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 Green Arrow 1992 and The Punisher 1991. 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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Green Arrow 1993
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The Punisher 1992
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The Speech Bubble 
Well, I really liked Green Arrow Vol II #73 with Green Arrow depicted in the stain glass window. This cover really jumped out at me, so clever and really striking. Love the use of color here as well. Punisher vol II #72 is my choice for this title this time around, think the cover blurb says it all really, a game of chicken, Punisher style! Such an exciting cover!
“Well, I really liked Green Arrow Vol II #73 with Green Arrow depicted in the stain glass window. This cover really jumped out at me, so clever and really striking.”
This was my personal runner-up. I agree it is very awesome indeed!
“Punisher vol II #72 is my choice for this title this time around, think the cover blurb says it all really, a game of chicken, Punisher style! Such an exciting cover!”
The Punisher VS an oncoming car? Something tells me that I should place my bets on the Punisher. 🙂
Thanks for sharing your choices. It is much appreciated!
Yes, that Green Arrow cover is really impressive. I agree, somehow I don’t think that car will stand much chance against the Punisher!
I agree with Paul Bowler that Green Arrow # 73 is by far the most beautiful and eye – catching cover of the year.
Silver medal for issue # 80: Green Arrow sitting on a gothic building, the pouring rain all around him, the fire escape… this cover shows many typical elements of dark comics, so I instantly fell in love with it.
Bronze medal for issue # 81, because of the detailed background, the perspective leaning to the right and the bullets flying all over Green Arrow.
As for Frank, when I saw the cover for Punisher # 58, I instantly understood it would have won the gold medal, even if I hadn’t seen the other covers yet. The lighting, the colouring, the giant gun, the giant bullets on Frank’s left leg, Frank’s giant muscles… every single detail of this cover is pure awesomeness.
“I agree with Paul Bowler that Green Arrow # 73 is by far the most beautiful and eye – catching cover of the year.”
As I said to Paul, this was my runner-up. As for my third place cover, I’d give the prize to #75: a nice look back at the previous 74 issues of this series.
“As for Frank, when I saw the cover for Punisher # 58, I instantly understood it would have won the gold medal, even if I hadn’t seen the other covers yet.”
My runner-up would go to #65. A villain ominously holding up the bullet-riddled shirt of Frank Castle? A villain…that has a gun for a hand? How can I pass it up? 🙂
Thanks, as always, for providing your selections!
“As for my third place cover, I’d give the prize to #75: a nice look back at the previous 74 issues of this series.” Speaking of looking back to Mike Grell’s run on Green Arrow, here’s a wonderful post about his marvellous work on the character: http://comicspectrumtpb.wordpress.com/2014/03/13/green-arrow-1988-v1-hunters-moon-dc/.
Also, here’s another worthy article I recently read: http://untilwegetthere.wordpress.com/2014/03/03/top-5-anti-heroes/.
“A villain…that has a gun for a hand? How can I pass it up?” I love cyborgs as well, so I can’t pass it up as well… but Punisher # 65 is my bronze pick. The silver medal goes to the cover for issue # 61, because it’s so full of energy that it makes you feel thrilled even before starting to read the issue.
By the way, I think I’ll order the 4th volumes of Superboy and Teen Titans. A lot of bloggers (you included) panned both these series, but what I saw on http://tessatechaitea.tumblr.com/ makes me think that I would enjoy them, so I’ll give them a chance.
“Thanks, as always, for providing your selections!” Thank you as well for your replies! : )
Thanks for sharing those links!
As for Teen Titans and Superboy, you’ll have to let me know your feelings once you’ve read them…if you indeed pick them up that is.
I realized that most of the issues collected in those volumes have already been published in the italian edition, so I think I’ll pick them up when I go to my LCS.
Another trade that caught my attention is Birds of Prey Vol. 4, because of the very enticing description I read on Comic Book Resources: “The traitor in the Birds of Prey shows her face in these stories from issues #18-24 and 26 and TALON #9.” How could I pass it up? : )
Without spoiling it, the revelation of the traitor and said handling of it was the final nail in the coffin of this series for me. Maybe you’ll have a different take?
Let’s hope so! I think I’ll read Birds of Prey in the italian edition: the U.S. trade comes out in July, and I can’t wait that long. Thank you for your replies! : )