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.

Jack “The King” Kirby may be best known for conjuring the fan-favorite Marvel monstrosity, Fin Fang Foom, but that’s nothing compared to his iconic peer Steve Ditko’s work on Charlton Comics’ adaptation of the movie monster, Gorgo. Written by the late, great Joe Gill, Ditko’s rendition of the beast has him acting, if not like the “King of the Monsters” himself, Godzilla (Gojira in his native Japan), certainly as crown prince. And that is mighty indeed!

According to Craig Yoe in his IDW release, Ditko Monsters: Gorgo!, a total of nine covers of the Gorgo series were drawn by none other than Ditko. One of these, Gorgo #4, brings to life the terrible beast as he fights jets and men in the dark – fearing nothing and conquering all. Produced in November 1961, it wouldn’t be long after that the enigmatic artist would co-create a friendly neighborhood wall-crawler and a master of the mystic arts for a certain marvelous competition. But before then, he was bringing the world to crisis with this Charlton creature feature – which features arguably one of the strongest covers of his career.

A Silver Age treasure, Gorgo #4 is a monster hit for collectors – and a keeper for any comic book collection!

-Scott Braden