty cool.)

What do you think?