SILVER AGE COVER WINNERS # 2 and # 1

[mica]

# 2 AMAZING SPIDERMAN 50 - receiving 172 votes

This was the one book that was giving the number one book a race to the top.

To test an idea of artist flavor I asked my wife about a week ago to pick ten covers from the over 230 thumbnails to choose from.

She doesn't care for comics and for the most part they all are the same to her.

But she humored me and picked out ten based on good use of colors, etc...

Out of those ten she picked Xmen 50, Tarzan 150, and a few others that she considered nicely drawn.

This Spiderman book was at the top of her list, and I asked her why.

She said it was dramatic. I was interested in that opinion as she has no interest in these books, and I knew that this book would do well as it seems to come across to all kinds of people.

I often overlook this book, I think primarily as I know the end result is that Peter Parker is stuck with Spiderman and not going to stay seperate for long.

But the cover should be recognized for what it is. A moment in time.

And sometimes these moments in time are dramatic, but that's what shapes them and makes them stand out.

 

And without further ado.... on to number 1.

 

# 1 Silver Surfer 4 - receiving the grand total of 228 votes

No surprises here. Here is ComicBookGuy's take on the issue.

There is no better action shot cover than this. Great single panel art sparks the brain into thinking what occurs - or what may occur - before and after the image. It boggles the mind to think what will happen when Thor's hammer and the Surfer collide at full power. In my opinion, this cover captures the finest action pose of both Thor and the Surfer on one cover. The sense of Thor's power and the Surfer's speed is vividly coneyed here in a brilliant image. The Surfer is at home in the stars, and Thor is at home in Asgard, so each character is positioned in his favorite setting. Thor is from ancient mythology; the Surfer from science-fiction. The combination of these genres in the Marvel Universe is done thoughfully. So this cover functions on many levels, all of which work together with the brilliant colors to create what voters have deemed far and away the finest cover of the Silver Age. I will admit that this was my number one pick. Thor and the Surfer are my two favorite Silver Age characters, so their issue together has always been a favorite of mine.

Special thanks to ComicBookGuy for helping me keep track of the votes.

Thanks to the participants who voted, and or provided scans. Thanks to Paris_Fred for mirroring the images on his site.

I hope you all enjoyed this as much as I did. I hope you liked the format; the rules; the ability to vote ten times; the thumbnails; the April Fools gag....basically I hope you liked it all.

Mica

[VintageComics]

 

 

And without further ado.... on to number 1.

 

# 1 Silver Surfer 4 - receiving the grand total of 228 votes

No surprises here. Here is ComicBookGuy's take on the issue.

There is no better action shot cover than this. Great single panel art sparks the brain into thinking what occurs - or what may occur - before and after the image. It boggles the mind to think what will happen when Thor's hammer and the Surfer collide at full power. In my opinion, this cover captures the finest action pose of both Thor and the Surfer on one cover. The sense of Thor's power and the Surfer's speed is vividly coneyed here in a brilliant image. The Surfer is at home in the stars, and Thor is at home in Asgard, so each character is positioned in his favorite setting. Thor is from ancient mythology; the Surfer from science-fiction. The combination of these genres in the Marvel Universe is done thoughfully. So this cover functions on many levels, all of which work together with the brilliant colors to create what voters have deemed far and away the finest cover of the Silver Age. I will admit that this was my number one pick. Thor and the Surfer are my two favorite Silver Age characters, so their issue together has always been a favorite of mine.

 

 

[VintageComics]

That was my number 2 vote if i remember. Only reason it did not go to number 1 for me was my attachment to my recent JIM #89 purchase....also very nicely explained as to why this cover is what it is. Great job guys!!

[mar-vell]

silver surer #4 is a truly great comic and was my #10 vote! For me this book consistently ranks in the top 20 but i have never liked it the best. Certainly a respectable choice i can live with though! That said i think this book benefitted from the kirby vote being split so many ways! Spidey 50 is a totally different story! #50 is one book i have never appreciated and probably never will! First off i never liked romita spider-man all that much. the colors, the sense of "drama" never really moved me! In short i find the cover boring! As far as I am concerned spidey 39 smokes it!

[tth2]

Spidey 50 is a totally different story! #50 is one book i have never appreciated and probably never will! First off i never liked romita spider-man all that much. the colors, the sense of "drama" never really moved me! In short i find the cover boring!

[goldust40]

So the greatest Silver Age cover (according to the board) is by John Buscema, and not Kirby, Adams, Kubert or Steranko. Which in my opinion is acceptable - in a way Buscema was the quintessential late Silver Age Marvel artist (he arrived there in 1966) and was never better than in his first five years at the company - it's impressive how quickly he gained his stride there.

