Posted by Dan Greenfield on Jul 19, 2026
The TOP 13 COVERS of JULY 1976 — RANKED
BRONZE AGE BONANZA: An all-time classic leads the list! BYRNE! COCKRUM! KIRBY! 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. — Strong, colorful month, with a lot to enjoy. Dig the TOP 13 COVERS OF JULY 1976 — RANKED: — 13. Emergency! #3, Charlton. Rest in peace, Randolph Mantooth. — 12. Little Archie #110, Archie. Obligatory Jawsmania cover of the month. Not the children! — 11. 2001: A Space Odyssey, Marvel. Jack Kirby’s offbeat, treasury-size adaptation of Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece — perhaps, perhaps, the greatest movie ever made — boasts a surprisingly subdued cover. Just too loose. It’s good, of course, but it lacks the power you’d expect from the King. — 10. Archie Giant Series Magazine #250, Archie. There are 1,000,006 Betty and Veronica bikini covers but what makes this one stand out is Betty’s sweetly amused expression. Just a nice cartooning job. — 9. The Incredible Hulk Annual #5, Marvel. Jack Kirby has a grand time with his old monster pals — including Groot! — 8. Metal Men #48, DC. This is really fun: Walt Simonson (!) brings the Silver Age into the Bronze Age with an Eclipso/Metal Men showdown. It’s always a treat when Eclipso shows up, and the broad palette — Carl Gafford did the colors based on a Simonson guide — brings it all home. — 7. The Brave and the Bold #130, DC. Tight, tells a good story, and gives us four floating heads and a bust. Plus, you could re-create it with three of your Megos! — 6. Justice League of America #135, DC. Is there such a think as too many floating heads? No. No, there is not. As groovy as the central image by Ernie Chan is, it’s those 18 floating heads — especially those introducing the heroes of Earth-S — that really make this one. That and the deep purple background. — 5. The Charlton Bullseye, CPL/GANG. The Question by Alex Toth, ladies and germs. Wish I knew who colored it. — 4. Secret Origins of the Super DC Heroes, Warner Books. Solid cover by Neal Adams, though I admit he’s done better group shots. There’s something wonky about the perspective; having Superman so outsize throws...
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