Batman #238, DC Comics, January 1972, Artist: Neal Adams.
I guess my weakness for wrap-around covers is obvious but boy is Neal Adams’ cover to Batman #238 a sight to behold.
Had it not been for Neal’s epic Batman cover John Romita Jr’s cover to Amazing Spider-Man would have won the day.
Carl Barks plus Donald Duck equals warm and fuzzy feelings, enjoy Four Color #238.
David Yardin’s mom must have bought him a lot of colouring books when he was younger, X-Factor #238 is fun.
JOWA has to go to Action #238, this was Mr. Schwartz’s gorilla equals sales phase.
A great comic book cover matching each day of the year, 1 through 365. Please chime in with your favourite corresponding cover, from any era.
I can see why out of context some might quibble with this choice, but in context it is a cover among covers. Maybe you had to be there.
Maybe the same is the case for ASM – I wasn’t there (not interested in ASM just about ever), so that cover seems like a fairly crude piece to me.
I looked at Four Color but it is similar to the last Four Color, amusing but not great.
X-Factor is fun but not great, particularly in light of what we know Yardin can do. Maybe if he had mixed up a Mondrian with Lichtensteins it would have made my list.
I can buy King Krypton as a JOWA, but I have to say the more I look at the cover, the more I want to know what the story is.
It appears that we are again headed into the desert. #239 giving me almost nothing to work with. As usual I like Kubert’s Tarzan, but it certainly isn’t the high point of the run. I will pick Spectacular Spider-Man as it is very colorful and seems to me like a good McFarlane cleaned up of the unnecessary bric-a-brac. Batman is a classic and I love the art, but I can’t argue that it is a “great cover”.
Avengers might be held up as the JOWA, but I think it is disqualified for intentional parody. Instead I think Action for Superman’s “No comment!”.
Chris touches on a very good point in many of our personal choices. It DOES get personal when you have a previous relationship with the book. Chris probably didn’t grow up reading Barks like I did. So he dismissed the Four Color cover where I (and Walter) consider it a classic.
But Walter’s wrap-around choice…I don’t know the book, and art-wise, it leaves me cold. Just a bunch of standing figures. Even if by Neal, I say, big deal. Bored now, without any back story to generate more feeling on it.
I like the Spider-Man better, and even X-Factor is kind of interesting, though neither sweeps me off my feet. I am sure the choices for every day ARE getting tougher as we have less and less candidates.
Some days that “personal” element plays no part, say like on the Batman yesterday, or killer (and timeless) Wrightsons and Adams work. I didn’t read the Batman issue, nor was I was buying Batman then, but it is still artistically a great cover we all can agree on.
Its tough to take that personal bias out of our opinions, I think. And maybe we shouldn’t, its what we all bring to the table.
I agree with Bud! I like the Spidey and the Barks…and find the X-Factor interesting with no air brush effect! The 100 pager I remember but DC did it so often in the 70’s on the 100 pagers as they seemed to run out of any ideas other then ~yawn~ another group shot! A yes to the JOWA… DC really thought kids dug those silliness covers and stories back in the early 60’s
Let’s just say I agree with Bud. Even for Adams, it’s a so-so cover with various ???’s regarding sloppy eyes, even on Batman himself. Just seems rushed compared to other Adams covers. I still think DD was a better cover, but it’s over for today. Now on to tomorrow!
For 239 I’ll pick Spawn. Yes, Spawn. It’s a different take on a hero and it’s not over cluttered like McFarlane usually does. Close contenders are Daredevil again by Arthur Adams, Captain America by John Byrne, and Batman by Neal Adams, though it really is odd, it’s still really well done.
JOWA to Action for sure.
WWWP?
C.K., I won’t go with you on the Spawn, but pointing out that Captain America #239 is Byrne sent me to take a second look. It had been on the cusp before so I’ll agree it’s a runner-up. I think the colors distract from the great light vs. darkness effects Byrne and the super-important Terry Austin illustrated with the pencils and inks.
I have the run of Detective, Batman and Superman 100 page Giants, and I always thought this cover among the weakest of that run.
Bias included and fully accounted for – this was a day for Amazing Spider-Man #238.
Looked at tomorrows suggestions… yes the Tarzan is ok… the Spawn isnt bad either… but I don’t see how he maneuvers with spiked leg warmers… and the Spectacular Spiderman is way too busy plus we have that Spider-man distortion factor the the Toddster thinks looked so cool ( not me!). Looked at the Daredevil but didn’t care for it and I am a Daredevil fan.
Are all those heroes in Batman 238? What makes it warrant such a cover, doesn’t appear to be a special anniversary?
Duck and Action are fun and silly in that order. But even a silly cover can make you want to read the story that goes with it. Like “popping head” Superman a few days ago, probably wouldn’t buy it but might glance through it. A silly cover/story collecting strain anybody? : )
Bias plays a huge role, I think I’m posting random and differing stop purposely but I’m sure there is a pattern there I don’t even see. WWWP? I don’t even know until I pick it.
Methinks that the Spiderman run from 200 to 300 was as good as run as comics has ever seen. Dare I say as good or better then the spidey 1 to 100 run? I go with Derrick pick, that Spiderman 238 was the best. Having said that, I enjoyed all the images.