52 replies to this topic

[zencat]

What a week it's been for cover art. First we get Devil May Care, now we have the U.S. hardcover Double or Die.

First Look: Double or Die U.S. cover art

You know, from the moment Charlie first told us YB3 would "be set in the darkest corners of London," this was the cover I saw in my head. I never loved the red/skull UK image. Grey...noir feel...this is the cover the book deserves. And look, there's the Apache weapon!

[Qwerty]

I love this cover. Kev Walker is definitely the right guy for this series.

[Qwerty]

Now on the CBn main page...

'Double Or Die' US Cover Artwork Revealed

Charlie Higson's third Young Bond novel set for a US release of 22 April

[sharpshooter]

This cover is sweet. I love the artwork by Kev Walker.

I can't wait to see SilverFin and the rest of the books drawn by him.

[MarcAngeDraco]

Outstanding cover!

[zencat]

This cover is sweet. I love the artwork by Kev Walker.

I can't wait to see SilverFin and the rest of the books drawn by him.

I'd like to see them reissue a US SilverFin with a Kev Walker cover so they all match. I'm excited to see what he'll do with HG.

[[dark]]

I love Kev Walker's artwork - especially these covers. I saw the US Blood Fever when I was in LA but didn't get a real good look at it. Is it 3D rendered or just sort of painted?

Looks amazing, either way.

[zencat]

I love Kev Walker's artwork - especially these covers. I saw the US Blood Fever when I was in LA but didn't get a real good look at it. Is it 3D rendered or just sort of painted?

That's a good question. I don't know. But the DoD cover seems to have the same 3D effect.

[Professor Dent]

Awesome.

[zencat]

Do I dare say, of the 2 pieces of Bond cover art revealed this week, this is the better.

[[dark]]

Do I dare say, of the 2 pieces of Bond cover art revealed this week, this is the better.

This is an awesome cover regardless (though I think they could do something better with that title banner), so I don't think what you said is blasphemy.

I certainly think this one took my breath away more than the Devil May Care cover, which is great, but not something really special, which is what I was hoping for.

[K1Bond007]

Do I dare say, of the 2 pieces of Bond cover art revealed this week, this is the better.

Two different styles and I much prefer DMC's over this for Bond novels. Both are great though.

I don't think this is 3D rendered. I would say it's been touched up though. It certainly has a great deal of depth and, in the background (environment), photorealism. I'm no expert though.

[Double-Oh Agent]

I love the cover. It's very moody and suspenseful--and as zencat mentioned, it contains the Apache! So that is very welcoming touch.

Of the two recently released covers (Devil May Care and Double Or Die), I much prefer the Double Or Die one. Can't wait to read it (or Devil May Care for that matter) although I still wish DOD had been called Shoot The Moon.

[Blofeld's Cat]

Has a Baron Samedi sort of vibe about it.

[zencat]

Charlie has given me a spectacular quote re the cover. Check it out:

A new start for Young Bond in the states

[[dark]]

Charlie has given me a spectacular quote re the cover. Check it out:

A new start for Young Bond in the states

Great scoop, zen!

I may be mistaken, but I don't think Charlie's discussed cover art in any interviews before. I think he's totally right, too. The UK editions look great as a set, but they don't really capture the essence of these books; Kev Walker's superb illustrations do.

[zencat]

Charlie has given me a spectacular quote re the cover. Check it out:

A new start for Young Bond in the states

Great scoop, zen!

I may be mistaken, but I don't think Charlie's discussed cover art in any interviews before. I think he's totally right, too. The UK editions look great as a set, but they don't really capture the essence of these books; Kev Walker's superb illustrations do.

You're right, I don't think he has (how could I do 2 interviews and not ask about cover art?). Neat to hear that he originally envisioned 30s style illustrated "Raiders"-like covers. Maybe we'll see covers like this on the graphic novels?

[Qwerty]

Neat to hear that he originally envisioned 30s style illustrated "Raiders"-like covers. Maybe we'll see covers like this on the graphic novels?

That'd be pretty cool.

Wonder which of the UK covers he thinks works best?

