Classic Comic Covers

A couple of covers from two underrated DC gems of the 1970s. Star Hunters in particular was a favourite of mine-I wish they'd bring it back and finish it!

Star Hunters was one of my favourites too. I think David Michelinie and Bob Layton's falling out with DC over the company's support for Rich Buckler, when he was found to have been swiping animation cels of spacecraft, precipitated their departure for Marvel and their classic run on Iron Man. I would love to see Michelinie, Layton and a decent penciller produce a proper conclusion, but then I'm still waiting for Doug Moench and Jim Baikie to finish off Electric Warrior and Robert Loren Fleming and Trevor Von Eeden to give us the true ending to Down Time in Thriller. Time Warp had a brilliant logo.

The cover to Time Warp #1 appeared in DC house ads for a couple of months before it was released and it absolutely fascinated me, but it was years before I found a copy. The first one I read was #3.

I've also been waiting years for Star Hunters to be concluded, though the big one for me is 2000AD's Dan Dare series from 1980. I have a horrible feeling Dan's never going to clear his name...

Here are som classic Tower Comics covers from the 60s:
T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #1 by Wally Wood

Undersea Agent #1 by Ray Bailey


T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #4 by Reed Crandall and Wally Wood

T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #5 by Wally Wood

Dynamo #1 by Wally Wood

Fight the Enemy #1 by Mike Sekowsky and Frank Giacoia

T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #7 by Wally Wood 

Undersea Agent #4 by Gil Kane

T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #8 by Wally Wood

Dynamo #2 by Wally Wood

T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #10 by Al Williamson and Wally Wood

Dynamo #3 by Wally Wood

Noman #2 by Wally Wood

Undersea Agent #6 by Wally Wood 

T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #12 by Wally Wood 

Dynamo #4 by Wally Wood

T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #13 by Wally Wood 

T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #14 by Gil Kane

T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #15 by Gil Kane

T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #17 by Dan Adkins

I have that first issue of U.N.D.E.R.S.E.A Agent!

Yes, I remember you featuring it in an issue of Comics Retrospective.

Good God. You have an incredible memory!

It's been ages since anyone even mentioned Comics Retrospective to me (or, I suspect, to anyone else)...

Do you have any back issues of Comics Retrospective currently in print?

Quite a few, though sadly not the entire run (I don't own a complete run myself anymore, though I still have the means to get them reprinted. I keep meaning to).

Here are some classic Moon Knight covers:

Werewolf By Night #32 by Gil Kane and Al Milgrom


Werewolf By Night #33 by Gil Kane and Klaus Janson


Marvel Spotlight #28 by Don Perlin


Marvel Spotlight #29 by Jack Kirby and Al Milgrom


Moon Knight #1 by Bill Sienkiewicz


Moon Knight #8 by Bill Sienkiewicz


Moon Knight #14 by Bill Sienkiewicz


Moon Knight #15 by Frank Miller and Joe Jusko


Moon Knight #23 by Bill Sienkiewicz


Moon Knight #24 by Bill Sienkiewicz


Moon Knight #25 by Bill Sienkiewicz


Moon Knight #26 by Bill Sienkiewicz


Moon Knight #27 by Frank Miller and Terry Austin


Moon Knight #30 by Bill Sienkiewicz


Marvel Fanfare #30 by Brent Anderson


Moon Knight v2 (Fist of Khonshu) #6 by Bill Sienkiewicz


Marc Spector: Moon Knight #1 by Carl Potts, Sal Velluto and Kevin Nowlan


Marc Spector: Moon Knight #4 by Russ Heath


Moon Knight: Divided We Fall by Denys Cowan


Moon Knight v3 #1 by Tommy Lee Edwards and Robert Campenella


Moon Knight v5 #1 by David Finch and Danny Miki

The Stained Glass Scarlet cover is my favourite of that entire series. The early eighties were a quite extraordinarily good time for American comics. For comics in general, in fact.

Is your favourite cover #14 or #24?

Sorry-I meant #24. I just think it's really striking.

