COVER STORY: Dazzler #1

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.

Comics by committee? It’s not an unusual thing, but nothing has really stood out from these comic book creations like Marvel’s Dazzler.

Bridging the 1970s excitement in Marvel comics with the wave of talent and creativity found ahead of it in the Reaganesque ‘80s,  Dazzler #1 (March 1981) was the first-ever direct market exclusive. That and the fact that its creative team featured future Marvel Editor in Chief Tom DeFalco at the helm made it a comic worth trying out and adding to collections the world over.

With all those great things going for it, the debut of Dazzler’s real worth was its spectacular cover by the brilliant illustrator Bob Larkin. Fans can see his work in a wealth of Marvel Magazines published in the ‘70s and ‘80s, as well as some of the finer Fireside Books releases. With this masterful frontispiece, Mr. Larkin has created a work to treasure throughout the Copper Age of comic-dom and beyond, and is comic book gold for all who dig its collectible groove. Pick it up for yourself in high grade and see.

-Scott Braden