When the Assignment Is the Concept

TLDR: An Avengers newspaper cover designed to look like a comic book page — because what else would you do?

Metro’s weekend covers were features-driven by design. Because the paper published Monday through Friday, the Friday edition stayed on newsstands all weekend, which meant weekend covers needed staying power, and they usually got it through large graphic treatments rather than breaking news.

When The Avengers opened on May 4, 2012, the assignment was obvious. The execution was the question.

The comic book concept came immediately: if the story is a superhero ensemble film, make the page feel like the source material. That meant departing from Metro’s standard cover format in almost every way. Black frames don’t appear on Metro covers. Multiple images arranged as a grid was equally unusual. Both decisions were mine to make as National Art Director, and both were necessary to sell the concept.

The layout is built around the Iron Man image, which was simply the strongest in the set — dynamic, recognizable, visually commanding. Everything else was arranged around it. The multi-photo grid evokes a comic book page full of panels, and the chat bubble around the headline was a deliberate touch to push the comic book feeling further. Layering Iron Man’s head over the Metro nameplate helps make it feel like Tony Stark is popping off the page so the whole page comes alive.

Unfortunately I had no control over the Club Metro promotional block in the lower right. It stands out like a sore thumb, but it was required.