Here are some classic Charlton covers:

The Thing #12 by Steve Ditko


Space Adventures #10 by Steve Ditko


Strange Suspense Stories #19 by Steve Ditko


In Love #5 by Jack Kirby


Out of This world #4 by Steve Ditko


Tales of the Mysterious Traveler #4 by Steve Ditko


Unusual Tales #8 by Steve Ditko


This Magazine is Haunted # 13 by Steve Ditko


Cheyenne Kid #10 by Steve Ditko


Strange Suspense Stories #75 by Steve Ditko


Captain Atom #81 by Steve Ditko & Rocke Mastroserio


Captain Atom #82 by Steve Ditko & Rocke Mastroserio


Thunderbolt #55 by Pete Morisi


The Peacemaker #2 by Pat Boyette


Blue Beetle #3 by Steve Ditko


Charlton Premiere #2 by Pat Boyette


Teen-Age Love #59


Mysterious Suspense #1 by Steve Ditko


Army War Heroes #35 by Sam Glanzman


Ghostly Haunts #25 by Steve Ditko


Midnight Tales #1 by Wayne Howard


Haunted # 12 by Joe Staton


E-Man #6 by Joe Staton


Haunted Love #7 by Enrique Nieto


The Phantom #68 by Don Newton


Doomsday + 1 #6 by John Byrne


Space: 1999 #4 by John Byrne


The Six Million Dollar Man (magazine) #1 by Neal Adams


The Six Million Dollar Man (comic) #2 by Neal Adams


Monster Hunters #7 by Mike Zeck


Monster Hunters #9 by Mike Zeck


Charlton Action Featuring Static #11 by Steve Ditko


Charlton Action Featuring Static #12 by Steve Ditko

Charlton stuff! I love the Charlton books, particularly the Action Heroes line! Some great covers there-most of which I hadn't seen before! Thanks.

A classic 1956 cover...



...and a more recent one!

Here are some classic New Universe covers:

Star Brand #1 by Bret Blevins and Tom Palmer (?)


D.P. 7 #1 by Paul Ryan


Nightmask #4 by Sandy Plunkett and Alan Weiss


Mark Hazzard: Merc #5 by Gray Morrow


Nightmask #5 by Michael Bair


Nightmask #7 by Michael Bair


Mark Hazzard: Merc #8 by Mike Zeck and Bob McLeod


Nightmask #8 by Keith Giffen and Michael Bair


Codename Spitfire #10 by Marshall Rogers


Nightmask #9 by Sandy Plunkett and Charles Vess


Kickers Inc #10 by Mark Texiera and Kevin Nowlan


Nightmask #11 by Sandy Plunkett and Alan Weiss


Star Brand #9 by Michael Higgins and Bob Wiacek


Codename Spitfire #13 by Sandy Plunkett and Alan Weiss


Kickers Inc #12 by Mike Mignola and Kevin Nowlan


Justice #14 by Sandy Plunkett and P Craig Russell


Justice #17 by Lee Weeks


D.P. 7 #22 by Paul Ryan

Ah, the New Universe! I really liked those books (well, except Kickers Inc and Spitfire,, anyway). I wish Marvel would bring them back.  

They printed a fair bit of dross (Kickers Inc and Spitfire had little going for them except the covers above, and Psi-Force didn't do a lot for me), but Mark Gruenwald & Paul Ryan's D.P. 7, Peter David & Lee Weeks' Justice and Jim Shooter and John Romita Jr's Star Brand were consistently good reads.  I loved Jeff Parker's 2006 one shot revival of Star Brand entitled Adventures in the Mulletverse and wish he would write some more New Universe stuff.

I think DP7 is something of an underappreciated great. It lasted 32 issues without ever running out of steam, and I thought most of the characters were fascinating. And Ken Connell in Star Brand was without a doubt one of the most realistic portrayals of an ordinary, not particularly noble man suddenly given great power. Even Mark Hazzard: Merc was a pretty decent read despite not being the kind of book I'd normally have followed. I was genuinely shocked by Hazzard's death!

