Captain America #241, Marvel Comics, January 1980, Artist: Frank Miller.
Frank Miller’s cover to Captain America #241 has always been a standout and its always been an in-demand book.
The dream team of Neal Adams pencils and Bernie Wrightson inks produce a great Batman image for the cover of Batman #241.
Hey, is that Todd McFarlane drawing a Conan cover on Conan #241? I love Conan!
Today must be like Christmas Day for our good friend and regular commenter Chris Meli. I counted at least 8 covers with some sort of giant hands; issue #221 of Strange Adventures, Iron Man, X-Factor, Avengers, Fantastic Four, Justice League of America, World’s Finest and Spawn all share the Big Hands look.
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.
Walt, I know you’re no glad-hander, and you certainly have your hands full, so I have to hand it to you for giving me a hand and providing that handy list of covers as a handout. I guess I didn’t handle yesterday’s cover review very well, even though I did have some time on my hands. You deserve a hand!
I think you are tuned into that Captain America as a retailer. It’s pleasant – I give Bob McLeod props for cleaning up Miller’s pencils – but it is still a standing around cover.
I didn’t realize that that Conan was by McFarlane – I just knew that I didn’t like it. McFarlane’s cartoony faces are particularly out of place in this title.
With #242 covers in hand, I hoped to take the search off your hands, and perhaps stay your hand from providing another list. To hand it over immediately, I count Flash, Hulk, and Thor. Now the handoff: please keep your hand in this effort and work mano a mano with me to report any that I missed.
#242 much better but no clear hands down favorite. [Finis] I choose Superman because it’s two-up Superman, great violent action, Adams, doomsday. The foreground Superman has a bit of that Adams anatomical distortion going on, but I can handle that as a style signature. Conan is fantastic but there’s no real storytelling. The aforementioned Thor is fun and colorful but a little too busy and goofy. Unknown Soldier is the nth amazing composition and execution by Kubert – the past two months have turned me into a raving Kubert fan – but it’s the same old “running away from the Nazis” story.
#242 boasts a solid second tier: Captain America, Fantastic Four, Tarzan. The classic Action and semi-classic Batman do not make my list of nominees, but they would look nice on the wall.
Batman is ok… but not worthy of a greatest cover…something a bit sterile about the Cap cover… and only McFarlane would have Conan spattered with blood fighting skeletons… didn’t know the even sported blood vessels! I am going with Superman 241 myself!
If each Covered 365 column were like a baseball game, Walt just went 3 for 3 with a home run and a couple of extra base hits!
I am fan of all 3 covers!
Adams portrayal of Batman on the cover of Batman #241 ranks among my all-time favorites images of the Batman, rivaling even Adams portrayal of Batman pursuing the Joker in the later pages of issue #251. Outstanding.
And as a Conan fan, McFarlane’s cover of Conan #241 is a much appreciated feast. I will join Walt in the mead hall later to sing songs of the Hyborian Age!
Captain America #241 is also a cover that I was happy to add to the collection – when I picked up my copy a few years ago, the issue wasn’t even on my radar, but I took a closer look at a ComicCon and had to have it. The intersectionality of collector and dealer can work well for both.
But the day would not be complete without some acknowledgment of Superman #241 – great cover!
I am also a fan of:
– Daredevil #241: Even though it is standing around and crudely drawn, I like it.
– Action Comics #241: A Key issue. I admit the text is weak, but I like the cover as an introduction to the Fortress.
By Crom Derrick, let me get the 1st round.
I have to hand it to Chris Meli, lets everybody give him a jazz hands ovation, no clapping please as his sensibilities may be delicate