Each friday, well most fridays in 2012, we showcased the best comics covers on the shelves. On this, the last friday of the year, we’re counting down the top 30, featuring some of the best artists in the industry, a few promising newcomers and some fairly atypical artists as well. Some covers offer full, self-contained stories or definitive portraits, while others suggest theme or tone. Some are simply terrific compositions, even thoughtful homages to images from the past. These 30 images are linked only by their excellence and their ability to tantalize. They practically leapt from the shelves.
30. Popeye #1
By Bruce Ozella
29. Avenging Spider-Man #11
By Chris Samnee
28. A-Babies vs. X-Babies #1
By Skottie Young
27. Point of Impact #1
By Koray Kuranel
26. Lobster Johnson: Caput Mortuum #1
By Tonci Zonjic
25. Stumptown vol. 2 #2
By Matthew Southworth
24. Spaceman #7
By Dave Johnson
23. Hulk #53
By Dale Eaglesham
22. Before Watchmen: Minutemen #1
By Darwyn Cooke
21. Men of War #8
By Viktor Kalvachev
20. Mystery in Space #1
By Ryan Sook
19. Baltimore: Dr. Leskovar’s Remedy #1
By Ben Stenbeck
18. Wolverine #310
By Simone Bianchi
17. Uncanny X-Force #30
By Jerome Opeña
16. Exile on the Planet of the Apes #1
By Declan Shalvey
15. Saga #8
By Fiona Staples
14. Adventure Time #8
By Drew Weing
13. The Defenders #10
By Joe Quinones
12. Saga #4
By Fiona Staples
11. X-O Manowar #1
By Esad Ribic
10. All-New X-Men #4
By Stuart Immonen
9. Life with Archie #24
By Fiona Staples
8. Fairest #4
By Adam Hughes
7. Conan the Barbarian #3
By Massimo Carnevale
6. Daredevil #10
By Paolo Rivera
5. Untold Tales of Punisher MAX #3
By Esad Ribic
4. Adventure Time #8
by Phil McAndrew
3. The Twelve #11
By Paolo Rivera
2. The Unwritten #43
By Yuko Shimizu
1. Scalped #59
By Jock
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Great selection. personal favorite is the Fiona Staples / Josie and the Pussycats cover
agreed!
Great choices! My #1 is Daredevil #10. Love the line work that resembles wood relief.
100% agree I really love that cover & I don’t even get Daredevil!
Great List!! Little surprised not to see any “Batwoman” or “The Sixth Gun” love, but still great selection.
i’m glad to see one of massimo carnevale’s conan covers so high up the list. all of his work for that series is great.
add me to the list of people who had daredevil 10 as their #1.
Daredevil #10 is hands down one of my favorites over the past year, but seriously, Yuko Shimizu could of taken over all 30 spots on this list. Her work is so dope. Beautiful.
Oh and Popeye #1 should be in the top 5. Awesome homage to Action Comics #1
Good to finally see some love for Unwritten or Valiant on these lists . . .
Sad to see that none of Hans’ beautiful cover work for Journey into Mystery made the cut, however . . .
VERY surprised no Francavilla is on the list.
Even if only on the merits of output! I’m convinced the man doesn’t sleep.
Some love for the Twelve! Nice. That Wolverine cover was really cool, didn’t see that when it came out.
Well I guess 2012 was the year of Fiona Staples and Paolo Rivera as cover artists.
Which isn’t a bad thing mind you, it is a very great thing. Hell, Rivera’s Daredevil covers are more then enough reason to own each issue.
I love that your #1 cover is Jock’s more-or-less abstract color study. For my money about 4 of Rivera’s covers are in the top 10.
I’m not sure how many covers Rivera did this year, but I could easily have assembled a top 10 or more of solely his work.
Some cool covers there, but a lot that just don’t wow me. Saga #1 should have won. It looked cool and was so shocking!
Jenny Frison’s covers for Image’s Revival have been great. Lots of great stuff from Image this year.
And the only book from DC’s New 52 that made it was Men of War #8? I mean, c’mon.
Some of these choices I don’t get (Defenders #10?) and some leave me cold (Scalped #59). I just feel like there was a ton of good stuff this year that didn’t make this list, and a bunch of iffy stuff that did.
And I think my favorite cover was actually Before Watchmen Rorschach #1.
Nominate some New 52 covers you enjoyed.
I’m really really shocked Earth #3 didn’t make it- I really thought that was DCU’s best cover of the year.
Batman #15 was Ace, Can’t remember the issue number but the JLA with superman and Wonder woman kissing was a nice cover.
Kid Eternity was a nice cover. Dark Justice had a real nice one- i don’t no the issue off my head sure you featured it though! (don’t read it)
That’s all I got.
Earth 2* sorry.
Saga #8! So cool. I still look at that cover once a day. Fiona Staples is taking everybody to comics school.
Couldn’t agree with you more dude, I have endless love for her Life with Archie Cover. The will is just too cool. Makes me think of some star wars steampunk art is saw on deviantart a while back.
I also love the Adventure Time Covers, If i was a kid, which face it i’m still one but 26 i’d of had to own it. So imaginative and Fresh.
Think my favorite has to be daredevil #10