Posted by Dan Greenfield on Sep 17, 2023
The TOP 13 COVERS of SEPTEMBER 1973 — RANKED
BRONZE AGE BONANZA: Romita! Cardy! Kane! Kubert! 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. — This month is topped by one of comics’ unsung greats! Dig THE TOP 13 COVERS OF SEPTEMBER 1973 — RANKED: — 13. The Unexpected #153, DC. As a kid in the ’70s, if the quicksand didn’t get you, you were convinced army ants would. — 12. Astonishing Tales #21, Marvel. Everybody talks about Kirby monsters, and rightly so. But give it up for Gil Kane monsters too! — 11. Ghostly Tales #108, Charlton. Man, with the Comics Code eased, Tom Sutton went all in on his Lucifer here. That’s pretty much the classic version all in your face, and the dessicated hand is a nice (?) bonus. — 10. Journey Into Mystery #8, Marvel. The best part of this cover, other than the spectacularly frightening giant bee, is its accurate depiction of the writer’s life — sitting in your shorts, shoes but no socks, overflowing trash, empty cans. The only thing wrong is that most of us aren’t as fit as this guy. But why is this monster bee bursting through the window, anyway? Maybe the typewriter gives us a clue. Nice, subtle gag, all things considered. — 9. Yang #1, Charlton. “Whatchoo mean, ‘Walk the Earth?'” “You know, walk the earth, meet people… get into adventures. Like Yang from Charlton Comics.” — 8. The Amazing Spider-Man #127, Marvel. I think of all the superheroes, Spider-Man’s covers lend themselves the best to the vignette treatment. There are significantly better examples than this one, but an artist could always be counted on to use the webbing or the spider shape to show many things going on at once. That and Spidey’s inherent soap-operaish nature; those Silver and Bronze Age comics are jammed with interwoven storylines. — 7. The Incredible Hulk #171, Marvel. Good, solid cover, though our hero isn’t even the star. This is all about the Abomination; you kinda forget the Rhino is even there, too. Either way, it’s probably one of the best-known Hulk covers of the ’70s, thanks to its use by Power Records. — 6. Psycho #15, Skywald. Skywald may have been a schlock publisher, but...
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