CGC FORUM TOP BRONZE AGE COVERS - #4

[ComicBookGuy]

Although Bolland and Rogers can lay claim to the definitive Joker look, this cover outdoes them both.

 

Well said. And when we look at this cover we see where they got that definitive look from. The expression is "pure Joker." To me it's his crazy expression and his pose and the redefinition of the most important Batman villain that make this cover a classic. Again, this is just showing what a giant Adams is to this era. And that's not to knock all the other great artists at all. We've seen some great stuff from everyone from both Marvel and DC.

 

On the other hand, if you look at the rendering of Batman, it may be the worst one Adams ever did. The concept of the "giant" Joker is kind of bizarre too. Did he take some growing potion or something? These two points lower the cover in my estimation, but I still love it. The interior art is even better than the cover.

 

 

My guesses for the top three:

3. Green Lantern #76

2. Amazing Spider-man #122

1. Batman #227

 

[bigfiver69]

finally i got one right from my top 7 predictions! I voted for this one and it was my #4 overall!

 

None of my picks have turned up thus far...

 

if your a marvel guy better hope spidey comes through or it will be a sweep for DC in the top 5! Good chance for 122 because there is something wrong if #136 makes the top 10 and 122 doesn't! i guess there's also 129 and x-men 94 as long shots! But don't ask me i have no idea! The DC boys are out in force! --Marvel will rule the silver age!

 

I have a lot of respect for Marvel, but I have always felt that DC had it all over Marvel in this period, cover-wise. Certainly Hulk 181 should find a place in the top three.... but purely because it's a key, not because it's an amazing cover. Let's face it... it looks like vitually every other Marvel cover from that era.

 

The reason DC covers from 1969-1975 were so ridiculously good (and that's across all the genres, not just hero and horror) is because DC did not have a rigid house style like Marvel. The only Marvel title that ran against the grain in that era was Conan... and surprise, some of the best covers from that title are on this list.

 

Why are DC covers so much better? At the end of the day, the artistic freedom offered to artists at DC attracted the best of the best... Adams and Wrightson. Compare the Marvel covers done by those two to the work they did at DC. The DC work was miles better, and there was much more of it.

 

And forget the stars like Wrightson and Adams... factor in the wealth of great DC covers from people like Nick Cardy and Joe Kubert, and it's a bronze-age bloodbath for Marvel.

 

Shep

[blowout]

Eh. DC generally had the better cover artists by far in the bronze era, IMO (Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that the best cover artists of the era did a lot more work for DC than marvel - but you get my drift).

 

 

Frankly I can't believe this cover was even nominated let alone #4 though. It's not even close to adams' best work. I think this is a case of a cover getting more recognition than it should due to the subject matter. There are dozens of better adams covers - this one has an awkward composition IMO and is a relatively pedestrian affair especially by neal's standards

 

I mean if you're going to pick an adams cover, there are any number of superior HOM covers, strange adventures covers, avengers 96, green lantern/green arrow covers, tomahawk covers, world's finest covers, all star western covers, spectre covers, the list goes on and on and on and ON and ON. That THIS cover would be #4? Oh brother.

 

EDIT: I wouldn't even put this cover in the top ten Adams Batman/Detective covers!!!!!

 

 

I agree 100%.

[B-Smooth]

My guess for #1 would be Conan #1. It defines the bronze age for me. was it even nominated?

[Zonker]

I think DC putting an artist in charge (Carmine Infantino) had a lot to do with it. Infantino in turn elevated a whole class of artist/editors: Kubert, Orlando, Giordano (though he raided Charlton for Giordano). It was these guys that gave the breaks to the likes of Wrightson, Kaluta, Simonson, Chaykin, and promoted the cover work of Adams, Cardy, LD, etc.

[joe_collector]

Why are DC covers so much better?

 

I just love DC fanboys trying to tell everyone that something a incredibly subjectvie as "ART" can be termed in no uncertain terms as "DC's are BETTER".

[ComicBookGuy]

My guess for #1 would be Conan #1. It defines the bronze age for me. was it even nominated?

 

I think it would be cool if Conan #1 did win, but I don't think it will. The reason is that there are so many GREAT Conan covers that it's hard to find one that is the definitive showing for Conan. Same problem with Swamp Thing. For that reason different issues get nominated and the voting for those characters gets spread out and the character has a tough time making it to the top. For example, my favorite Conan cover, which I nominated, was the King-Size #1. Gene's was Conan #24. Someone else's was #1. A way to avoid this would be to have rounds of voting where eliminations occur. This isn't to be critical of this poll but just to make a point. This poll is FAR better and a bigger production than the bronze cover poll I ran last year.

[bigfiver69]

Why are DC covers so much better?

 

I just love DC fanboys trying to tell everyone that something a incredibly subjectvie as "ART" can be termed in no uncertain terms as "DC's are BETTER".

 

Can't disagree with you - it's a totally subjective...er... subject.

