A cool painted cover for RAMPAGING HULK magazine by Earl Norem, produced during a period when it was rare to see a super hero rendered so realistically. I’m not wild about the way all of the copy is handled on this one, mostly in terms of color (TO AVENGE THE EARTH is a bit hard … Continue reading Great Covers – THE RAMPAGING HULK #9
A very simple and effective ALPHA FLIGHT cover by John Byrne. This is the infamous issue, released during the April Fools-ish “Assistant Editor’s Month”, that contained five blank pages with only word balloons and sound effects, as Snowbird battled the Wendigo in a snowstorm. Legend has it that Byrne not only insisted on being paid … Continue reading Great Covers – ALPHA FLIGHT #6
This DETECTIVE COMICS cover by Carmine Infantino is only good in that it’s so bad. Produced right at the end of the “Batmania” triggered by the television series, this cover compromises its characters for the sake of a cheap gag. There’s something a bit off about Batgirl’s right arm as well. All that said, it’s … Continue reading Great Covers – DETECTIVE COMICS #371
In terms of getting across the concept of a series, it would be difficult to top this cover to THE GENERIC COMIC BOOK by, well, nobody. It’s a perfect replica of the generic brand packaging of the era, and communicates exactly what the gag of this one-shot is all about in a way that any … Continue reading Great Covers – GENERIC COMIC BOOK #1
A masterful Op-Art cover to SECRET SIX by Dale Eaglesham that recalls the work of Jim Steranko in using Op-Art images in his illustrations. What Eaglesham does here is more straightforward than the typical Steranko piece, but it possesses the same sort of impact. Keeping the background white and the spears black makes Cat-Man in … Continue reading Great Covers – SECRET SIX #2
Another crowded and overwhelming Alex Schomburg masterpiece, this cover to USA COMICS is typical of his output for Timely Comics. The figures of Cap and Bucky are large, ridiculously so in proportion to the other elements of the piece. But it works–even if it does look like Bucky is shooting down a toy plane with … Continue reading Great Covers – USA COMICS #7
A super-cool GREEN LANTERN cover by Gil Kane, quite possibly sketched by Carmine Infantino. This was only two issues before the seismic change to Neal Adams and the relevancy of the GREEN LANTERN/GREEN ARROW series, and this piece is dynamic and eye-catching. Very nice lettering on the copy as well, which truly serves to punctuate … Continue reading Great Covers – GREEN LANTERN #74
This Dan Adkins TALES TO ASTONISH illustration really isn’t anything special, but what makes this cover noteworthy is the monochromatic blue color, in this instance applied even to the corner box and Marvel logo. Stan Lee would occasionally favor such an approach to a cover, often to good effect (as on the X-MEN #17 cover … Continue reading Great Covers – TALES TO ASTONISH #98
A lovely and iconic WHIZ COMICS cover featuring Captain Marvel and his alter ego Billy Batson by C. C. Beck. This one just captures everything you need to know about the strip in a single image, particularly the big brother-little brother dynamic between Cap and Billy. Good use of color here, too–the red logo never … Continue reading Great Covers – WHIZ COMICS #22
What a disturbing cover to this issue of DYNAMIC COMICS, by an artist named Gus Ricca. I know nothing about him, but these creepily caricatured faces are thoroughly attention-grabbing and horrific! What’s up with the guy in the foreground whose face melts like wax and whose skull has been cut off to expose his brain? … Continue reading Great Covers – DYNAMIC COMICS #8
The Tom Brevoort Experience 