Shane's 10 Favorite Wildstorm Covers!

I have been challenged by my very good friend, John Popa, to share my 10 Favorite Covers from Wildstorm Comics! Normally these challenges aren't much of a challenge, they're more of a fun excuse to look through old comics! But the Wildstorm challenge is a little different since Wildstorm was a company. I got to look through the companies entire range of comics to come up with my favorites! Still fun but a bit more work!

Wildstorm was Jim Lee's corner of the Image Comics company! Rob Liefeld had Extreme Studios, Marc Silvestri had Top Cow and so on. Jim Lee started with WildC.A.T.s and quickly expanded to Stormwatch, Deathblow and more!

I tried not to focus on Jim Lee but being his playground, he drew a ton of the covers! So only half my list is Jim Lee! I also tried to stay away from First Issues as much as I could. They're easy to love since they are extra dynamic and created to generate interest in a brand new title. 

Speaking of avoiding covers created to generate interest, I'm going to point out that I didn't choose any of While Portacio's variant covers that were created to form one giant pin-up! These were largely first issues and a few others that happned to be coming out at the time. Team 7, WildC.A.T.s, Stormwatch, Gen 13, Kindred, Deathblow, Union and Wetworks! This was the original backbone of the Wildstorm Universe and I honestly believe some of Whilce's best work! But there is just no way to pick one of these covers and exclude the others.

#10! Deathblow issue 11 by Jim Lee! This bad boy is a wrap around cover that showcases Deathblow with his Team 7 buddies, Grifter, Dane and Backlash (each stars of their own series!)! So, Deathblow and 4 other superstars standing around looking tough and loaded for bear. Drawn by Jim Lee. Yeah, that about covers it.

 

#9! WildC.A.T.s issue 5 by Jim Lee! This cover features Zealot and Grifter on the cover with the other team members standing around behind them. Very dramatic and cool! This was actually the first issue of the ongoing series after the original, 4 issue mini-series. Instead of another issue 1, Jim Lee decided to keep the momentum going with issue 5! 

 

 #8! Gen 13 issue 8 by J. Scott Campbell! Gen 13 and J. Scott Campbell were bound to make the list, there's no way around that! This might not be the overly dynamic cover Campbell is known for but maybe that's why I like it! The purple background is vivid but also highlights Caitlyn Fairchild who adds a little more color to it all. 

 

 #7! Wetworks issue 5 by Whilce Portacio! Another cover with exciting colors, which is good since Wildstorm was known for (and eventually bought by DC Comics for) their exceptional color work! Whilce can draw as dramatic a cover as anyone but this one really showcases Dane's shiny, gold symbiote with the reflection of Grifter in it! 

 

#6! Backlash issue 18 by Brett Booth! Colors again! This time in addition to the super dynamic artwork of Battalion attacking Backlash! On his own cover! Seriously, I'm not sure that 2 figures fighting could be more ready to jump off the cover and the colors make it explosive!  

 

 #5! Stormwatch issue 22 by Barry Windsor-Smith! Helspont is a crazy, creepy looking villain and Barry Windsor-Smith couldn't have made that any more obvious here! The, ahem!, colors definitley bring this one to life, too! 

 

#4! Deathblow issue 0 by Jim Lee! It might not seem as obvious but color plays a big part on this one. This image of Deathblow, standing with a dead hand grasping onto him has always been a favorite of mine! Come on, this cover is tough!

 

 #3! Stormwatch issue 1 by Jim Lee! Honestly, as far as Wildstorm first issues, this one always stands out in my mind. There is a certain roughness to it that just reminds me that this was early Image comics and they were figuring it out as they went. They still did it and got a lot right but they didn't let not having all the answers stop them!

 

 #2! Team 7 issue 1 by Aaron Wiesenfeld! It's no secret that I love Team 7 but I dare anyone who knows the book not to picture this cover when they think of the series! The detail and intensity are off the charts, not to mention the ferocity! And those colors aren't bad either!

