06/22/2026
It's been a mental debate to chime in on this "controversy," so I'm going to be as tactful as possible. The issue isn't the collaboration between the two, but the composition of the pose/piece itself, while certain "diehard JRJR fans" didn't like the less line art/more paintery look (which is literally Rivera's entire body of work to my knowledge).
The kicker? This *isn't* the worst cover that has come out. Sure, it's a tad derpy and there's a similar pose but different angle on his cover on ASM 908, but at least it's not Liefeld's Captain America cover 😬
HOWEVER- I've been at odds with JRJR's current body of work for the last few years. While it's impressive that a veteran Marvel artist can blaze through pages and meet deadlines quicker than his peers and younger, and even if he evolved more to a minimalist style in the process, there's still no excuse to not slow down and make those big moments in comic interiors (and by extension, the covers) look great. I can use Alex Toth, Mike Mignola, Chris Sprouse, or even Cory Walker as my examples of what I'm talking about.
Deadlines are important, especially balancing both interiors and cover work. But spending some extra time on this particular cover (especially with it being such a milestone issue) wouldn't have been the worst thing to do. It's my two cents and something I tell myself often when turning in work.
And I'll repeat what every pro and amateur comic creator is saying: if you don't like this cover, that's fine. You don't have to buy it. There's plenty of other covers to pick from. It's not the end of the world.
