BRONZE AGE BONANZA: The 1970 INDEX
Your clearinghouse for the first full year of the Bronze Age…
BRONZE AGE BONANZA: Double APARO! Double KIRBY! Double KUBERT! Double KANE! — 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. — Four artists hit the jackpot twice, with five others making their mark. Double APARO! Double KIRBY! Double KUBERT! Double KANE! WHAT DOES IT MEAN?! Dig the TOP 13 COVERS OF NOVEMBER 1976 — RANKED: — 13. Isis #3, DC. Made the list because of the idea more than the execution. That ethereal, Pharaoh-y monster thingy in negative against the cosmos is a great design concept, but the actual draftsmanship doesn’t fire. You can jump in with the knee-jerk criticism of Vince Colletta if you want to, but who knows? — 12. Batman #284, DC. Jim Aparo takes over cover duties from Ernie Chan, and boy what a difference. Not knocking Chan, but he was no Aparo. Great colors by Tatjana Wood. SIDE NOTE #1: Issues like this put Batman on his sliding scale of belief: He encounters the occult routinely elsewhere, but when it happens in his solo stories, he’s all, “This cannot be real! There’s no such thing as magic or demons!” SIDE NOTE #2: I’m not supposed to like Dr. Tzin-Tzin but I do. — 11. Super-Villain Team-Up #10, Marvel. This is why I love comics: Red Skull with one eye popping makes no sense at all but it works. It’s simultaneously hilarious, gross, and scary. — 10. Tragg and the Sky Gods #8, Gold Key. What’s more terrifying that a Tyrannosaurus Rex? A zombie Tyrannosaurus Rex! — 9. Ragman #4, DC. Not a new idea at all, but that’s fine: Joe Kubert sells it because he was one of the best ever. Great framing and execution. Just as important is the terrific integration of color by the unknown colorist. The red makes it pop but the overall effect is enhanced greatly where Ragman’s hole-filled, tattered cape is set against it, and the illustration segues into the black, giving you a subliminal message of bloodshed. — 8. Star Trek #42, Gold Key. Kiddie Spock and Kirk are fun BUT GOOD LORD THAT GIANT BABY HEAD! We all know George Wilson’s art was unhinged, but that is the ugliest, most frightening newborn I think I’ve ever...
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.)...
Your clearinghouse for the first full year of the Bronze Age…