Best Classic Superhero Comic Cover (2008).

[Drusilla lives!]

Let the ass kicking smashfest begin! Vote for the first annual best classic superhero comic cover(*).

Blue Beetle #1, Fine 1939 (http://www.comics.org/coverview.lasso?id=380&zoom=4)
Captain America Comics #5, Kirby Aug. 1941 (http://www.comics.org/coverview.lasso?id=1578&zoom=4)
Superman #14, Ray Jan-Feb 1942 (http://www.comics.org/coverview.lasso?id=1914&zoom=4)
Batman #11, Ray June-July 1942 (http://www.comics.org/coverview.lasso?id=2261&zoom=4)
Wonder Woman #2 Peter Fall 1942 (http://www.comics.org/coverview.lasso?id=2430&zoom=4)
The Fantastic Four #1 Kirby Nov. 1961 (http://www.comics.org/coverview.lasso?id=16556&zoom=4)
The Incredible Hulk #1 Kirby May 1962 (http://www.comics.org/coverview.lasso?id=16935&zoom=4)
The Amazing Spider-Man #6 Ditko Nov. 1963 (http://www.comics.org/coverview.lasso?id=17998&zoom=4)


About the "Best Classic Comic Covers" listings:

The "Best Classic Comic Covers" threads are intended to create an annual list of the best classic comic covers from the super hero, horror, sci-fi, war, and western genres, as chosen by you, the CBR members.

General rules/guidelines (provisional):

(1) Candidate covers must be at least ten years old at the time of the listing.
(2) Each of the losing candidates will be ineligible for re-listing the following year, the winning candidate will be ineligible for re-listing for the four years following a win.
(3) Listings for each genre will consist of no more than eight candidate covers, initially chosen at random, and an alternate or "Other" option.
(4) Votes for "Other" or alternate titles will not be counted in the current year, but will be used as a basis for the next years listing (if you vote for an alternate, make sure you "write in" your choice in the form of a thread reply).

The above rules/guidelines are provisional. Suggestions as to changes and additions are welcomed and encouraged.

(*) Important Notes:
- Cover images courtesy of The Grand Comics Database Project (GCD). (http://www.comics.org/index.lasso)
- Although I strive to incorporate cover candidates, suggestions and comments by all interested forum members whenever and wherever possible, these polls are currently created, maintained and the sole responsibility of myself. Subsequent discussions related to said material, or any results of the polling are completely unofficial and should not be viewed as reflecting the opinions or positions of the owners or management of CBR. Nor are they to be viewed as being supported by, or reflective of the views of all CBR forum members.

[dan bailey]

Geez ... There's nothing wrong with ASM #6, y'know, but offhand I don't think it would place in my top 10 Spidey covers by Ditko alone.

[Drusilla lives!]

Geez ... There's nothing wrong with ASM #6, y'know, but offhand I don't think it would place in my top 10 Spidey covers by Ditko alone.

Well, let's have them... give me your favorite superhero comic covers for consideration next year so I can form a more rounded listing.

[Eumenides]

That Captain America cover is one of the weirdest things I've ever seen: I'm not sure whether it belongs on a horror, sci-fi or superhero list :biggrin:

[KidCommando]

Captain America #37

[i*love*comics*247]

My chose would be the classic Jim Steranko cover for Captain America #110 from February 1969. But hey, I'm a Steranko nut.

http://www.samcci.comics.org/captainamerica/cap110.jpg

If I could add a second chose, it would be Amazing Spider-man #50 by Romita Sr. from July 1967.

[Pól Rua]

Voted for the Batman cover. A striking, iconic image, plus an inventive technique in having the characters leap out of the playing cards.

It edged out the Superman cover. Striking as hell, and also iconic, but pretty much it is what it is. Not really much to see once you've seen it... in contrast with...
The gloriously gonzo grand guignol glory of the Captain America cover looks like almost nothing else out there. Really reminds me of some of the 'bloody pulps' stuff with The Spider or the Yellow Peril guys. It's structurally all over the shop, but it's just so crazy and energetic.
And I love that Hulk cover. Striking AND iconic and with all those captions to entice and intrigue. Alas, loses points with some fairly dodgy colouring.

[dan bailey]

Well, let's have them... give me your favorite superhero comic covers for consideration next year so I can form a more rounded listing.

I could be here all day, but offhand my favorite 5 Ditko ASM covers would be #s 18, 25, 28, 29 & 33. Romita's first cover (#39) is exceptional as well.

Others --

FF #s 7, 12, 48
Hulk #109
Captain America #s 110, 111, 113
Daredevil 7, 8, 44, 47
Sub-Mariner 2, 8, 16
Silver Surfer 4
Avengers 16, 20, 51, 57, 83
Thor 156

And that's just limiting myself to Silver Age Marvel. I think DC's covers during that era actually tended to be much stronger -- Infantino showed an absolute genius for cover design. (So did Kubert, of course, on the war titles.)

[Drusilla lives!]

I could be here all day, but offhand my favorite 5 Ditko ASM covers would be #s 18, 25, 28, 29 & 33. Romita's first cover (#39) is exceptional as well.

Others --

FF #s 7, 12, 48
Hulk #109
Captain America #s 110, 111, 113
Daredevil 7, 8, 44, 47
Sub-Mariner 2, 8, 16
Silver Surfer 4
Avengers 16, 20, 51, 57, 83
Thor 156

And that's just limiting myself to Silver Age Marvel. I think DC's covers during that era actually tended to be much stronger -- Infantino showed an absolute genius for cover design. (So did Kubert, of course, on the war titles.)

Finally the master speaks... thanks for ten years worth of nominations. :)

Seriously though, thanks for the suggestions. I'm not an expert and I don't have an encyclopedic knowledge of comic covers. I just know what I like when I see it. I have my favorites as well... many of which I had to leave out of the listing for as you said, one can go on all day since good art is anything but in short supply in the comic world. And most comic covers that went into production are already "winners" anyway.

The purpose of the listing is to have people see old covers, discuss them, and spark some interest in them, classic and obscure alike. I did intend to discuss the "winners" in more detail after the voting was over... maybe in a synopsis thread. But it appears that the forum format is not the place for that since it would be redundant I guess. Anyway, it may be hard to believe, but many people might not have seen or thought of some of the old works (I know I haven't) even the classics... especially the younger crowd who must sort through a mountain of new issues each month.

IMO there is no "best" comic cover really, and that's reflected in the provisional rules... which are intended to promote "new faces" each year. Now if you feel there is a "best" comic cover would you like to suggest changing the rules? Maybe letting the winning cover face off against the following years challangers perhaps? What do you think?