COVER STORY: Hanna-Barbera Presents #8

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.

There are, at the very least, three comic book covers of note that are widely copied…I mean, of course, paid homage, too. First, there is Joe Shuster’s iconic Superman #1 cover for DC Comics that all the comic book creators expanding on the ubermensch myth out there just seem to love. Next, there is Steranko’s classic image of Marvel Comics’ Green Goliath against nature itself (in the form of a collapsing mountain) from Incredible Hulk King-Size Special #1. And, beloved by most, there is Jack “The King” Kirby’s cover to Fantastic Four #1 that introduced readers to the Marvel Age of Comics.

Let’s focus on the latter – and why this particular homage to Fantastic Four #1 is so great. Released to the public at large in 1996, Hanna-Barbera Presents #8 reintroduced TV’s Frankenstein, Jr. and The Impossibles to comic-dom from times past, while capturing the imaginations of old and new readers alike. And the cover had the two fantastical four-color brands team-up for the first time on a comic or the small screen alike. With Frankenstein, Jr. taking center stage and playing the role of the Marvel’s Mole Monster, the super-powered threesome that make up The Impossibles are grooving and moving to the gyrations caused by the big gray robot exploding from below – as they replace the first family of comics and their taking a stand against the monstrosity that lies beneath.     

Spanning generations of fans – and most recently seen within the pages of DC’s Future Quest – Frankenstein, Jr. and The Impossibles are true mod heroes that speak to fans regardless of age. This wonderful homage to a Kirby landmark shows its creators’ ability to honor the past, as well as creating new stories that bring its cherished characters very much into the present.  

–Scott Braden