COVER STORY: Shogun Warriors #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.

When you look closely at legendary comic creator Herb Trimpe’s work, the Marvel Comics mainstay was quite dramatic without being spectacular.. Many Marvel Zombies may take umbrage at that statement, but I follow it up with this: In more than four decades of comics collecting, Trimpe’s work continued to rise to the top of the pile. And his Herculean effort to bring Japanese super-robots to Western audiences is just another reason why he earned his ranking as “comic book legend.”

Sure, with fans today and their Transformers and Saban’s Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers Megazords, one would think a comic book with giant robots leads into instant sales success. But this was late 1978, and the idea – although colossal, literally – was also a little preposterous. Until you saw Trimpe’s cover for Shogun Warriors #1, and you immediately bought it. Hook, line, and sinker.

The sheer vastness of it. The size and scope of the robots. Sure, you only saw Raydeen on the cover, but Combatra and Danguard Ace were still there . . . waiting in the wings to take on all comers. Robot and Kaiju alike. And, Trimpe made you consider what was yet to come with a single, massive image. He single-handedly made collectors want to buy the toys and the next issue of the mag. And the next one. And the next one.

The House of Ideas knew what they were doing by licensing the “Invincible Guardians of World Freedom,” as the fighting giant robots were proclaimed by their tagline, and the top-selling publisher also knew that Trimpe was the man to bring those new kind of heroes to four-color life. Comics grandmaster George Pérez even took his lead when creating the cover to Avengers #198 two years later – a book starring another “marvelous” super-robot by the name of Red Ronan. Search that one out, too.

Still affordable, Marvel’s must-have Shogun Warriors #1 is one collectible that stands up today. Like the mighty giant, it is!

–Scott Braden