Lol - yeah, the Rankine series are the original PON covers in Canada. Though, I've also seen a fair number of
these (TWP) circulating, which I find satisfying on the spectrum somewhere between the Rankine pieces and the face.
Aside factoid, the face is apparently some editor or agent's nephew or something, as I recall - I'll try and find the comment from Bakker at some point (I want to say it's on TPB somewhere).
Absolutely, first impressions bias us. So does knowledge. Wilshire knows more of the exactitudes than anyone but the Rankine cover script is actually something Rankine/Bakker devised - as far as I recall, it's a transcribed quote from the books that Bakker chose and a set of King Crimson lyrics that Rankine chose. Knowing that has undoubtedly coloured my arbitrary perception/projection of "quality."
Someone else asked a similar question on Westeros and no one answered them, though I did a little research in an attempt.
This was the most enlightening piece of opinion I could find and, to be honest, in giving it thought here, the face covers aren't necessarily "breaking" any of those "rules."
That's just my stream of consciousness thoughts on the subject.