Curt Swan shows once again why he was the definitive Superman artist for so many years, bringing his unique playfulness into the Superman mythos with the emergence of Jimmy Olsen's alter-ego; a gigantic turtle creature. Though it's very quaint by today's standards, it stands as one of the most famous Superman covers of all time and continues to showcase how these characters can be seen in numerous different ways.
44. Countdown To Infinite Crisis (Jim Lee)
As the prelude to Infinite Crisis, this one-shot packs a lot of impact in its 80 pages. Despite the shocking interiors, it's the cover that really stands out as a masterwork of comic book art. The combination of Jim Lee's pencils with paints by Alex Ross and the harrowing image of Batman holding Blue Beetle's corpse, it's pretty intense stuff.
43. Adventure Comics #247 (Curt Swan)
A landmark cover for an equally historic issue; the very first appearance of the Legion of Super-Heroes, characters that would go on to define their own rich mythology for decades to come. This classic cover has been replicated many times since then, and it's one that continues to stand the test of time. Drawn by Curt Swan, our introduction to the Legion couldn't have been handled any better than this.
42. All-American Comics #16 (Sheldon Moldoff)
Before the Green Lantern Corps, before Hal Jordan, there was only one; Alan Scott. This dashingly heroic cover introduced everyone to the concept of a man and his power ring, perfectly drawn by Sheldon Moldoff. It's a wonderfully colorful image, sparkling with life and imagination that speaks to the powerful simplicity that comics can have. There's something to be said about how uncomplicated Green Lantern was at this time, something it could have learned from later.
41. House Of Secrets #92 (Bernie Wrightson)
Bernie Wrightson's beautiful and delightfully scary pencils work wonders here, creating an ominous first appearance for Swamp Thing in House of Secrets #92. It was the launching pad for one of the most underrated characters in the entire DC Comics universe, and Wrightson's lovely art was right at home with Swampy. When compared with Len Wein's fabulous writing, this cover is just the beginning of a fantastic comic book.
