20 BEST COVERS TO THE JJ

            This is another one of my amazing lists that most people will probably not agree with.  Now just as a warning, I have only included 20 because I’m too lazy to go through all of my comics and find more. This is not about the issue itself.  Just the cover itself!  (more on the issues later)  But this is a good list and I think is worthy of being in Wizard!  Eh?  Eh?  No?  Whatever, here’s the list:

 20. 
AVENGERS #1 (2010):   John Romita Jr.  I’m actually not a big fan of his work.  (ducks to avoid impending blow).  But I had to stop myself when I saw this cover and think, “Gosh, that Romita guy knows how to make a cool looking cover!”  The five big guns of the Marvel universe all lookin at you like, “You wanna piece of this?”  I would like a piece!  A piece of . . . uh . . . . cake? 

19. ULTIMATE COMICS: AVENGERS 2 #1 (2010):  In my opinion this should be a movie poster.  You have Samuel L Jackson (I mean Nick Fury) and Captain America hovering behind the Punisher.  And then there is the Punisher laying waste to the mob.  Well, we assume it’s the mob.  It could just be a funeral home.  Either way stories with Captian America and the Punisher always get me excited.  The characters are like Superman and Batman on acid – they have high moral beliefs but on opposite ends of the spectrum.  Plus the Punisher has an awesome visual.

18.    ACTION COMICS #890 (2010):  If you know anything about me you know that I love all things Blackest Night.  I also love David Finch’s work.  So seeing David Finch draw Lex Luthor in his Orange Lantern get up make me do a Joker grin.  It feels like Lex is looking at you and that he wants to recruit you into his Orange Lantern Corps.  And that’s not a good thing!  But with Finch’s pencils it sure is tempting . . .

17. ACTION COMICS # 845 (2008):  As far as villains go, Batman has the best.  But the Super-rogues have some great freaking visuals.  Superman tearing the chains off his chest is such an iconic image that the flip side, the Bizzarro side is truly frightening.  Instead of triumphantly ripping them off his chest he tears them apart like a wild animal.  Plus – look at those eyes man!  It’s like 1930’s horror movie coming to say, “GOOD BYE!”

16.   
GREEN LANTERN #16 (2009):  Takes the zombie concept to a whole new level!  Here is the Flash (who has recently been resurrected), Green Lantern (recently resurrected), and the Martian Manhunter (semi-resurrected) fighting over the grave of Batman (recently Omega Sanctioned).  I’m not a huge Doug Mahnke fan but this cover gave me total goosebumps.  Unlike other covers, I KNEW this throwdown was gonna happen in the comic and I couldn’t wait to open this comic.  Just . . . hold on, I’m still looking at the cover . . .

15.   
NEW AVENGERS #48 (2008):  This cover is what got me back into buying New Avengers on a monthly basis.  Wanna know why?  Captain freaking America!  I felt that the New Avengers were missing Captain America.  Even though it’s Bucky and not Steve Rogers I agree that Cap needs to be on an Avengers team.  Ares says so in Dark Avengers #1.  And who am I to argue with a god of war?  Unless you’re the Sentry hahahaaha (too soon?)

14.         

ALL STAR BATMAN & ROBIN: THE BOY WONDER #8 (2008): I for one never imagined seeing the Joker with a tattoo.  Let alone a giant freaking dragon tattoo that stretches over his back onto his arm.  But for some reason it works for me.  You can probably count on one hand the number of times you have seen the Joker without a shirt on so who is to say he doesn’t have a tattoo?  Plus, he is wiping blood of his hands with the goddamn Batman’s cape!  Oh snap!  This is getting serious!

13.   
BATMAN : STREETS OF GOTHAM #1 (2009):  Ok, yes!  There are a lot of first issues on this list and most of the covers are very recent.  But shut up!  This is my generation.  I was not around for the famous Neal Adams stuff in the 70s and the Romita stuff in the 60s or even really the dozens of great Superman covers in the 90s or Dave Gibbons or Frank Miller stuff in the 80s.  This cover is one of those iconic Batman shots.  The signal behind him and the cape flowing behind and in front him.  It’s so Batman it deserves to be on any list!

12.       
DARK AVENGERS #2 (2008): ASSEMBLE!  Yikes!  It’s a great cover for two reasons – 1 it’s very heroic and bad ass and 2 it stills puts you off a little.  These are the Avengers so you should be rooting for them but you know going in that they are the bad guys.  Although Norman is trying to the hero.  But he sucks at it.  So here we are with an amazing Mike Deodato cover.  No one else should be allowed to draw the Dark Avengers.  Well, I guess Oliver Copiel did Ok . . . whatever . . .

