What makes the best comic book covers? It is a great topic for debate. For us, as individuals, there is no wrong answer, of course; it is purely subjective. But, with a little thought it’s possible to explain what it is about a particular image that grabs you. The best images are the ones that make you stop and check out something you weren’t previously planning to purchase – and in some cases, you even end up picking up a title you’ve never even heard of before.

Released in 2003, the second attempt at Avengers/JLA (and/or JLA/Avengers, as the long-awaited limited series was intermittently called during publication) was literally decades in the making.

Produced by the top selling Avengers creative team of Kurt Busiek and George Pérez, it was also certainly well worth the wait. Especially when it came to the cover of the fourth prestige format issue, which, besides being published by DC Comics like the second issue (the first and third parts were published by Marvel), also featured Superman himself, armed with the mystic hammer and battered shield of the fallen Thor and Captain America, respectively.

As a bonus, the story within touches on this army of heroes’ every iteration imagined over their long comic book careers – making the epic event feel like some fantastical untold tale made real.

Of course, aren’t they all?

- Scott Braden