BRONZE AGE BONANZA completes another year with the best of the best…
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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.
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Welcome to our sixth BRONZE AGE BONANZA annual wrap-up! That’s right, BAB has been a 13th Dimension staple for six years now, and for the third year in a row, our TOP 13 COVERS of the year were voted upon by the site’s regular (and recurring) contributors, via weighted ballots. (I used to do it all by my lonesome.)
Anyway, here’s how the vote worked: I took the winners of each month and included a couple of wild-card picks, as we do every year. (Gotta have 13, right?) One monthly winner didn’t make the final cut simply because some months were stronger than others. For example, a No. 2 in Month A might be a better pick than a No. 1 in Month B. It’s all subjective but it gives a better survey of the year overall. Here, by the way, is the No. 1 pick that missed the final cut, from February:
Boris Vallejo, from a John Buscema layout. No. 1 for February.
Great cover, to be sure, with an outstanding pedigree. It’s the just that, to me, the Conan magazine covers start to look samey after a while, so it fell just short. But, hey, 14th out of an entire year of covers is no shame.
OK, so who voted, besides me? A Murderer’s Row of comics writers, artists, experts and superfans: Paul “The Celebrated Mr. K” Kupperberg; Mighty Jim Beard; Prolific Peter Bosch; Merry Kerry Callen; the singularly named Franco; Cavortin’ Chris Franklin; Wallopin’ Walt Grogan; Ramblin’ Rob Kelly; Bill “The Thrill” Morrison; Pistol Pete Stone; Dapper Des Taylor, Scrappy Scott Tipton; Fab Freddy Van Lente; and newbies Dakota Alexander and Jason Czernich, who haven’t earned their nicknames yet.
Each voter listed their preferences in order, with 13 points going to the top pick, 12 points to the No. 2 pick, and so forth. The max number of points, then, was 208. (There were a record 16 of us this year!) For each entry, you’ll see the point total, overall observations, whether someone picked the cover as No. 1, plus the comments (slightly edited) I made in the monthly BRONZE AGE BONANZA columns. (To check out each month, click here.)
Got it? Good. Let’s get to it! Dig THE TOP 13 COVERS OF 1975 — RANKED:
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13. 1st Issue Special #8, DC: Winner, August. (47 Points.) Absolutely no knock on Mike Grell, but I wasn’t surprised where this finished. Strong cover — and it earned its top spot in August — but it’s a little underwhelming compared to the others on this list. Earned No. 1 Votes From: Nobody.
Mike Grell
Comments From August: How any pre-teen in the mid-’70s could pass this up, I don’t know. Then again, not many did, I suppose, because Iron Mike’s Warlord went on to become one of DC’s most popular titles over the next 10 years or thereabouts.
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12. Amazing World of DC Comics #7, DC: Winner, July. (68 Points.) I’m a little disappointed this didn’t place a little higher but perhaps the voters agreed with Fred Van Lente, who noted it’s not a comic-book cover. In BRONZE AGE BONANZA, magazine covers like this count, and I love Swan’s raw pencil work here. But like I said up top, there’s no shame in No. 12 — especially when you consider 156 covers are ranked every year. Earned No. 1 Votes From: Nobody.
Curt Swan
Comments From July: This Swan illustration is flat-out sublime. You rarely see him not inked by someone else, so it’s a rare treat indeed to bask in that elegant pencil linework. And that punim! That might be the handsomest Man of Steel Swan ever drew. Gorgeous cover all the way around.
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11. Mad #180, EC: Wild Card, November. (76 Points.) I detect an anti-Mad bias among the voters. Not the mag itself, mind you. This is about covers. Anyway, Fab Freddy also pointed out that this is derived from a famous, iconic piece of art but to me, that’s exactly why it works. I had this in the middle of the pack, but again, I’m not surprised by where it ended up. Earned No. 1 Votes From: Nobody.
Mort Kunstler
Comments From November: This cover isn’t just an on-the-spot satire, it’s one of the most memorable Mad covers of the decade, at least. You really could make a strong argument for this in the top slot.
