Swamp Thing Vs. The Phoenix

I love the Alan Moor run on Swamp Thing, especially the large scale adventures with Swamp Thing teaming with DC's occult characters against impossible odds in Hell.  Moore later took the character into a sprawling space epic and made that work, too.  I think Swamp Thing is just as effective when interacting with other characters and genres as he is in his own solo stories, so I am glad that he has at long last broken free of the "Vertigo Only" rule.  I'd love to see this match up, you just know there would be some great visuals.  The best thing is we wouldn't have to worry about who ultimately loses - Both Swamp Thing and Jean Grey have plenty of history with death and rebirth.

The Metal Men and Magnus, Robot Fighter

I definitely wanted to do a team-up featuring my favorite band of robots and was looking around for a suitable costar... and then it hit me!  I can't believe I never made the connection between Magnus, Robot Fighter and Doc Magnus, creator of The Metal Men before. I figured there's gotta be a story there!  Unfortunately The Metal Men, like many of DC's more fun characters, are missing in action since the DC Reboot.  Who knows how long it will be before they appear again, and what alterations will be made when they do?  I'd still like to see them wind up in their own animated series.

Cosmic Boy Vs. Magneto

You didn't think that I'd ask the question, "What has Magneto done with Cosmic Boy?" without addressing it, did you?  Here we seen the motivation for his trip to the future.  I actually did these two covers months apart (hence the larger size on part two - eventually all covers will be this larger size as I changed up my templates shortly after I began STF).  Sometimes I will look back on an earlier cover and the story will suggest a follow up issue.  Hmm... now that I have established his lineage, maybe Cos will have to cross paths with his siblings one of these days...

Legion of Superheroes Vs. Magneto

Magneto has become of one of comicdom's most complex villains doe to his ever changing status in the Marvel Universe, as well as the skillful onscreen portrayals by Michael Fassbender and Ian McKellan.  Much is made of how his tragic past and sympathetic motivations give him shades of grey, but frankly I always enjoy him best as a straight up villain.  Sure, in his mind he may think what he is doing is right, but at the end of the day he is no better then Dr, Doom and the Joker. The Legion depicted here is from my favorite era of that team.  Paul Levitz, one of the architects of that LSH phase, is writing their current adventures.  I'll have to check some of those out and see if they have any of the old magic.

Daredevil and Daredevil

I was surprised when I first learned that Matt Murdock's superhero moniker had previously been used by a classic hero, but I guess I shouldn't have been - "Daredevil" sounds cool and is a perfect name for a superhero. I always thought that the original DD had a really cool costume and it is cool to see him in new adventures again after all these years now under the name The Death-Defying Devil.

The Spectre and Captain America

Jim Aparo was may favorite artist growing up, mostly due to his work on The Brave and the Bold.  Still, if I had to pick my favorite work by him, it is the Spectre run from Adventure Comics.  Aparo's mastery of mood and shadow really sold these grisly morality tales.  Who can forget all the cool, ironic ways that The Spectre would dispatch of the wrongdoers... Turned to wood and then chain-sawed,  turned to a candle and then melted, impaled by giant scissors... ah, good times, good times.

Hourman and The X-Men

I thought this would be a fun pairing.  I have been a big fan of Hourman from the time when I first encountered him in the early JLA/JSA team-ups.  It is kind of crazy to go back and look at some of his old adventures.  A guy who can gain enhanced abilities for an hour is a fun concept but the way that power was administered through popping a mysterious pill was certainly a product of simpler times.   Of course, Stan Lee had the most simple solution to explaining how a character gained superhuman powers - they were born that way!

Hawkman and The Angel

It's too bad the because of the wonky continuity we will never see The Angel in a true X-Men: First Class movie with the original team.  I  figured we would have to wait for an inevitable reboot, but considering the success of the last X-movie installment that may be a long way off.  Hawkman has gone quite a revamping looks-wise in the New DCU - I assume that like most of the costume changes DC did it was with an eye towards making live action adaptations easier.  The new helmet, like the old one, looks cool but not every artist can depict it effectively.  I do think it might translate better to live action, but I would still miss the classic look.