11. 
 BATMAN #612 (2003): There are only so many times someone can say “Dude, Superman would totally kick Batman’s ass!” before I show them this and they say, “Yeah see I’m right?”  And then I realize the Super-ass kicking is IN the issue.  But this is still an amazing cover.  This is probably the cover that got Jim Lee the job doing Superman in the For Tomorrow arc (yuck by the way – but the art is good).  And Scott Williams inks make Jim’s art jump out at you.  Also, you know there is is something wrong when you can’t see Superman’s eyes.  Scary shit man.  But don’t worry, Batman always has a way out.  Unless he forgot the Kryptonite ring on his dresser . . .

10. 
 BATMAN #673 (2008):  When I first heard that Tony Daniel was gonna be the primary artist on Batman I got so excited.  His Teen Titans work was amazing.  This is one of the classic Batman “concepts” (for a lack of a better word).  He is who he is because of that night.  And to have that mirrored in the pool of blood is tragic, strange, and chilling all in the same moment.  Come to think of it those words also sum up Morrison’s run on the Bat-books.  Damn I’m good.

9. 
   BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #32 (2010): This issue is called “Buffy has f@#$ing superpowers!”.  And this cover turns that exclamation point into a question mark.  Wait, why is she flying?  Also, why is she smiling?  She never smiles!  Also, her boobs look a little too big.  Not that I’m looking or anything.  Jo Chen really knows how to make these iconic covers that make you wish they were the jackets for the season sets.  Maybe someday . . .

8. 
   GOTHAM CITY SIRENS #1 (2009):                                                                                               Please excuse me while I turn into a drooling dog.  Man!  You see the ass on Harley Quinn?  Damn, Ivy’s got some great boobs!  And man Catwoman can rob my house any night!  Ok . . . that’s it.

7. 
   SUPERMAN: SECRET ORIGIN #1 (2009):  I always think it’s funny when artists do their own variants.  This variant I think is pretty awesome.  This could almost be the poster for a new Superman movie.  Or the jacket for Smallville Season 10.  Hint hint Warner Bros . . . But this is a great cover and these characters (under Gary Frank’s hand) have never looked better! 

6. 
   TEEN TITANS #24 (2007):  Oh snap!  Superboy shaved his head and his now shaving his shirt!  That’s messed up!  Oh . . . He’s trying to make himself look more like Lex Luthor.  I get it.  That’s cool . . .

5.       
SUPERGIRL #1 (2004):  Man I miss Michael Turner.  He seemed like such a great guy.  And his Supergirl was just fucking hot!  I mean wow.  Gorgeous.  She looks innocent yet feisty. She has big curious eyes and long beautiful hair.  And I think I’m in love with her.  It’s just how it is.

4. BLACKEST NIGHT #6 (2009): If you know anything about me you know how much I love Blackest Night!  And this cover is another one that could be a movie poster.  Each leader of the different corps looks bad ass and ready to take down some Nekron!  I realize that previous sentence sounded very Andy-ish (from the Office).  Ivan Reis is officially my new favorite artist (on Green Lanern).

3. 
   THE FLASH: REBIRTH #1 (2009):  Ethan Van Sciver.  That guy is a genius.  Look at this freaking cover!  I could look at it all day.  Actually (true story), I did look at it all day.  I took a day off work and just stared at the cover.  I didn’t even read it!  Still haven’t.  I just love the cover too much.  I’m just kidding by the way.  I didn’t stare at it ALL day . . . haha . . . so on to #2 (snicker)

2.       
FINAL CRISIS: RAGE OF THE RED LANTERNS ONE SHOT (2008):  I love how they keep calling Shane Davis a star on the rise.  This dude is a shooting star that is just circling the Earth . . . a lot.  Or something. Either way this Davis guy is freaking awesome.  The only thing I regret is that he could not on Green Lantern full time.  Instead they got Doug Mahnke now.  But Shane’s got Superman: Earth One.  Which might join some list in the future . . . Actually it definitely will haha.  But for now please enjoy this cover and know that it is sublime.

1.   
BATMAN #700 (2010) : I love Batman.  Always have and always will.  And this is David Finch’s first cover for Batman.  And it’s also the first cover I ever saw.  No it’s not.  But it is the first cover that I loved more than my father.  Ah!  That’s not true.  I’m just trying to put this cover into perspective for you.  It’s the best cover that I’ve ever seen.  David Finch is a great artist and should stay at DC FOREVER.  And then he could do BATMAN FOREVER.  Haha, you see what I did there?