Dueling Lists: The Best Comic Book Covers of the Year and Decade

"Best of" Lists abound as every year draws to a close, and 2009 -- particularly with its fake end-of-decade implications -- is no exception. And while you're almost guaranteed to get a certain amount of overlap in "Top [whatever] of 2009" from multiple outlets, I tend to think the differences between those lists are often the most interesting thing about them.

If you're interested in the teaser slash artistic showcase that is the comic book cover, there are two significant lists out now collecting their favorites: Complex magazine's 50 favorite covers of 2009, and io9's 100 favorite covers of the decade. They're obviously covering different time frame, but there's a surprising amount of overlap on books like "Unwritten " and "Invincible Iron Man" -- not to mention that either one is a pleasant comics travelogue for the eyeballs.

The Complex list was compiled by myself, CA contributor Chris Sims, CBR writer Kevin Melrose and former Comic Foundry editor Tim Leong, while io9's list was put together by the site's resident comixologist Graeme McMillan.

One of my personal favorites of the year, from "Streets of Gotham," just because it's so damn pretty: