Superboy #163, DC Comics, March 1970 – Artist: Neal Adams.
There were a few good candidates today and I picked think I picked right. Neal Adams does amazing work on the cover of Superboy #163.
I had it narrowed down to three comics for today, the other two have pics posted below so you can judge for yourself. I liked the Daredevil #163 too but maybe not as much as a certain commenter with a fixation on big hands and I’m pretty sure the Detective #163 got in there thanks to its beautiful sky blue cover.
Famous Funnies #163 has a great Valentines Day cover, Steranko does great work on Strange Tales #163 and we get another strong cover in Jungle Comics #163.
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.
My copy of Superboy 163 has been the only copy of this comic that I had ever seen prior to today’s choice. Beautiful Adams cover.
Touche on the giant hand, it never occurred to me. But a fabulous giant hand!
I spent significant time considering the Superboy, but I don’t like it that much. Superboy looks like a Nazi as I guess he’s supposed to, but I found that viscerally repellent. We get another signature unnatural Adams hand pose, one of my least favorite parts of Adams’s work. Finally the colors don’t work for me – I know it is a night scene, but in particular the monocolored pursuers in the background should have been handled differently.
I did look at the others, particularly the Famous Funnies, but compared to earlier runners-up I don’t think they are that special, although top of the heap on a relative basis.
For #164, Detective is a classic to end all classics, but again it’s more of a poster. If it weren’t for the text (“Untold Tales of the Bat-Signal!” – wow that sounds intriguing), there would be no clear story element. On the other _hand_, Strange Tales moves to the _head_ of this class, and is my pick. Dan Adkins – huh what?
There are some other goodies for a change. Superman is also a classic and everyone should look to acquire a copy of this regardless of price. (If you noticed Luthor’s glowing boots good for you. I’m still trying to find the “clue” on Batman #183, which I can tell you is going to be on my list for that issue number, and is another book you should pay any price for – and my counsel is totally objective.) Our Fighting Forces has a really original composition. The art on X-Men is fantastic but this is the nth time for this domestic dispute. Finally I dig New Funnies for some reason even though it is totally cornball verging on grotesque. No JOWAs for you but I’m sure you can always find something if you bother to read the text on the Archie title covers.
My vote is still for Strange Tales…plenty of Adams covers to choose from but we will only have a few more Steranko covers to fit in this numerical category ( if we’re using the same measure we did with L.B. Cole)! While Steranko owed a lot to Kirby, he brought in not only great anatomy, but a dynamism that exploded off the pages. Plus I wanted to give him a little love anyway as his History of Comics took me to the next level as a fledgling comics collector!
My choice was Miller’s cover of DD #163 – the fatalism of DD’s pose as the HULK looms over him is a great touch.
However, I was excited to see Chris’s new band – The Living Dream(?) – made the cover of Millie the Model.
NOT The Living Dream. We do not wear such jewelry. That’s Superboy’s band, The Iron Dream.
That should be The Steel Dream I think Chris…
Touche again!
Usually, I’m over at Ivan’s column (his Heroes of the Home Front book reignited an interest in the old Canadian comics but I’m expanding my interests) and I thought I’d drop in to see what’s going on here. Good idea for a column and I’ve been looking at the back posts. Don’t know the comics whereof you speak but the cover art is fascinating. I’ll be visiting but not making suggestions – I have no old comics.
Are all these images being pulled from the Gerber Photo Journal books? I’ve been eyeing those.
Cheers and thanks.
Great picks Walt..and if you are a collector of Life savers, that giant one over Batman’s head , is a doozy for cross over collecting appeal.
In all seriousness, your ” covered ” column has improved greatly displaying one winner and two contenders. Thanks for the commitment Walt. Now if I can just find myself a grape flavored Batman cover…..
Glad to see at least a shout-out to Jungle #163…its got everything but the kitchen sink. Bondage (albeit male), handsome native with six-pak sexy but capable heroine, who for once is NOT bound…rampaging elephant, maddened tigers…
Strange Takes #163 is good but not fabulous Steranko. Still early in his comics career.
In comparison, I do think your Superboy choice as it all, including a great story hook, to draw you in….and great Adams work and cool coloring.
Nice of you to join in Tim, please feel free to thumbs up or thumbs down whenever you feel the need.
I’m friends with Pat Mastroianni a busy actor and promoter who once played the role of Joey Jeremiah in CBC’s very successful Degrassi Junior High TV show back in the day. In the show Joey played in a band called Zit Remedy and although one of the original band members has since passed away I always bug Pat to start a reunion tour, he always says no nobly protecting the integrity of the original members. But I think I may have the answer to this impasse, we call the new band The Living Dream ! Pat is a comic fan, he just may go for it …
Chris, I don’t have Batman 183 but I think the clue might have something to do with Batman’s chest emblem not having the yellow oval around it. Perhaps this Batman is sn imposter in an old costume. My guess.
Pat will find my licensing structure and rates very reasonable. For IP value maintenance reasons, at least one number must feature spoons, I am sure this will not present an obstacle given the versatility of the instrument.
Klaus you da man! I didn’t read all of this, but the first image juxtaposition makes it clear:
https://50yearoldcomics.wordpress.com/2016/06/02/batman183-august-1966/