Do you know if Jonathan Hickman's current run on the Avengers is worth reading?  I think he's supposed to be using some New Universe concepts taken from Warren Ellis' newuniversal, which I've not read either.  The $3.99 price tag has put me off sampling it so far.

I really liked Hickman's Fantastic Four run, but so far his Avengers stuff isn't really working for me. Too many characters who seem to have come out of nowhere for no particular purpose and not really been fleshed out, or even given a proper backstory (there were already about four different versions of Hyperion knocking about: why create another?) and while the White Event and the idea that the New Universe scenario happens throughout the multiverse is quite a cool one, it hasn't really gone anywhere so far and the new Star Brand and Nightmask are totally forgettable. I'm hanging in there so far, but without much in the way of optimism that it'll improve. I wish he'd just gone with the classic Avengers, to be honest.

Here are some classic Epic Comics covers:

Dreadstar #4 by Jim Starlin


Coyote #2 by Steve Leialoha


Timespirits #1 by Tom Yeates


Six from Sirius #2 by Paul Gulacy


Starstruck #1 by Mike Kaluta


The One #1 by Rick Veitch


Six from Sirius 2 #3 by Paul Gulacy


Groo the Wanderer #16 by Sergio Aragones


Steelgrip Starkey #3 by Alan Weiss



Elektra: Assassin #1 by Bill Sienkiewicz


Marshal Law #1 by Kevin O'Neill


Doctor Zero #1 by Bill Sienkiewicz


Doctor Zero #3 by Kevin Nowlan


Powerline #3 by Kevin Nowlan


St. George #3 by Kevin Nowlan


The Light and Darkness War #1 by Cam Kennedy


St. George #4 by Mark Chiarello


The Silver Surfer #1 by Moebius


Akira #17 by Katsuhiro Otomo


Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser #1 by Mike Mignola


Cadillacs and Dinosaurs #1 by Mark Schultz


The Last American #1 by Mike McMahon


The Original Adventures of Cholly and Flytrap


The Transmutation of Ike Garuda #1 by James Sherman


The Transmutation of Ike Garuda #2 by James Sherman


Midnight Men #3 by Howard Chaykin


Groo the Wanderer #119 by Sergio Aragones

Coincidentally, I recently bought up a stack of Epics I'd never read, including issues of Doctor Zero, Alien Legion and some of the others on there. I'll have to get around to reading them, and maybe post some here. I do remember Dreadstar and Coyote very well, though-as well as The Bozz Chronicles, which I'll also have to dig out...

Loved the Epic-line, except towards the end, when they became too odd for me.

There were the Moebius titles as well... Airtight Garage, for instance.

That's another one I've never read in its entirety! I keep meaning to track down the issues I dont have but never get around to it. I was an avid reader of Epic Illustrated, though.

Here are some classic Atlas Comics covers:

The Grim Ghost #1 by Ernie Colon


Ironjaw #1 by Neal Adams


Phoenix #1 by Sal Amendola and Dick Giordano


The Destructor #1 by Larry Lieber and Wally Wood


Morlock 2001 #1 by Al Milgrom and Dick Giordano


Planet of Vampires #1 by Pat Broderick and Neal Adams


Savage Combat Tales #1 by Al McWilliams


The Scorpion #1 by Howard Chaykin


Thrilling Adventure Stories #1 by Ernie Colon


Weird Suspense #1 by Dick Giordano


Wulf the Barbarian #1 by Larry Hama and Klaus Janson


The Grim Ghost #2 by Ernie Colon


Ironjaw #2 by Neal Adams


The Cougar #1 by Frank Thorne


Planet of Vampires #2 by Neal Adams and Dick Giordano


Wulf the Barbarian #2 by Larry Hama and Klaus Janson (defaced by Larry Lieber)


The Scorpion #2 by Ernie Colon


Phoenix #3 by Frank Thorne


Tiger-Man #2 by Frank Thorne


The Grim Ghost #3 by Russ Heath


Planet of Vampires #3 by Russ Heath


Tales of Evil #3 by Rich Buckler


Thrilling Adventure Stories #2 by Neal Adams


Demon Hunter #1 by Rich Buckler

No more?

