The best comic covers of all time

Because many of the most popular characters date back decades, thousands of amazing comic book covers have been created over the years. The cover is the first impression of a comic, and a great cover will get someone to pick it up and take a look, so a good cover is the best advertisement.

Sometimes you’ll get a fantastic cover for a comic that isn’t particularly significant, but often the best covers come when the story in the book is worthy of being presented in a great piece of art. The covers on this list are examples of a fantastic cover meeting an equally impressive story.

10 Batman #497

Batman #497 by Doug Moench, Jim Aparo, Dick Giordano, Adrienne Roy and Richard Starkings

In one of the most defining Batman stories of all time, Batman #497, the bat is broken at Bane’s hands (and knees). Not content with killing Batman, Bane instead breaks him, leaving Batman with a broken body that, Bane believes, can never be the same again. With a cover by Kelly Jones and Bob LeRose, a hulking Bane bends Batman backwards over his knee.

Often times, comic book covers will depict a hero losing to the villain in question, but the hero doesn’t actually lose in the issue. In this case, readers pick up the issue, and as the decisive moment approaches, the cover gets bigger in your head because you realize… Bane is going to win.

9 Justice League #1

Justice League No. 1 by Keith Giffen, JM DeMatteis, Kevin Maguire, Terry Austin, Bob Lappan and Gene D’Angelo

This cover was a hint at a very different book for the Justice League, featuring a team without many of the characters from the previous and primary roster. Featuring Guy Gardner, Shazam, Dr. Fate, Doctor Light, Blue Beetle, Black Canary, Martian Manhunter, Mister Miracle (and his manager Oberon), and Batman, this Justice League roster had virtually no chemistry to begin with, and that’s both intentional and part of what makes the book so great.

Any character staring into the camera and none of them looking particularly pleased is a good indication of the comic inside. This new team comes together and doesn’t know what to expect, other than Guy Gardner causing trouble. With art by Kevin Maguire and Terry Austin, both expressions in conversation conveyed so perfectly that the cover and book of Justice League stand out from many other comics of the time.

8 The Return of the Dark Knight #1

The Return of the Dark Knight by Frank Miller, Klaus Jansen and Lynn Varley

This cover is possibly the most influential Batman shot of all time, landing somewhere near the top at least, with art by Frank Miller and Lynn Varley. There was Batman before The Dark Knight Returns and Batman after TDKR, with this cover offering the first look at the Batman inside. With its extremely limited color palette, Batman leaps out from the background both literally and figuratively in a now iconic Batman pose.

One of the cool things about this cover is that if you’ve never read the book, you’re more or less imagining the typical Batman because he’s portrayed as a silhouette. The Batman in the book is probably very different, or at least was back then. It’s an old Batman, a Batman who has just returned to the streets of Gotham and is rediscovering what exactly makes him tick.

7 Superman #75

Superman No. 75 by Dan Jurgens, Brett Breeding, Glenn Whitemore and John Costanza

Another larger-than-life cover, Superman #75, features Superman’s tattered cape flapping in the wind, hanging from a piece of wood protruding from the rubble of one of Metropolis’ streets. And below, cover artists Dan Jurgens and Brett Breeding make us a promise: the death of Superman.

The book delivered on its promise, with the now iconic battle between Superman and Doomsday. Every single page of this book is a splash page, showcasing the incredible artistic talent of the aforementioned duo, telling one of Superman’s most memorable stories, and setting the precedent for a DC Universe that was very, very different for a while.

6 The Amazing Spider-Man #50

The Amazing Spider-Man No. 50 by Stan Lee, John Romita Sr., Mickey Demeo and Sam Rosen

One of the most conflicted superheroes of all time, the cover of The Amazing Spider-Man #50 shows arguably the world’s most popular hero leaving his hero role behind. Considering this comic came out in the ’60s and we’ve had plenty of Spider-Man comics since then, we know Pete did the right thing and picked up the mask again, but for someone reading it for the first time, it can be a bit shocking.

