dmstarz

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1.8 stars

Average score of 175 user reviews

dmstarz's favourite marvel comic cover no172 0

Like most Marvel heroes, DD was not immune to the overt garishness of 90s Marvel covers. However, with the Fall from Grace storyline from 1994, some covers showed an admirable amount of restraint (even if Daredevil's costume was frankly horrible). This is a nice use of a single image, Elektra's sai, buried deep in the ground, emulating a cross, blood flowing from it and our hero reflected in the blade. Simply done and effective in standing out from all the annoying action covers of the 90s.I ...

0 out of 0 found this review helpful.

dmstarz's favourite marvel comic cover no175 0

Okay, was it just me or was Fantomex a really difficult character to get your head round? From what I can remember, his central nervous system was located outside his body and he was part of the Weapon X programme. It was just all very confusing. Still, how could you best represent this character? Well, I think Chris Bachalo nailed it. Playing on his ethereal nature, the above cover has him apparently appearing mystically before the reader in a beautifully clear portrait. In a run of covers feat...

0 out of 1 found this review helpful.

dmstarz's favourite marvel comic cover no176 0

Coming to the end of Frank Miller's stunning run on the book and DD has gone through the mill (to put it mildly). Miller and Janson have been knocking it out of the park not only in terms of story telling but with great cover after great cover as well. Whilst other covers around this time seemed to focus on Matt as being in danger of nervous breakdown, here we have one where the guy is ready and focussed on fighting hard against, presumably, the Hand. Though when you see the number of arrows fly...

0 out of 0 found this review helpful.

dmstarz's favourite marvel comic cover no178 0

There were few comics more fun in the early 80s than Power Man/Iron Fist. Using the clash between personalities of the two main characters, who proved the idiom opposites attract, the book outlined frequently outlandish scenarios for the two heroes, producing an idiosyncratic book outlike any other that Marvel was putting out at the time. The above cover, by Frank Miller, of all people, gives as good an indication of the sense of silliness at which the title excelled. I have no idea who the guy ...

0 out of 0 found this review helpful.

dmstarz's favourite marvel comic cover no179 0

Tim Bradstreet's a terrific artist, his very stylised photo realistic covers very much a trademark. Alas, a little like Adi Granov, his covers sometimes seem a little repetitive. As such, none of his myriad portraits of shadow eyed Frank Castle make the list, as technically good as they all are. Two other Punisher covers, nos 52 (a group of soldiers) and 53 (very, very abstract and bold) nearly made the top 250 (check those other covers out on Comic Vine). However, outside of the Kingpin, it's q...

0 out of 0 found this review helpful.

dmstarz's favourite marvel comic cover no181 0

Bill Sienkiewicz turns up in the most peculiar places. Using him with Moon Knight or Elektra seems an apt fit, but New Mutants was quite an odd move, whilst Dazzler??? What did the kitsch roller disco queen do to deserve such a cool cover artist? Must have been in someone's good books, though to be fair, he was on the book quite a while, especially before he really went into his more experimental phase. Still, I adore the concept of this cover, particularly as I am a huge music fan, so the idea ...

0 out of 0 found this review helpful.

dmstarz's favourite marvel comic cover no182 1

Time for a golden oldie featuring one of Daredevil's first foes, Stilt-man. Classic artist Wally Wood, I believe produced this image and I love the sense of perspective on the cover. The long metal legs reaching up into the sky with the small body atop and Daredevil falling, falling. Today, Stilt-man seems a bit inane but back then, this cover was obviously so well regarded that Daredevil 48, drawn by DD regular, Gene Colan, basically copied the concept for an equally stunning cover. But Wally g...

1 out of 1 found this review helpful.

dmstarz's favourite marvel comic cover no183 0

What happened to Marvel in the 90s? The company loomed close to bankruptcy and the covers of the comic book seemed somewhat one dimensional - big, garish, indistinct. Occasionally, though, the garish style worked and this is one cover that I like. Mike Miller is the penciller here producing the image, but I'm going to stick my neck out and say that the work of Saleem Crawford as inker and Gina Going as colourer really helps the picture stand out. I love the way the curves on Ororo's body shine, ...

