Speaking of classic issues, the first appearance of Captain America in 1941 is obviously one of the most important comics of all time and while the cover may seem somewhat cluttered, it doesn't get much more iconic than a star-spangled hero beating the crap out of Hitler. This artwork also has historical importance as it tells us a great deal about the mindset of America during the Second World War. If only Bucky hadn't popped up saluting the reader on the bottom of the cover. The Winter Soldier must look back on this picture and cringe...
24. Uncanny X-Men #142 (John Byrne)
X-Men: Days of Future Past has performed phenomenally well at the box office worldwide and the original source material is considered to be one of the most important X-Men story lines of all time. Surprisingly, the plot itself only ran for two issues, but the cover to this second part is one of Byrne's best. For once, the dramatic tagline in the bottom right isn't actually hyperbole. Everyone really does die, and the central image of Wolverine being incinerated by a sentinel is an extremely powerful piece of comic book art which actually reflects the story inside for once.
23. Amazing Spider-Man #121 (John Romita Snr)
Again, here we have a classic Marvel cover that reveals someone will die within the issue and for once, the cover artist is not exaggerating. Rather than simply highlight Gwen as the victim, John Romita Snr decides to lure readers in by keeping readers guessing as to who will meet their demise out of Spidey's large supporting cast. In case you're wondering, don't worry loyal readers; this will be the last Marvel cover included on this list that features this pivotal Spider-Man story line in some way!
22. Avengers #16 (Jack Kirby)
Marvel took a gamble in this issue, replacing all the founding members of the Avengers with a new line-up, including Hawkeye and two former super villains, Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch. Captain America rallies the team together with the famous battle cry "Avengers Assemble!" in an iconic pose that has been replicated by other artists many times since. The pictures of various heroes and villains behind Cap is a little bit clunky, but it works in the context of the cover and it's hard to deny how iconic this pivotal issue is.
21. Captain America #25 (Ed McGuiness)
While the concept of death no longer holds much meaning in the Marvel Universe, occasionally, one of the big guns is taken down and although readers know that this will one day be reversed, such an event can still have some impact if handled right. The death of Captain America during the Civil War crossover event was a huge deal at the time and the sight of Caps fingers outstretched and covered in blood just says it all. The newspaper background is a genius choice and it's always effective when cover artists find a way to integrate the title into the actual artwork. Despite being one of the most recent covers included on this list, this issues artwork is also one of the most memorable.
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/
