And some covers need no copy at all, such as this Wayne Boring SUPERMAN cover. This was the post-War period where the selling trend was towards comedy, and so the Superman covers of this period tended to be absurd and goofball, like this classic entry.
Another copy-heavy cover, this Charles Biro DAREDEVIL cover makes the most of the situation; Daredevil being unmasked. Biro’s self-signed message to the readers is sort of a precursor to the kind of self-referential copy that Stan Lee would later employ.
This Carmine Infantino BATMAN cover is almost all copy, and intriguing as hell. Unfortunately, as was often the case, the story inside didn’t and possibly couldn’t live up to the promise of this cover.
Another cover where the copy puts it over the top. This Bob Layton SECRET WARS cover has a strong idea behind it, hearkening back to Steranko’s classic HULK ANNUAL #1 cover. But it’s the copy that sets the stakes and the tone, and helps to create the overall effect.
Here’s an instance where the cover copy makes all the difference. This Jim Lee PUNISHER WAR JOURNAL cover is a nice drawing, but not especially a grabber. But the cover blurb is so ridiculous and over-the-top and tongue-in-cheek that it makes the entire image work, and sets a very specific tone. It’s funny because it’s … Continue reading Great Covers – PUNISHER WAR JOURNAL #19
As preserved in the personal art collection of Batman great Jerry Robinson, here’s the original artwork to that Fred Ray SUPERMAN cover.
It’s tough to make a pink background work on a super hero comic book cover, let alone a yellow and green logo, and yet this Curt Swan SUPERMAN cover does just that. Part of it is simply that the concept is so strong–this is the first time we’ve ever really seen Superman dead on a … Continue reading Great Covers – SUPERMAN #149
This Mike Zeck CAPTAIN AMERICA cover is all about contrasts and expectations. It’s a pretty shocking image, in that we expect to see Cap brandishing a shield, rather than an automatic weapon, and the look of anger and hatred on Cap’s face is similarly unexpected. How could you not want to crack open the book … Continue reading Great Covers – CAPTAIN AMERICA #321
An acknowledged classic, this Fred Ray SUPERMAN cover is perhaps the best-known of the wartime era. It equates the titular character with patriotism and defense of the nation by putting him into context with the large shield and the armed forces subtly in the background. The black background is really effective in popping the figure … Continue reading Great Covers – SUPERMAN #14
This BATMAN cover image with its word balloon is almost funny, until you realize that it’s not. There’s something chilling about that hanging Robin figure, and the way the ground line is tilted in the manner used by the television series whenever focusing on the villains. Artist Neal Adams frames Batman in the oval formed … Continue reading Great Covers – BATMAN #246
The Tom Brevoort Experience 