 

Shep

[drbanner]

Another awesome entry for Neal Adams - I imagine even non-comic book collectors would appreciate this one with the Ace of Spades and a huge Joker holding Batman "in his hands". This is a great book if you can get your hands on a fresh/glossy copy with the dark blues, purples, greens and reds. Some copies have a light blue background and just don't glow like the dark blue copies.

 

Neal must've really like it as well, as he went Full Monty on this recreation (currently available on his website for a paltry $40k!).

 

[october]

My guesses for the top three:

3. Green Lantern #76

2. Amazing Spider-man #122

1. Batman #227

 

 

That would be my guess as well. I can't see those not being the top three, since that would mean they would be out of the poll altogether. Still, the dreaded Hulk 181 hasn't appeared yet...

[october]

Eh. DC generally had the better cover artists by far in the bronze era, IMO (Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that the best cover artists of the era did a lot more work for DC than marvel - but you get my drift).

 

 

Frankly I can't believe this cover was even nominated let alone #4 though. It's not even close to adams' best work. I think this is a case of a cover getting more recognition than it should due to the subject matter. There are dozens of better adams covers - this one has an awkward composition IMO and is a relatively pedestrian affair especially by neal's standards

 

I mean if you're going to pick an adams cover, there are any number of superior HOM covers, strange adventures covers, avengers 96, green lantern/green arrow covers, tomahawk covers, world's finest covers, all star western covers, spectre covers, the list goes on and on and on and ON and ON. That THIS cover would be #4? Oh brother.

 

EDIT: I wouldn't even put this cover in the top ten Adams Batman/Detective covers!!!!!

 

 

Not one of my top 10 Adams covers either, but you have to admit the image is striking and undeniably iconic. I think this cover and ASM 136 appeal to people for many of the same reasons, though the rendering on 251 is better.

[ashrael]

My guesses for the top three:

3. Green Lantern #76

2. Amazing Spider-man #122

1. Batman #227

 

 

If so, then all 5 of my votes made it in the top 8. GL 76 is a great cover

[jbud73]

 

I mean if you're going to pick an adams cover, there are any number of superior HOM covers, strange adventures covers, avengers 96, green lantern/green arrow covers, tomahawk covers, world's finest covers, all star western covers, spectre covers, the list goes on and on and on and ON and ON. That THIS cover would be #4? Oh brother.

 

EDIT: I wouldn't even put this cover in the top ten Adams Batman/Detective covers!!!!!

 

 

Some of those would be Silver Age though

[blowout]

 

I mean if you're going to pick an adams cover, there are any number of superior HOM covers, strange adventures covers, avengers 96, green lantern/green arrow covers, tomahawk covers, world's finest covers, all star western covers, spectre covers, the list goes on and on and on and ON and ON. That THIS cover would be #4? Oh brother.

 

EDIT: I wouldn't even put this cover in the top ten Adams Batman/Detective covers!!!!!

 

 

Some of those would be Silver Age though

 

That's true, but Bronty's point is still valid.

 

Although this cover is nice, it is a long way short of Neal's BA best.

[Bronty]

thanks blowout... nice to see sanity prevail....

 

I think this cover realistically would be about number four HUNDRED

[Zonker]

I didn't vote for this one either, but I think it gets extra points for historical importance. Up until this issue, the Joker was the silly character currently seen in the "boner" thread up in Comics General. This issue was the O'Neil/Adams makeover of the character, returning him to his roots as the homicidal maniac of Batman #1. The cover only hints at this, but Adams does give the character a decidedly more satanic appearance than anything out of the Silver Age.

[chrisco37]

 

 

My guesses for the top three:

3. Green Lantern #76

2. Amazing Spider-man #122

1. Batman #227

 

 

Those are my guesses as well.

[Point Five]

On the other hand, if you look at the rendering of Batman, it may be the worst one Adams ever did. The concept of the "giant" Joker is kind of bizarre too. Did he take some growing potion or something? These two points lower the cover in my estimation, but I still love it. The interior art is even better than the cover.

 

Just a footnote, if you look at some of the Jerry Robinson & Sprang Detective covers of the 1940s, you'll see they did the huge-villain-tiny-hero trick all the time. Maybe it's jarring on #251 because of Adams' careful rendering, vs the more cartoony styles of those earlier covers. I don't disagree that it's an odd convention, but it has made for some great covers over the years!

 

I do love the Joker's gleeful, crazed expression on this cover, & I think that is the source of the cover's appeal more than anything.

[Norrin_Radd]

The BEST BA BATMAN COVER!

 

[No matter what October says to the contrary ]

[joe_collector]

Just a footnote, if you look at some of the Jerry Robinson & Sprang Detective covers of the 1940s, you'll see they did the huge-villain-tiny-hero trick all the time.

 

That's what is so weird about this - whenever anyone mentions that DC covers are just too prevalent in the Top10, the DC fanboys chirp in with "DC covers were just so much more innovative", etc. but WTF is so ground-breaking about this one?

 

Like I said before, the mainstream superhero, non-serial books always comes down to three factors:

 

1) Character

2) Artist

3) Keyness of Comic