One aspect of Marvel Comics that is often overlooked is the tremendous quality of design going into every project. Covers can sometimes have several variations before the artist and editor settle on a final design. Character costumes can sometimes be a practice of trying several things before one becomes an iconic look for the character.
There’s also a graphic design element involved. A good logo can make a comic easily identifiable. In the days of spinner racks in stores, sometimes the logo would be all that was seen. Now that comics are merchandised out of the wazoo, even simple character logos can be as recognizable as the characters themselves.
10/10 The S.H.I.E.L.D. Logo Screams “Government Agency”
The numerous variations of the S.H.I.E.L.D. logo rank this design so low. However, since it consistently became the circle with an eagle occupying most of the space, it’s been iconic to the organization. It can be a little busy, but it screams. “Government agency.”
The logo became much more angular when adapted for the Marvel Cinematic Universe but retained the same iconography. It didn’t settle on the classic graphic look until the 21st century. It was adapted later to match the logo used in the MCU.
9/10 The HYDRA Logo Is Popular For An Evil Organization
Like S.H.I.E.L.D.’s logo, HYDRA’s has undergone modifications but retained the skull and tentacles motif. It was settled long before the S.H.I.E.L.D. logo was settled. Part of that came from its use as a chest logo for characters like Baron Wolfgang Von Strucker.
It’s so striking that the logo went viral after the release of Captain America: Winter Soldier. On Facebook and Twitter, people changed their profile pictures to include, if not be replaced with, HYDRA’s logo. When a villain logo becomes well-liked, it’s a testament to its design.
8/10 Spider-Man’s Black Costume Was Instantly Iconic
When Marvel launched the first Secret Wars limited series, Spider-Man returned with a brand-new black costume. The look was well-received but soon revealed to be an alien symbiote trying to bond with Peter Parker. That symbiote would become part of the villain Venom, preserving the look.
The design came from Randy Schueller, whose design came from a competition for aspiring artists and writers. Marvel bought the concept and offered Randy the chance to write his story. Unfortunately, no agreement could come on the script, and Marvel took over. Schueller’s design was altered to make the red spider logo white, and the underarm webbing was removed. Still, the costume’s look is solid.
7/10 The Upper Corner Box On The 70s And 80s Covers Stood Out In Spinner Racks
From the late 1970s through the 1980s, Marvel covers had an almost universal cover design. It included a box in the top left corner with a recognizable image of the issue’s stars. This was beside the logo, where it could be seen easily on spinner racks. For team books, the heads of the team members would be featured most often.
Occasionally, the corner box would be altered to reflect the story. The best versions of this would instantly catch a reader’s eye. Some artists, like Bill Sienkiewicz, would make it a practice to customize the box art, but the box would almost always be there.
6/10 Jim Steranko’s Cover For Nick Fury, Agent Of S.H.I.E.L.D. #1
When Jim Steranko started at Marvel, he brought an innovative sense of graphic design to Marvel’s number one spy. He would incorporate Op Art into his panel layouts, giving Marvel Comics a style that mirrored the late 1960s. The covers he created for Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. were masterpieces, capable of being posters on their own.
The cover for the first issue has a film quality. It instantly draws a reader in with the suspense of Scorpio’s identity and threat. Steranko even worked in some op art effects behind Nick Fury without distracting from the cover.
5/10 The Wasp’s Blue and White Costume Is The Best Of Her Wardrobe
The Wasp would wear a different costume in almost every story. The most eye-catching design came in 1980 with Avengers #194, designed by George Pérez. It was a blue-and-white asymmetrical costume that left one leg and one arm bare.
The asymmetry made the Wasp stand out among the other Avengers. It also kept her shoulder blades bare for her wings. It worked so well that it returned after the Wasp doffed it in Avengers #199. It showed back up in Avengers #222 and 228, as well as Incredible Hulk Annual #11.
4/10 Rogue’s Original Costume Inspired More Modern Designs
Sometimes a costume works so well that it makes a return or influences other styles. Rogue’s original outfit came back in the pages of Uncanny X-Men with a cape. It is also reflected in her appearance in Uncanny Avengers. The look is instantly recognizable with its shiny green fabric with white or light green trim. The hood makes it unique rather than a generic uniform fit for lackeys.
Other artists have tried to surpass this look, with Jim Lee probably coming closest with a green-and-yellow number, but the jacket marked it as from the 1990s. While Rogue’s original costume was designed in the 1980s, it isn’t dated. Timelessness is always a sign of great character design.
3/10 The Marvel Comics “M” Logo Was A Great Use Of Branding
Branding for a publisher is as important as giving an iconic look to its characters. For many years, Marvel lacked a logo. For many years, only a bold, simple sans-serif font denoted its books in the marketplace.
Then came the red Marvel Comics logo perched on a massive M. Scrawled across it in yellow was one word: “Comics.” The colors might change based on the product, but red and yellow were the default. Marvel made many missteps during the 1990s, but this wasn’t one of them.
2/10 Spider-Man 2099 Doesn’t Need An Alternative Costume
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Some characters can never have a different costume after they’re linked with one particular look. Seldom does this happen with a character’s first costume. With Spider-Man 2099, it was an iconic look from the very beginning.
The costume was explained as coming from a Day of the Dead celebration. Its dark blue base was embellished with a red skull logo stylized with eight “legs” branching out. Sharp red borders this Spider-Man’s eyes. The costume works so well it’s still part of the character, as shown in the upcoming Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.
1/10 Spider-Gwen Is An Almost Perfect Design
When the Gwen Stacy version of Spider-Woman debuted during the Spider-Verse crossover event in 2014, fans immediately loved her. A lot of that love came from a design that worked perfectly. Artists Robbi Rodriguez and Rico Renzi created something that screamed “Spider-Man” without being derivative.
The hood added a modern touch, its lining matching the pink and blue web pattern on the inside of her arms. As a final touch worthy of a chef’s kiss, Spider-Gwen wears shoes that are a cross between Crocs and ballet slippers in bright cyan blue. The white pattern is the stylized spider from the back reaching around. Looking at the costume is like a master class in designing a character.