Catwoman and Tigra

Gotta say, I see Tigra winning this battle... but then again, Catwoman is not above fighting dirty...

I am very interested to see what Christopher Nolan and Anne Hathaway have in store for audiences with the latest on-screen incarnation of Catwoman in The Dark Knight Rises.  It's a role I think we have yet to see realized perfectly yet.  Michelle Pfeiffer looked great, but her character's origin and motivations had little to do with the Selina Kyle of the comics... and that was a downright reverential portrayal when compared to the truly head scratching Halle Barre Catwoman film.  Hathaway has the looks and acting chops to do the role justice, I hope it is written as well as the previous villains have been.  The glimpses of costume we have seen have been fairly simple but cool and in line with the world Nolan has created.  Hathaway has claimed that we haven't seen the full Catwoman look yet, so who knows what else to expect.

Zatanna and The Scarlet Witch

Here are a couple of great characters, both spell-casters with daddy issues .  Zatanna spent years searching for her Father Zatara and then struggled to live up to his example.  Wanda Maximoff's father is Magneto, so you know that's gotta be a dysfunctional relationship.  She has been out of the spotlight for a bit, but something tells me that she will play a role in the upcoming Avengers Vs. X-Men event, as she has a history with both teams.  Plus it is Brian Michael Bendis' final big storyline with The Avengers, and maybe he will use the opportunity to redeem her - after all he was the one who decided to make her insane and homicidal in his first Avengers arc. Zatanna is back with a JLA team in Justice League Dark, which is cool - but I have to wonder what DC was thinking with her new costume design.  Did they really think that moving the fishnets from her legs to her arms was a good idea?

Superman and Thor

This is another pairing that I really like and will revisit in the future.  It was great to see the two share a lot of screen time together in JLA/Avengers, but I would still love to see a team up featuring them without their respective teams. We will be seeing new films featuring both characters soon, each by a director making heir first mark on the franchises.  Thor was a strong start, but I would like to see more action (with helmet on, thank you!) in a sequel.  I have no fear about lack of action in a Zach Snyder film, but I hope his Man of Steel has a strong script to go with what I am sure will be impressive visuals. I'm not going to nit pick too much in advance though - it's a great time to be a comic fan when there are so many genre-based projects to look forward to.

Captain Marvel and Captain Marvel

I think we all knew that this team up had to happen sooner or later.I am a big fan of both characters and it has been interesting to watch them evolve over the years.  Mar-Vell is one of the few characters allowed to stay dead (Skrull impersonators notwithstanding), but I wonder how long that status will remain intact.  I still llove his look, his costume just screams Bronze Age Comics to me.  DC's Cap is about to be relaunched via a back up series in Justice League by the talented team of Geoff Johns and Gary Frank.  It will be interesting to see what changes will be made.  I have a feeling he will be losing the Captain Marvel name once and for all and go by Shazam or Captain Thunder or something.  Time will tell, hopefully enough of what made the character great in the first place will remain in this new incarnation.

The Flash and Quicksilver

I guess that I would be remiss if I didn't have a meeting between the premier speedsters of Marvel and DC.  This is a case where the powers may be similar but the characters could not be more different.  Again I have to wonder which character will make it to the silver screen first.  There have been rumors of a big budget Flash film for years, but maybe Quicksilver with with the race to the movies via a supporting role in an Avengers or X-Men sequel.

Starfire and ROM

Because You Demanded It!  OK, nobody demanded this one but I thought it would be a fun match-up.

