This is a bit of a “reverse key suggestion”
Batman #286 has key reason as “Cover art by Jim Aparo”.
There are lots of Batman comics with Jim Aparo cover art. Should it maybe say “Joker cover” or something.
Hi, thank you for informing us about this. Fully agree with you on this one. The term “Cover art by …" is actually outdated, but we prefer to put them as either “Classic cover art by …” or “Iconic cover art by …”. This way it actually makes sense to note a cover as a key. This is only used on iconic and classic cover art. Unfortunately this cover doesn’t fall in either categories. Which is why I removed this one.
We try to fix it when we come across them. Please don’t hesitate to post it here if you find any 
Went ahead and sorted by collection by Key Category: Cover and just flipped through things for oddities.
Amazing Spider-Man, Vol. 1 #418 May be a key but not due to the Cover.
Amazing Spider-Man, Vol. 4 #796 “Cover art by Alex Ross”
Avengers, Vol. 1 #189 “Classic cover art by John Byrne” - is this one a “classic”? (ITOAC?)
Batman, Vol. 1 #291 “Classic cover art by Jim Aparo” - ITOAC?
Batman, Vol. 1 #294 “Classic Joker cover” - ITOAC?
Batman, Vol. 1 296 “Cover art by Sal Amendola”
Batman, Vol. 1 #317 “Cover art by Dick Giordano”
Batman, Vol. 1 #324 “Cover art by Jim Aparo”
Batman, Vol. 1 #373 “Cover art by Ed Hannigan”
Batman, Vol. 1 #400 “Cover art by Bill Sienkiewicz, Introduction by Stephen King”
Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #50 “Classic cover art by Brian Bolland” ITOAC?
Brave and the Bold, Vol. 1 #79 “Classic Neal Adam’s Cover” - ITOAC? But also “Adams” not “Adam’s”.
Captain America, Vol. 9 #6 “Stan Lee Tribute cover” - yeah, all of them for that month had that tribute, nothing special about it here.
Captain America, Vol. 9 #8 “Alex Ross cover”
Catwoman, Vol. 2 #65 “Iconic cover art by Jim Balent” - Iconic?
Catwoman, Vol. 3 #58 “Cover art by Adam Hughes”
Daredevil, Vol. 1 #257 “John Romita Jr. Cover art”
Detective Comics, Vol. 1 #31 - in Cover category but no reference to cover.
Detective Comics, Vol. 1 #523 “Iconic cover art by Gene Colan” - Iconic?
Detective Comics, Vol. 1 #566 “Classic cover art by Dick Giordano” - I guess this got used in some merchandising so maybe “classic”.
Detective Comics, Vol. 1 #570 “Cover art by Alan Davis”
Detective Comics, Vol. 1 #577 “Cover art by Todd McFarlane” - still worth mentioning at this point?
DNAgents #24 “Dave Stevens cover” - maybe THIS needs “Iconic”.
Immortal Hulk #13 and #39 - Key Category is Cover by Key is No
Incredible Hulk #345 “Cover art by Todd McFarlane” - is this one a big deal?
Invincible Iron Man, Vol. 2 “Cover app of Mary Jane Watson” - so?
JSA Classified #1 “Adam Hughes cover” - maybe this one needs “Classic”
Justice League, Vol. 3 #56 - I think the Key Category is wrong here.
Justice League of America, Vol. 1 #189 “Classic cover art by Brian Bolland” ITOAC?
Marvel Preview #21 “Cover art by Bill Sienkiewicz”
Moon Knight, Vol. 1 #23 “Cover art by Bill Sienkiewicz”
New Mutants, Vol. 1 #19 "Iconic…” - Iconic?
Quasar #14 “Cover art by Todd McFarlane”
Sensational She-Hulk #52 “Cover Art by Adam Hughes”
Spider-Woman, Vol. 1 “Cover art by Frank Miller”
Superman, Vol. 2 #9 “Cover art by John Byrne”
Superman: Lois and Clark #8 - mis-labeled in “Cover” category
Swamp Thing, Vol. 2 #52 “Cover art by Stephen Bissette”
Thor, Vol. 5 #10 - mis-labeled in “Cover” category
Thor, Vol. 6 #8C - in “Cover” category but Key = No
Thor, Vol. 6 #10 - “Cover app Dr. Donald Blake” - Blake used to appear all the time on Thor covers didn’t he? Maybe not?
