James Gunn and the DCU’s Superman are heading to DC Comics later this year, but there’s just one small issue. The publisher is honoring the DC Studios co-CEO and Superman director with a variant highlighting Gunn and his Man of Steel. But one problem is keeping this good cover from being a great one.

DC Comics promised it was going all-out for the “Summer of Superman” initiative and it did not lie as the publisher is releasing a swath of variant covers for the upcoming Superman Unlimited #1. Along with other talented artists, Dan Mora contributes a cover showcasing James Gunn standing side-by-side with the DCU version of Superman.

While the Man of Steel next to Gunn is undoubtedly the DCU Superman, something about Superman’s face doesn’t exactly read like Superman actor David Corenswet. It’s definitely him, but compared to James Gunn’s likeness, Superman here has less of a resemblance to his real-world counterpart.

Superman Tribute Cover is Almost Perfect, Except for The Likeness

Amazing Variant Captures the Aura But Not 100%

The anticipation for the new Superman film has been building for months at this point. Ever since DC Studios offered up its first look at the upcoming film, fans have been buzzing with excitement as Superman’s release date draws closer and closer. To capitalize on the hype, DC announced a brand-new initiative called the “Summer of Superman”, a months-long publishing effort to really pump fans up and get as many people excited about the Man of Tomorrow as possible. The initiative hasn’t even started, but DC Comics is already pushing hard with previews of new series and new covers.

This isn’t to say that Dan Mora’s art is a bad cover. Far from it as it’s actually quite good at capturing James Gunn’s fanboy charm as one of the leaders of DC Studios. And Mora nails the new costume, from the costume’s rich textures to Superman’s likable nature. The one issue is that the face doesn’t particularly look like Corenswet. Compared to James Gunn, whose portrayal here looks exactly like him, the Superman on this cover’s resemblance isn’t as strong. Yes, he looks like Superman, but it’s just a few degrees off of looking like his new actor.

It’s Still a Great Cover and a Fantastic Tribute to Superman’s Upcoming Movie

Fans Are Going to Be Seeing a Lot of Corenswet’s Superman

Capturing facial likenesses is hard and truth be told, it’s all relative. Some reading this right now may think that Mora’s art captures Corenswet perfectly, which is a valid take. Regardless, this cover is an amazing tribute to the upcoming film, which is going to be here before fans know it. Readers are probably going to see a lot of artists create other variant covers that similarly feature the DCU’s Superman. Some are going to look exactly like the real thing, others might not. But either way, it’s an exciting time to be a Superman fan.

Superman Unlimited #1 is available on May 21st from DC Comics.