# New-ish Black Library Cover Arts



## Bane_of_Kings (Oct 28, 2009)

I know some of you may have seen some of these before, but these versions are the ones that will probably go on the actual book:


















































































Phew, that's a lot of pics...


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## Vaz (Mar 19, 2008)

Oh my days, the Primarchs is fantastic.


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## MontytheMighty (Jul 21, 2009)

can't wait for Emperor's Gift...finally something about GK not by Ben Counter 



Vaz said:


> Oh my days, the Primarchs is fantastic.


indeed, it puts all the rest to shame


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## Khorne's Fist (Jul 18, 2008)

Angel of Fire is the one I'm waiting on. Hopefully this will be the start of a few books covering the middle history of 40k.


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## ckcrawford (Feb 4, 2009)

Some nice stuff. Talos reminds me of a much younger me.


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## Roninman (Jul 23, 2010)

That Primarchs cover is totally awfull and cartoonish. Cant believe they went this low.


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## Bane_of_Kings (Oct 28, 2009)

I think my favourite cover-art order has to go in something like this:

1. _Angel of Fire_ by William King
2. _Void Stalker_ by Aaron Dembski-Bowden
3. _The Best of Hammer and Bolter #1_ edited by Christian Dunn
4. _Ultramarines: The Second Omnibus_ by Graham McNeill
5. _Butcher's Nails_ by Aaron Dembski-Bowden
6. _Bloodsworn_ by Nathan Long
7. _The Emperor's Gift_ by Aaron Dembski-Bowden
8. _Valkia The Bloody_ by Sarah Cawkwell
100. _The Primarchs_ edited by Christian Dunn

Yes, I know I went from eight to a hundred. I'm going to say _The Primarchs_ Cover Art is one of the worst ever produced by Black Library. I normally like their covers for the most part, but this one...

My order of anticipation would probably change things around though:

1. _Void Stalker_ by Aaron Dembski-Bowden
2. _The Primarchs_ edited by Christian Dunn
3. _Butcher's Nails_ by Aaron Dembski-Bowden
4. _The Emperor's Gift_ by Aaron Dembski-Bowden
5. _Bloodsworn_ by Nathan Long
6. _Angel of Fire_ by William King
7. _Valkia The Bloody_ by Sarah Cawkwell
8. _The Best of Hammer and Bolter #1_ edited by Christian Dunn
9. _Ultramarines: The Second Omnibus_ by Graham McNeill


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## piemelke (Oct 13, 2010)

the void stalker cover is insanely cool (except for the small helmet detail), the night lord covers are better than the books, and the books are great,
one of the things I do not understand regarding the primarch cover.
Horus is having this super duper armor, yet you can see a fair amount of cabling dangling in the open. I understand if they had no function they would not be present, so why not protect the cabling, this seems really strange to me


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## The Lone Wolf (Dec 10, 2011)

When are all those coming out?


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## Mossy Toes (Jun 8, 2009)

The Macharian Crusade technically still happened during 40k--it happened around the year M41.300 or so. You know, around the same time as Eisenhorn was kicking around. (After the Gothic War, in spite of a ship named _The Lord Solar Macharius_ in his honor being around during that time--roughly M41.120, IIRC)

The Macharian Crusade and Heresy are still very much events that occurred during the Dark Millennium. I do welcome an expansion into events pre M41.997 or so, though--those years are getting awfully crowded, what with the summer campaigns, novels and big events that are being heaped there. 40k is a setting that spans the entire 1000 years, not a timeline ticking ever more slowly forward toward M42. I would welcome a summer campaign that, say, unearths an event in M41.810, that the Inquisition hid the records of or something similar. (late enough that Tau, Tyranids and 'Crons can have a presence, but not crowding recent events too much)


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## Bane_of_Kings (Oct 28, 2009)

The Lone Wolf: http://www.blacklibrary.com/all-products/coming-soon/


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## Roninman (Jul 23, 2010)

I think all cover arts should be made under one sticky thread, sometimes looks like that 25% of all posts here is about new covers. Even though they are nice to look at (sometimes) and promote little discussion, its the inside on those covers that matters and they usually have their own threads.


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## The Lone Wolf (Dec 10, 2011)

Oh. A long time off! But why does the Emperor's Gift cost so much?


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## Doelago (Nov 29, 2009)

The Lone Wolf said:


> Oh. A long time off! But why does the Emperor's Gift cost so much?


It will by the looks of it be released as a hard cover book. At least the price would match.


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## The Lone Wolf (Dec 10, 2011)

I don't get why BL needs all these hardcover books. They only make the books cost more and don't really add anything. Paperbacks are fine with me.


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## Doelago (Nov 29, 2009)

The Lone Wolf said:


> I don't get why BL needs all these hardcover books. They only make the books cost more and don't really add anything. Paperbacks are fine with me.


Some people, like me, prefer hard cover versions over paper backs, if for no other reason that they stay together way longer. And they also look damn good on the shelf.