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10. The Phantom #69, Charlton: Winner, November. (88 Points.) This pretty much ended up where I would have thought and I admit I kind of tipped the scales in November by putting it No. 1. I am a big Don Newton fan and this moody piece hits all the right notes. He was an artist who deserves more praise. Earned No. 1 Votes From: Nobody.
Don Newton
Comments From November: I couldn’t resist going with the dark horse. Don Newton’s painted Phantom cover is picture-perfect pulp, with a warm color scheme and uncomplicated construction that makes you stare. It’s really quite beautiful. And Newton wasn’t a prolific cover artist, so I wanted to take this opportunity to tip the brush to an artist who, if he hadn’t died so young, would probably be considered an all-time great. (Maybe Mad #180 will make the TOP 13 COVERS OF 1975 list as a wild card. That’s coming soon enough.)
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9. Limited Collectors’ Edition #C-36, DC: Winner, March. (94 Points.) This cover gave me whiplash as I totalled the votes. It was all over the place on the ballots. Two picked it first, two picked it last, and the rest placed it at various points in between. Consensus puts it at No. 9 but what an interesting phenomenon. Earned No. 1 Votes From: Bosch, Kupperberg.
Joe Kubert
Comments From March: Joe Kubert is one of comics’ greatest artists. That’s a given. And this is one of his greatest illustrations. Setting aside the religious aspects for a moment, what Kubert captures powerfully is what is often overlooked: that the Bible is filled with horror and incredible, profound human drama. Utter brilliance.
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8. The Shadow #10, DC: Winner, January. (98 Points.) Kaluta’s Shadow always gets votes. Earned No. 1 Votes From: Stone, Van Lente.
Michael Wm. Kaluta
Comments From January: One of Mike Kaluta’s best Shadow covers, which is saying something. The Shadow has never looked this frightening (or pissed) — you’d think he was the villain — and the orange moon, offset by the black background, provides a dramatic frame. Actually, come to think of it, there are two moons on the cover — and they complement each other perfectly. This is harrowingly, hauntingly beautiful pulp.
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7. The X-Men #94, Marvel: Wild Card, June. (117 Points.) The other Wild Card on the list, it also had a fairly wide range among the ballots. The lower half is a little crowded, but, damn, Gil Kane’s Count Nefaria rocks it. That’s typical Kane, sure, but it’s especially effective, and the spectral, pale coloring takes it to another level. (I wish I knew who the colorist was.) Earned No. 1 Votes From: Nobody.
Kane pencils, Dave Cockrum inks
Comments From June: The first regular issue of the All-New All-Different X-Men! And it’s not just because of its landmark status — it’s because it’s a corker that announces this book has returned from reprint status with power, energy and style. No wonder these guys caught on.
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6. Marvel Treasury Edition #6, Marvel: Winner, June. (128 Points.) The voters put it pretty much where I expected they would, maybe even a slot or two higher. (I myself had it at No. 6.) Earned No. 1 Votes From: Nobody.
Frank Brunner
Comments From June: A seminal Doctor Strange cover by Frank Brunner that comes off like a classic prog rock/heavy metal album cover. You just know that half the teenagers that picked this up got baked, threw on a set of ear cans, turned Sabbath’s Paranoid up to 11, and just stared at every line, bolt and star, as the Sorcerer Supreme cast his spell over them.
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5. Limited Collectors’ Edition #C-41, DC: Winner, September. (129 Points.) Like the Mad Jaws cover, it’s derivative. And the fact DC altered Superman’s face still chafes 50 years later. I had it lower on my ballot because of those reasons. But it’s Alex Toth and it’s wonderful and people still dig it. Earned No. 1 Votes From: Nobody.
Alex Toth, with Superman’s face pasted over with a Curt Swan/George Klein image
Comments From September: You can’t ignore the fact that this cover, by Alex Toth (and, notoriously, Curt Swan and George Klein) is one of the most emblematic of the era. I’m willing to wager we’ll see this as a Facsimile Edition at some point relatively soon.
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4. Detective Comics #457, DC: Winner, December. (141 Points.) For awhile there, as I counted the ballots, I thought this had a shot at the top slot. Three voters put it there. (I myself had it at No. 2.) In the end, I think it finished where it was supposed to. A classic either way. Earned No. 1 Votes From: Alexander, Czernich, Morrison.