 

#1! Deathblow issue 2 by Jim Lee! This is one of my favorite covers of all time and took no thinking or planning! The colors! The American Flag! The intense figure pointing a gun at you! Jim Lee! This one has it all! 

 

 And that brings us to, Honorable Mention. Both of these covers were Marvel/Wildstorm crossovers, so I guess they're only half Wildstorm. They're also both really orange and I'm not sure why! 

Team X / Team 7 is by Steve Epting and just a great looking movie poster of a cover! 

Deathblow and Wolverine is by Aaron Wiesenfeld and another cover that I can never get enough of! It's technically the collected edition of issues 1 and 2.

Popa's 10 Favorite THOR Covers

As I've become the Cranboyz resident THOR GUY, I dug through the classic series and picked my 10 favorite covers.

Obviously, The King himself - Jack Kirby - makes up the majority of the list but Walt Simonson and Ron Frenz are present and accounted for too.

What makes a great Thor cover?  SHEER AWESOMENESS.  Thor stories don't have to be subtle or nuanced.  There's a massive threat and Thor is going to pummel it.  He's not especially angst-ridden, after all, he's the God of Damn Thunder!

This is all from the initial series, I know Thor's been relaunched a few times but I didn't keep up with all that.  I HAVE read the tremendous run where Jane Foster becomes Thor but, well, that's all part of a post for another day!

As usual, this is my favorite stuff, which may not always be the most common or historic stuff.

Without further adieu....

10.  JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY #83 - Jack Kirby

It all began right here, my friends!!

9. THOR 148 - Jack Kirby

Bad ass bad guy The Wrecker got his start giving Thor a hard time - just like he does here.  The God of Thunder trembles beneath the fury of the Wrecker and his crowbar!

8. THOR 429 - Ron Frenz

Whenever Thor and Juggernaut tussle the world should freakin' SHAKE.  Oh, and Ghost Rider was in this issue too.  It's all a boy could hope for, assuming that boy was me.  

7. THOR 126 - Jack Kirby

There's barely room for Thor and Hercules on this cover either!!  Fights with Thor take up the entire cover!! Why are Thor and Herc at each other's throats?  I HAVE NO IDEA.

6. THOR 363 - Walt Simonson

KURSE, baby.  The best thing to come out of Secret Wars II that wasn't The Beyonder's fashion was KURSE.  Unstoppable and probably the coolest looking costume in comics, Kruse was immediately a threat to Thor's dominance.  There's a new Kurse that's a lady person and her first appearance was drawn by Steve Epting, which automatically makes her awesome.  (Honestly, that story was pretty great too.)  

5. THOR 409 - Ron Frenz

You know what makes any comic cover better?  DR. DOOM.  He's been a thorn in everyone's side for as long as the Marvel Universe has been around.  

4. THOR 171 - Jack Kirby

The Wrecker's back and Thor's in big trouble again!!   

3. THOR 150 - Jack Kirby

Hela makes her first appearance and it's a doozy.  Did she kill Thor?  I hope not!  Otherwise, who's going to be in the next issue?  

2. THOR 359

A cover so cool I had Craig Rousseau do a recreation of it for my collection.  It's got it all - Thor defeated, Loki triumphant, the always bewitching Lorelei.  Pure comics heaven, right here my friends! 

1. THOR 157 - Jack Kirby

I mean, come on, this is just freakin' awesome.  Even the colors are awesome.  And RAGNAROK!  Any Thor comic that talks about Ragnarok kicks ass.

HONORABLE MENTIONS.

I know this was stuff from the original series but the aforementioned Steve Epting did some really cool covers for the more recent Thor comics a couple years ago.

And getting away from the Thor title entirely - this classic Silver Surfer cover has been making fans' collective heads' spin with excitement for like 40 years.  That's what happens when John Buscema draws you.