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.

The 1950s almost murdered our heroes – especially those of the “super” variety. EC Comics had won the imaginations of Cold War American kids, and crime and horror ruled the newsstands. How were comic book editors like Stan Lee going to compete?

Well, by fighting fire with fire. It was a time before the Comics Code, after all.

Thus, we have the striking – though very disturbing – cover for Astonishing #8. The main image on the cover, as provocative as it is, finds comics legend Russ Heath brutally showcasing cartoonist Al Hartley’s tragic tale of horror, “Behind the Wall!” Signed by Heath, whose great attention to detail must have made both him and Lee proud of his work, this dark reflection of supernatural murder most foul was released to young readers in January 1952 by Marvel’s publishing predecessor, Atlas. The story finds a man killing his brother-in-law in cold blood, hiding himself and the body in a basement well from his wife and the town sheriff, only to discover too late that the said wife and constable were going to surprise him by capping the well as a birthday present – so he wouldn’t have to!

The joke’s on him, huh? But the joke would also be on those collectors who find this important chapter in comics storytelling and chose not to add it to their treasure troves. I mean, come on…it’s a killer cover, right? Literally.

-Scott Braden