The sketch for this Irv Novick BATMAN cover had to have been done by Carmine Infantino, who had been brought on staff by DC in the late 1960s to punch up the graphics of their line, which had grown stale over the years. It’s a masterful cover–that tilted ground line, the extreme close-up on the … Continue reading Great Covers – BATMAN #205
This Neal Adams ACTION COMICS cover is perhaps not all that shocking these days, but in the time period when it was published, it was a revelation. This was simply not the sort of cover that you saw on a DC comic. Instead of a sedate and almost picturesque image conveying a high concept in … Continue reading Great Covers – ACTION COMCS #361
A terrific Russ Heath G.I. COMBAT cover taking full advantage of halftones to create a painted look to the artwork. DC production maven Jack Adler experimented with adding greytones to covers throughout the late 1950s and early 1960s, often to excellent effect. The color here is marvelous as well–that fireball couldn’t seem any more hot … Continue reading Great Covers – G.I. COMBAT #80
A great Jerry Ordway SUPERMAN cover that takes its inspiration from the blatantly patriotic covers the character was featured on during the WWII era.
Impossible to say for certain who drew this iconic beauty. It’s signed by Bob Kane, and he may have even laid it out. But it’s more likely that assistants and ghosts such as Jerry Robinson and George Roussos had a greater hand in it. Either way, you couldn’t ask for a more classic image to … Continue reading Great Covers – BATMAN #1
A great Nick Cardy AQUAMAN cover, from a sketch by Carmine Infantino. This was during a period when DC was getting bold and aggressive with its covers, and one of the innovations that Infantino played with was to integrate the series logo into the image in the style of Will Eisner. It’s a great triangular … Continue reading Great Covers – AQUAMAN #42
Possibly the quintessential BATMAN cover of the 1940s, by Fred Ray and Jerry Robinson. This image was strong enough for it to have been reused seven issues later, albeit with some other elements added in. It’s got great drama, and also illustrates the essential contrast between the shadowy Batman and the bright and carnival-style Robin.
Here’s another strangely-colored Jack Kirby DC cover, this one for an issue of FOREVER PEOPLE. On this one, the strange choice was made to knock out all of the lead characters in red, and to make the focus the random Justifier in the background. Kirby’s selection of the background photograph doesn’t really help either, so … Continue reading Great Covers – FOREVER PEOPLE #3
When Jack Kirby went over to DC in the early 1970s, he wasn’t a great fit in terms of the office’s aesthetic, and they often had no idea what to do with him or his work. Take this MISTER MIRACLE cover, for example. For some reason, they decided not to color the central figure, but … Continue reading Great Covers – MISTER MIRACLE #3
A strong Carmine Infantino cover for DETECTIVE COMICS, incorporating ink wash as well as the typical linework. I love the anguish of Robin, and the particular phrasing on the copy burst imploring the reader to keep the ending a secret.
The Tom Brevoort Experience 