Sienkiewicz--The New Mutants #27 Cover (1985)
Artist: Bill Sienkiewicz (All)
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DescriptionThe first time I became aware of Bill Sienkiewicz’s work was when he took over on The New Mutants. Initially, to be honest, I was a bit put off by his edgy, expressionistic style—It didn’t look anything like the Kirby or Buscema or Romita art I grew up on. It looked more like something you’d see in an art gallery or magazine illustration than in a comic book. It may not look that cutting-edge today, but at the time it was revolutionary.This cover to The New Mutants #27 is a great example of the techniques Sienkiewicz pioneered. Here Legion confronts New Mutants teammates Mirage, Cypher and Warlock. Note the explosion of color Sienkiewicz used here, the vivid colors undefined by any linework or background. Notice too, how Sienkiewicz ignored realistic anatomy—Legion’s body is unnaturally long and rubbery. And check out the crazy, wacked-out look of Warlock, the alien mutant co-created by Sienkiewicz and Chris Claremont. More than any other character, Warlock’s design allowed Sienkiewicz broad latitude in stretching, twisting and exaggerating his features. Despite my initial reservations, I gradually learned to enjoy Sienkiewicz’s innovations and to appreciate the contributions he made to comic art. And so I’m delighted to add this cover to my collection. ADDENDUM: The New Mutants #27 was the very first appearance of the character Legion, although his David Haller persona had been introduced two issues earlier. The Legion character has reappeared in numerous other comics and even inspired his very own TV series. Social/Sharing |
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Comments on this Artwork
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Rick W 
Member Since 2017
1 - Posted on 1/30/2022
ALWAYS loved this awe-inspiring cover! Palette of perfection!
Congrats Bill!
Gal Schwartz
Member Since 2005
1 - Posted on 1/30/2022
Very impressive cover and such a cool first appearance too ! Congrats on adding this gem to your awesome collection !
Steve N. Comic/Fantasy Art
Member Since 2017
1 - Posted on 1/30/2022
One of the covers of my youth. We missed you, Bill, back with a bang!
Rob R
Member Since 2019
Forum Moderator
1 - Posted on 1/30/2022
An incredible piece of history and art. It has to feel really special to own a piece like this - congrats!
T J
Member Since 2015
1 - Posted on 1/30/2022
What a beauty. So dynamic, and the colors really draw your eye.
André .
Member Since 2015
1 - Posted on 1/30/2022
Doesn't get much better than these classic painted covers. Congrats!
Sideshow Bob
Member Since 2012
1 - Posted on 1/30/2022
Its bombastic and subtle at the same time. Just stunning.
E DLS
Member Since 2005
1 - Posted on 1/30/2022
Of course. Of course. You've been so quiet for so long. I just knew something special was coming. Your updates never disappoint my friend. Haven't even had my morning cup of coffee yet, but I really don't even need it now. My eyes (not to mention my jaw) are wide open. Gorgeous Sienkiewicz NM cover! Just what we've all come to expect from your first class collection. Happy New Year sir! Can't wait to see what else you've got coming for 2022.
Michael One Minute Later
Member Since 2005
1 - Posted on 1/30/2022
An amazing cover joins an amazing collection - BRAVO - well done, Bill.
Davide G.
Member Since 2009
1 - Posted on 1/30/2022
We sure have to thank the Marvel editors of that era for understanding Bill's talent and letting him free to do his way. Gorgeous cover!
Dino Mauricio
Member Since 2009
1 - Posted on 1/30/2022
Phenomenal Sienkiewicz cover, great addition Bill!
Chris K.
Member Since 2008
1 - Posted on 1/30/2022
A phenomenal cover, Bill - what a great addition to your collection!
West Stephan
Member Since 2007
1 - Posted on 1/30/2022
It takes a while to understand BS's work sometimes, especially as a kid. His work is more suited towards an adult audience!
RS 88
Member Since 2018
1 - Posted on 1/30/2022
I completely agree with your first impressions and current! Fantastic cover Bill!
