I think the new D&D Monster Manual cover is best, and the artist behind each rulebook agrees

The new D&D Monster Manual cover has been revealed, and with it, the curtain's been pulled back on all of the core rulebooks. Honestly? It's my favorite.

Offering a more zoomed-out look at the action than the last D&D Monster Manual, this one features iconic characters like Minsc and Boo from Baldur's Gate facing off against a many-tentacled beholder… and almost every iconic monster from the best tabletop RPGs. There's a mimic pulling the ol' "I'm a treasure chest, honest" gambit. A panther-like displacer beast is there too, flanked by goblins and an ogre for good measure. Even the forbidden jelly that is a gelatinous cube has shown up. Basically? If this was a video game save file, you'd have to reload at this point. There's no winning here.

Shown off for the first time at IGN, this is hands down my favorite cover out of the new core rulebooks. Don't get me wrong, I liked the others. I think the new D&D Player's Handbook art is a promising start to the game's big update, while the Dungeon Master's Guide delivers some big '80s nostalgia. But the Monster Manual pips them to the post so far as I'm concerned. 

As it happens, the artist of this piece – Tyler Jacobson – also thinks that it might be the best of the three covers. And because he put them all together, that's saying something.

"It was truly an honor and a privilege to be trusted with all three of the core books. I might like this cover the most," Jacobson said on Twitter / X.

For me, the composition is excellent. Your eyes are naturally drawn up to the heroes as they battle that beholder, while the horde at their feet makes for a satisfying base of this visual pyramid. 

In addition, it keeps the focus firmly on the stars of this show: the monsters themselves. Although established characters are present (Minsc, his hamster Boo, and, as noticed by the  eagle-eyed Christian Hoffer, Vajra Safahr the Blackstaff of Waterdeep), they're not hogging the limelight. The thing I love about D&D books is the way they allow you to be whatever you want wherever you want, so this more hands-off approach appeals to me. Seeing old friends on the Player's Handbook or Dungeon Master's Guide is cool, but I'd much rather have 'generic' adventurers to emphasize that freedom.

The back cover is similar. It's a who's who of D&D monsters, with everything from owlbears to mind flayers staring up at the viewer.

Now we just need to wait until the alternate cover for the Monster Manual turns up. These tend to get revealed shortly after the standard version (we showed one off ourselves, and it channels every DM's inner schemer), so the Monster Manual one shouldn't be far away.

Want something new to play while you wait for the revamped D&D rulebooks? Take a look at the best board games, or these board games for 2 players.