Thread:Nathanrocksthebest/@comment-26009432-20150208010635/@comment-1038387-20150208015449

The date on the cover is the so-called "cover date". It's not a time stamp, but more of an expiration date: it's an old concept; it's two (or three) months in advance, so retailers would know when the comics that hadn't sold could be removed from the shelves.