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Best covers of 1950's DC comics.

Started by otherworldsj33,

182 posts in this topic

AtlasFan

AtlasFan

Posted
Posted

Some of the best 50's covers for DC were done by Ruben Moreira.

 

Moreira started out in the GA for Fiction House and eventually took over the Tarzan Sunday page (under the name "Rubimor") after Hogarth left the title in the mid-40s .

 

Moreira also had a hand in creating the long-running Roy Raymond back-up feature in Detective Comics (when will DC do a Masterwork edition of these??) and Time Master: Rip Hunter.

 

However, I believe he excelled best at science fiction covers. Here is a slew of covers he did under DC editor Jack Schiff in the mid to late 50s:

 

HOS_01.jpg

HOS_07.jpg

HOS_08.jpg

 

HOM_64.jpg

hom_66.jpg

HOM_68.jpg

 

MGA_08.jpg

MGA_15.jpg

MGA_17.jpg

 

TOTU_16.jpg

TOTU_17.jpg

totu_23.jpg

 

Schiff must have loaned Moreira out to Julie Schwartz for this cover of MIS:

MIS_27.jpg

 

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Sal

Sal

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AllAmWest113.jpg

 

Top five all-time for me, personally. The composition itself is just stunning, and the linework exquisite. The only bad thing about this book is that I will never own a copy as nice as this one, since there just can't be many out there.

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rob_react

rob_react

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AllAmWest113.jpg

 

Top five all-time for me, personally. The composition itself is just stunning, and the linework exquisite. The only bad thing about this book is that I will never own a copy as nice as this one, since there just can't be many out there.

 

You'd have to hope it was in another pedigree and then that copy surfaced. That'd be a search requiring a bit of patience.

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adamstrange

adamstrange

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AllAmWest113.jpg

 

Top five all-time for me, personally. The composition itself is just stunning, and the linework exquisite. The only bad thing about this book is that I will never own a copy as nice as this one, since there just can't be many out there.

 

You'd have to hope it was in another pedigree and then that copy surfaced. That'd be a search requiring a bit of patience.

I had a very attractive undercopy that I traded to a friend when I picked up the Church copy about a dozen or so years ago. They are the only two nice ones I'm aware of but I assume there's a few more lurking in the shadows. I'm glad folks enjoy it as I fell in love with the cover on one of my first cruises through Gerber Guides.

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adamstrange

adamstrange

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I like the inclusion of SA 23 and SA 50 in the original from otherworldsj33. The SA 50 has no shortage of love but usually gets mis-identified because Gerber accidentally swapped the pics of SA 30 and SA 50 (I was very disappointed when I received a copy of SA30 that I had ordered through the mail :cry: ). The Infantino pencilled and inked cover story is to die for.The SA 23, on the other hand, gets little notice despite some nifty cover art from Anderson complemented by an eye-catching color scheme.

 

In place of SA 8, SA 51, SA 93, and SA 95 I would recommend SA 9 (outstanding introductory cover for Capt Comet) and SA 80. Hopefully, one of our boardies will post his copies. :wishluck:

 

SA23.jpg

 

SA50.jpg

 

Decent enough. Buts whats with the pink metal DC seems to have a affair with? Didn't it ever cool off after refining?
I'm pretty certain that pink robot is due to Murphy's influence as this is his version of Fantastic 3 by his boyhood idol, Lou Fine. IIRC, this scan is from jbcomicbox.

 

fantastic3.jpg

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shiverbones

shiverbones

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AllAmWest113.jpg

 

Top five all-time for me, personally. The composition itself is just stunning, and the linework exquisite. The only bad thing about this book is that I will never own a copy as nice as this one, since there just can't be many out there.

 

have to agree, this is as good as it gets, top 5 hands down

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rob_react

rob_react

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I like the inclusion of SA 23 and SA 50 in the original from otherworldsj33. The SA 50 has no shortage of love but usually gets mis-identified because Gerber accidentally swapped the pics of SA 30 and SA 50 (I was very disappointed when I received a copy of SA30 that I had ordered through the mail :cry: ). The SA 23, on the other hand, gets little notice despite some nifty cover art from Anderson complemented by an eye-catching color scheme.

 

In place of SA 8, SA 51, SA 93, and SA 95 I would recommend SA 9 (outstanding introductory cover for Capt Comet) and SA 80. Hopefully, one of our boardies will post his copies. :wishluck:

 

SA23.jpg

 

SA50.jpg

 

the 50 is insanely great. Greater than great.