Spidey’s life is not a happy walk in the park, and many of his problems stem from his double life, where he has to balance his responsibilities as Peter Parker with his responsibilities as Spider-Man. Often times, Spidey’s responsibilities win out, and that causes a lot of trouble for Pete. This issue deals with that head-on, and the cover by John Romita Sr. shows it off beautifully.

5 X-Men #136

X-Men No. 136 by Chris Claremont, John Byrne, Terry Austin, Bob Sharen and Tom Orzechowski

One of the most iconic X-Men covers and part of one of the most iconic X-Men stories of all time. This is the issue just before the death of Jean Grey during her descent into Dark Phoenix. The cover of X-Men #136 shows Cyclops in agony as he holds Dark Phoenix’s body while the rest of the X-Men are shocked in the background.

The Dark Phoenix saga has been going on for quite some time, slowly building up to a remarkable finale. With a cover by John Byrne, Terry Austin and Bob Sharen, it is one of the most heartbreaking covers of all time.

4 All-Star Superman #1

All-Star Superman by Grant Morrison, Frank Quitely and Jamie Grant

The first look at one of the best Superman stories of all time, All-Star Superman #1 has a simple cover that shows the Man of Steel smiling, sitting amidst the clouds and looking out over his hometown of Metropolis. All-Star Superman was an out-of-continuity story, meaning they could do whatever they wanted with the characters, and that freedom was used to give us the epitome of the Man of Tomorrow.

With images by Frank Quitely and Jamie Grant, it’s a beautiful work of art and it almost feels like Superman is inviting us into his world. Like he’s inviting us to enjoy his view of everything from the clouds; not ruling over it, but smiling down as a protector.

3 Spider-Man’s Web #32

Web of Spider-Man No. 32 by JM DeMatteis, Mike Zeck, Bob McLeod, Janet Jackson and Rick Parker

Kraven’s Last Hunt is one of the best Spider-Man stories of all time and somehow seems to have flown a little under the radar in pop culture, at least compared to other superhero stories of similarly incredible quality. In this story, Kraven is at the end of his rope and doesn’t want to defeat Spider-Man, but needs to defeat him before he dies.

Kraven defeats Spider-Man, even going so far as to bury the wall-climber in a tomb. With a cover by Mike Zeck, Bob McLeod, and Janet Jackson, Spider-Man crawls out of that tomb in his black suit as rain and lightning thunder from the sky. While it’s one of the darkest Spider-Man stories ever told, it’s also one of the best, earning its dark moments through exceptional characterization and storytelling.

2 Bone Compendium

Bone by Jeff Smith

One of many different covers for various Bone compendiums that (deservedly) always seem to be out of print, this Bone cover is a perfect encapsulation of the myriad moods of the entire series. Bone combines comic strips with comic books, humor with gloom, grounded fantasy with high fantasy, and personal stakes on a grand scale.

This cover by Jeff Smith shows the mix of things in Bone very well, all beautifully framed between the sheets. Bone is one of the best comics of all time, and compendiums are relatively easy to come by, although the cover art can vary. Still, there is no such thing as a bad Bone cover, and no matter which one you get, it’s worth the price of admission.

1 Secret Wars #1

Secret Wars No. 1 by Jim Shooter, Mike Zeck, John Beatty, Christie Scheele and Joe Rosen

Secret Wars is probably the most popular and iconic crossover event of all time, and it comes from a time when this kind of thing didn’t happen all the time. Captain America didn’t know much about Wolverine, almost no one knew who Spider-Man was, and Tony Stark wasn’t Iron Man.

This cover features art by Mike Zeck, John Beatty, and Christie Scheele, and introduces all of the heroes featured in the book. It’s special to see all of these characters in such a strange and disturbing situation while many of them are still getting to know each other, giving us possibly the best crossover event in comic book history.