0 out of 0 found this review helpful.

dmstarz's favourite marvel comic cover no184 0

Okay, this is contraversial. In 1979, Bob Layton produced a very famous image for Iron Man 128, which showed a desperate Tony Stark in front of a mirror with a bottle of whiskey, glass on its side. Stark has broken out in a cold sweat and is unshaven. It was a very brave cover for its time. Don't get me wrong - it made the shortlist from which I composed my top 250, but didn't make the cut. Why? In the end, I just couldn't bring myself to like Layton's take on Stark. It just looked odd. I someho...

0 out of 0 found this review helpful.

dmstarz's favourite marvel comic cover no186 0

I think this is a very bold idea for a cover - but maybe that's partly because I'm a father myself. Often the dialemmas our superhero friends confront in comics are surreal or just so darned big so that they truly do not have an emotional resonance with us. But a decision to lead a comic, aimed more at younger Marvel readers, with the image of a young girl falling from a huge bridge? That should cause a few gasps from the readership. The vulnerability of the girl, the shock of the parents... all...

0 out of 0 found this review helpful.

dmstarz's favourite marvel comic cover no187 0

Straight up portraits of the Marvel icons are difficult to get right or to stand out from the crowd. How many poses of Spider-man swinging or Hulk growling or Thor provoking lightning have you seen? Often Cap's cover appearances concentrate on the character's upright-ness, the patriotism, the square jaw, chest out, America uber alles. So when Mike Zeck and John Beatty came up with a cover perhaps more in line with a Spidey image, they came up with a winner. Cap's positively brooding over the cit...

0 out of 0 found this review helpful.

dmstarz's favourite marvel comic cover no188 0

When you have a character called Multiple Man, it's a pretty obvious conceit to have loads of the guy on the cover at once. The excellent Pablo Raimondi, (so good on this book and its predecessor, Madrox) though, has crafted a superlative cover by making Jamie go all fascist on us. The result is striking and dynamic. Plus, great use of differing shades of green to heighten the menace. I have ranked this cover no 188 as part of a long term project I am producing on my own blog 'marvel-ous' on blo...

1 out of 1 found this review helpful.

dmstarz's favourite marvel comic cover no189 0

Don't know much about Marvel Fanfare - I think it was a kind of showcase for writers, artists and secondary characters (although big names like Spidey still appear too). Nice to see the Warriors Three getting some love and the artist here, Charles Vess, of whom I shamefully know nothing, captures their spirit beautifully with a gorgeously ornate and faux distinguished piece. Not sure what the little bubble with Volstagg walking the dog is all about though. All in all, a nicely constructed pictur...

0 out of 0 found this review helpful.

dmstarz's favourite marvel comic cover no190 0

I like the idea of this cover - Cap being somehow aged to be somewhat close to the age he would actually be had he not been frozen in suspended animation. I love the vulnerability of the image, the legs looking next to useless, the costume, usually as per every superhero so skintight, loose on the body, the shield discarded. The speech bubble seems to emphasise the pathos of the situation. The responsible artists are Bob Budiansky and Tom Mandrake. Strange little bonus is the star and stripes ba...

0 out of 0 found this review helpful.

dmstarz's favourite marvel comic cover no192 2

I can't have been the only one surprised with the all new, all dancing Avengers was announced, that there was only one female in the line out. And Spider-woman at that? Not just Spider-woman, but the original, gathering dust in the attic marked 'redundant', Spider-woman. But give Bendis his due, he quickly made her a compelling character. Many of the New Avengers group covers rely on peculiar, more original takes and angles, but for issue seven, David Finch goes for a more mundane line up - but ...

0 out of 1 found this review helpful.

dmstarz's favourite marvel comic cover no195 0

It's very simple to produce a cliched image of Storm. Just draw a picture of her high in the sky calling down lightning. Job done. In spite of this, Salvador Larocca has produced a compelling image. Firstly the reader is looking at her as if a bystander on the streets below, looking up at this extraordinary individual that Larocca has convincingly floating in the air. Secondly the brightness of the lightning that is the backdrop is both dramatic and almost blinding. Thirdly Ororo herself is part...

