BRONZE AGE BONANZA: Lotta ROMITA — plus ADAMS! KIRBY! WOOD! And MORE! — Welcome to BRONZE AGE BONANZA — our monthly series that looks at the greatest covers of the Bronze Age — exactly 50 years later. For more info on this feature, click here. — Boundaries get pushed! Romita! Adams! Kirby! MORE! Dig the TOP 13 COVERS OF OCTOBER 1976 — RANKED: — 13. Mad #187, EC. Maybe it’s just me, but I think of this as one of the more memorable Mad covers of the ’70s. Perhaps it’s the big, red nose. — 12. Marvel Tales #75, Marvel. This is an interesting exercise in how to make a reprint cover more compelling than the original. Romita took elements from 1970’s The Amazing Spider-Man #94, moved them around, and reframed them by making Spidey’s mask the dominant image, substantially improving the appeal. — 11. 2001: A Space Odyssey #2, Marvel. Funny, I don’t remember Vira from the movie. — 10. All-Star Comics #64, DC. Not nearly as detailed as Wally Wood’s EC crowd scenes, but it gives off the same vibe. The first of of two All-Star covers he pencilled and inked. — 9. The Phantom #74, Charlton. A painted Phantom cover by Don Newton will always be considered for this list. — 8. Ms. Marvel #1, Marvel. If the stylish ’70s flip and navel-baring outfit weren’t going to get you — Spider-Man would! — 7. Justice League of America #138, DC. Neal Adams returned to DC cover duty the month before, and in October he knocked out three. The other two were worthy of consideration, but I went with this one because it probably has the most staying power. Or maybe I’m wrong and it’s this one. Or this one. — 6. Our Army at War #300, DC. If you’re gonna nick Will Eisner, you gotta do it with style, and Joe Kubert certainly does here. Don’t know who the colorist was (or who made the choice) but they slayed the assignment. (Pun intended.) — 5. Batman Family #9, DC. One of the most striking Batman Family covers of the entire run. It’s a sentimental pick for me, so you may place it lower, but it definitely grabs you by the hair and makes you want to buy it. (It also happens to be my favorite issue of the series.)...
A spooky season BIRTHDAY TRIBUTE… Late artist Luis Dominguez was born in 1923 and died July 1, 2020. Thing is, sources differ on his birthday — October 17, November 17 or December 17. We’re going with Oct. 17 because A) it comes first, and B) it’s more fitting because it’s Halloween season. Dominguez was a terrific horror artist, and his early-’70s covers for DC are among my favorite in the genre. So, dig these 13 COVERS — all from House of Secrets. Right on. — — MORE — 13 COVERS: The Wild and Wooly GOLD KEY Paintings of LUIS DOMINGUEZ. Click here. — 13 COVERS: A Salute to MEMORIAL DAY, Featuring LUIS DOMINGUEZ. Click...
