Superman/Spider-Man #1 is out this week! By JASON CZERNICH Fifty years ago, in January 1976, DC and Marvel gave us the very first crossover between their characters with the landmark Superman vs. The Amazing Spider-Man. I wasn’t born yet, let alone collecting and reading comics, but I can just imagine the feeling fandom had at the time. Perhaps it was something akin to the surprise I got when I watched Disney toons interact with their Warner Brothers counterparts in 1988’s Who Framed Roger Rabbit? Broadly, intercompany crossovers among a whole litany of publishers are commonplace now, but the first wave of DC/Marvel projects in the late ’70s and early ’80s were quite a thing for the industry, fans and pros alike, to behold. Since then, then Big Two have had a checkered relationship: There was a second wave (1994–2004) that produced a lot of material — not all of it great — and then… nothing. As of 2025’s Deadpool/Batman and Batman/Deadpool one-shots — plus the recent publication of omnibus collections and Facsimile Editions — we are now officially in the third wave of DC/Marvel crossovers. This week, it all comes full circle, with DC’s release of Superman/Spider-Man #1, to be followed in April by Marvel’s Spider-Man/Superman #1. With that in mind, here are my picks for THE TOP 13 DC/MARVEL CROSSOVERS — RANKED: — 13. Superman/Fantastic Four (1999). I am a sucker for when Dan Jurgens writes and draws a story—especially if it is a Superman story. I am a sucker for oversize formats. I am a sucker for Alex Ross. Superman/Fantastic Four had all of this and more, as well as inventive ways to include Galactus and Cyborg Superman, aka Hank Henshaw They even take the time to reference how Henshaw’s origin is a dark mirror image of the Fantastic Four’s beginnings. The wraparound cover by Jurgens and Ross was just the icing on this cosmic cake. — 12. DC Versus Marvel Comics (1995). This will probably be the most controversial entry on this list due to the fan voting aspect of it alone. However, the four-issue miniseries actually had some genuinely good moments. Aside from the matches, writers Ron Marz and Peter David, teamed with pencillers Dan Jurgens and Claudio Castellini, gave us some fun character interactions we never thought we would see. Then there were all...
BRONZE AGE BONANZA: Kirby! Colan! An Oksner classic! 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. — A three-way battle for the top! Dig the TOP 13 COVERS OF MARCH 1976 — RANKED: — 13. Richie Rich, Casper and Wendy: National League #1, Harvey. This just presses all the right buttons for me. I was as much a baseball fan as a comics fan as a kid and 1976 was a particularly memorable season, in part because it was the National League’s centennial. (Those pillbox hats!) This issue had multiple team-specific variants, but the real selling point is the floating-head-style NL logos down the sides, delineating the East and West divisions. Very much reminds me of the Mets program I got that year at Shea Stadium. — 12. Weird Wonder Tales #16, Marvel. This month’s Jawsmania cover. They’re not even trying to be cute about it, either. — 11. I Love You #118, Charlton. Far be it from me to kink shame anyone, but Joe Namath could usually do a lot better than a blow-up sex doll. — 10. Captain America #198, Marvel. This can’t be the first time the target’s-face-is-in-the-scope thing was done, can it? No matter, its a really effective use of the device. That perspective on the gun barrel! The assassin’s hands and face! If only the Falcon didn’t look quite so awkward. But, hey, even the King wasn’t perfect. — 9. Limited Collectors’ Edition #C-45, DC. A fun cover by Dick Giordano, though not as effective as its predecessor. But, like Limited Collectors’ Edition #C-39, it would make for a great Facsimile Edition. — 8. The Twilight Zone #80, Gold Key. That is a classic, George Wilson-style cover, only there’s no info out there I can find to identify it as such. The face isn’t quite as polished as Wilson would make it, so perhaps it was just someone aping his style. Either way, I dig it a lot, especially the way the dude is struggling to hold back the big hand from stabbing him in the throat. Also, any time you have surrealistic clock imagery in this context, it says “Twilight Zone.” — 7. Famous Monsters of Filmland #125, Warren. One...
A BIRTHDAY TRIBUTE: A master salutes a legend.
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SUNDAY FUNNIES WITH KERRY CALLEN!
