Cover of the Week 19/8 – Book of Death #2 by Cary Nord

I am quite ashamed to say that I am almost completely unfamiliar with the Valiant works, but I am trying to make rapid amends. This whole cover screams murder and death, not just from the title but from the complete lack of colour, let alone the premise of the cover design. Cary Nord produces a shadowy page that has Gilad at the mercy of an unknown assailant (I have been trying to work out if it is Ninjak or X-O). The use of cream and brown intimates the minimal light in the area and the fact that the assassin has been lurking in the shadows. His stern emotionless face is only paralleled by the questioning glance of the eternal warrior, almost asking whether he is really going to slice his neck open. The seriousness of the man wielding the knife does not really put that into question, Gilad is going to have to fight to get out of this. It is impressive how much detail you can place into facial features with minimal light; the scars and hair detailing is amazing. The ultra coated cover also adds to the magnificence of the page because it affords the blacks to remain matt and the lighrer shaded of yellow to reflect the light. This only enhances the effect of the man who came to kill from out of the night. Amazing work.