Dick Giordano
Comments From December: I reserve use of the word “iconic” only for things that are truly that. And this is that. One of the best Batman covers of the era, and perhaps Dick Giordano’s single greatest work. Stops you in your tracks and though that central image of Bruce kneeling beside his dead parents is in every other comic today, it was a grabber back then. Great coloring by Tatjana Wood, too. This is the issue in which Denny O’Neil and Giordano introduced Leslie Thompkins, in case you forgot. A classic all the way around.
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3. Captain America #193, Marvel: Winner, October. (146 Points.) Another one that for awhile I thought was going to end up at the top; it earned more first-place votes than any cover on the list. But the weighted ballot really is the great equalizer. I myself had it at No. 3, but I can’t quibble with those who put this at No. 1. It’s one of the Captain America images of the Bronze Age, even without the insane “MADBOMB” reference. Earned No. 1 Votes From: Beard, Callen, Franco, Franklin.
Jack Kirby pencils, John Romita inks
Comments From October: There were so many first-rate covers this month. But for sheer, bombastic comic-bookery, you can’t beat one of the King’s most beloved illustrations (adroitly inked by Jazzy John Romita). Jack Kirby returned to the character he co-created with a bang and this cover — complete with the daffy “MADBOMB” IT CAN DESTROY THE WORLD! — has been a Marvel mainstay ever since. Zero wonder it’s had eternal life on merchandise. Wouldn’t you just love for this to get a Facsimile Edition?
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2. Limited Collectors’ Edition #C-37, DC: Winner, May. (161 Points.) As I mentioned, I worked solo on BRONZE AGE BONANZA’s annual list for its first three years. This is the third year we’ve gone the poll route. Well guess what: This is the first time I didn’t get my way in the end! To me this is doubtlessly the top cover of the year, but not everyone has such a strong Batman bias and here we are at No. 2. That said, this was the closest vote for the top position we’ve had yet — a mere two points. I guess democracy works. Earned No. 1 Votes From: Greenfield, Kelly.
Jim Aparo
Comments From May: This month was a race for second, because nothing — nothing — came within sniffing distance of this masterpiece. It’s not only one of the most beloved Batman covers ever, it might be Jim Aparo’s single finest illustration. No wonder Scott Dunbier chose the original art for the cover of the Jim Aparo’s DC Classics Artist’s Edition, from Act 4. How could he not? Huge props too to Sol Harrison for the perfect color job. This is not only the best of May 1975, it’s most definitely a very strong contender for best of the year.
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1. Giant-Size X-Men #1, Marvel: Winner, April. (163 Points.) As disappointed as I am that Batman didn’t win, it’s not exactly a shock that the first appearance of the All-New All Different X-Men carried the day. (I still wonder whether voters leaned on it more for its significance than its aesthetic impact. I’d love to hear from them in the comments.) For the record it was Cockrum who pencilled the original X-Men and Kane who did the newbies. You’d think that would have been reversed. Earned No. 1 Votes From: Grogan, Taylor, Tipton.
Pencils by Dave Cockrum and Gil Kane. Inks by Cockrum.
Comments From April: When it comes to landmark issues, I often question whether the cover is great on its own merits or whether it gets a boost simply because the issue itself is such a big deal. (See The Incredible Hulk #181.) This one by Gil Kane and Dave Cockrum — for one of the most important comic books in history — earns it. A definite contender for 1975 Cover of the Year.
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MORE
— BRONZE AGE BONANZA: The 1975 INDEX. Click here.
— BRONZE AGE BONZANA: The 1974 INDEX. Click here.
— BRONZE AGE BONZANA: The 1973 INDEX. Click here.
— BRONZE AGE BONZANA: The 1972 INDEX. Click here.
— BRONZE AGE BONZANA: The 1971 INDEX. Click here.
— BRONZE AGE BONZANA: The 1970 INDEX. Click here.
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Comics sources: Mike’s Amazing World of Comics and the Grand Comics Database.
