On the Cover: John Paul Leon

John paul Leon's strength as a cover artist is his ability to capture the mood of a book with striking, powerful design. sometimes the design can be simple, sometimes complex, but they are always striking. he has a great stylised realism, and his composition is always spot on. Leon shows great versatility in his covers, but his style is instantly recognisable. While he may not be talked about in the same tones as James Jean or Dave Johnson, the man has talent. Check out some examples after the jump.







Leon's work on the covers of Brian Wood's DMZ really matched the tone of the book - Kind of an urban military feel. I love how the Coffins on the cover below are almost like piano keys.


I love the composition of this cover - The figure is dwarfed by the huge helicopter, but the dog tags draw your eye down to the man.






This cover for the Marvel Howling Commandos one-shot has feature film action all over it.