I have quite a few of those! A very underrated little company, though their business practices were somewhat suspect.

At one point, they apparently had Howard Chaykin standing in the street outside the Marvel offices, directing freelancers around the block to Atlas...

Here are some classic Pacific covers:

Captain Victory and the Galactic Rangers #1 by Jack Kirby and Mike Royer


Starslayer #2 by Mike Grell


The Complete Rog 2000 by John Byrne


Ms Mystic #1 by Neal Adams


Pacific Presents #1 by Dave Stevens and Steve Ditko


Groo the Wanderer #1 by Sergio Aragones


Vanguard Illustrated #1 by Tom Yeates


Silver Star #1 by Jack Kirby, Mike Thibodeux and Alfredo Alcala


Pacific Presents #2 by Dave Stevens


Twisted Tales #2 by Berni Wrightson


Alien Worlds #2 by Dave Stevens


Edge of Chaos #1 by Gray Morrow


Berni Wrightson: Master of the Macabre #3


Twisted Tales #4 by John Bolton


Alien Worlds #4 by Dave Stevens


Somerset Holmes #1 by Brent Anderson and Al Williamson


Bold Adventure #1 by Rudy Nebres


Darklon the Mystic #1 by Jim Starlin


Skateman #1 by Neal Adams


Thrillogy #1 by Tim Conrad


Vanguard Illustrated #2 by Dave Stevens


Demon Dreams #1 by Arthur Suydam


Somerset Holmes #3 by Brent Anderson


Pacific Presents #3 by Tim Conrad


1st Folio #1 by Joe Kubert


Silverheels #2 by Scott Hampton


Alien Worlds #7 by Joe Chiodo


A Corben Special #1 by Richard Corben


Silverheels #3 by Scott Hampton


Bold Adventure #3 by Mike Kaluta


Jerry Iger's Famous Features #1 by Joe Chiodo


Vanity #1 by Will Meugniot


Pathways to Fantasy #1 by Barry Windsor Smith

I have Thrillogy #1. Was there ever a second issue?

Sadly there was just the one issue of Thrillogy.  Tim Conrad also contributed to a few other Pacific comics: Alien Worlds #1,  Pacific Presents #3 & 4 and Captain Victory & the Galactic Rangers #10 & 11.  After Pacific folded in mid 1984 Conrad went on to produce the Toadswart serial in Epic Illustrated #25-33, but I don't think he produced much after that, apart from writing a pretentious and incoherent Piranha Press series called Etc in 1989.

I remember Toadswart! I never made the connection to the Pacific stuff until now. Thanks!

Something slightly different...

A slice of classic Marvel, featuring the first appearance of an enduring villain...

A couple I've just acquired (although one is sadly cover damaged)

Here are some classic Eclipse covers:

Sabre by Paul Gulacy


Detectives Inc. by Marshall Rogers


Destroyer Duck #1 by Jack Kirby and Neal Adams


Sabre #1 by Paul Gulacy


Eclipse the Magazine #8 by Marshall Rogers


Scorpio Rose #1 by Marshall Rogers


Eclipse Monthly #1 by Marshall Rogers, Steve Ditko, B.C. Boyer, Trina Robbins and Doug Wildey


