Marvel’s bringing the Treasury Edition back — so we pick some faves from the past.
In case you missed it, Marvel’s bringing back treasury format to collect Spidey #1-5 this June. 13th Dimension contributor Rob Kelly — who runs TreasuryComics.com, the preeminent resource for such editions on the web — riffed on it here.
Me? I’m buying the dang thing on principle because I, like many of my generation, grew up with Marvel Treasury Editions and DC’s Limited Collectors’ Editions (and their various iterations). The tabloid format was how I was introduced to what’s still one of the greatest single comics ever, Batman #1. In fact, I talked about this very Famous First Edition with Bat-expert Chip Kidd right here.
Anyway, as I’m wont to do, I went back into the archives and picked out 13 of my favorite covers. There are, to be sure, some you’ll like better. I’ve also intentionally left some out for the sake of avoiding repetition. I mean, I could do all of the Batman covers, y’know? I’ve also stayed away from movie covers and Famous First Editions and focused mainly on the superheroes: Six Marvel, Six DC and one, well, you’ll see …
(My standard caveat: This is a subjective list and not a ranking of any kind. This is pretty much what I dig and you may feel very differently. So, rather than beef about a cover you don’t see, instead join in the fun and share your own choices in the comments section or in whatever social-media thread you saw this.)
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John Romita. This was, other than Star Wars, the only Marvel tabloid I had. It’s still the best of them and one of my all-time fave Spidey covers, period.
Jim Aparo. My all-time fave Batman reprint tabloid, tied with Famous First Editions: Batman #1. Read both over and over and over and over…
Neal Adams. My other favorite Batman tabloid. This might be the greatest comic-book cover ever. Certainly one of the top 3 or 4.
Frank Brunner
Jack Kirby, John Romita, Marie Severin, Frank Giacoia
H. J. Ward
Gene Colan, John Romita, Tom Palmer
Neal Adams
John Buscema and Ernie Chan
Rich Buckler and Dick Giordano
John Romita and Joe Sinnott
Dick Giordano
Carmine Infantino, Ross Andru, Neal Adams, Dick Giordano, Terry Austin
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Most cover images and credits from the treasured Grand Comics Database.
February 7, 2016
Of the covers you mention here, I definitely love the Aparo Batman cover and the Ward Superman cover; however, my favorite of all the treasury edition covers is the Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez/Dan Adkins cover for Superman vs. Wonder Woman.
Not sure I like Marvel’s $15.99 price point, but if DC were to bring back treasury editions I’d have to consider checking them out.