One of my comic book buying weaknesses is buying books that have funny and/or interesting covers. Sadly since about 2000, the idea of making such covers has been replaced with making covers that are more of a pin-up. Don’t get me wrong, there is a place for such covers.

In the 1960’s and 70’s, DC comics was king for publishing these humorous covers (intentional or otherwise). Below are two of covers that I have in my personal collection that just made me laugh out loud when I first saw them. All scans are from the GCDB (http://www.comics.org)

The first is Batman 214.  I just purchased this at FAN Expo, and haven’t had a chance to flip through it, but look at it: Batman, arguably the George Cloney of the DCU, is surrounded by a mob of girls demanding he marries. His expression is of pure terror, while Robin looks on with a smug expression thinking ‘Serves ya right playa’.

Batman would later marry the blond girl below, and after being caught macking on Catwoman, was heard to say ‘Don’t hate the playa, hate the game’. That street tuff Robin sure rubbed off on him in a bad way.

The other is Superman’s Girl Friend Lois Lane issue 63. There is a period where Superman, was well, a Superjerk– he was that jock in high school who everyone liked, even though he treated all his admirers with an air of contempt. He was better then us, and he knew it.

This cover takes that Superjerk vibe, and mixes it with a bit of backlash towards second wave feminism. It says what we’ve all thought about the Clark Kent disguise, albeit, in a more harsher tone.

Fun fact, after this cover, both Lois Lane and Lana Lang left Metropolis and became crazy cat ladies who didn’t trust anyone with glasses.