Bill Sienkiewicz - New Mutants #31 Cover (Marvel, 1985)
Artist: Bill Sienkiewicz (All)
39 Comments - 3,958 Views - 46 Likes
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Published cover
Framed artwork
Artwork Details
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DescriptionThe clean lines of Bob McLeod, Sal Buscema and Tom Mandrake on the first 17 issues of Marvel's New Mutants were very easy to enjoy, so, when Bill Sienkiewicz took over the art duties on issue #18 of the title, with his jarring, expressionistic style, it took some getting used to. But, I was intrigued from the outset, and I grew more fond of his avant-garde, stylized renderings with each passing issue, especially the covers, which got progressively more inventive each month. I think you really had to be there to realize just how different and revolutionary Bill's art was at the time - while he had started to find his artistic voice during the latter stages of his Moon Knight run, and on the various covers he did for other titles around that time (1983-84), he really took it to the next level on New Mutants in his partnership with X-scribe Chris Claremont.Bill certainly did not disappoint with his final, fully rendered cover for the title (he would soon return to ink several later covers by various other pencillers though) - not only is the cover to issue #31 my favorite Sienkiewicz New Mutants cover, it's also my all-time favorite Sienkiewicz cover, period! Oh sure, his collaboration with Carl Potts on Defenders #125 (which I would still dearly love to acquire if anyone has information about its whereabouts) and New Mutants #18 (all Sienkiewicz) probably just edge it out slightly for personal nostalgia value, but, if I'm looking at Bill's entire body of work and choosing a single piece for its sheer mad Sienkiewicz-ian brilliance, this one is the runaway winner for me. For his swan song issue on the title, Sienkiewicz went large - literally. This cover is huge, 30" x 40" with an image area of 26" x 37". And he needed all that space for the enormous mixed media image (collage + paint on board) of Karma pulling the marionette strings of Sunspot, Magik, Cannonball and Magma, while Dazzler sings and shines in the foreground. It is the most delightfully bizarre of all of Sienkiewicz's New Mutants covers, and if it jars the senses to look at it now, imagine what it looked like in 1985 when nobody else was pushing the boundaries artistically to this extent in comics! A lot of people know that getting a great Sienkiewicz cover, from this period where he was revolutionizing the comics art form with each passing month, has long been a top 5 Want List item for me, and to be able to acquire my very favorite one is nothing less than a dream come true. Thanks to Alberto G. for parting with it, especially knowing how much he loves the cover as well - grazie mille!! Social/Sharing |
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Comments on this Artwork
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Jason Versaggi
Member Since 2005
2 - Posted on 10/1/2019
Bill S Mutants run was highly memorable. Bravo!
Bill J 
Member Since 2009
2 - Posted on 10/1/2019
Un-freaking-believable! What an amazing pick-up! Sincere congrats!
Mike D
Member Since 2004
2 - Posted on 10/1/2019
Congrats Gene! I know how long you were looking and your search has paid off big-time!!!
Rob Pistella
Member Since 2005
Forum Moderator
2 - Posted on 10/1/2019
WOW! Intellectually, visually and emotionally satisfying on many levels, this beautiful piece is breathtaking.
André .
Member Since 2015
2 - Posted on 10/1/2019
Agreed, that this is probably his best NM cover. Congrats!
A B
Member Since 2015
2 - Posted on 10/1/2019
OMG!
This is a truly piece of history, congratulations!
Daren Domina
Member Since 2006
2 - Posted on 10/1/2019
A creative BEAUTY! Very happy that you secured this piece that is truly special for you! CONGRATULATIONS!
Alberto Giavoni
Member Since 2005
2 - Posted on 10/1/2019
there is the crown jewel. love this piece as much as I loved it! It will be sorely missed. and again thanks for a quite smooth transaction !
Chris K.
Member Since 2008
2 - Posted on 10/1/2019
This is such a fantastice piece of art, Gene. Thrilled to see it in your gallery! It's sometimes hard to contextualize what unique pieces of work Sienkiewicz was creating in this period...but this is certainly a great reminder because it remains so visually powerful today!
J. Sid
Member Since 2004
2 - Posted on 10/1/2019
Insanely cool. (PS I hated this cover the most of his run when it was came out.)
Dino Mauricio
Member Since 2009
2 - Posted on 10/1/2019
Outstanding Gene! What a great Sienkiewicz painted cover!
robert frey
Member Since 2004
2 - Posted on 10/1/2019
wow, what a FABULOUS cover! why couldn't i get something like that for my birthday??? :) maybe next year! congratulations, gene!
Joe Shaffer
Member Since 2010
3 - Posted on 10/1/2019
I guess if you are into this sort of thing ... 😁
Comic Art Channel
Member Since 2018
2 - Posted on 10/1/2019
Damn, Gene! Marvelous! Congrats on the long sought acquisition.
Kasra Ghanbari
Member Since 2004
CAF Administrator
2 - Posted on 10/2/2019
Wonderful! Huge congrats!
Imran A
Member Since 2011
2 - Posted on 10/2/2019
Specatular addition to your collection. Congratulations!
Timothy Finney
Member Since 2006
2 - Posted on 10/3/2019
Bill really pushed the limits of what a Marvel comic book cover from this era could be. Congrats on acquiring one of your major wants.
comicinkking. com
Member Since 2004
2 - Posted on 10/3/2019
I really great cover - Bill did some amazing work on these books!! Congrats!!
Ken R
Member Since 2006
2 - Posted on 10/4/2019
Outstanding Gene, huge congrats bro! Really a beautiful piece of art.
Felix Lu
Member Since 2005
2 - Posted on 10/28/2019
That's a sweet spot piece for sure. Congrats, Gene!
Suat Tong Ng
Member Since 2009
2 - Posted on 12/6/2019
One of the most memorable Sienkie NM covers - excellent !
Robert Haines
Member Since 2003
2 - Posted on 1/20/2020
The wallpaper / pattern of paper in the bottom right is the same wallpaper used on the vest of the Kingpin in Daredevil: Love and War.
Steve . M
Member Since 2017
2 - Posted on 1/20/2020
Congratulations on being the Best of...2019 Covers. Gorgeous image, and love what you wrote in the descriptions. I was a young teen, reading New Mutants from the start... while I loved X-Men, New Mutants was "my" comic book: a mutant book about kids, near my age,... that I got to pick up reading from the beginning.
So great!
J L
Member Since 2005
2 - Posted on 2/24/2020
Stunning cover by the great Bill Sienkiewicz. I don't know how I forgot to leave a comment, but let me say I love your collection!!!! Congrats!!!! 8 )
Tyler T
Member Since 2020
1 - Posted on 4/6/2022
This really is a stunning and unique Sienkiewicz cover. I have the whole New Mutants run and this is definitely one of the more memorable covers. The fact that you have this and the #1 McLeod, make for a wonderful pair of completely opposite, but iconic covers from the series.
James Dornoff
Member Since 2019
1 - Posted on 6/30/2025
Such a memorable and great cover, huge congrats!
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