We made it boys and girls. To kick off our top 5, here is this incredible cover from Todd McFarlane, which features a feral looking Wolverine confronting the Hulk. Most artists would have placed the two heroes head on against each other in one image, but in a stroke of genius, McFarlane only shows the Hulk in the reflection of Wolverine's adamantium claws. The two characters have been rivals ever since Logan first appeared in an issue of the Incredible Hulk, but it's hard to think of an image featuring the two of them that is more visceral and visually exciting.
4. Uncanny X-Men #135 (John Byrne)
John Byrne's cover art for the Dark Phoenix Saga has featured heavily in this list and for good reason. Many of these images can easily be counted among the most iconic moments in the history of the X-Men and Byrne was hitting it out the park with every issue. Here, the Dark Phoenix has become so powerful that she can even crush the logo of the actual cover, to the extent where it remains damaged for the next issue too, as previously mentioned earlier in 31st place. Jean's face is bordering on demonic here and you can truly believe that she has destroyed the people she loves most.
3. Amazing Fantasy #15 (Jack Kirby)
It's hard to imagine now, but when Stan Lee first created Spider-Man, he was taking a huge risk, as no one could have anticipated the phenomenal success of a character based on a typically reviled creature like a spider. What's even more surprising is that this now legendary cover was not the one originally planned for publication. Originally, Steve Ditko both penciled and inked the artwork and although he would go on to be the main artist for the Amazing Spider-Man series, Stan Lee called Jack Kirby in at the last minute to redo the cover which you now see before you. Luckily, this version is far better and Ditko went on to produce many of his own iconic covers, some of which have already featured on this list previously.
2. Uncanny X-Men #141 (John Byrne)
Even before the success of the recent movie, the "Days of Future Past" story line was universally heralded as a classic among fans of the X-Men. Without any need for detailed exposition, this cover perfectly summarizes the entire concept in one unforgettable image. Older versions of Wolverine and Kitty Pryde stand before a poster that shows that the rest of the X-Men are either dead or in custody, but the reader still doesn't know how this has happened or who is shining a light on the two survivors. Interest in this comic has increased tenfold in recent months, but ignore the hype and seek this issue out purely for it's incredible writing and artwork.
1. Silver Surfer #4 (John Buscema)
There's nothing that comic book fans enjoy more than watching their favorite super heroes slugging it out for whatever reason the writers can come up with next, yet rarely do we see such huge powerhouses face off against one another quite like this. Thor and the Silver Surfer are two of the most powerful characters in the Marvel Universe and seeing them prepare for battle on such a huge scale is classic comic book illustrating at its best. The concept of this cover is simple, yet the dynamic way that each character is drawn creates a huge sense of anticipation. You can barely imagine the force their collision will make as Thor's hammer Mjolnir meets the Silver Surfers outstretched grasp and the background setting of Asgard heightens the other-worldly feel of this cover. Other issues included on this list may be more unique or even more iconic, but for sheer excitement, no other comic featured here quite matches this cover. Which Marvel covers deserved their place in the top 60 and which ones didn't? What other issues could have been included in the 60 greatest ever Marvel comic book covers? Remember to let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
David is a primary school teacher who tries his best to turn every math lesson into a discussion on the latest Pixar film. Passions include superheroes, zombies and Studio Ghibli. In between going to the cinema, moving to South Korea and eating his body weight in KFC, David writes for a number of movie sites, http://becarefulyourhand.blogspot.co.uk/
