Some are homage, some are humorous, some feel cheap or lazy, then there are those that just could be done without. Out of the ones show, I could do without the zombie ones, they fit in the second half...but then I never liked that whole thing anyway :/
It's what artists a Comic companies do when they can think of an original cover to entice browzers, some are great some are better than the original most are based on old greek art that has influenced pretty much all modern art in the western world.
If they're done right I think they inspire a sense of nostalgia but that doesn't always mean I'm going to get them. Its still fun to see though and I always get a little excited.
From Italy... Leo Ortolani (also a real lover of Kirby's art) is the writer and penciler of a parodistic comic called Ratman, and often uses homage to various old school covers, here are some samples
When Marvel do an homage to DC Comic or vice-versa, it's cool and make me remember what's the original is. So it's never useless and fun to spot them. Very often, they do it to change the image we have of the hero, like Spider-Man gaining the symbiote.
oh G-Man is this about that Death of Spider-Man issue? i thought that picture you shared was RIDICULOUSLY close to Death of Superman, and that article showed it right after. But i figured it was intentional, and i think Superman would be flattered, even though Ultimate Spiderman DESERVES death. heck, the Ultimate UNIVERSE deserves,... on 2nd thought, let's have Ultimate, so main continuity don't have to suffer stupid What-If?s.
I think Homage covers, when done right, are cool. Re telling is kinda stupid cos you're wasting time and money to see something that's DONE BEFORE, and is not original. Then again, X-Men TAS, BTAS and other cartoons, as well as The Dark Knight and the 2nd Spider-Man movie did good by re telling and making people aware of important events WITHOUT having to read comics, (ok ok, not good for the industry, or was it? now,.. what marvel has been doing of late,.. nothing to praise, but if not for X-Men TAS and Christopher Nolan, Superheroes would be at a very low level of cool.
Also, half those covers, i'd call them PARODIES! Parodies are in their own right a homage, i suppose, but when the Simpsons put out a cover that copied the FF isuue, OF COURSE it's supposed to be funny and make fun of it, but they were inspired. Plus, i know a whole lot of kids that are more likely to pick up Simpsons than a FF comic, so again, creating awareness. As far as homage and parodies go,.. this one's my favourite
Those last two... it's really hard to portray that sort of scene any other way. That is the most dynamic way to showcase the emotions that the people are feeling. I'm sure they aren't trying to be a cheap knock-off.
@ssejllenrad: awsome example .very good work their spoting homages/gimicks The carrying of some one wounded or dead ones conan one doesnt fit as a tribute or knock off imho. Some are kinda streaching the point. Theirs only so many ways to carry some one .
Um the gimmick thing tho .. seriously who the hells gona run out an buy a comic cause its like some other cover?One would think gimmick would be to help sales.Like oh halo covers... metalic covers... variant covers.. wrap around covers.. poly baged for your protection covers .. etc etc
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