 

 

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adamstrange

adamstrange

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SA23.jpg

I never noticed this cover before, outstanding. Is this a River City Copy?

Yes. The SA 50 is the Bethlehem.

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adamstrange

adamstrange

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42) Batman #75. 2/53. Win Mortimer.

Batmans turn with gorillas. Made for a fine cover though.

http://www.dcindexes.com/database/comic-details.php?comicid=3598

The cover attribution should really be primarily to Lew Sayre Schwartz as it's a composite of the splash from his story with the addition of the swinging Batman and Robin by Win Mortimer. The rope-swinging Dynamic Duo became a trade mark of many of his covers from 1953 and 1954.

 

Batman75.jpg

 

49) Batman #79. 10/53. Win Mortimer.

Even without the benefit of hindsight, you knew just by this cover that this was the begining of the end for any real quality of Batman stories.

http://www.dcindexes.com/database/comic-details.php?comicid=3602

 

That was definitely a sad day for Batman, but in putting together notable covers I'd rather remember work by one of the greats, Sprang.

 

Batman73.jpg

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MrBedrock

MrBedrock

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Here's the Strange Adventures 9...

strangeadventures9.jpg

 

And here are a couple of DC War covers that are pretty cool...

aamow9.jpg

oaaw37.jpg

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AtlasFan

AtlasFan

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Here are some nice Andru & Esposito covers from the late 50s:

 

Who could resist the Amazon princess?

ww_99a.jpg

WW_102.jpg

WW_104.jpg

 

Ah, the original redistributer of wealth...

RHT_09.jpg

RHT_11.jpg

RHT_14.jpg

 

Monsters, tanks vs dinos, and giant Nazis...I ask you, what more can you ask for in a comic book?

BB_25.jpg

SSWS_90.jpg

AAMW_74.jpg

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adamstrange

adamstrange

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Wicked intensity for a Novick cover and most deserved of consideration! :applause:

 

aamow9.jpg
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adamstrange

adamstrange

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Here are some nice Andru & Esposito covers from the late 50s:

 

 

ww_99a.jpg

 

Who could resist the Amazon princess?

 

Not me! Nice book!

 

70) Wonder woman #78. 11/55. Irv Novick.

A interesting enough cover. At 10 years old, I would have purchased it.

http://www.dcindexes.com/database/comic-details.php?comicid=31120

 

81) Wonder Woman #85. 10/56. Irv Novick.

Woamn in a bottle. Pre dates I Dream of Genie. Stan lee sometimes said that the Twilight Zone got some of plot ideas from him. Who knows?

http://www.dcindexes.com/database/comic-details.php?comicid=31127

 

I have never gotten over the fuchsia atomic explosion cover of the 95.

 

WW95new.jpg

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adamstrange

adamstrange

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46) Detective #196. 6/53. Win Mortimer.

Not a stunner, but interesting, and again, a much better effort on Batman and Detective Comics then what we will witness later in the decade.

http://www.dcindexes.com/database/comic-details.php?comicid=8452

 

I have always loved this cover for switch-up of the Gotham-based duo showing up in swinging London. Almost as good as the Munsters' visit!

 

 

33) Batman #69. 2/52. Wim Mortimer.

Love seeing Batman and Robin tied up at the disopsal of Catwoman and her BF (?). Must have led to a lot of scenarios for them later on. Who said the 50's were all innocent?

http://www.dcindexes.com/database/comic-details.php?comicid=3592

 

44) Detective #195. 5/53. Win Mortimer.

Again, a bit of a twist, with the huge wing Batman custome, foreshadowing what would come decades later. Also see Detective #235.

http://www.dcindexes.com/database/comic-details.php?comicid=8451

 

51) Detective #203. 1/54. Win Mortimer.

One of the better Batman covers of the decade, of course, Catwoman is involved. In another year, the code would make this type of cover taboo. Another cover I would love to own in the OA.

As far as the scene being depicted, fill in your jokes or snide comments here : .........

http://www.dcindexes.com/database/comic-details.php?comicid=8459

I'm detecting a not-so-closeted Catwoman fan!

 

While the 203 is very tasty, the 208 is one of the most compelling sci-fi images. Various sources credit the 208 to Swan but I'm fairly confident it's by Win Mortimer based.

 

Detective203.jpg

Detective208.jpg

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october

october

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Here is one of my favorites. Gil Kane pencils with an Adler washtone, how can you beat that? The cardgame against the alien alone would make for a killer cover, but the weirdo machinery in the background puts it over the top.

 

Harder than hell to find in decent shape as well.

 

sa80-1.jpg

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