Zot! #1 by Scott McCloud


Aztec Ace #3 by Dan Day


Crossfire #3 by Dan Spiegle


Alien Worlds #8 by John Pound


Axel Pressbutton #1 by Brian Bolland


Rocketeer Special Edition #1 by Dave Stevens


Somerset Holmes #5 by Brent Anderson


Night Music #1 by P Craig Russell


Ragamuffins #1 by Gene Colan and Tom Palmer


Aztec Ace #12 by Dan Day


Strange Days #3 by Brendan McCarthy


Crossfire #12 by Dave Stevens


DNAgents #24 by Dave Stevens


Doc Stearn... Mr Monster #2 by Dave Stevens


Miracleman #1 by Alan Davis and Garry Leach


Seduction of the Innocent 3D #1 by Dave Stevens


Laser Eraser and Pressbutton #1 by Garry Leach


The Johnny Nemo Magazine #3 by Brett Ewins


Laser Eraser and Pressbutton #4 by Mick Austin


World of Wood #1 by Dave Stevens


Zorro in Old California by Tom Yeates


Tor 3D #1 by Joe Kubert


3D Three Stooges #1 by Paul Gulacy


Airboy #5 by Dave Stevens


Crossfire and Rainbow #4 by Dave Stevens


Espers #3 by Brian Bolland


Destroy!! #1 by Scott McCloud


Lost Planet #1 by Bo Hampton


Espers #5 by John M Burns


Somerset Holmes (collected edition) by Brent Anderson


Scout #22 by Timothy Truman


Valkyrie! #3 by Paul Gulacy


Valkyrie: Prisoner of the Past (collected edition) by Steve Leialoha


Zorro: the Complete Classic Adventures by Alex Toth #1


Zorro: the Complete Classic Adventures by Alex Toth #2


Scout: war Shaman #4 by Timothy Truman


Valkyrie! v2 #2 by Brent Anderson


Sabre 10th Anniversary Edition by Paul Gulacy


Merchants of Death #3 by Alex Toth


Merchants of Death #4 by Alex Toth


Miracleman #15 by John Totleben


Return of the Valkyrie (collected edition) by Jim Steranko


Zot! #29 by Scott McCloud


Miracleman #23 by Barry Windsor-Smith

Here are some classic First covers:

Warp #1 by Frank Brunner


Warp #3 by Frank Brunner


Warp Special #1 by Howard Chaykin


American Flagg #1 by Howard Chaykin


American Flagg #2 by Howard Chaykin


Mars #1 by Mark Wheatley and Marc Hempel


E-Man #10 by Joe Staton


Starslayer #14 by Tim Truman


E-Man #13 by Joe Staton


Jon Sable Freelance #13 by Mike Grell


The P.I.'s: Michael Mauser and Ms Tree #3 by Joe Staton and Terry Beatty


Grimjack #1 by Timothy Truman


Nexus #7 by Steve Rude


Shatter #1 (one-shot) by Mike Saenz


American Flagg #23 by Howard Chaykin


Grimjack #14 by Timothy Truman


The Original Nexus by Steve Rude


Nexus #15 by Steve Rude


Shatter v2 #1 by Mike Saenz


The Original E-Man and Michael Mauser #4 by Joe Staton


Elric of Melnibone by P Craig Russell


Time2: the Epiphany by Howard Chaykin


Dynamo Joe Special #1 by Doug Rice


The Badger #25 by Bill Reinhold


The Chronicles of Corum #5 by Mike Mignola


Time2: the Satisfaction of Black Mariah by Howard Chaykin


Hawkmoon: the Sword of Dawn #4 by Dave Dorman


Nexus #43 by Paul Smith


Lone Wolf and Cub #14 by Bill Sienkiewicz


Crossroads #1 by Steve Rude


Whisper #18 by Neil Hansen


Grimjack #55 by Flint Henry and Timothy Truman


Whisper #24 by Neil Hansen


Nexus #58 by Steve Rude


Grimjack #61 by Flint Henry


Squalor #1 by JK Potter


The Badger #57 by Neil Hansen


Betty Boop's Big Break by Leslie Cabarga


Grimjack Casefiles #3 by Steve Pugh


Classics Illustrated #19 by John K Snyder


Meta-4 #1 Ian Gibson


Classics Illustrated #24 by Dean Motter

Returning briefly to Charlton, I've just bought this, which I think is one of the best covers I've seen in ages!

