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 1980 and Amazing Spider-Man 2004. 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 1981
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Amazing Spider-Man 2005
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The Speech Bubble 
Of course I completely agree with the Batman cover you chose. When I saw it, I instantly understood it would have won the gold medal, even if I hadn’t seen the other covers yet.
I make a special mention for Detective Comics # 503. The few yellow accessories of the 3 superheroes are put in a very dark context, so thanks to this contrast they are very eye – catching, they look like torches in the darkness. It is a very well done chromatic contrast. I also love how meticulously the cover artist drew the grass field.
I make a special mention also for Detective Comics # 509, because I love the concept of Batman facing a villain who is very similar to him, a sort of Batman gone bad.
As for Spidey, 2005 was another weak year for the ASM covers, basically for the same reason I described you 2 weeks ago: most of these covers don’t give us a single clue about the content of the issue, and most of them are deliberately drawn in a very simple way, but, exactly like the ones published in 2003, they look flat, dull and monotonous.
I give the gold medal to ASM # 516, because it’s the only cover which seems to have a real connection with the content of the issue.
I make a special mention for ASM # 514, because of the detailed background and the Batman – esque feel. It reminds me of Bruce knocking at the window of Gordon’s office when he wants some confidential informations.
P.S.: Katana # 7 arrived, and once again it was a surprisingly satisfying read. Katana met a woman whose body has been completely tattooed by a japanese man who could predict the future: the tattooes this woman has show the predictions this man made. Well, this man predicted that Katana “will unleash an apocalypse of hellfire and blood in the world.” And then the issue ends. What a cliffhanger!
P.P.S.: It is very, very difficult to properly translate my thoughts from italian to english. I had to rewrite the yellow accessories part about 10 times, and the Katana summary was a hard task as well. But it’s worth doing it, because this way I keep in touch with a friend of mine, and I also improve my knowledge of english language. : )
“I make a special mention for Detective Comics # 503.”
That was my runner-up this week. A very creepy vibe coming off of that one.
“The few yellow accessories of the 3 superheroes are put in a very dark context, so thanks to this contrast they are very eye – catching, they look like torches in the darkness. It is a very well done chromatic contrast.”
Wow! That is an excellent point and I loved your description.
“I make a special mention for ASM # 514, because of the detailed background and the Batman – esque feel. It reminds me of Bruce knocking at the window of Gordon’s office when he wants some confidential informations.”
And here is is my runner-up for Spider-Man for the very reasons you just listed.
“P.S.: Katana # 7 arrived, and once again it was a surprisingly satisfying read. Katana met a woman whose body has been completely tattooed by a japanese man who could predict the future: the tattooes this woman has show the predictions this man made. Well, this man predicted that Katana “will unleash an apocalypse of hellfire and blood in the world.” And then the issue ends. What a cliffhanger!”
I’m happy that it finally arrived…and I really appreciate your synopses of the series each time. Your passion for the series comes across quite clearly.
“P.P.S.: It is very, very difficult to properly translate my thoughts from italian to english. I had to rewrite the yellow accessories part about 10 times, and the Katana summary was a hard task as well. But it’s worth doing it, because this way I keep in touch with a friend of mine, and I also improve my knowledge of english language. : )”
The way you write, the points you make, and your use of the English language is better than some people I know that were born in Canada. Job well done my friend. Thanks, as always, for sharing your choices! 🙂
Thank you as well for your compliments and for your replies! : )