[zencat]

Charlie has given me a spectacular quote re the cover. Check it out:

A new start for Young Bond in the states

Great scoop, zen!

I may be mistaken, but I don't think Charlie's discussed cover art in any interviews before. I think he's totally right, too. The UK editions look great as a set, but they don't really capture the essence of these books; Kev Walker's superb illustrations do.

You're right, I don't think he has (how could I do 2 interviews and not ask about cover art?). Neat to hear that he originally envisioned 30s style illustrated "Raiders"-like covers. Maybe we'll see covers like this on the graphic novels?

Funny that Charlie would mention Indiana Jones posters and then, bingo, we get a new Indy poster a few days later.

[K1Bond007]

Charlie has given me a spectacular quote re the cover. Check it out:

A new start for Young Bond in the states

Great scoop, zen!

I may be mistaken, but I don't think Charlie's discussed cover art in any interviews before. I think he's totally right, too. The UK editions look great as a set, but they don't really capture the essence of these books; Kev Walker's superb illustrations do.

You're right, I don't think he has (how could I do 2 interviews and not ask about cover art?). Neat to hear that he originally envisioned 30s style illustrated "Raiders"-like covers. Maybe we'll see covers like this on the graphic novels?

Funny that Charlie would mention Indiana Jones posters and then, bingo, we get a new Indy poster a few days later.

More like: Funny that K1Bond007 mentioned an Indiana Jones-like poster for Young Bond and then Charlie says that's what he was thinking of when he started Young Bond and then not long after that we get an Indy 4 poster.

~|-Toots horn-|~

[zencat]

So yesterday morning the DHL man threw something over my gate (hate when they do that) and guess what was inside? The US Double or Die hardcover. An advance copy from Disney a full month before publication. It's a beauty.

I took a batch of pics for a little preview gallery on my site, but depending on the light, the Kev Walker cover art goes a completely different color. The actual cover art is grey, but put it in any shadow, and it goes very blue grey like the Amazon art. When the sun hits my favorite photo spot later today I going to do take the pics again. I'll get them up on my site later today.

BTW, if someone can recall a particularly gruesome passage from the book, I'll check and see if it's still in this US edition.

[marktmurphy]

Must have missed this; I love Walker's illustrations but I'm not entirely convinced by this cover- it's not as dramatic an image as it could have been. Feels like we need to be nearer the action for a bit more of a dynamic composition. I've never particularly liked the UK covers as they seem to be a bit misleading- none of the YB art has quite hit the mark for me so far.

[zencat]

Hopefully you'll get a chance to see it in the flesh, markt. It's very nice. How the glow of the sun behind the clouds works to illuminate the image can't be fully appreciated in pics.

Nifty how this matches (in a darker way) the sun effect of his Blood Fever cover. Be great if they re-released SilverFin with a Walker image so all the US covers matched.

[Qwerty]

Nice, zen. I take it you had this pre-ordered from amazon?

Wonder if we'll see any US proofs too...

[zencat]

Nice, zen. I take it you had this pre-ordered from amazon?

Wonder if we'll see any US proofs too...

This didn't come from Amazon, Qwerts. It's an advance copy from Disney (I went back and clarified that above). It isn't due for release until April 22.

I don't think they did a proof edition.

[zencat]

Here we go:

FIRST LOOK: Double or Die U.S. hardcover

[MarcAngeDraco]

Thanks for posting those pics, zen! This is (by far) my favorite Young Bond cover to date!

[Mr. Blofeld]

This cover art looks awesome, especially when compared to SilverFin's...

[Qwerty]

Nice, zen. I take it you had this pre-ordered from amazon?

Wonder if we'll see any US proofs too...

This didn't come from Amazon, Qwerts. It's an advance copy from Disney (I went back and clarified that above). It isn't due for release until April 22.

I don't think they did a proof edition.

Ah, I see.

The pics are lookin' good.

[zencat]

Funny, but when I see these editions I think of them as mini hardcovers, but they are actually exactly the same size as the US Gardner books. Makes them flow together nicely on the shelf.