dc_874_cover_low4 Francesco Francavilla shared an inside look at the new issue of Detective with us yesterday, and today he was kind enough to walk us through the design of #874's cover. Check out what he sent us!

"Since everyone seemed to enjoy our previous "making of" the Detective cover, here's another look behind the curtains for the new cover of Detective 874, out this week (we decided to showcase a new cover that was more specific to the story elements that Scott had introduced and will be developed soon in the second Snyder/Jock arc). As with every cover I do, I always try to come up with multiple concepts/layouts for the editors to choose from. The number of layouts varies from project to project; in this specific case I had a clear idea of what I wanted to showcase on the cover, so 2 different options were enough to nail down the concept. The first layout recalls a bit the composition of my Gordon cover for #875 (in stores next month) while the second layout is a more "classic" take on Batman. In both cases, I always ink and inkwash my layouts to give a better idea of the final art (with shadows and such). I also like to play with the type (hand drawn logo etc.) to make sure composition doesn't interfere with it. Editorial really liked option 2, so next I re-penciled the art on an 11x17" bristol board, inked, and digitally colored. The final result is the brand new cover you can see above and that you will find in stores this Wednesday. I hope you guys will pick up the book and enjoy it since this issue includes the conclusion (pt.3) of Skeleton Cases and treats you to an action-packed short story that hints at new things to come in the upcoming Batman arc. It's also, without doubt, one of my best issues yet. :) Cheers, Francesco"
DETECTIVE COMICS #874 is in stores today. dc_874_cover_layouts_low4