The Greatest Comic Book Covers of All Time Read online

  Fantastic Four #1 (Nov 61)

  Art by Jack Kirby

  Prior to this issue, Marvel (then known as Atlas) was best known for its monster comics. It’s no surprise that this first pass at a new line of super-hero titles stayed close to those earlier tales of menace.

  Fantastic Four #126 (Sep 72)

  Art by John Buscema and Joe Sinnott

  A retelling of the team’s origin was a good excuse to present a new rendition of the original cover.

  Marvel Age #14 (May 84)

  Art by John Byrne

  Longtime Fantastic Four artist and writer John Byrne put himself into the act in one of his variations on the original theme.

  Avengers West Coast #54 (Jan 90)

  Art by John Byrne

  John Byrne provided another homage and even added a few more characters.

  Married … with Children: Quantum Quartet #1 (Oct 93)

  Art by Tom Richmond and David Mowry

  The Bundys somehow acquired super-powers in this short-lived mini-series.

  Simpsons Comics #1 (1993)

  Art by Bill Morrison

  The long-running series starring Springfield’s favorite dysfunctional family has had a number of super-hero homage covers. How appropriate that this “first issue collector’s item” was a tribute to the 1961 classic! (And, hey, a bonus pull-out poster! Who could resist?)

  Fantastic Four #1: My brother Frank read me this issue several times when I was 3 and 4 years old. When I was 6, he gave it to me for Christmas.

  — John Verzyl

  CBG #1649, January 2009

  SILVER AGE STUNNERS

  A second age of super-heroes dawned in late 1956 with an updated version of DC’s Flash. DC quickly followed The Scarlet Speedster with other re-imagined versions of its Golden Age heroes. Soon, as DC’s success became apparent, other publishers began revivals of their own. The Silver Age of Comics, which collectors have established as roughly 1956-1971, was a second era of super-heroic imagination — both in storytelling and in presentation.

  Showcase #4 (Oct 56)

  Art by Carmine Infantino and Joe Kubert

  DC’s reintroduction of The Flash began a revival of super-heroes that, within a few years, spawned The Marvel Age of Comics (beginning with Fantastic Four #1). The Flash’s super-speed power was emphasized by its cover “capture” on high-speed film, and the story paid tribute to earlier years with the hero’s reading an issue of Flash Comics.

  Amazing Fantasy #15 (Aug 62)

  Art by Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko

  Mild-mannered nerd Peter Parker made his first appearance in the final issue of an anthology title. The experiment of editor-writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko paid off. (Marvel at the awesome might, indeed! Note the cover plug for the upcoming series.)

  Adventure Comics #247 (Apr 58)

  Art by Curt Swan and Stan Kaye

  Kids’ clubs have been around since the first children met in the back of the cave. What could be more cool than a club with Superboy? Wait! No? What was up with that?

  The Brave and the Bold #28 (Mar 60)

  Art by Mike Sekowsky and Murphy Anderson

  Remembering the success of DC’s Justice Society, Editor and Yankees fan Julius Schwartz teamed DC’s newly revived heroes into a League.

  The Flash #123 (Sep 61)

  Art by Carmine Infantino and Murphy Anderson

  Two Flashes on two Earths opened multiple story possibilities while causing headaches for continuity cops. That said, it was a spectacular story that did “become a classic!”

  Avengers #4 (Mar 64)

  Art by Jack Kirby and George Roussos

  Marvel’s most popular Golden Age character came to the Silver Age and was retroactively inducted as an Avengers charter member. Many today recall Jack Kirby’s hard-charging cover with fondness. (Check out our Top 10 on Page 61.)

  The Brave and the Bold #28: The “Just Imagine …” house ad for this that thrilled me and hundreds of thousands of other young readers was probably my most memorable comic-book experience.

  — Dave Gibbons

  CBG #1612, January 2006

  IT’S NOT EASY BEING GREEN (LANTERN)

  It all began with Alan Scott and a magical green lantern (think Aladdin) that gave him power over almost anything except (yes) wood. When the Silver Age revisited the concept, it was with Hal Jordan, member of an science-fictional peacekeeping force with power over almost anything except (yes) the color yellow. There have been a variety of GLs — and their ups and downs — ever since. Each has faced challenges (and appeared on cool covers).

  Green Lantern #1 (Sep 41)

  Art by Howard Purcel

  Alan Scott got his start as the first Green Lantern in All-American Comics #16 (Jul 40). By the next year, sales warranted the addition of his own title, and this cover made the concept clear: powerful lantern, action, and adventure.

  All-American Comics #95 (Mar 48)

  Art by Carmine Infantino

  Can’t you just hear GL saying to Harlequin, “I’ll show you mine if you show me yours!”? (And ignoring all the crooks and cops blazing away at each other.)

  Green Lantern (2nd series) #40 (Oct 65)

  Art by Gil Kane and Murphy Anderson

  If Alan Scott replaced Hal Jordan in the Earth-1 universe, who would take up Alan’s role in the Earth-2 universe? Those darn Guardians didn’t always think things through, but readers wanted to see it.