Ruben DaCollector
Member Since 2008
1 - Posted on 1/30/2022
With his Bob Peak inspired style, Sienkiewicz left the Neal Adams inspired layouts behind and carved his own path to comic book art immortality on New Mutants. It was so exciting for me to be a collector/reader when his first issue of that title hit the stands. On that day, I knew a future LEGEND was born. To acquire any cover from the run is a coup and you've just pulled that off, Bill. Hats off to you!
Sean Clarke
Member Since 2005
1 - Posted on 1/30/2022
Another jewel in the crown of one of our hobby's most skillfuly and lovingly curated collections. Well done, Bill- well done, indeed!
David Askani’Son
Member Since 2012
Forum Moderator
1 - Posted on 1/30/2022
Absolutely Insane!!!!! Beautiful Cover Bud!
Marcus Wai
Member Since 2005
2 - Posted on 1/30/2022
No need to sugar coat it. This was a incomprehensible scratchy mess when I was a kid. I was used to the clean look of cartoons, slick anatomy from John Byrne, neat details of Michael Golden, etc. Sienkiewicz was a different visual vocabulary that had to be learned as it signalled the detonation of the house of the house style. They took a chance to have comics as a medium visually grow up in the 80's and Sienkiewicz's pioneering and ground breaking artwork being accepted allowed for the many tributaries that have branched off to exist. New Mutants had that perfect mix of popularity and separateness from the main X titles to have this radical shift to revolutionize the new exciting direction of the industry.
Jason Hussa
Member Since 2017
2 - Posted on 2/5/2022
Marcus Wai wrote:
No need to sugar coat it. This was a incomprehensible scratchy mess when I was a kid. I was used to the clean look of cartoons, slick anatomy from John Byrne, neat details of Michael Golden, etc. Sienkiewicz was a different visual vocabulary that had to be learned as it signalled the detonation of the house of the house style. They took a chance to have comics as a medium visually grow up in the 80's and Sienkiewicz's pioneering and ground breaking artwork being accepted allowed for the many tributaries that have branched off to exist. New Mutants had that perfect mix of popularity and separateness from the main X titles to have this radical shift to revolutionize the new exciting direction of the industry.
This! Exactly, EXACTLY this. Marcus so perfectly states what I was gamely flailing at in my comment above. :) Beautiful piece, Bill; fantastic comment, Marcus!
Mark Levy
Member Since 2004
1 - Posted on 1/30/2022
Fills a gap in your museum quality collection with a masterpiece!
Harry M
Member Since 2006
1 - Posted on 1/30/2022
I wasn't reading comics during the period that Sienkiewicz come to be a force in the industry. But I also never felt that a "realistic" style really worked in comic books. So when I returned to comics I can't say I was as much a fan of his work the way many collectors are, but I did appreciate his work. Always good to see something nice that he did. Congrats.
Duke Fleed
Member Since 2013
1 - Posted on 1/30/2022
Great to see your collecting passion is still strong. Love the black and yellow costumes from this period. Congrats!!
Rich Cirillo
Member Since 2004
1 - Posted on 1/30/2022
It's a real treat to see the original color art of this cover unencumbered by logos or stats! I also had a hard time with this departure from traditional, cleaner comic art styles when I first bought this book off the news stand. As Bill's run on this series progressed and continued to morph I warmed up to this drastically different approach. Years later, I appreciated his dedication to forging new paths with his experimental boldness. Congrats on this beautiful, ground breaking cover!
Paul P Spiderversity
Member Since 2011
1 - Posted on 1/30/2022
Fantastic cover, Bill! The colors look so much prettier and more brilliant here than on the published comic. Definitely has a nostalgia factor, but looking at the piece without the logos and stats makes me appreciate it as if it were a painting hanging in an art gallery. Very cool. Congrats!!
John Espinoza
Member Since 2014
1 - Posted on 1/30/2022
Wow! A Sienkiewicz New Mutants cover with Warlock and Legion and in color? So many boxes to check off! Congrats, Bill!
kent mansley
Member Since 2015
1 - Posted on 1/30/2022
I've been deep diving in the Sienkiewicz issues of New Mutants a lot lately. They're still impressive after all these years and feel fresh even now. I can only imagine how even more amazing this cover must look in person. I get the feeling Bill's art is hard to capture in a scan or photo. As usual, your collection inspires me and I'm so happy to see you add this piece! Huge congrats!
