CSBG Archive
The Top 75 Most Iconic Covers in DC History – Day 21
Okay, in case you didn’t see the introduction, the concept is that each day up to and including the 23rd of November, I’ll be posting four iconic covers from DC Comics’ 75-year history. On the 23rd, you folks will get a chance to pick your Top 10 out of the 90 choices. I’ll tabulate the votes and I’ll debut the Top 75 Most Iconic Covers in DC Comics History on November 30th. In the meantime, feel free to e-mail me (bcronin@comicbookresources.com) with suggestions for covers for me to use!
Here’s the next four covers! And click here for the master list of all the covers posted so far!






13 Comments
Adam
November 22, 2009 at 6:26 am
Hmmmm…looking at the Action cover, isn’t Superman doing a giant “screw you” to Wonder Woman?
Tom Fitzpatrick
November 22, 2009 at 7:10 am
I’m gonna go with the FM and FQ covers (The Dark Knight Returns and All-Star Super-guy covers).
The Justice League of America cover isn’t so bad, either.
Just can’t get into the Action Comics cover. It kind of looks like they got married or something.
Dave
November 22, 2009 at 8:17 am
None of these are particularly iconic
Phil Sandifer
November 22, 2009 at 9:23 am
The Supergirl cover is iconic – I’ve definitely seen it before. And the All-Star Superman cover is definitely iconic – probably the most important cover of the last decade. I have to say, the Justice League cover does nothing for me, and the DKR cover, while a great cover, seems to me to miss the iconic threshold simply because the first DKR cover, which has already made the list, is so iconic that it kind of eclipses the others.
FlashJ
November 22, 2009 at 10:22 am
Good lord, who came up with those matchups on the JLA cover? Green Lantern vs. Wildcat? Flash vs. MR. TERRIFIC?!? Wow, the JSA is going to get destroyed.
Dean
November 22, 2009 at 10:38 am
This is a solid set of covers.
I am bored to death with the whole individualist Batman vs. Superman as symbol of society thing, but this is the first place that we saw it. The use of the sword and gun motif is a nice nod to the idea of Batman as swash-buckler.
That ACTION COMICS cover is pretty much the definition of an iconic cover. The idea of Superman escorting Supergirl down the Metropolis analog to the Canyon of Heroes in NYC is a very cool one. I love the figure drawing here. It really defines their relationship nicely. The flowers and Superman touching her arm is faintly bridal, but the way they are reaching in opposite direction under-cuts the romantic connotation.
The JLA cover is also pretty iconic. That was THE standard DC team vs. team image of the Silver Age.
The Quitley ALL-STAR SUPERMAN cover is awesome. It tells you right upfront that this is going to be a relaxed, warm and generous take on Superman. In other words, this was going to be a story about Superman as opposed to Thor, or Captain America, or anti-Batman in Superman drag. It was a nice change of pace to see Superman in a Superman story.
Rebis
November 22, 2009 at 10:40 am
Dave, the JLA cover is most certainly iconic. It’s been homaged/ripped-off a bunch of times. I’m pretty sure it’s the first example of two super-teams facing off against each other. And (the absurdity of the match-ups aside, though FlashJ is totally spot-on about that) the cover gets bonus points for pitting hero vs. hero, a classic superhero trope. See here for a ton more examples of this design:
http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2007/04/24/top-five-team-face-off-covers/
Meanwhile, yes, All-Star Superman #1 is iconic too. Not only is it a gorgeous cover that really captures the essence of Superman, but it’s even been homaged already (despite its relative newness).
Danny Wind
November 22, 2009 at 10:54 am
Wow, Green Arrow’s running just as fast as Flash and Superman? They’re not so tough after all.
Daniel O' Dreams
November 22, 2009 at 12:07 pm
The standard one team running at another is pretty iconic but that match-up is hilarious. Are we supposed to believe that Hawkman, Mr. Terrific, Wildcat and Hourman are a match for Flash, Green Lantern Superman and… well Green Arrow might get his ass beat by Hawkman. But come on the JLA at the time was way more powerful than the JSA (before Powergirl and a bazillion other legacy members). If they had Hawkman vs Green Arrow, Flash vs Flash, GL vs GL and Spectre vs Superman, that would’ve been an exciting cover.
Oh and ASSuperman #1 is THE iconic cover of the aughts.
Dan Lokhorst
November 22, 2009 at 2:00 pm
Batman with a gun? Isn’t that… ya know… wrong? Lemme go check my copy of DKR…
Okay, he uses a hand-held sonic thingy, but it looks nothing like that thing he’s holding. That gun on the cover is definitely a weapon of parent-killing caliber.
Dan Fleming
November 22, 2009 at 5:48 pm
All Star Supes #1
Andrew Collins
November 22, 2009 at 7:55 pm
Hmmmm…looking at the Action cover, isn’t Superman doing a giant “screw you” to Wonder Woman?
Superdickery at its finest. Even when he’s saying something nice, he’s still tearing someone else down…
And I love the speed lines on that JLA cover. Though Superman is going to totally steamroll Hourman if he keeps going at that velocity…
nikki
November 23, 2009 at 5:30 pm
Supergirl is the greatest super-heroine for me, I guess its all in opinion.