And really, wait a year or so and you can pick up the paper back version of the book for the regular price of a novel.


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## The Lone Wolf (Dec 10, 2011)

They might look good in your opinion, but in mine, they look too tall, and they dwarf the books around it.


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## Doelago (Nov 29, 2009)

The Lone Wolf said:


> They might look good in your opinion, but in mine, they look too tall, and they dwarf the books around it.


No idea if this concept sounds alien to you, but there is the option of putting them on different shelves?  

And I dont see the problem really, I have the "Liber Chaotica" sitting right beside all of my novels and it does not look out of place. :so_happy:

But hey, everyone to their own opinion. Wait half a year and you get the paper back version.


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## bobss (May 18, 2008)

The Lone Wolf said:


> I don't get why BL needs all these hardcover books.





The Lone Wolf said:


> They only make the books cost more.


Answered your own question.


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## The Lone Wolf (Dec 10, 2011)

Ah. Money is always the answer.


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## bobss (May 18, 2008)

The Lone Wolf said:


> Ah. Money is always the answer.


Many enthusiasts would argue the contrary. I admit there _are_ other factors present when a novel is initially released as a hardcover, but these are subsidiary when the underlying reason is money-orientated.

I'm surprised Black Library is yet to fuck with the Horus Heresy series. That is, unless you're one of the few who despise novellas...


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## Dead.Blue.Clown (Nov 27, 2009)

The Lone Wolf said:


> I don't get why BL needs all these hardcover books.


Because it's how the publishing industry works. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardcover


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## Hachiko (Jan 26, 2011)

Dead.Blue.Clown said:


> Because it's how the publishing industry works. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardcover


Well that's true, but it's also how the publishing industry work_ed_. The "industry", as a whole, is in the middle of its transition to a primarily digital platform.

All the arguments presented for and against HC's are valid, yes they are highly attractive, especially since BL employs the best cover artists in the industry. But, yes, they are cumbersome as well, especially on a commute, and especially in the tablet/e-reader generation. But, if a publishing house releases an e-version along with the HC edition, AND charges the same price point, IMHO it is a real dick move. But in the end it is their property to dick with, so whatever. I wouldn't bitch _if_ the royalty schedule for HC sales for the author are higher, therefore the same royalty comes out of the e-sale, but I do not know those specifics of the industry itself, and won't presume to preach to those that do.

I haven't seen too many BL HC titles, the last I remember was either Sabbat Worlds or the last Ultramarine title (did Salvation's Reach get an HC edition?). Plainly asked, for an author, is it a symbol of accomplishment to get an HC rollout? Then yes of course, AD-B (D.B.C.) and Abnett have earned this for sure. The HC's will be more attractive(on the shelf at least) and more autograph-able than a Kindle.

But once again, big shelf-pieces are going the way of big speakers. Big, beautifully designed record covers still died out for the age of CDs and iTunes. Publishers have been able to plan and budget in a veritably unperturbed manner for decades, so we can all now wait and see how they plan to properly milk their cash cows in the future.


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## Grendelrt (Feb 9, 2011)

Dead.Blue.Clown said:


> Because it's how the publishing industry works. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardcover


From your link, " Hardcover editions of popular books are usually reserved for authors who are (or are expected to be) successful;"

Damn you are (or are expected to be) successful! Balllllllllllllllllllller:music:


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## VulkansNodosaurus (Dec 3, 2010)

The issue, right now, with BL hardcovers is that their numbers are growing- 1 hardcover book came out in summer 2010, 0 in 2011, then suddenly 3 in 2012. And ultimately, I don't think it would be best for every book to start out in hardcover. 

Also, consider: the paperback/omnibus transition is a book being twice cheaper after 2-3 years. The hardcover/paperback is a factor of 3 in price after just one year. Omnibi have their niche, and that's to sell old books for cheaper (I assume); but it's rare to wait for one in the same way people wait for a paperback.


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## Svartmetall (Jun 16, 2008)

I find myself wishing BL would put up some good-quality hi-res (as in, 1080P and upwards) wallpapers of some of their art, because some of it really is fantastic; a widescreen one of _The Primarchs_, for example, would be great. 

Maybe it's just me being shallow, but a good cover really can turn me onto something I might not otherwise have been drawn to; I hadn't been terribly aware of _The Gildar Rift_, for example, but after I saw that wonderful art of Huron looking particularly batshit crazy I had to get it.


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## Bane_of_Kings (Oct 28, 2009)

I agree with you, *Svartmetall* - I for one would love to have a large wallpaper of _Priests of Mars_, or _Fear To Tread_ - that would look awesome.


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## Doelago (Nov 29, 2009)

Svartmetall said:


> I find myself wishing BL would put up some good-quality hi-res (as in, 1080P and upwards) wallpapers of some of their art, because some of it really is fantastic; a widescreen one of _The Primarchs_, for example, would be great.


Ouh, I would love to get "Know no Fear" as my wallpaper.


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