Sylvain R
Member Since 2014
1 - Posted on 1/31/2022
One of Sienkiewicz most significant cover ever, this is the technique, the skills and the genius that will soon become his most recognized art with "Elektra Assassin" and "Love and War". Stunning piece, Bill!
artless artmore
Member Since 2013
1 - Posted on 1/31/2022
Fabulous Sienkiewicz example! I was a huge Moon Knight fan from issue 1, so I got broken in to this nutty style as the artist evolved from the more traditional Neal Adams style to this look and I remember enjoying these newfangled New Mutants covers (and interiors) as they came out each month. I had friends who stopped readihng New Mutants when Sienkiewicz took over claiming he had ruined the series, but they're more mainstream readers who aren't into comics or OA collecting as adults.
JN 80
Member Since 2016
1 - Posted on 1/31/2022
Amazing Bill...I'm with you, it took some time for Sienkiecwicz art style to grow on me and for me to truly appreciate such mastery and distinctive style he brought. Such a key issue with Legion as well!!!
James Dornoff
Member Since 2019
1 - Posted on 1/31/2022
Such an iconic cover and big piece of X-Men history by one of the NM best artists, huge congrats on this gorgeous cover. I personally always loved the over exaggeration of features for these characters.
Steve . M
Member Since 2017
2 - Posted on 1/31/2022
I guess I'm young enough where New Mutants was "my" first comic. As a preteen I was reading all the major titles, but I always felt there were hundreds of issues and back stories I would never get to read.
Picking up New Mutants #1 was a treat. I was getting in on the ground floor.
So when Bill took over, I didn't know enough to not like it. It was new and edgy. It took me way way way way longer to come around to appreciating Kirby than it did you loving Bill's style.
Pure nostalgia, congratulations
Peter Venkman
Member Since 2003
1 - Posted on 1/31/2022
The Bill S. killer piece of the Bill J. collection, congrats !
Timothy Finney
Member Since 2006
1 - Posted on 1/31/2022
I had followed Sienkiewicz on Moon Knight (and the FF, too, but we won't talk about that), and his style had grown gradually more abstract during his run, so when he jumped to New Mutants, a book I hadn't collected, I followed. He really pushed the envelope for what art on a mainstream superhero comic could be, and his bright, expressionistic painted movie poster covers were a big part of that total experience. Cheers!
J H
Member Since 2019
3 - Posted on 1/31/2022
I met Mr Sienkiewicz at SSCC one time, at his booth. I didn't know what he looked like, so I didn't realize he was listening to me walk my daughter through each of his pieces, explaining why it was so iconic and revolutionary for the comic world. He just walked right up and introduced himself as soon as I was done, and jumped right into a conversation with a story, as if I were an old friend. Telling me about past triump and heartache, wonderfully bizarre stories but himself, and just drew me, and my daughter, as he told us about himself. He is as wonderfully nonstandard in his real life, I believe, as he is with his art. It is and was my favorite artist meeting. This is one of my favorite covers of his, and I so dig that all that incredible color. It's gorgeous, you win the day. :) Gigantic congrats!
Eric Wenger
Member Since 2012
1 - Posted on 1/31/2022
I remember being blown away by this cover, and seeing it again, I am once again blown away. Sienkiewicz's style so well fit this story and the chaos that is Legion. This is a great cover pick up Bill - congrats!
Michael Kirton
Member Since 2009
1 - Posted on 1/31/2022
Any piece from the master himself would be a great addition. But a painted cover is a whole other level. Congrats.
Andy Wurst
Member Since 2004
1 - Posted on 1/31/2022
This cover is incredible - huge congrats. A true masterpiece.
Gene Park
Member Since 2004
1 - Posted on 1/31/2022
Love Sienkiewicz's New Mutants covers - congrats, Bill!
