In this Retroactive edition I’ll take you on a visual comic cover tour of the past covering all the covers for a particular franchise with each entry covering an entire year of all the major related titles. At the end of each edition of Retroactive I’ll select my overall favourite cover for that year for each franchise. Last time on Retroactive we covered TMNT 1989 and Hellboy & the B.P.R.D. 2002. If you need a refresher, just click HERE. Below you’ll find the two franchises that I’m currently covering. Click on that specific logo to be instantly taken directly to that franchise. The last section is reserved for my Top Picks from each year. Click the logo or travel to the fourth page to view them.
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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1990
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Hellboy and the B.P.R.D. 2003
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The Speech Bubble 
When I saw TMNT # 30, I instantly thought it would have won the gold medal: raging faces, smashed cars flying all over, an ugly mug holding a chain… this cover shows many typical details of the action packed comics I love so much, so it would have won the gold medal hands down in any other year.
This time it doesn’t, because there’s an even more awesome cover: TMNT # 34. Even in this case we have a classic action packed image, with a muscular villain wearing a Rambo – like outfit and holding a giant gun in his hands. Add some flames and some broken bricks, and here you have a cover that screams GOLD MEDAL in my face.
I also really appreciate the artistic choice of incorporating the title by putting the letters upon the broken bricks.
Bronze medal for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures Vol. 2: Summer 1990. We know that Eastman and Laird are Daredevil fans, and they decided to prove it with this delightful tribute to Daredevil # 227.
By the way, Daredevil # 227 is a very important issue, because it’s the first part of one of the most beautiful Daredevil story arcs ever (Born Again).
The other gold medal goes to Hellboy: Weird Tales #5.
First of all, it’s a watercolour: this means that the cover artist spent a lot of time to create it, so the efforts he made to give us this image deserve the gold medal alone.
Secondly, the sultry facial expression of the lady reveal that she’s a femme fatale: I love this kind of character, so a cover foreshadowing the presence of a femme fatale will always get a medal from me.
Thirdly, the background is simply amazing.
I also wonder why the cover artist used a pale tone of red for the car, and an intense tone of red for Hellboy and the dress worn by the femme fatale.
I also can’t figure what could that bleeding heart mean. Maybe that femme fatale will break Hellboy’s heart in this issue?
Silver medal for Hellboy: Weird Tales #1, because the lighting is exceptional. I also appreciate Hellboy’s heroic pose, the guns held by the characters behind him and the smoke all around them.
You know, some weeks I can almost tell with great certainty beforehand which cover will be your #1 selection. Other times I can only narrow it down to a possible two or three. This week I instantaneously knew your picks for both titles and was pleased to see that I was right on the money.
TMNT #34 was a given and it also manages to take 2nd place for me. The title being a part of the scene is an especially amazing highlight on a cover that is just overall awesome. The bronze medal goes to TMNT #32. I’m a big fan of the Egyptian theme utilized and the way the scene is playing out.
Weird Tales #5 was another given that I knew would hit all the wwayne bullet points. It had some stiff competition for my list though and only managed to snag 5th. For me my rankings would be #2 (Weird Tales #1 for the reasons you provided), #3 (Night Train #1 for the excellent use of smoke, composition, and creepy skull), and #4 (Soul of Venice #1 for use of colouring, shadows, and overall scene structure). I have to admit that this was the most difficult years ever for the Hellboy Retroactives so far.
Thanks, as always, for sharing your selections and providing your analysis.
Thank you as well for your reply! : )
TMNT #31 is a nice wrap around, like the woodland setting as well, and the green edges to the cover, very dark and moody image. Hellboy: Weird Tales #1 is a great cover featuring Hellboy and the gang, a classic pose!
Weird Tales #1 is stunning. It captures your #1 prize while for wwayne and I it takes 2nd. If we took all our various Rankings that actually makes it the overall winner! 🙂
Thanks for providing your picks. It is always appreciated.