Covering Sunday December Edition

And the last, but not least of the three entries is the December edition of Covering Sunday! There's no losing with this lineup this month...they'd all make beautiful Christmas gifts. Which will you stuff in your or someone else's stocking this gifting season?

Loving KOTOYAMA's typography work with the title along with the use of color on the cover and Saya herself. This cover is truly the essence of "simple is best".  There was no need to go for anything overly complex, this is perfect --and I adore the splash of colored gumdrops(?) around Saya and the blue sky below. Like Dagashikashi itself, it's a straightforward cover that is evocative without requiring much to be so.

Now this is the Shinobi No Cover I was hoping for with volume one. Toudou looks a little out of place there, but otherwise Pops is looking badass, and the splashes of blood over the green BG that juuuuust barely avoids being obtrusive by being contained to the bottom of the cover is used to great effect. Speaking of green, having the romanized version of the title and volume number in that color gives a bloody sorta Christmas vibe --perfect for the season!  

We know what to expect from Conan covers, and this one is no different, but I don't mean that to be a bad thing at all. I like how Aoyama's name and the volume number are very unobtrusive, and Conan playing along with the photo of what's going on in he background is used to great effect here. Also, the "Detective Conan" logo has always been one of my favorites in anime and manga, so having it big like this is great.

Evans might just take winner of the month. There's just nothing I don't like about this cover. The romanized title being to the left and out of the way of the artwork, the warm colors in the background illuminating our protagonists, and even the Japanese logo is used to great effect. Also Evans and Pheebs themselves are looking grand here. I really like that they seem to be calling out whomever is reading this --a shame their coolness belies what the manga is actually about, but hey, that's what gets the sales!

Komi's no slouch either --Oda (not that one) likes depicting scenes in his covers, and while that can be hit or miss depending on composition and characters involved, he nails it with this one. It's clear what the characters are doing, and I like the little effects such as someone on the opposite side getting hit in the face with a snowball, and someone either down or running below the "camera frame". It really gives a sense of being there with everyone.

Megumi like Conan knows what she's about and isn't afraid to flaunt it. The diagonal slant is a nice touch, as well as the red and blue colors used in Nekoguchi's name and the title of the series itself. One other thing the diagonal slant does is make Megumi's eyes seem that much more alluring...somehow.

Aozakura looks regal in green and white this month especially with Kondo's no nonsense expression as he draws his blade. The different fonts for the Japanese title and the English equivalent also keeps things visually interesting, and I quite like that Nikaido kept things to one side of the cover as to not block the artwork. The regal leaves around the volume number are also really appealing --makes this seem like more than just a manga, huh?

Zettai goes diagonal as well, but for it's title and volume number rather than the characters. Shiina's changed up how he does the covers --probably specifically for this arc, and it does look way more streamlined than the other Zettai volumes --almost as if it's reinventing itself for a new audience which is certainly not a bad thing. I like his sense of coloring and shading too, and while I'm not a fan of how big that "50" is, it is the 50th volume which is a pretty big deal, so I'll let it slide.

I'm not sure whether Koyama uses traditional art for her covers or if she's just awesome with mouse and keyboard, but either way this Maiko-san cover benefits from having a sense of warmth and quaintness that defies the digital age --and even the weather in this picture. Everything about this cover is very soft and inviting very much like the series itself! 

Welp that's all three entries for today. I was crazy to do this, but you're not crazy to enjoy it! I'll be back with the next entry at hopefully the same time, same place! See you soon!