It’s been a celebratory week here at The Source, what with our string of lovely 75th anniversary variants, the TASCHEN news and the first look at DCU: LEGACIES #1.

But we’re not done. As we continue to celebrate DC’s 75th anniversary, we thought it’d be a great time to look back at the company’s illustrious history and see what you, the fans had to say. But this isn’t your usual open thread, folks.

Let’s talk covers. To say that the cover image is important would be a huge understatement. It's what draws you in. Everyone remembers their first cover. Everyone has a favorite. That one image that just screams “Comics!” and takes us back to a simpler time where our biggest concern was how many copies of a certain title we’d be able to lug home from the shop that day. I can think of a few that stand out for me in an instant. So, Source readers, here’s the question: What’s your favorite DC Comics cover? Why?

But that’s not what makes this open thread special. Not only do we want to hear what your favorite cover is, we’ve got comments from some of the biggest names at DC.

Curious to hear what they’ve got to say? Click below, and don’t forget to check Vertigo’s GRAPHIC CONTENT and WildStorm’s THE BLEED for even more creators chiming in.

DAN DIDIO, DC Comics Co-Publisher

I stuck to books that came out during my tenure. As far as covers go, THE FLASH #207 by Michael Turner. The Flash has never looked so fast standing still.

DAVID FINCH, BRIGHTEST DAY cover artist

My favorite DC cover is by Alex Ross, and it's for BATMAN: BLACK AND WHITE. It's got Bruce standing with his back to the viewer and he's running his hand over the scars that crisscross his whole back. It just captures everything that Batman is about for me. He's not afraid to do whatever it takes to get the job done, and he's willing to sacrifice his own body and mind to the cause.

BRIAN AZZARELLO, FIRST WAVE writer

OUR FIGHTING FORCES #150. Joe Kubert's covers told stories that were sometimes better than the one's in the books.

JIMMY PALMIOTTI, JONAH HEX co-writer

My favorite comic cover has to be JONAH HEX #27 by Jordi Bernet. There is so much storytelling packed into this single image as well as

brilliant composition by one of Europe's greatest illustrators. Jordi is and will always be one of my favorite artists.

JT KRUL, GREEN ARROW writer

Tough call. I could easily rattle off a bunch of the obvious ones: Killing Joke, Crisis on Infinite Earths, Watchmen, etc. But one that always stuck with me was Denys Cowan's cover for THE QUESTION #34. It was the first Question comic I bought (don't ask me how the book managed to elude me until then). There's a such a haunting quality to the man without a face, but it's the masses behind him that really help set the mood. That cover, not to mention all the Question covers drove me to spend money I didn't have in college on back issues to fill my run. Each week, I'd tell myself I'm only going to get one or two, but I always walked out the door of my LCS with five or six. But who needed food, when you had great comics, right?

STERLING GATES, SUPERGIRL writer, SUPERMAN: WAR OF THE SUPERMEN co-writer

TEEN TITANS #14. How can you look at this great Nick Cardy cover and NOT want to read this issue?

Not only have the other Teen Titans DIED, their ghosts are haunting Robin!

I always wondered if they were encouraging him to quit being a superhero, or quit life and join them six feet under. The dead can be a selfish lot, so I have no trouble imagining them trying to get Robin to come on down…

LEE BERMEJO, JOKER, LUTHOR artist

Gotta say my favorite DC cover has got to be Bill Sienkiewicz's cover to THE SHADOW #1. Just a beautiful, graphic image that is aggressive as well as elegant, modern and timeless simultaneously. Those two Uzi's unloading in your face blew my young mind and made me an instant fan of both the character and Sienkiewicz's genius. The key was in that squinted eye, though. I think it was the first time I felt like a participant as opposed to reader.

DUSTIN NGUYEN, BATMAN: STREETS OF GOTHAM artist

Mignola's cover to BATMAN: LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT #54 pretty much sums up everything i love about the look of Batman. Bold simple colors, plenty of drama in an otherwise static pose, and the eyes- perfectly positioned inside the silhouette of a horned cowl. And it's RED, i like red."

FRANCO, TINY TITANS writer/artist

That's an easy one! My favorite cover has always been the NEW TEEN TITANS #13!! I saw this thing and it knocked me on the floor! I knew the Titans were going to be in trouble when somebody kicked Robot Man's tin can and hung him out to dry in the middle of the Amazon forest!!! There was just so much detail here and I remember pulling it off the rack and just staring at it for a while and the guy behind the counter yelled at me and asked if I was gonna buy it or just stare at it all day. I did both! It was the first series that compelled me to go find all the back issues. Mr. Perez is the master!

