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 2007 and The Punisher 2006. 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 2008
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The Punisher 2007
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The Speech Bubble 
I really like Punisher # 48.
First of all, Frank is apparently sharing a bedroom with a naked woman, and this is so unusual and eye – widening that I could give this cover the gold medal for this reason alone.
And then you look at the mirror, and you realize that 4 pictures are sticked on it. Probably the people in the picture are Frank’s next victims, but they could also be some disappeared people he wants to track down. In any case, their presence makes the cover even more mysterious and enticing.
I also love how meticulously Bradstreet drew the woman’s hair, the awesome lighting, Frank’s face partially swathed in shadows, the artistic choice of not showing the face of the woman… yes, this cover definitely deserves the gold medal.
As for Oliver, when I saw GA/BC # 6, I instantly understood it would have won the gold medal. A superhero riding a flying motorcycle is a very eye – pleasing vision for me, so I could give this cover the 1st prize for this reason alone.
And then I noticed the tagline “Connor Hawke’s down… and time’s almost up!” This tagline foreshadows a race against time, and I couldn’t ask nothing better when I read a comic book.
I also appreciate the green stripes surrounding our heroes. Probably they show the path of the bullets some crooks are shooting towards them: the thicker the stripe is, the bigger is the bullet.
I also love the explosion just behind the motorcycle, the contrast between the facial expressions of our heroes, the contrast between the gorgeous tone of blue used for the sky and the various tones of red used for the explosions… as you can see, I listed SIX reasons why this cover deserves the gold medal, so I give it the first prize without the shadow of a doubt.
“I also love how meticulously Bradstreet drew the woman’s hair, the awesome lighting, Frank’s face partially swathed in shadows, the artistic choice of not showing the face of the woman… yes, this cover definitely deserves the gold medal.”
Not showing her face leads me to believe that she may be someone we know though I may be reading too much into it. The reaction of the Punisher though is quite intriguing and looks to me that either she was never supposed to have seen those photos or that he himself has discovered her secret. Very nice! My runner-up would be #50. I love the darkness, stillness, and quite solitude of it combined with excellent use of shadows and colouring.
“As for Oliver, when I saw GA/BC # 6, I instantly understood it would have won the gold medal. A superhero riding a flying motorcycle is a very eye – pleasing vision for me, so I could give this cover the 1st prize for this reason alone.”
I knew this was going to be your #1 selection. Over the years, Green Arrow firing arrows while riding a motorcycle has become a classic cover. The last time, if memory serves me right, was Green Arrow Vol. 2 #116 (https://thegothamrogue.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/gav2116.jpg) although it was Connor with Canary on the bike. Of all those covers though GA/BC #6 could take the cake.
“Probably they show the path of the bullets some crooks are shooting towards them: the thicker the stripe is, the bigger is the bullet.”
Oh that never occurred to me! Nice one wwayne.
“I listed SIX reasons why this cover deserves the gold medal, so I give it the first prize without the shadow of a doubt.”
I agree with you on its brilliance and it wins my silver medal. Coming in third is #13’s date night cover. The young couple blissfully unaware of the danger headed their way.
Thanks, as always, for sharing your choices and providing your analysis!
“My runner-up would be #50.” And mine is # 49. The presence of a woman wearing Frank’s costume is too eye – widening and question – raising to be left out of the podium.
Bronze medal for the Annual, because of the detailed background and the awesome colouring.
“I agree with you on its brilliance and it wins my silver medal.” My 2nd prize goes to GA/BC # 13, exactly for the reason you mentioned.
3rd prize for GA/BC # 10: as Paul Bowler recently wrote, a cover showing Bruce and Oliver on the same cover must win a medal on principle.
“Thanks, as always, for sharing your choices and providing your analysis!” Thank you as well for your compliments and for your reply! : )
#49 secures my bronze medal for the Punisher with GA/BC #10 just missing out on my Top 3 finishing in fourth place. Thanks for sharing your whole podium! 🙂
I really like Green Arrow / Black Canary #3 as well, with Black Canary triumphant over Amazon warriors. Its vey exciting! Actually \I thought all the covers here were really good, a tough choice.
I picked Punisher Vol 6 #46 with Punisher flat out on the ground, and the gun shells falling towards him. Wow, you can almost imagine this cover as if were in slow motion, like something in the Matrix, where time slows down, as the gun shells tumble through the air. Really like this cover!
“I picked Punisher Vol 6 #46 with Punisher flat out on the ground, and the gun shells falling towards him.”
I love how the artist engraved his name on that one bullet casing, a real nice touch by Mr. Bradstreet.
Thanks for sharing your selections and I hope you enjoy the rest of the weekend! 🙂