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.
This whole issue of THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD is loony, and it all begins with this Jim Aparo cover. Not only are Sgt. Rock and Batman in the same story (despite the different eras in which their adventures typically take place), but the Rock is firing ineffectively at a figure who casts a demonic … Continue reading Great Covers – BRAVE AND THE BOLD #108
What a wonderfully shocking and twisted SUPERBOY cover by Nick Cardy. This wasn’t at all the kind of image you expected to find on an issue of SUPERBOY. I’d be willing to bet that somebody at DC got cold feet, and that’s why the logo area is a solid blue banner, to help obscure the … Continue reading Great Covers – SUPERBOY #189
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
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
