We recently revealed Jim Steranko's dynamic illustration of Batman for the cover of The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide #47. Did you know it’s only the latest in a long line of fantastic covers by top name talent to feature Bruce Wayne’s alter ego on the Guide? The cast of creators ranges from Joker and Robin creator Jerry Robinson and Silver Age legend Murphy Anderson to acclaimed painter Mark Chiarello and Grendel creator Matt Wagner.
In last week’s Scoop, Guide author and Publisher Robert M. Overstreet and Vice-President of Publishing J.C. Vaughn began a quick tour through this part of Batman’s history and ours...
CBPG #31 - Just one of the many Guide covers produced by the legendary Murphy Anderson, and one of the most popular over the years. This one is a faithful recreation of Bob Kane’s cover to Detective Comics #31. The original image that has inspired many new interpretations over the years, ranging from Neal Adams’ cover for Batman #227 and Matt Wagner’s cover for Batman and the Mad Monk #1.
CBPG #36 - Jim Lee’s striking Batman image on the cover of the Random House edition of The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide #36 has the distinction of being the only time in the history of the Guide that the resolution of the image used to print was too low, producing a slightly (but still appallingly) pixilated image. The version we produced for our oversized, spiralbound edition (The Big, Big Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide #36) looked just fine, and that’s how we like to remember that one.
CBPG #40 - Evoking both style and comic book history in addition to the usual elements associated with the Dark Knight Detective, Mark Chiarello’s cover immediately saw its influence felt in covers of contemporary comics. The elements of the scattered comic book issues, the Joker marquee on which Batman’s perched, and the color choices resonated with fans, dealers and Chiarello’s fellow artists.
Like the artist himself, Chiarello's work set a standard for many of the Overstreet covers that would follow.
-Robert M. Overstreet & J.C. Vaughn
Artist Jim Steranko's take on Batman is featured on the cover of The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide #47, which is a Featured Item in the April 2017 issue of PREVIEWS from Diamond Comic Distributors. You can find it on Page 361 in that issue or on PREVIEWSworld.com.
