As my Silver Age reread is now in mid-1969, I can see the Silver Age winding down. Dr. Strange and Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD just switched to bi-monthly. DC’s been floundering for a while. Though it’s not just a story of old soldiers fading away: DC’s trying all kinds of new things and Batman’s heading in new directions (more on that next week). Still it’s clear, as Stan Lee once put it, that the old order changeth. Before we reach the birth of the Bronze Age I wanted to pause and salute one of the best parts of the Silver Age — the amazing covers.
Gil Kane.
Jack Sparling
Murphy Anderson
Gil Kane again.
Carmine Infantino
Infantino again.
Jack Kirby.
Kirby.
And more Kirby.
Curt Swan.
Dick Dillin.
Murphy Anderson.
Steve Ditko.
Murphy Anderson again.
Gil Kane.
#SFWApro. Apologies to all the amazing artists I didn’t include.
I’m a sucker for covers where the title logo is changed, interfered with or simply smashed, as in that Infantino gem.
Infantino did a great one with the Flash Rogues and an enlarged Flash logo (#174); Aquaman #42 with Nick Cardy who seemed to be energised by Dick Giordano’s arrival as editor. I’d be interested to know who began this innovation.
(Ed Hannigan was good at those in the Bronze Age: e.g. a couple with Spidey and Speed Demon and, IIRC, Stilt Man; Walt Simonson’s Beta Ray Bill; etc.)
The Flash cover is a personal favorite of mine, too.
I have my issues with silver age DC but the covers are not one of them. I’ve always loved that Flash cover since I first saw it. I’d like to nominate Challengers of the Unknown 64 by Joe Kubert: https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Challengers_of_the_Unknown_Vol_1_64
Putting the noose in the foreground was a genius move by Kubert. I think it’s really between Kubert and Infantino as the best cover artist for DC in the 60s.
After I posted I thought hmm, I should really include some Kubert, but I didn’t have time to do so.