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 The Flash 2004 and Uncanny X-Men 2011. 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 fourth page to view them.
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The Flash 2005
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Uncanny X-Men 2012
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The Speech Bubble 
Wow, I forgot how Uncanny X-Men volume 2 started and finished within the same year.
Anyway, I agree with your Flash cover pick, with 224 and 226 being my runner ups. For the Uncanny X-Men covers, I prefer 19 – the one with a closeup on Cyclops’s face while he’s blasting, and different characters are reflecting off his visor. A lot of good covers for both Flash and X-Men that year.
I really like Flash Vol. 2 # 219.
First of all, I love the fact that it’s a perfectly symmetrical image: on the left you can see a female villain right behind a male superhero, on the right there is a male villain right behind a female superhero.
Secondly, I deeply appreciate the question – raising detail of Diana having her eyes blindfolded. She doesn’t have any power connected to her eyes, so why did the villains decide to do that? If it’s because there’s something she mustn’t see, why did they blindfolded her and not the Flash?
Thirdly, I love the contrast between cool colours and warm colours. The green used for the background make the yellow – coloured villain stand out in a very eye – catching way.
As for the X – Men, exactly like you, I chose an X – cover that forgoes showing our heroic team and instead places the focus on the villainous Mister Sinister. The cover I’m alluding to is UXM Vol. 2 # 16. This image instantly caught my attention because of its stunning lighting, but then I noticed another marvellous detail, that is to say the phoenix upon Sinister’s arm: the phoenix is the symbol of Jean Grey, so probably this is a delightfully subtle way to convey the message that she is in his power. When a cover is wonderful from an aesthetic point of view and also informs you about the content of the issue in a clever way, you know you’ve got a truly special image in front of you.
“I really like Flash Vol. 2 # 219.”
You listed some real good points including the whole blindfold element. The choice does seem strange and makes me want to buy the issue for the answer to that and for simply seeing the super-villain team-up of Zoom and Cheetah. Coincidentally, it is an issue I’ve been looking for awhile now to track down but all the various comic stores around my area are seriously lacking in Flash back issues. For me, determining my runner-up is quite a task. I love #218’s Heatwave image that has become synonymous with the character, I love #220 with its homage to covers past, and I love #225 with all the various visages of the Rogues behind our hero. In the end my standings are as follows: 2nd = #218, 3rd = #225, and 4th = #220.
“The cover I’m alluding to is UXM Vol. 2 # 16.”
This cover is my undisputed silver medalist for the very reasons you brilliantly provided.
Thanks, as always, for sharing your selections and providing your analysis. 🙂
Thank you as well for your compliments and for your reply! 🙂
Well, for me its Flash Vol 2 #227 that really caught my eye. I always liked the way the Flash’s costume was concealed inside the ring. This is one element that I would love to see introduced in the TV series at some point, just think it would be so cool! Think I will opt for Uncanny X-Men Vol 2 #19 with Phoenix/Cyclops going totally mental. I like how we see the others all reflected in his visor as well. AVX was an exciting story, it was dragged out a bit though. Another great retroactive, have a fun new comic book day everyone!