  Green Lantern (2nd series) #76 (Apr 70)

  Art by Neal Adams

  The cover made it clear when writer Denny O’Neil and artist Neal Adams teamed Green Lantern and Green Arrow to move the series from super-hero conflicts to social ones.

  Green Lantern (3rd series) #49 (Feb 94)

  Art by Darryl Banks and Romeo Tanghal

  If one infinitely powerful power ring is good, how much better would a dozen more be? Cool concept, clearly conveyed!

  Green Lantern (4th series) #1 (Jul 05)

  Art by Carlos Pacheco and Jesus Merino

  Carlos Pacheco and Jesus Merino’s cover for a relaunched Green Lantern series made it clear that Hal Jordan is the Greatest. Green Lantern. Ever.

  Green Lantern (2nd series) #76:

  Single-color covers are always arresting, especially when, as with this one, there’s a content reason.

  — Andrew “Captain Comics” Smith

  CBG #1617, June 2006

  GOT INNUENDO?

  Every now and then in the history of comics, artists have sneaked in double-entendre images that many readers missed. In some cases, even the editor missed the gag until after the issue had come off the press. In other cases, what was once an innocent cover or phrase can now induce laughter in a modern reader.

  Charlton Premiere Vol. 2 #2 (Nov 67)

  art by Pat Boyette

  Artist Pat Boyette wasn’t the first to include a phallic symbol on a cover, and he certainly won’t be the last. If you say, “Blast off!” you should be ashamed of yourself. (By the way, the story “Children of Doom” by Boyette and writer Denny O’Neil is considered a classic in the field.)

  Tense Suspense #1 (Dec 58)

  Art by Dick Ayers

  If this cover featured Seinfeld’s George Costanza, he would be protesting that it was shrinkage.

  Eh! #4 (Jun 54)

  Art by Fred Ottenheimer

  We’ll let you build the mighty, mighty joke here.

  ALF #48 (Dec 91)

  Art by Dave Manak

  What can we say? Talk about 100% fresh!

  Jeanie #17 (Jan 48)

  Art uncredited

  Despite any appearances to the contrary, we’re pretty sure this is an innocent costume party.

  The Rifleman #10 (Mar 62)

  OK, this is just a strange camera angle combined with similarly strange expressions and props. Let’s say no more about it.

  The Rifleman #10: Would somebody please call protective services? Mark needs help — or does he?

  —
Vincent Zurzolo

  CBG #1662, February 2010

  ENTERTAINING E.C.

  What began as “Educational Comics,” producing such titles as Picture Stories from the Bible and Tiny Tot Comics, used the same initials to add its “Entertaining Comics” line. The resultant combo produced some of the most memorable comics of the early 1950s — and some of the most startling images.

  Crime SuspenStories #22 (May 54)

  Art by Johnny Craig

  When asked during a Congressional hearing if he considered this cover to be in “good taste,” E.C. Publisher William Gaines said that it was good taste, “for the cover of a horror comic. A cover in bad taste, for example, might be defined as holding the head a little higher so that the neck could be seen dripping blood from it and moving the body over a little further so that the neck of the body could be seen to be bloody.”

  Shock SuspenStories #6 (Jan 53)

  Art by Wally Wood

  E.C. crusaded for civil rights and the end of hate groups. It demonstrated that social commentary could provide captivating imagery, as in this thinly veiled take on the Ku Klux Klan.

  Tales from the Crypt #28 (Mar 52)

  Art by Al Feldstein

  Years before, artist Harry Clarke had illustrated Edgar Allan Poe’s tale of premature burial. E.C. often used other works as inspiration, and this Clarke-based image was sure to attract buyers — and nightmares.

  Weird Science #20 (Aug 53)

  Art by Wally Wood

  Be careful what you wish for, even if it is a spaceship full of beautiful women as drawn by Wally Wood. (Note the plug for a Ray Bradbury story; the writer’s agreement with the publisher regarding comics adaptations brought fans to comics and comics to fans.)

  Two-Fisted Tales #25 (Feb 52)

  Art by Harvey Kurtzman

  Editor, writer, and artist Harvey Kurtzman made social commentary “must” reading, whether in E.C.’s war titles or in Mad.

  Tales from the Crypt #46 (Mar 55)

  Art by Jack Davis

  Readers familiar with Jack Davis’ work on a variety of mass-market-magazine covers might have been taken aback to realize he was also a master of creative horror-comics covers.

  Crime SuspenStories #22: A cover in bad taste, for example, might be defined as holding the head a little higher so that the neck could be seen dripping blood from it …

  — William Gaines

  Testimony before Congressional hearing, 1954

  SUPER-COVERS

  The Man of Steel provided such a powerful image that he virtually defined what readers sought in heroic fantasy. He began by appearing on two of the first eight issues of Action Comics. By #9, the publisher put a promise on every cover that he would appear in the issue — and, by #19, the series simply featured Superman on every cover, by #24 (May 40) claiming to be the “world’s largest selling comic magazine!” His cover appearance was enough to say, “This comic book is about heroism, adventure, and power.”

