Saturday, July 7, 2012

Cover Comparison: Across the Universe Edition

Guess what guys? There was another crazy out of the blue series cover redesign this week! YAY! :P #Sarcasm

A big thanks to Vivian from Confessions of a Vi3tbabe for giving me the heads up on this cover change!

So the series that got a cover redesign this week was the Across the Universe Trilogy by Beth Revis. This particular change is really sad for me because I loved the original covers. I LOVED THEM TO PIECES. And these new covers? Yeah, I'm not digging them. Let's look at the two sets shall we?

                                                                 Original Covers

                                                                   New Covers

Original Covers: Like I said earlier I LOVE these covers. Across the Universe is one of my favorite covers ever and I love how they designed two separate covers for the hardback design. Sure, it makes the book slip out of the cover like crazy but it's still awesome. :P Even the redesigned paperback cover is pretty, albeit not as pretty as the original. I also really like the A Million Suns cover. Whoever designed these did such a great job of making the cosmos absolutely gorgeous. It's just so otherworldly and AWESOME. I feel like these covers portray the essence of the series, are really elegant, and they also stand out next to other YA titles. Honestly, I want these books on my shelf for the sole reason of them being so beautiful. :D

New Covers: When I first saw these covers my mouth fell open in shock and I internally weeped for the death of the original series cover designs. LOOK AT THEM. They aren't nearly as stunning as the original covers and on top of that they look like every other generic sci-fi/dystopian trilogy out there. Plus, is it just me or do these covers totally have the same vibe as covers for middle grade book series ala Artemis Fowl? I understand that the point of these new covers is to appeal to a wider audience *cough* boys *cough* but did they really have to do this with the final book in the trilogy? Isn't this trilogy already fairly successful? Why couldn't they have released Shades of Earth in hardcover with something based off the original cover designs and then released these later for a new set of paperback editions? I just don't understand. :( Now everyone's sets of Across the Universe and A Millions Suns won't match with Shades of Earth. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE PENGUIN! :P

So who wins: Definitely the original covers. They're unique, absolutely gorgeous, and totally eye catching. I wish more YA covers could look like this! The new covers are okay, but they pale in comparison to the originals. They're generic and, in my opinion, they don't give off the right vibe for the trilogy. They seem a bit too dystopianesque. :/

Which set of covers for the Across the Universe trilogy do YOU like best? Be sure to vote in the poll below and sound off in the comments about why you made your decision!



Have any suggestions for future cover comparisons? Leave them in this form!

Julia :)

14 comments:

  1. I really like the new covers, but I wish they had saved those for the paperback editions, or a new edition of the hardback after the originals were released. I don't really think that the new covers have much to do with the story, though. Sure, they're sci-fi, but there's a lot of romance in there and I think the old covers portrayed that with a nice balance.

    I might collect the new covers, though, because I really do like them :)

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  2. Urgh! Another random mid-series cover change! And the new covers aren't even an improvement! I really love the cover that's the first cover of your 'original' ones - the silhouettes and the stars are really pretty! The new covers look really harsh and sci-fi-y. I definitely would not pick up Across The Universe based on these covers! I agree - THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE PENGUIN!!!

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  3. Oh no. Oh no! Hell no. This is so disappointing. Across the Universe was my favourite cover of last year, with it's reversability. Damn. These new covers really do have an Artemis Fowl vibe. Soooo boring and unoriginal.

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  4. OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! NOOOOOOOOOOO!
    OMG, I totally loved the original covers! They looked so beautiful on my shelf and I couldn't wait for Shades of Earth and now they come with this horrible redesign? NO WAY!
    THIS TOOK MY HATING OF STUPID REDESIGNS TO A WHOLE NEW LEVEL.

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  5. No offense to the publishers but the original covers win by a landslide!! I can't believe that they made such a drastic change in the design. Even though the new cover might appeal to a wider audience aka boys, it personally doesn't appeal to me... And probably most teenage girls out there :(

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  6. Why would they do this?! The original ATU cover was probably my favorite cover...like ever. And SOE was also gorgeous. I mean, wow. This was a dumb idea on their part. And I totally agree with you on them looking like Artemis Fowl. Weird.

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  7. +JMJ+

    I also thought "Artemis Fowl" right after I saw the new covers--and because I like Eoin Colfer's series, I confess I don't mind them too much.

    However, speaking as a collector now, I'm seriously miffed that I won't be able to get a third book that looks like the ones I already have. =( I really think that redesigns should be done after all the books have been released with the original cover design/aesthetic/template.

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  8. I loved the original covers!! They were SO pretty. And I totally agree about the new covers, they give off an Artemis Fowl feeling, which is definitely NOT the audience that they want the books to be conveyed to!

    Just bleh. I'm seriously mad that they changed the covers!

    -Aneeqah @ My Not So Real Life

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  9. Yeah, I'm not to jazzed about the new covers either. None of the covers will match now.

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  10. This is bad. Very bad.

    The original covers were one of my favorite covers of all time. I thought it was the coolest thing since chocolate pancakes that the cover was reversible. Now the poor new Across the Universe fans will not have the joy of siwtching the covers up so often that it threatens to come apart :( This is most unamusing.

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  11. Wow.

    Just wow.

    When I saw this post I thought you must be just really out the loop (like you somehow missed the Across the Universe paperback cover). But no. They honestly did get new covers. And it's TERRIBLE. Honestly, I think this is the worst re-design I have ever seen. Like you, I LOVED the original covers. They were favourites of mine. The new ones aren't terrible, but they're completely boring compared to the first ones. Like you said, they're very MG.

    Basically, I'm really disappointed in this change, probably more disappointed than I've ever been at a cover change. Good job, Simon and Schuster...

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  12. I'm one of those people who like for all of my covers to match up (and preferably to have either all paperbacks or hardcovers) so I was super disappointed that they did a redesign...and aren't going to release the third book to match the originals. SERIOUSLY BUGGING ME. The new covers aren't terrible, very typical for the sci-fi genre, which I don't mind...usually...but the originals were so PRETTY. Sigh.

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  13. WHY, PUBLISHERS. WHY??? Those original covers are the best I've ever seen, and what really bothers me is that they're changing them mid-series. I definitely thought of Artemis Fowl when I saw those new ones, too-- so they'll appeal to boys more? Because boys can't handle reading something with a girl on the cover, or heaven forbid, holding hands/implied kissing? >:/ Or perhaps it's all a big conspiracy since we'll grudgingly buy the new cover and then they'll release one with original artwork and we'll buy it again. Evil.

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  14. Whoa, I'd never seen the blue one for Across the Universe. If they wanted more boy readers, that's definitely a better way to go than these new ones. Sigh.

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