Amanda Conner Creates a Comic Cover for HBO Max (Exclusive)

The last few months have changed how the world takes in entertainment. From a huge upswing in streaming to the rise of digital comic exclusives, we’ve been inundated with ways to entertain ourselves at home. DC Comics has teamed up with HBO Max to release three new free digital-only comics for fans to enjoy, and we have the pleasure of revealing one of the covers right here!

DC Comics/HBO Max/Amanda Conner

The three-issue series To the Max launches with covers by Jorge Jimenez, Jim Lee, and, as our rad exclusive shows, Amanda Conner. The series focuses on a magical dog called Max who teams up with different ordinary people named Hector, Brian, and Olivia (see what they did there!), and affords them superpowers.

Tie-in comics have a long history in the industry, but Conner’s cover is a masterwork of madness. There’s no phoning it in here. So what was her driving force behind the outrageous casino-themed cover? “Well, she’s a comedian and she’s based out of Las Vegas and there’s nothing simple about Las Vegas,” Conner told Nerdist. “Vegas is all flash and all excess and I’m gonna reflect that on the cover. So, I just went all in, and I just imagined: Las Vegas, but a big mess. So it’s a big mess of Las Vegas, with cars everywhere and poker tables flying around.”

DC Comics; art by Laura Braga, words by Ivan Cohen

One specific character trait mentioned above meant a lot to Conner. “I don’t know if there’s another comedian [who is] a superhero,” she said. “I actually have such a love for standup comedy. I love it so much. It’s one of my favorite things in life.”

The press release also hints at some fun Easter Eggs in the issues, referencing shows including Friends, Game of Thrones, Sex and the City, Scooby-Doo, and The Big Bang Theory…which happens to be one of Conner’s go-to watches while she works on her deadlines. “I’ve watched a lot of Big Bang Theory. Maybe once a year, I’ll see a Big Bang Theory episode that I’ve never seen before because of conventions. You used to go away on a Thursday and then you come back and you wouldn’t catch up. And so every once in a while I see one that I haven’t seen yet.”

DC Comics; art by Laura Braga, words by Ivan Cohen

You can read To the Max #3 by Laura Braga and Ivan Cohen—along with the other two issues—free at DC Comics, comiXology, Kindle, Apple iBookstore, Google Play Store, Hoopla, Overdrive, and wherever digital comics are sold.

Featured Image: DC Comics/HBO Max