  Superman #1 (Sum 39)

  Art by Joe Shuster

  The first DC character to receive his own title, Superman looked to be jumping for joy on this cover. What more did the issue need to entice readers already trained to look for “the one and only Superman”?

  Superboy #47 (Mar 56)

  Art by Curt Swan and Stan Kaye

  If Superman is almost infinitely powerful as an adult, how close to infinitely powerful was he as a boy? Readers wanted to know — and this issue might provide the answer!

  Superman #32 (Feb 45)

  Art by Wayne Boring

  The sheer fun of having super-powers came through on this Wayne Boring cover.

  Action Comics #500 (Oct 79)

  Art by Curt Swan

  It took just over 40 years, but Action Comics was the first comic book to reach the magic 500-issue mark. DC rewarded readers with an anniversary issue and a cover displaying significant events from the series’ past.

  The Man of Steel #1 (1986)

  Art by John Byrne

  John Byrne’s revamp of Superman retained the character’s iconic symbol on this alternate cover. Byrne described the optical illusion he saw when he looked at Superman’s chest as “two yellow fish swimming past each other.”

  Action Comics (2nd series) #1 (Nov 11)

  Art by Rags Morales

  Rags Morales demonstrates how the (again!) newly revamped Superman functions early in his career in DC’s re-imagined universe. He’s returned to the social-crusader roots he had in the Golden Age. (Note to ponder: Might Action Comics resume its original numbering, as it approaches #1,000 in a few years?)

  Superman #1: It’s an iconic cover to introduce an iconic character.

  — Maggie Thompson

  CBG #1609, October 2005

  HEY, KIDS! COMICS!

  Today, most monthly comics are aimed at customers old enough to vote. (Face it: Buyers have to have a pretty good income to shell out enough cash to follow all their favorites these days.) But a few decades ago, the customers could manage a dime here or there — and the publishers targeted that market with gags and characters that resonated with readers.

  Four-Color Comics #199 (Oct 48)

  Art by Carl Barks

  Square eggs? Square chickens? What did Donald and the boys stumble into this time? Readers of all ages had to pick up the issue to find out. And the story — written and drawn by Carl Barks — was so memorable that those readers were still talking about it years later, when they’d grown up.

  Little Lulu #57 (Mar 53)

  Art by John Stanley

  Writer-artist John Stanley transformed Marjorie Henderson Buell’s Lulu from the star of one-panel gags to the lead character in wildly imaginative multi-page stories. But his covers, of course, had to be one-panel gags of their own.

  Sparkle Comics #3 (Feb 49)

  Art by Ernie Bushmiller

  Disguised as a joke, there was actually a lesson here for readers. (We can only hope the scientifically minded kids didn’t similarly experiment with their parents’ discs.)

  Four-Color Comics #223 (Apr 49)

  Art by Carl Barks

  With Westerns playing every Saturday at local theaters, it was natural to put Donald and the kids in a Western adventure story. Well, a Western adventure story with ducks.

  Supersnipe Comics Vol. 1 #7 (Jan 43)

  Art by George Marcoux

  Some people think comics collecting didn’t begin until the 1960s — but Supersnipe resonated with many young readers. Which, of course, is exactly what the publisher hoped.

  Sugar & Spike #17 (Aug 58)

  Art by Sheldon Mayer

  Sheldon Mayer’s toddlers had their own view of the world, based on their limited experiences. The gimmick that hooked young readers was that they could feel smarter than Sugar and Spike, because the reader knew what was going on. The toddlers, on the other hand, could only talk baby talk and were often bewildered by the world around them.

  Four Color Comics #223: Wonder and absurdity blend in an adventure many consider the best Donald Duck tale of all.

  — Tony Isabella

  1000 Comic Books You Must Read, 2009

  SHAZAM!

  The World’s Mightiest Mortal, also known as Captain Marvel, was a Golden Age great. Newscaster Billy Batson was granted the powers of an odd blend of classic characters when he spoke the magic word made up of their initials (Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles, and Mercury). The boy Billy and his Marvel Family were wish fulfillment writ large for thousands of adoring fans. (More than one kid tried a variety of pronunciations in hopes of — Well, you never know, do you?)

  America’s Greatest Comics #1 (1941)

  Art by Mac Raboy

  Fawcett didn’t hide its light under a bushel with this title, which provided a showcase for, not only Captain Marvel, but also other Fawcett Universe heroes. It was a little pricey at 15¢, but gee! 100 pages!

  Captain Marvel Adventures #97 (Jun 49)

  Art by C.C. Beck


  Whether or not that was the hand of primary Captain Marvel artist C.C. Beck that was erasing the hero is unknown. But the best way to find out what was going on was to buy the issue. Of course.

  Master Comics #32 (Nov 42)

  Art by Mac Raboy

  Mac Raboy produced many Captain Marvel Jr. covers for Fawcett. Did you know the character design was so good that Elvis Presley patterned his hairstyle on Junior?

  Marvel Family #7 (Dec 46)

  Art by C.C. Beck and Pete Costanza

  The three main Marvels joined forces in the aptly named Marvel Family. This issue featured them visiting their point of origin: Why? Readers knew something vital had to be at stake.