Al Simpleton
Member Since 2013
1 - Posted on 1/31/2022
Bill Sienkiewicz shook up the New Mutants just as Neal Adams rocked the X-men a decade before... Grand stuff totally out of control! Well done!
Joe Murray
Member Since 2006
1 - Posted on 1/31/2022
Absolutely stunning, even tho I didn't follow Sienkiewicz from Moon Knight to the New Mutants, I did admire his evolution from afar, huge congrats!!
Will Tervay
Member Since 2005
1 - Posted on 1/31/2022
Too cool for school! When does the Bill J museum open? Thanks for sharing!
Mark Scot-Quinn
Member Since 2009
1 - Posted on 2/1/2022
All my years collecting comic art, and it still amazes me that it is possible (but not easy!) to own something like this....!
A K
Member Since 2017
1 - Posted on 2/1/2022
This has always been my favorite Sienkiewicz cover -- playful and exciting, weird and dramatic. The color choices made for the cover are just perfect. And Legion and Warlock are characters who could only come from Bill's brain. Congratulations on acquiring this historic and amazing piece, my friend!
K Gearon
Member Since 2011
1 - Posted on 2/1/2022
Unbelieveable add, but I shouldn't be surprised :) Pure Sin-kev-itch, from the book that many of us associate with him most. His now trademark style has blossomed here, and the colors are next level. Big congrats, Bill!
NEBUR ADLAN
Member Since 2009
1 - Posted on 2/1/2022
WOW just wondering who buyed this one !
Love it , for me , the best and impressive work of BS ever...congrats Bill 😭😂
Jason Hussa
Member Since 2017
2 - Posted on 2/5/2022
Incredible, Bill! WOWZA!! I always have to dust off my superlatives, whenever I have the good fortune of strolling through your gallery... :) Excellent write up, Bill, and I agree 100%. I had just turned 13, I think, when Bill took over 'New Mutants' and it was unlike anything I had ever seen before. I remember it made me feel uncomfortable - it was so revolutionary and I was so young that I had absolutely no frame of reference for it. I wasn't certain I liked it, but I couldn't laptop looking at it. The first issue of 'Elektra Assassin' was the "hardest" book I had ever read at the time it was released - it basically had to be "smuggled" into the small town I was living in by a friend - and it absolutely blew my mind when I finally "got it" after the second or third reading. Bill Sienkiewicz almost single-handedly re-wired my brain by kicking out the walls and letting a cool, warm breeze blow through, thanks to pieces like your gorgeous cover here, Bill. Incredibly epic add, Bill! Mega-congrats!
J L
Member Since 2005
1 - Posted on 2/8/2022
Your collection never ceases to amaze. A great example from a magical run by Sienkiewicz.
Ken Martin
Member Since 2005
1 - Posted on 2/11/2022
I didn't appreciate Sienkiewicz work as a kid in the 80s but I can't get enough of it now. Congrats on adding the great cover to your collection.
Kavi H
Member Since 2018
1 - Posted on 2/17/2022
wow Bill, this is a masterpiece from a master!!!! huge congrats
G. C.
Member Since 2006
1 - Posted on 2/20/2022
Another gem on your incredible collection !! . Congrats !!
Peter Sullivan
Member Since 2006
1 - Posted on 2/25/2022
There are not enough comments on composition and color harmony. The clever placement and angle of the the figure on the left lead your eye naturally toward the figures to the right and the yellow and black areas in that part balance beautifully against the pale blue, more curved form of Legion.
gene o
Member Since 2018
1 - Posted on 2/28/2022
Fantastic! Warlock in Sienkiewicz's hands was truly something special.
i loved seeing these covers come out every month on the spinner rack (...although it did take me a few issues to get used to the interior art).
David Matheny
Member Since 2021
1 - Posted on 8/14/2022
I would agree with you as this being a delight of an add. Every character on here is a memorable for this run. Just another home run good buddy.
Tony Marine
Member Since 2016
1 - Posted on 11/5/2022
Peak Sienkiewicz right here! This is where he really made a name for himself. Gorgeous - congrats!!
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