Here are some classic covers by Nick Cardy (20/10/20–03/11/13)

House of Secrets #6


Aquaman #37


Teen Titans #14


Secret Six #2


Teen Titans #16


Teen Titans #17


Aquaman #42


Bat Lash #2


Young Romance #157


The Spectre #8


Aquaman #44


Girls' Romances #144


Girls' Love Stories #148


Teen Titans #26


The Brave and the Bold #91


Aquaman #53


DC Special #10


Girls' Romances #154


Teen Titans #31


Ghosts #1


House of Secrets #95


The Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love #4


Justice League of America #100


From Beyond the Unknown #23


Justice League of America #106


Detective Comics #436


Justice League of America #107


Secrets of Sinister House #13


Batman #252


Strange Sports Stories #3


The Flash #227


The Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #15


The Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #18


Teen Titans Lost Annual #1


The Spirit #31
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Somehow, the news of Cardy's death had totally passed me by. A shame, he was another one who never turned in a sub-standard job. We've lost too many from his generation lately.

Here are some classic Continuity covers:

Echo of Futurepast #3 by Michael Golden



Revengers Featuring Megalith #1 by Neal Adams



Armor #1 by Neal Adams



Revengers Featuring Megalith #2 by Neal Adams



Samuree #1 by Neal Adams



Samuree #2 by Neal Adams



Samuree #4 by Mark Beachum



Ms Mystic #4 by Neal Adams and Kevin Nowlan



Zero Patrol #5 by Neal Adams and Kevin Nowlan



Armor #9 by Carlos Gimenez & Kevin Nowlan



Armor #11 by Kevin Nowlan



Armor #12 by Kevin Nowlan



Crazyman #2 by Neal Adams & Brian Bolland



Valeria the She-Bat #1 by Neal Adams



Megalith #3 by Ernesto Infante and Kevin Nowlan



Shaman #0 by Neal Adams

I think the only two of those I remember are Ms Mystic and Megalith. Nice covers, though...

Here are some classic Valiant/Acclaim covers:

Solar, Man of the Atom #3 by Barry Windsor-Smith


Harbinger #1 by David Lapham and Bob Layton


Magnus, Robot Fighter #10 by Kevin Nowlan


Solar, Man of the Atom #7 by Barry Windsor-Smith


Archer and Armstrong #11 by Barry Windsor-Smith


X-O Manowar #5 by Barry Windsor-Smith


Shadowman #4 by Frank Miller


Unity #0 by Barry Windsor-Smith


Magnus, Robot Fighter #18 by Steve Ditko and Ralph Reese


Solar, Man of the Atom #24 by Mike Mignola


Archer and Armstrong #18 by Mike Vosburg


Turok, Dinosaur Hunter #10 by Rags Morales


Ninjak #0 & 00 by Mark Moretti and Bob McLeod


Eternal Warriior #36 by Paul Gulacy


Magnus, Robot Fighter #49 by Rick Leonardi and Michael Bair


Magnus, Robot Fighter #50 by Rick Leonardi and Michael Bair


Turok, Dinosaur Hunter #28 by Neil Hansen


Bloodshot #34 by Norm Breyfogle


The Grackle #4 by Paul Gulacy


Doctor Tomorrow #1 by Mike Mignola


Bloodshot v2 #5 by Sal Velluto and Steve Geiger


Quantum and Woody #0 by Mark Bright


Shadowman v2 #9 by Ashley Wood(?)


Doctor Tomorrow #8 by Gil Kane


Shadowman v2 #19 by Clayton Crain and Charles Yoakum

I gather Doctor Solar and Turok are about to resurface...

I hadn't heard about that - thanks for the heads up.  Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente are usually decent writers and I see Mark Waid is going to be writing Doctor Spektor, so they should be worth a look.

Anything written by Waid usually is. I've been loving his Daredevil run.

Just got hold of these two issues, with covers featuring my favourite DC character: the Golden Age Flash!

Hawkman's mask looks terrible on the cover of #213. What's the point of the black square on it?

Philip K Ditko wrote:Hawkman's mask looks terrible on the cover of #213.  What's the point of the black square on it?

Good question: no idea, maybe a bad attempt at shading, but aside from the black mark it's also the way his mask is drawn inside (it's a reprint of #137). You must admit though, Neal was on form on #215!