0 out of 0 found this review helpful.

dmstarz's favourite marvel comic cover no197 0

There have been a number of artists who have done the hero bleeding into the background thing. Some covers are more successful than others and this Spider-woman cover works really well. First off, there's the lack of clarity regarding Jess's form against what's going on behind her. This is heightened by the morning stars spinning past her, creating a nice symmetry. The villians (Hydra?) are also nicely represented here - shadowy figures with green eyes. And finally the use of black ladders and s...

0 out of 0 found this review helpful.

dmstarz's favourite marvel comic cover no199 0

Not having ever read Marvel Comics Present, I am afraid to say that I have no idea who (one) the kid is and (two) the guy standing before him is but, boy, what a juxtaposition. The artist (Sam Kieth, I think) has put a wonderful expression on the young lad's face. He's sort of surprised, kind of worried but also somehow nonchalant at the same time. Whilst his opponent's character is fully expressed merely through the profile of a leg and hand. We know this guy's bad news (and possibly has appall...

0 out of 0 found this review helpful.

dmstarz's favourite marvel comic cover no200 0

Nice concept for a cover. Some nebulous big black spot appears to be attacking She Hulk - in terms of bad guys, it's right up there with the white bubbles from The Prisoner. Despite this, John Byrne has crafted a compelling cover - super strong Shulkie is dwarfed by the huge black globe and seems unable to prevent herself being sucked into it. You get the sense she's gone out for a run in the desert when she was assaulted. At least that's how I'm interpreting it. So there's actually quite a lot ...

0 out of 0 found this review helpful.

dmstarz's favourite marvel comic cover no201 0

The marvellous Skottie Young strikes again. This incarnation of the New Warriors only lasted six issues, but with Young on board, you were guaranteed six terrific, idiosyncratic, funny covers. This is one of the best, Speedball seemingly caught out in the midst of genuii (is that the plural of genius?). I love the expressions on Freud and Einstein's faces, but it's Virginia Woolf's raised eyebrow that's the killer moment on this brilliant cover. Anyone know if that's Socrates blocked by the barc...

0 out of 0 found this review helpful.

dmstarz's favourite marvel comic cover no202 1

Perhaps out of all the long running Marvel comic books, I was surprised that so few Thor covers have made my list. Sorry, Thor fans, but this is the top ranking cover of all in my opinion for the God of Thunder. Too many generic covers, for my taste. Still, when you need a good cover with a bid of an edge and it's 1983, who you gonna call? Only Bill Sienkiewicz, that's who. Nice to see Bill bring a Moon Knight sensibility to this cover - Thor in shadow looking threatened, lots of fog and a sense...

0 out of 0 found this review helpful.

dmstarz's favourite marvel comic cover no205 0

The short lived but ace animated series, X-Men Evolution, produced an also short-lived comic book series with very similar looking artwork - I'm not certain if it's the same guys painting the book that did the cartoon but, if not, kudos for getting it bang on (the artists are listed on Comic Vine as Long Vo and Udon, who both seem to have a manga vibe going on). The art is lovely, clean, super cartoony. I particularly loved 'Goth' Rogue and she's well represented here with purple lipstick, maybe...

0 out of 0 found this review helpful.

dmstarz's favourite marvel comic cover no207 1

The amazing detailed, idiosyncratic artwork of Frank Quitely. That's all you need to know really, isn't it? But there are things going on here that really help this cover stand out from the crowd. Group shots are ten a penny, we've said it before. Morrison, though, was doing something new and brave with one of the oldest teams on the block. First he dispensed with costumes and replaced them with uniforms - the big yellow 'x's are what really stand out here. He bared down the team to its bare ess...

2 out of 2 found this review helpful.

dmstarz's favourite marvel comic cover no208 0

The great Bill Sienkiewicz strikes again. All Bill's covers for this series were fun, No2 playing particularly on the age of the character. I like this best, though. A deceptively simple piece of work from the king of impressionistic comic book covers, great use of white and grey to simply signify a mass graveyard (I presume illustrating the war dead). Great example of less being more. I have ranked this cover no 208 as part of a long term project I am producing on my own blog 'marvel-ous' on bl...

