Posted by Dan Greenfield on May 21, 2023
The TOP 13 COVERS of MAY 1973 — RANKED
BRONZE AGE BONANZA: It’s a Romita kind of month, with appearances by Kane, Kirby, Cardy 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. — Jazzy John Romita had a hand in five of these beauts because, oh, I don’t know, he’s one of the greatest comics artists whoever walked the Earth. But he’s not alone! We got some Kirby, Cardy, Kaluta and more for ya! Dig THE TOP 13 COVERS OF MAY 1973 — RANKED: — 13. Eerie #49, Warren. Derivative? Yes and no. Enrich Torres’ cover — which really pops with that yellow background — plays off a feature inside by Al Milgrom and Esteban Maroto that’s a parody of Swamp Thing. — 12. The Amazing Spider-Man #123, Marvel. The previous two issues — featuring the death of Gwen Stacy — topped March and April’s BRONZE AGE BONANZA lists. This one doesn’t have the historic impact of those but is a dandy cover just the same. Romita’s cityscape battles always have a great vibe, often jammed with New Yorkers actually surprised for once. — 11. House of Mystery #216, DC. Speaking of surprisingly surprised New Yorkers… — 10. The Phantom Stranger #26, DC. Two-thirds of a great cover. I really dig the scene by Mike Kaluta here, with it’s terrifying, sheer drop. But the blank pink space doesn’t really work for me. It feels like the deadline hit with the cover unfinished, so DC used some trickery to get it out the door. I don’t know if that’s what happened but that’s how it looks. — 9. Supernatural Thrillers #5, Marvel. I love mummies and I love this cover. Like the Eerie cover above, the yellow background puts the horror into sharper relief. Neat. — 8. Captain America #164, Marvel. Again with the yellow and the horror. Works, though. And how badass is Nightshade’s look? — 7. 100-Page Super Spectacular #DC-19, DC. I know others will disagree, but I still say that Joe Kubert drew the best Tarzan. He also was a master at the anthology cover: great main image, great vignettes, great color selection. (Jack Adler?) — 6. The Brave and the Bold #108, DC. There’s a lot to take in here and...
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