In Retroactive I’ll take you on a visual comic cover tour of the past covering all the covers for a particular series. Each entry will cover an entire year and I’ll always have one comic from DC and one comic from Marvel. At the end of each edition of Retroactive I’ll select my overall favourite cover for that year for each series. Last time on Retroactive we covered Detective Comics 1972 and Amazing Spider-Man 1996. If you need a refresher, just click HERE. Below you’ll find the two series that I’m currently covering. Click on that specific logo to be instantly taken directly to that series. The last section is reserved for my Top Picks from each year. Click the logo or travel to the third page to view them.
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Detective Comics 1973
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Amazing Spider-Man 1997
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The Speech Bubble 
My favorite Batman cover is Detective Comics # 431. First of all, Batman cries “Nobody leaves this magazine till a murder is solved.” Notice that he said magazine instead of room: this is a a delightful 4th wall breaking detail that would deserve the gold medal by itself. But there are a lot of other details that won my favour: a whodunit plot, a dark background, some stunning light effects (especially the Bat – signal used as a spotlight)… a really, really beautiful cover.
As for Spidey, I pick ASM # 424. I love when a supporting character of a series appears into another comic book: Elektra is a supporting character of Daredevil, so seeing her appearing in Amazing Spider Man is something not that expected. And this should be the main purpose of a comic book writer: creating unexpected situations, even when you work on a character like Spider Man, who went through all sorts of problems.
“My favorite Batman cover is Detective Comics # 431.”
Yeah, I have to admit that is one great cover and my runner up for this year. I also like the tagline “Batman’s most baffling case…this murder has been censored” Whatever does that mean I wonder? It’s also great for all the reasons you so eloquently stated, fourth-wall breaking and all!
“And this should be the main purpose of a comic book writer: creating unexpected situations, even when you work on a character like Spider Man, who went through all sorts of problems.”
Creating something unique and unexpected takes the effort of a very talented writer indeed. As for the cover, Spider-Man’s expression as he is holding up the ceiling/wall is priceless. Also nice tease as just by her boots and sais alone we know that it is Elektra, a testament to her design.
Thanks, as always, for sharing your choices! 🙂
Thank you as well for your replies! : )