ART BALTAZAR, TINY TITANS writer/artist

SUPERMAN #337. AW YEAH! WHAT? Superman quits? NEVER!

Awesome cover! The colors rock! Awesome Bad Guys too! First time I ever saw Metallo! This cover has mystery, Drama, conflict and adventure! I love how happy the bad guys are to finally defeat the Man of Steel! The Super Friends cartoon was on TV at this time, so it was cool to see Brainiac and Bizarro. PLUS! All those Bad Guys together is what we want to see!

JUDD WINICK, JUSTICE LEAGUE: GENERATION LOST co-writer, POWER GIRL writer

My favorite cover is ACTION COMICS #500. "The Life Story Of Superman". It's my favorite DC comic. It told the entire story Superman. It was like getting 10 pounds of Ice Cream. The cover SCREAMED to me--THIS IS SPECIAL! and it was and it is.

YILDIRAY CINAR, LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES artist

The cover I picked up is BATMAN #366 by Walt Simonson. The cover speaks for itself. The layout, composition, lightning...One of my favorite covers in my entire collection since my childhood.

Continuing the story that exploded in the pages of CRY FOR JUSTICE, writer J.T. Krul and artist Geraldo Borges continue Roy Harper's story, as he discovers that getting a new arm doesn't make him whole again. He's also forced to deal with Green Arrow's shocking revelation from JUSTICE LEAGUE: THE RISE AND FALL SPECIAL #1. And you can imagine some sparks will fly when Cheshire shows up, right?

JUSTICE LEAGUE: THE RISE OF ARSENAL #2 hits 4/28.

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The dead shall rise.

The concept was simple yet precise. What happens when the fallen - hero, villain, friend, enemy -- rose up from the ground to torment those still left standing?

But a concept alone can't make up the critically acclaimed blockbuster that is BLACKEST NIGHT. It's all down to execution, and the book was blessed with two spot-on and inventive talents in writer Geoff Johns and artist Ivan Reis, and an extended crew of A-list talent that included - but is not limited to - Peter Tomasi, Patrick Gleason, Doug Mahnke, J.T. Krul, Tony Bedard, James Robinson and many more.

Starting off with the creaking, nervous tension that was more old school horror movie than superhero epic, BLACKEST NIGHT never catered to expectations, veering from answering "Who'll come back next?" to posing the arguably more interesting question of "Who will wear the rings?" before steamrolling to the epic, jaw-dropping conclusion you now hold in your hands.

How many stories cover so much ground so capably and so well? From chilling thriller to galaxy-spanning epic, it's not a stretch to say BLACKEST NIGHT had it all - drama, humor, action and, most importantly, heart.

Because, in many ways, BLACKEST NIGHT is the story of one man's redemption. Geoff Johns took the character of Hal Jordan and returned him to form, re-energizing him by going back to the two words that made the character so compelling before: No fear. Through REBIRTH, SINESTRO CORPS WAR and now BLACKEST NIGHT, the readers have literally been to hell and back with Hal. They're invested and excited, and that's a testament to Geoff Johns' creativity and ability to weave what's come before and use it to his benefit.

And it's contagious. Whether you're watching Peter Tomasi pit a Red Lantern Guy Gardner against Kyle Rayner or watching across the DCU as heroes like Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman face off against their deadliest enemies and most-missed loved ones, BLACKEST NIGHT was more than just a crossover. After you finish reading the final issue you'll see very clearly - there's no easy reset button. Things have changed.

It's been remarkably interesting to not only sit and read - and thoroughly enjoy - the comics tied into BLACKEST NIGHT as they came out, but see the process from behind the scenes. Whether it was sitting in on a meeting and listening to Geoff break down the story's major beats and just sitting back, psyched about what was coming to walking into the offices of editors Eddie Berganza and Adam Schlagman and cherry-picking awesome pieces of artwork hanging from their walls to tease and tantalize a hungry and eager audience. From day one, I think it's safe to say that everyone involved in the process - from top to bottom - knew that BLACKEST NIGHT was going to be special. The momentum, the story, the amazing art - it was all there.

Now, if you're anything like me, and you've just finished the final issue, you don't want it to end. What happens to this character? How does this affect X and Y? The final issue will not answer every question, but it'll end with a bang so loud your ears will be ringing for a while.

And you know what? This is only the beginning.

Roy Harper lost everything he had to Prometheus in the pages of JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRY FOR JUSTICE, barely surviving the villain’s brutal attack. But what happens when he finally awakens from his coma? Roy Harper may come to realize that his spiraling drop into despair has only just begun.

Brought to you by writer J.T. Krul and artist Geraldo Borges, JUSTICE LEAGUE: THE RISE OF ARSENAL #1 hits 3/24.

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