0 out of 1 found this review helpful.

dmstarz's favourite marvel comic cover no210 0

Again Greg Horn strays from what he's best known for... and comes up with a cracker of a cover. Pre-empting the horrendous run of skrull crazy covers that Marvel have already solicited for this summer, Ms Marvel is the first to play the green face card. Horn craftily amps up the air of mystery though with the judicious use of the 'shushing' finger and by cleverly concealing her eyes (that are usually blank anyway, but that's besides the point) and comes up with an amusing, intriguing cover. In t...

0 out of 0 found this review helpful.

dmstarz's favourite marvel comic cover no212 0

There are actually a lot of great Storm covers - many on very similar themes (Storm in the midst of lightning/very dramatic weather/heavy rain etc.). So what makes this image stand out? Very simply it's down to Chris Bachalo's very idiosyncratic style. Nobody does characters quite like Bachalo. There's a cartoon sensibility, though not overly exaggerated in the style of, for example, Skottie Young. His women, in particular, often seem quite weirdly skinny and, perhaps refreshingly, they never se...

0 out of 0 found this review helpful.

dmstarz's favourite marvel comic cover no213 0

I love Jo Chen. Pure and simple. Her artwork is always beautifully rendered and she has a clear love of the characters she portrays. If I were to be critical, sometimes her covers lack a little drama or purpose but this one is pretty exceptional. Humourously portraying not only Molly Hayes' superstrength but also telling you a little of her character, particularly her lack of awareness of danger. Doesn't the crunch against the front of truck come across brilliantly? I have ranked this cover no 2...

0 out of 0 found this review helpful.

dmstarz's favourite marvel comic cover no215 0

Some of the best covers are those that seem to accurately reflect the times in which they were produced. And, boy, did Jim Steranko do that on occasion. It's highly recommended, incidentally, to look up the covers for this whole series and to see the diversity of Steranko's work on display, all seeming to pull on the influences of the time, pop art, Liechenstein etc. The above image, of course, has been reproduced and parodied many times. Although he drew on certain influences of the time, Stera...

0 out of 1 found this review helpful.

dmstarz's favourite marvel comic cover no217 0

Sometimes the best artists are those who seem to produce simple, striking images effortlessly. And I think that's the case here with the late Mike Wieringo who has produced a sweet, sentimental image. There's a sense of relief at day's end here, I think. A time to reflect and be grateful to be with one's loved one. It's very tender, human and non-manipulative. And helps emphasize that, for how much we love Spidey's adventures, it's what's going on with Peter Parker that really strikes a chord in...

0 out of 0 found this review helpful.

dmstarz's favourite marvel comic cover no218 0

Now, make sure you're sitting down and keep calm. Why? Because Greg Horn has painted a cover without a scantily clad female! The scandal of it! Of course, Horn has always been a very proficient artist and this is shown to full effect on this very sweet, empathetic cover. I love the fish eye lens style (which Horn uses fairly often). Best of all, though are the rain drops that appear to have actually landed on the book's cover. A stunning riposte to all those who say that Horn is only good at one...

0 out of 0 found this review helpful.

dmstarz's favourite marvel comic cover no220 0

I had only come across Georges Jeanty before in relation to Buffy the Vampire Slayer. So when I saw this, I was kind of surprised to see that it was the same artist. Still the ability to use diverse styles is the sign of a good artist, in my opinion. And isn't this a downright peculiar cover, somewhat sado-masochistic? On the plus side at least it's a woman holding the chain and not the other way round which helps us all live a lot more comfortably with the entire concept. Very weird. I have ran...

0 out of 1 found this review helpful.

dmstarz's favourite marvel comic cover no221 0

Not sure exactly the intention of Chris Claremont and Alan Davis for the early covers for Excalibur, but there definitely seemed to be an intention to focus on the 'zany British' sensibility. Not that I'm complaining. The covers for the most part were very funny. This is one of the best and most surreal. A mundane cleaner deconstructs a typical Marvel comic book cover of the time (and all time, for that) in a very simple, distinctive and probably very brave cover. I love it. PS Bryan Hitch's coh...

