Thursday, September 23, 2010

The Top 5 Martian Manhunter Covers of the 1970s

5) Justice League of America #115 (February, 1975)

Okay, this cover sucks. It’s from when DC thought crappy little boxes of original art plus reprint images and an excess of negative space in between at an inflated price was a good way to move units. Even under those terms, it’s a lousy Martian Manhunter cover, with our boy the furthest back figure to the far right. Welcome to J’onn J’onzz’s “Not-Me” Decade depths.

4) DC 100-Page Super Spectacular #6: World's Greatest Super-Heroes! (1971)

When the Atom claims a better position than yourself on a group cover, you need to fire your agent. It’s nice that J’onn gets drawn by Neal Adams, but he’s in old-timey mode. Plus, J’onn is in shadow and mostly hidden behind the book’s title.

3) Superman #252/DC 100-Page Super Spectacular #13 (June, 1972)


J'onn J'onzz doesn't appear in any stories within, but I guess he qualified as one of "The World's Greatest Flying Heroes!" It’s a good thing the Manhunter from Mars got past that levitation thing. That way, he got to appear on one of Neal Adam’s most iconic (wraparound!) covers as “that naked green guy in the back I don’t know.”


2) World's Finest Comics #245 (July, 1977)

Still Adams, still half-naked, and still in the background. However, them’s evil Martians Superman and Batman are fighting, on Mars II, in the concluding chapter of the O’Neil/Nasser Manhunter from Mars serial (not actually intimately involving O’Neil, Nasser, or even J’onn J’onzz in an essential role.) For the full story, read "Today Mars, Tomorrow... The Universe"

1) World's Finest Comics #212 (June, 1972)

Again, there’s another ‘70s top cover list at my Power of the Atom blog where there are nine weak sauce Tiny Titan pieces and one from among the best of all time. “Not only are you human, Superman—but I’ve made you BLEED!” They even added blood red lettering there at the end, God bless ‘em. Note the Marvel-style Martian Manhunter corner box figure, #1 in a series of one. For the full story, read "...And So My World Begins!"

More of Today's 1970s-tastic Cover Countdowns!

3 comments:

LissBirds said...

This kinda makes up for number 4.

The guy in the blue cape is more naked and I have no clue who he is. Jaybird?

I have no idea what's going on in World's Finest #212 (Superman turns human?), but shouldn't J'onn be able to make Superman bleed even if he's Kryptonian? That's a pretty boss coloring job in addition to some nice art, might I add.

Diabolu Frank said...

I don't get the This.

That would be the Golden Age Black Condor.

I just edited in links to two story synopsizes, but the short version is that Vonn had a red sun.

Diabolu Frank said...

Oh wait-- Batman. Gotcha.