Todd McFarlane has been a force in the world of comic books for years. He is most known for being the creator of the Image Comics. McFarlane's winning combination of artist and businessman has allowed him to even construct his own toy company, McFarlane Toys.
But before he was running his own companies, McFarlane was an artist for DC and Marvel. Many of his character design choices, like Spider-Man's "spaghetti-webbing", have even become industry standards. With so many of his cover designs considered the most recognizable, many have been recreated or parodied elsewhere.
The Incredible Hulk #345 (1988)
A classic cover that has been imitated time and time again, The Incredible Hulk #345 shows the grey Hulk, or Joe Fixit, in all his monstrous glory. McFarlane draws the character as only one should, large. The Hulk is so big in fact that his arms can't even stay confined to the page.
McFarlane intelligently strips away the human element of the Hulk in this illustration. Bruce Banner is long gone and so is the title. The Hulk blasts through his title, leaving the 'Incredible' floored as if to prove he is a force of destruction not to be taken lightly.
Marvel Tales #225 (1989)
This Marvel Tales cover that McFarlane illustrated for is a reprint of the Amazing Spider-Man #90 from 1970. Instead of following the original issue, his cover flips it completely on its head. The original had Spider-Man running up the wall with the deceased Captain Stacy in his arms while onlookers watched from below.
This cover is much more somber than the original, keeping the reader's eye directly on wall-crawler as he cradles the police captain. The is presented completely black this time. And instead of hiding the captain away with shadow, McFarlane chooses to have a Spider-Man cover his face with his hand. It is small details like this that makes a grim adventure, tragic.
Conan The Barbarian #241 (1991)
In a rare appearance on Conan The Barbarian in 1991, McFarlane created a raw and even partially graphic cover for issue #241. All the detail here is used just on Conan himself. With the multiple cuts and blood splatters on his body. The reader should have no question that this is a barbarian tale.
And MacFarlane's use of Conan's sword to draw the eye from Conan's bloody fist, down the dripping sword, and to the skulls is a masterful use of space.
The Amazing Spider-Man #316 (1989)
Marking the return of Eddie Brock as Venom, McFarlane chooses to present the fiend as the aggressive entity readers have come to know. With a bloody hand reaching out, Venom looms over Spider-Man as if to say that he will be a threatening presence over him forever. It is a wonderful cover that keeps things simple, but still manages to reel in potential readers.
McFarlane would later visit this cover design for #222 of his famous Image Comics series, Spawn.
The Amazing Spider-Man #313 (1989)
In this issue, Curt Connors, also known as the Lizard, has transformed yet again and goes toe to toe with Spider-Man.
With a battered Spider-man stuck in his claws, readers can quickly see the intensity of the Lizard. An interesting point to highlight here is McFarlane's choice to yet again only hint at a layer of violence. McFarlane chooses to make the Lizard's dripping fangs the center of attention here. The only gore here is a small mark of blood by Peter Parker's mouth.
Spider-Man #6 (1991)
Kicking off a two-part story involving the Ghost Rider, Spider-Man #6 is a thrilling horror issue that is only alluded to slightly in McFarlane's cover. But that doesn't mean it lacks in material.
The overall structure of the cover is done well, showing the chaotic nature of the Hobgoblin. Spider-Man is front and center, drawn in a fantastic action pose as he swings by his McFarlane-style spaghetti webbing. But the best choice by McFarlane here was to hide away the face of the Hobgoblin, leaving the demonic reveal of the character for its readers to discover.
The Incredible Hulk #340 (1988)
This iconic Wolverine image comes from The Incredible Hulk #340, presenting Weapon X as he is about to square off against the Hulk, as one can see from the reflection in Wolverine's adamantium claw.
The Hulk and Wolverine have had a long relationship, with Wolverine making his first full appearance in The Incredible Hulk #180 in 1974. Since then they have fought both as friends and as enemies. There was even a miniseries titled, Ultimate Wolverine vs. Hulk, set in the Marvel Ultimate Universe.
The Amazing Spider-Man #300 (1988)
Premiering in 1988, this issue of The Amazing Spider-Man showcases the terror Venom will inflict on Mary Jane and Peter from now on. It is a harrowing issue that reads almost like a horror story, with Eddie Brock stalking Peter and his family. This would be the very same issue that would show Spider-Man return to his regular blue and red suit.
The cover McFarlane creates shows the 300 repeated with a wonderfully created piece of Spider-Man swinging through the city. What is a nice addition is McFarlane's city that he places at the bottom of the circular frame. It is a rare bit of subtle detail that adds a bit of depth to the picture instead of just a solid color.
Spider-Man #1 (1990)
Billed as a "collector's item issue," this cover of Spider-Man had many variations. But even with all of the colors the cover had, each held the same design that McFarlane constructed.
This eye-catching cover shows a crouching wall-crawler tangled in an array of his own webbing, with small black spiders displayed sporadically. There's no need for a big flashy action scene. It is a fresh new comic, and all that needs to be seen is the title character drawn professionally in a way readers have not seen yet.
The Amazing Spider-Man #311 (1989)
This cover showcases the villain Mysterio in one of the best ways possible, with all smoke and mirrors. The cover is presented from Spider-Man's point of view, as seen reflected in Mysterio's helmet. And known for his many illusions, McFarlane smartly fills the background with his signature purple smoke. Everything here looks slightly twisted, much like Mysterio's tricks.
This cover gained a surge in popularity in recent years when Jake Gyllenhaal, who played Mysterio in Spider-Man: Far From Home, posted a video of himself reading in 2018 to promote the film.