A perfect new cover for The Human Target teases the return of DC Black Label’s hit maxiseries. The vibrant cover of the seventh issue teases the return of a character hinted to be a major player in the remainder of the noir series.
The Human Target follows Christopher Chance, a bodyguard who takes the appearance of his clients in an effort to protect them from assassinations and other acts of violence. When Chance stands in for an assassination attempt on Lex Luthor, he unwittingly ingests a deadly poison meant for Luthor himself. With 12 days left to live, Chance sets out to uncover his murderer before his untimely demise. All signs point to his killer being among one group of superpowered individuals: the Justice League International. Chance begins investigating the team before quickly striking up a relationship with JLI member Tora Olafsdottir, a.k.a. Ice. Unfortunately for him, several clues have pointed Chance in the direction of Beatriz da Costa, a.k.a. Fire, Ice’s partner on the JLI.
Author Tom King revealed artist Greg Smallwood’s cover for The Human Target #7 on Twitter on June 16, announcing a September return date for the series. The 12-issue maxiseries, a 2022 Eisner nominee for Best New Series, released its sixth issue in March before taking a brief hiatus. Along with Tom King’s Twitter reveal of Smallwood’s cover, DC released variant covers by Stanley “Artgerm” Lau and Francesco Mattina. All three covers show the return of Ice’s partner Fire, as teased by the end of The Human Target #6.
The Human Target has boasted impeccable art from Greg Smallwood throughout its brief run, and this cover is no different. Smallwood’s frequent use of shadows accentuates the series’ noir style, highlighting Chance as the cynical detective protagonist. Ice’s color scheme, depicting the character with white hair and often adorned in light blues, provides a cooling contrast to the couple’s steaming romance. Now, Fire’s appearance on the cover, providing a stark contrast from her partner Ice’s look, promises a new energy for the series, as it frames the superhero’s bright green flames against a yellow and orange doorway. After The Human Target #6 ended with Fire’s arrival at Chance’s office, the cover teases a confrontation between the two that could change the course of the investigation.
The cover, brightly colored yet full of alluring shadows, is another impeccable piece of art from Smallwood that feels right at home with DC’s new noir series. It’s a gorgeous rendering of Fire that both literally and metaphorically promises the heat will dial up for Christopher Chance during the last few days of his life in the series’ remaining issues.
The Human Target #7 will release on September 27, with the first 6 issues of the series being released in a hardcover collection two weeks earlier on September 13.
