12 Days of Best Covers of 2013: Day #3

For this new seasonal end of year list, the third book cover that I pick is Stephanie Saulter’s debut novel for Jo Fletcher Books, Gemsigns, the first novel in the ®Evolution near-future series which deals with the ethics of genetic engineering and whether or not those genetically engineered can be considered human or not. It is the most thought-provoking novel that I’ve read this year and also one of the best. Where most SFF novels content themselves with telling a story with good/great characters, this novel went the extra mile and actually made me think about the events therein.

And the third comics cover that I pick is the fourth and final issue of Mateus Santolouco and Erik Burnham’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Secret History of The Foot Clan, which Mateus drew as well. A short mini-series that delved into the origins of Shredder, the Foot Clan and Master Splinter himself, it stands as one of the best TMNT stories that I’ve experienced to date. Possibly the best. Which is a pretty damn big deal, all things considered. It reignited my love of the characters and the setting, something that I won’t be forgetting any time soon.

So without further ado, hit the break to see both the covers in all their glory! The full list of all these covers is available here.

*****

®Evolution #1: Gemsigns by Stephanie Saulter

Cover by Andy Vella

Why: Its all about the red you see. You have a really beautiful woman on the cover, someone who looks as perfect as you can get, and overshadowing her all these chemical diagrams and a whole lot of red. Exotic is the first thing that comes to mind. Then the name of the novel kicks in and you start thinking about sapphires. And so on it goes. Some covers are made to be awe-inspiring, some to be thought-provoking, some to be cool, and so on. Then there are covers that really are works of art and this cover is one such.

Helpful links:

• Publisher’s Link
• Review: Gemsigns
• Guest Post: Stephanie Saulter on Names

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Secret History of The Foot Clan #4 by Mateus Santolouco and Erik Burnham

Cover by Mateus Santolouco

Why: The only reason that really matters here is that this is an ensemble piece depicting all the major characters and the supporting cast. That’s why I love this cover so much, not to mention that the issue itself was quite a cracking read. Mateus Santolouco did some incredible for all the four covers of the series and this is definitely the best of the four.

Helpful links:

• Review: #1-2