For a publisher that’s been around as long as DC Comics, it’s bound to have a few misses among all the hits when it comes to comic covers. As one half of the Big Two, DC Comics has some of the coolest and most iconic cover art in the game. From classics like Action Comics #1 to Detective Comics #27 to more modern works like Absolute Batman #1 (just look at how many recent comics have copied it). But no one bats a thousand, and even DC Comics has a few covers that will turn fans’ heads.
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Certain comics, particularly older works, would sometimes depict things you wouldn’t really expect to see nowadays. From Roy Harper’s drug use on the cover of Green Lantern #85 to the extremely racist caricature villains like Egg Fu on Wonder Woman #158’s cover. That said, even the modern-day DC isn’t exactly immune from cringey covers, as proven by the fart-themed (and fart-scented) April Fool’s Day comic, Harley Quinn Fartacular: Silent Butt Deadly #1. As amazing as DC Comics is, it has got some really cringey cover art in its history, so read on to discover 5 examples.
5. World’s Finest #195
Ah, the Silver Age was such a fun time, wasn’t it? It was really the only time Superman being a complete and total psychopath was a selling point (aside from Injustice, of course). World’s Finest #195, for example, had Superman forcing his pal Jimmy Olsen and Robin to dig their own graves while Batman prepares to take them out with a couple of shots. This, like most Silver Age covers, was nothing more than the equivalent of clickbait, but wow, is it uncomfortable to see Clark and Bruce threatening two of their closest allies in such a terrifying manner.
4. Wonder Woman #158
As mentioned earlier, it was sadly not an uncommon thing to see racist tropes used as the basis for villains in older periods of comics. As seen here in the cover for Wonder Woman #158, Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor are being held captive by Egg Fu, an incredibly minor villain who was inspired by much of the Yellow Peril rhetoric that similarly inspired villains like Iron Man’s enemy, the Mandarin. It’s quite uncomfortable seeing such an awful depiction side-by-side with Wonder Woman, a character who has always been associated with positive values like equality and kindness.
3. Harley Quinn Fartacular: Silent Butt Deadly #1
This one isn’t even a year old, but Harley Quinn Fartacular: Silent Butt Deadly #1’s cover is one that I don’t think anyone is going to forget. This cover makes it blatantly clear that this comic is about two things and two things only: Harley Quinn and farting. Harley is seen clearing a room of showgirls in a surprisingly in-your-face depiction of the bodily function. What really put this cover over the top was that it came with a scratch-and-sniff element, allowing people to get a whiff. Still not sure how this comic made it past the pitching process.
2. Green Lantern #85
Admittedly, Green Lantern #85’s cover came from a good place. During the ‘Hard-Traveling Heroes’ days, Hal Jordan and Oliver Queen came face to face with a lot of social issues not addressed in most comics. But this issue went above and beyond in bringing up the drug crisis, namely by revealing that Green Arrow’s sidekick, Speedy, had a drug problem. The image of Roy about to shoot up shocked fans everywhere, and this cover still throws modern fans for a loop. It’s wild seeing a hero fall to drugs, and it’s even wilder how much of an impact it had.
1. Detective Comics #1
There’s no other way to say it: the cover for the first issue of DC Comics’ namesake is just plain racist. The character featured here is a criminal known as Fui Onyui, the antagonist for detective Slam Bradley’s story in Detective Comics #1. Like Egg Fu, it leans into the Yellow Peril tropes, but in a more sinister, exaggerated way. This character has rightly not been seen in years, but it’s still incredibly unfortunate that a title that helped bring us Batman and shape DC’s brand has such hateful and unbelievably awful artwork in its first issue.
What’s the wildest DC Comics cover you’ve ever seen? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts on the ComicBook Forum!
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