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 1994 and Daredevil 1969. 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 1995
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Daredevil 1970
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The Speech Bubble 
I really like Detective Comics # 683. The Penguin’s face is covered by the darkness, but you’re able to see his menacing sneer anyway.
All around him you can see his harem, composed by 4 armed women: 3 of them have a gun, while the other one has a dagger on her left leg. This means that his women are so loyal to him that they are willing to kill for him: that speaks volumes of how fascinating the Penguin can be, thanks to his money and his power.
And then you look at the Penguin’s feet, and you notice the Bat – logo. Is it part of the Bat – signal? Is it Bruce’s shadow? If Bruce is standing in that room and is impending over his enemy, that would mean that the Penguin’s women are very brave: instead of opening their eyes wide and going away, as most crooks do when Batman shows himself, they stand there and face him without batting an eyelid.
I also love the smoke coming from the Penguin’s cigarette holder, because it creates a noir movie atmosphere.
As for Matt, Daredevil # 63 shows the Gladiator: to me, it’s more than enough to get the gold medal. : )
“I really like Detective Comics # 683.”
This was one of my aforementioned covers that I really had a hard time choosing between. You summed it up brilliantly with your description and I especially like your analysis of the Bat-Logo on the floor, something I overlooked the first time as the central image dragged me to it. Special mention should also go to #687 (Batman tied to a lonely buoy with superb atmosphere surrounding him) and #691 (the contrast between the black and white villainess and the coloured heroes is excellent).
“As for Matt, Daredevil # 63 shows the Gladiator: to me, it’s more than enough to get the gold medal.”
You and Paul Bowler are on the same page with this one.
Thanks, as always, for providing your selections!
Thank you as well for your compliments and for your replies! : )
Great choices for this issue of Retroactive! I really like Detective Comics #686 with Batman, Nightwing, Robin, and Huntress surrounded by an angry mob of criminals. Its unusual to see them all together on the cover, especially with the Huntress as well. For Daredevil I choose issue #63 with the Gladiator leaping forwards as Daredevil has fallen to the ground. Gladiators saw blades are spinning as he leaps, ready to strike at the helpless Daredevil, a really exciting cover.
“Its unusual to see them all together on the cover, especially with the Huntress as well.”
Yeah, they’re not usually on the best of terms that is for sure. I agree that it is a great visual image.
“For Daredevil I choose issue #63 with the Gladiator leaping forwards as Daredevil has fallen to the ground. Gladiators saw blades are spinning as he leaps, ready to strike at the helpless Daredevil, a really exciting cover.”
And wwayne agrees with you on this one. 🙂 Thanks for providing your choices!