This is a really terrible cover. It looks like it’s from the 80’s. Is it a photo? Is it an illustration? Is it a doctored photo turned into an illustration? It’s not a matter of flattering or unflattering, it’s just a totally unappealing image. It’s got uncanny valley written all over it. Consider how much more visually appealing the judge-illustration cover was for Souter in 1990:

I don’t understand how a modern magazine with the resources of Time could have (a) produced and (b) greenlit a cover like this. And the teases on the top? The busy Detroit pic vs. the staid, boring curtain pic? This cover screams boring. Someone needs to pick up the New York Post more often.

(via alexbalk, commentary excluded.)