0 out of 0 found this review helpful.

dmstarz's favourite marvel comic cover no222 0

Perhaps as a response to the repetitively bland action covers of the mid to late 90s, in the early 2000s, Marvel messed big time with the look of their books. For a run of about 10 or so issues, the Uncanny X-Men carried subtly different logos - a brave move. And the covers became really interesting. One of the most distinctive was the above, which appears, to me at least, to be based around the idea of either sonic waves or an extreme close up of a CD. Whatever, it gets the theme across. I'm no...

0 out of 0 found this review helpful.

dmstarz's favourite marvel comic cover no224 0

It's hard to explain exactly why you really like some covers. They just work. The odd and maybe accidental colour coordination between the Wasp and Cap, the somewhat garish bright blue, the cuteness of the image contrasting Wasp's height with Cap - all these add to the fun. I don't think anyone would seriously contend this as a great image but it's different, even daring in its campness, and so, for me, it stands out. Ron Lim and Paul Adams were responsible for this issue, so I'm guessing they p...

0 out of 1 found this review helpful.

dmstarz's favourite marvel comic cover no225 0

As a rule, I am not a fan of busy, crowded covers. However, for the above, I'll call an exception. Why? Because it's just so freakin' weird. I love the set up of all the heroes clinging to or flying round the superstructure of a skyscraper, initially reminding me of the perils of Harold Lloyd or Laurel & Hardy. Perhaps Stan Lee had just watched one of their movies before he started scripting this book. Kirby has drawn the figures crisply and cleanly, again not like the heavy blotching of his...

0 out of 1 found this review helpful.

dmstarz's favourite marvel comic cover no228 0

Ah, Greg Horn. You either love him or hate him. Personally, I find it difficult to dislike art that looks so accomplished. Others dislike his realism and his, ahem, representation of the female form. Whatever, he still paints cracking covers. (Oddly, though, his recent Secret Invasion images, particularly for the male characters, are a little underwhelming, to these eyes anyway.) This is probably the most iconic image of the series of Elektra covers that he painted - in fact I thought it was the...

0 out of 0 found this review helpful.

New Avengers 39 0

When I read that David Mack was drawing this issue, I was well prepared for his freaky and very pleasing expressionistic work. Boy, was I surprised when he drew this 'straight', so to speak. Don't get me wrong. I wasn't disappointed - even when drawing in traditional comic book mode, he's still one of the best in the business and I loved the bookends of this issue composed of Maya taking her hand away from her face (on page one) and covering it up again (on the last page).Talking of Maya, tha...

0 out of 0 found this review helpful.

New Avengers 38 0

I think Bendis can be a very brave writer at times. He uses a large part of this issue on a dialogue between Luke Cage and Jessica Jones about whether they will stay together or not. It's fairly successful but you couldn't call it action packed. I loved the scene of Luke visiting Jess's old apartment and it stirring up memories for him (possibly of the x-rated scenes from Alias). The actual dialogue between the two was well handled too - we had too very strong, belligerent characters unwilli...

1 out of 1 found this review helpful.

dmstarz's favourite marvel comic covers no229 0

Perhaps more than any other Marvel hero, Thor suffers from cliched image-itis. So easy to draw him, chest puffed out, hammer aloft, looking blond and heroic. As such, very few covers for the son of Odin made my list. However, the above, highlighted on Wizard's Top 100 list, is a great case of a book going against its norm and coming up with a cracking image. I've not read it but the 'Walt Simonson' comment makes me think that this was a fill in issue written for laughs, featuring a battle (for l...

0 out of 0 found this review helpful.

dmstarz's favourite marvel comic cover no230 0

This review relates to Leinil Yu's variant cover.Good group shots are few and far between. They end up either resorting to cliched layouts or become too busy to be compelling. For issue 100 of X-Men, Marvel produced an astonishing eight covers, mostly groupshots. Art Adams produced a very fine cover with plenty of character, but a little too unfocused to make the top 250. However, the amazing Francis Leinil Yu, who was fairly new to Marvel at this point, pulls off here a very distinctive, atypic...

0 out of 1 found this review helpful.