Venom, First Host #4 - wrong Category
Wonder Woman, Vol. 2 #50 - “Cover art by George Perez, Pin ups by Adam Hughes”
Wonder Woman, Vol. 2 #96 “Joker cover art by Brian Bolland”
Wonder Woman, Vol. 2 #140 “Cover art by Adam Hughes”
Wonder Woman, Vol. 2 #189 “Adam Hughes Cover”
X-Factor, Vol. 1 #55 “Cover art by Mike Mignola”
Zatanna, Vol. 2 #15 “Classic Zatanna cover by Adam Hughes” ITOAC?
Overall, I think two things were trying to be accomplished. One is that back when the first Keaton Batman movie came out, any Batman cover with Joker on it shot up. I think a lot of these are fallout from that. The other is that I think there’s an inclination to say “oh, this artist is really hot, let’s make sure everybody knows about these other covers they did.” But the problem is you rarely capture all of those covers.
Anyhoo, hope this helps.
Wonderful! I’ll slowly be going trough them and update your here once updated.
“Overall, I think two things were trying to be accomplished. One is that back when the first Keaton Batman movie came out, any Batman cover with Joker on it shot up. I think a lot of these are fallout from that. The other is that I think there’s an inclination to say “oh, this artist is really hot, let’s make sure everybody knows about these other covers they did.” But the problem is you rarely capture all of those covers.”
Think you might be spot on with that. We’re also seeing it again with Dr. Doom now. But making every doom book be a key would be ridiculous.
- Amazing Spider-Man, Vol. 1 #418: Fixed
- Amazing Spider-Man, Vol. 4 #796: Removed
- Avengers, Vol. 1 #189: Removed
- Batman, Vol. 1 #291: Removed
- Batman, Vol. 1 #294: Removed
- Batman, Vol. 1 296: Removed
- Batman, Vol. 1 #317: Removed
- Batman, Vol. 1 #324 : Removed
- Batman, Vol. 1 #373 : Removed
- Batman, Vol. 1 #400 “: Removed
- Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #50: Removed
- Brave and the Bold, Vol. 1 #79: Removed
- Captain America, Vol. 9 #6: Removed
- Captain America, Vol. 9 #8: Removed
- Catwoman, Vol. 2 #65: Classic would be a better fit
- Catwoman, Vol. 3 #58: Removed
- Daredevil, Vol. 1 #257: Removed
- Detective Comics, Vol. 1 #31: Did you update? It was noted at the end
- Detective Comics, Vol. 1 #523: Are you sure this was meant to be 523? Ed Hannigan did the cover and note this cover as special
- Detective Comics, Vol. 1 #566: Yeah I think this one is fair. It’s now sometimes being used as the classic way to display the rogues gallery with a few homages done as well.
- Detective Comics, Vol. 1 #570: Removed
- Detective Comics, Vol. 1 #577: Removed
- DNAgents #24: Removed, no wouldn’t say it is either.
- Immortal Hulk #13 and #39: Removed
- Incredible Hulk #345: This is definitely a classic Todd cover
- Invincible Iron Man, Vol. 2: Removed
- JSA Classified #1: Added
- Justice League, Vol. 3 #56: Fixed
- Justice League of America, Vol. 1 #189: Removed
- Marvel Preview #21: Removed
- Moon Knight, Vol. 1 #23: Removed
- New Mutants, Vol. 1 #19: Classic would be a better fit
- Quasar #14: Removed
- Sensational She-Hulk #52: Removed
- Spider-Woman, Vol. 1: Removed
- Superman, Vol. 2 #9: Removed
- Superman: Lois and Clark #8: Fixed
- Swamp Thing, Vol. 2 #52: Removed
- Thor, Vol. 5 #10: Fixed
- Thor, Vol. 6 #8C: Fixed
- Thor, Vol. 6 #10: Removed
- Venom, First Host #4: Fixed
- Wonder Woman, Vol. 2 #50: Removed
- Wonder Woman, Vol. 2 #96: Removed
- Wonder Woman, Vol. 2 #140: Removed
- Wonder Woman, Vol. 2 #189: Removed
- X-Factor, Vol. 1 #55: Removed
- Zatanna, Vol. 2 #15: Removed
-
Detective Comics, Vol. 1 #31: Did you update? It was noted at the end - I should have mentioned I’m looking at the 2025 Facsimile, maybe that variant didn’t get updated. (Boy I wish I had the original).
-
Detective Comics, Vol. 1 #523: Are you sure this was meant to be 523? Ed Hannigan did the cover and note this cover as special - Sorry, I meant 532. Joker cover by Gene Colan, not that big a deal.
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Removed 532