 

The Silver Surfer series was the first Silver Age title to really have an impression on me, before Spidey, the FF and Daredevil, way back when I started collecting. The storytelling pushed the envelope, with Buscema's dynamic work rivalling Kirby's. Every cover was great, and this one was indeed the best - less powerful and heroic than Kirby's take, but more fluid and understated.

[Aman619]

congratulations to everyone who voted for these two covers....

[SEABISCUIT]

Spidey 50 is a totally different story! #50 is one book i have never appreciated and probably never will! First off i never liked romita spider-man all that much. the colors, the sense of "drama" never really moved me! In short i find the cover boring!

[Silver Surfer]

So the greatest Silver Age cover (according to the board) is by John Buscema, and not Kirby, Adams, Kubert or Steranko. Which in my opinion is acceptable - in a way Buscema was the quintessential late Silver Age Marvel artist (he arrived there in 1966) and was never better than in his first five years at the company - it's impressive how quickly he gained his stride there.

 

The Silver Surfer series was the first Silver Age title to really have an impression on me, before Spidey, the FF and Daredevil, way back when I started collecting. The storytelling pushed the envelope, with Buscema's dynamic work rivalling Kirby's. Every cover was great, and this one was indeed the best - less powerful and heroic than Kirby's take, but more fluid and understated.

 

A fantastic cover for the ages. 100 years form now I think it will still rank as a top ten cover of all-time, not just the Silver Age. Buscema made it look effortless.

[RDK]

I didn't vote for SS #4, but of all of Marvel's incestuous hero-vs-hero battle covers it may be my favorite. Great colors and a clean, simple, striking image. One of Buscema's finest covers ever.

 

ASM #50 did make my Top 10, making me 9-for-10 in covers that appeared in the top 35. There are a lot of great ASM covers, but if i had to chose only one (which i did) that would be it. I regret not having a real copy of ASM 50. I have most of the books around it, but when i was seriously collecting this stuff 25-30 years ago i had a hard time finding a copy of #50 that was up to my grading standards. I never picked one up at the time, and now it tends to cost too much for me to care. Maybe if i ever complete my ASM run...

[Silver Surfer]

Good timing for this latest pick up.

[blowout]

Predictable top two, but there really is no argument against either of them. Two out and out Silver Age classics.

[Aman619]

nahhhh. If TTH can rip on the Spidey cover (I agree) then allow me to dis the average Buscema Surfer cover. Nice, but no cigar for me, What is so special about it? Its funny how we all love these comics, but for different reasons and in vastly different amounts.

[tth2]

Spidey 50 is a totally different story! #50 is one book i have never appreciated and probably never will! First off i never liked romita spider-man all that much. the colors, the sense of "drama" never really moved me! In short i find the cover boring!

The only drama in this cover comes from the words "Spider-man no more". Otherwise, it's just a reddish cover of Spidey looking over his shoulder with Puny Parker trudging somewhere.

[namisgr]

 

Compared with the FF55, the no. 1 choice has a nice rainbow bridge and a muscular, twisted Thor, but where is the originality to merit such lofty status?

[Scheradon]

My #2 (SS#4) and #6 (ASM #50) picks

 

I also had my wife pick her top 10 as I knew her picks would be unbiased. She had X-Men #50 (3) and ASM #50 (6) on her list.

[burntboy]

didn't pick either one in my top ten, but can't argue with either choice........it was pretty much a foregone conclusion that SS #4 would be #1..............

[VintageComics]

You know, after hearing about it so many times, i have to ask 'cause i don't see it....what traits do FF #55 and SS #4 share? There is no connection AT ALL except that they both have SS on the cover

Although FF #55 is a cool cover, it comes no where near the drama and tension of SS #4. Look at Thor and SS...every important muscle is tense. SS's finger tips are loose and graceful. Thor's cape is flowing in the Asgardian Wind. And like someone earlier said...the expectation of the impact that is coming is just mind blowing....not really pimping this cover as everyone has their own tastes, but just sharing what i see.

[jbud73]

Ya I'll have a little rip at FF 55 too. It doesnt even come close - its not even in the same universe esthetically. Look at the kooky positioning of Surfer on the board in FF 55 compared to the angle he's coming in at in SS 4 - its night and day. SS 4 may be the best use of angles on a comic book cover EVER.

 

The way Thor is positioned on the Asgardian bridge trailing into the background - his pose is amazing, its realistic, its perfect. In FF 55 you've got what looks like a mass of Rock = a badly drawn Thing (its not Kirby's best rendering of the Thing by a Mile) on some roof top.

[Aman619]

I agree about FF55. At first glance its a cool cover, but Kirby placed the surfboard at an angle that stayed away from the Ting, but now loos awkward and wrong. And Thing does look like a pile of rock. Nice burst though and nice colors too!

 

But I still dont get the excitement and adulation over SS4. look again. Surfer is gonna miss Thor by 20 feet! hes gonna surf right by him on the left. The scale is off. I think the coloring is too simple too.