I've read some of the recent controversy with Starfire's behavior in the New 52 DCU, and while I like a lot of what DC has done lately, I think they dropped a ball a bit here.  The Manga-esque Teen Titans cartoon was a hit and Starfire (albeit a younger version to skew towards the children's demographic) became quite popular with young girls.  I think DC would have been better served trying to capture some of that audience when presenting her new adventures rather than to emphasize some of Starfire's more salacious traits, which only caters to the existing male readers.

ROM even makes mittens look cool... I wish the actual ROM too looked as badass as the comic version.  I'm surprised we haven't seen a ROM revival by now, it seems like everything from the 80's has gotten a chance at a revamp.

Wonder Woman and Captain America

This is a pairing I really like and there will be future covers featuring them together.  I just think they would make a great couple.  Cap likes strong assertive women and Wonder Woman likes blonde guys named Steve in the Military - it's a match made in heaven! Even their costumes look like they go together!  Forget Clark & Lois or Peter & MJ, this is a relationship that would rock the world of comics...

Green Arrow and Hawkeye

I usually try to come up with a text box, some dialogue or at least a story title for these lost issues but I liked the image on this one so much that I didn't want to clutter it up.  These guys would usually have a lot to talk about though - they are both superhero archers famous for their trick arrows, trouble with authority figures and marrying their blonde superheroine girlfriends.  Green Arrow got his biggest exposure ever recently as a regular character on Smallville and Hawkeye is about to hit the big time with the Avengers film (alas, with his more boring Ultimate look).  It's taken decades, but these two are finally getting the mass recognition of their more famous Avengers and JLA co-stars.  Can solo film outings be far off?

Martian Manhunter and Beta Ray Bill

I thought I would do a cover that featured two of my favorite alien heroes.  This one also gave me a chance to do an all-Walt Simonson cover.  Simonson's art is so effective on larger than life characters because he has the ability to convey energy that just leaps off of the page.  His career has lasted decades and he seems to keep getting better and better.  I got a kick out of his cameo during the banquet scene at the end of Thor.  Walt fit right in with the Asgardian elite!

Challengers of the Unknown and The Fantastic Four

OK, this on wasn't going to be posted for a while, but folks were asking about pairing these two teams so I decided to move it up in the rotation.  There are certainly similarities between these jumpsuit-wearing foursomes, and it would be cool to see them in one big story together.  I remember getting a kick out of the amalgamated Challengers of the Fantastic that spun out of the Marvel/DC crossover (indeed those Amalgam issues are much more satisfying than the crossover itself).  Both teams are looking good these days - The FF just had their 600th issues and the return of Johnny Storm and DC is currently publishing new Challengers stories with the talented pencils of Jerry Ordway.

Blue Beetle and The Beast

A lot of team ups I present here will be with characters that seem to have a natural connection... but a lot will also feature teams that I just think would be cool to see.  This is one of those.  It isn't too far out of left field though, I can see Hank McCoy and Ted Kord commiserating on some scientific breakthrough together, when a villain attacks and action ensues.  This cover also features these characters in my favorite incarnations.  The new Blue Beetle is an entertaining character in his own right, I just wish we didn't have to get rid of his predecessor in order to make room.  The Beast is back on an Avengers team, which I like - but he still has that weird Beauty and the Beast/Kittycat look that he developed during the Grant Morrison era ox the X-men titles.  I really wish he would go back to his cooler Bronze Age look.

Deadman and Hellboy

I'm always glad to include more Mike Mignola artwork on the blog.  I think this would be a fun pairing because the two characters have similar personalities and are at home in a paranormal setting.

I heard rumors of a Deadman TV series months ago, I hope that is still on track.  Deadman is a great concept for an ongoing show and I hope he retains his look from the comics instead of just grafting his abilities onto the latest hunk of the moment and going for the Twilight crowd.

They are a bit hokey, but I enjoy both of the Hellboy films quite a bit.  I think plans for a third installment have been cancelled due to finances and busy schedules unfortunately.  Still, there are the Hellboy animated movies, Blood & Iron and Sword of Storms.  They have the cast from the movie providing voices and are very well done, I highly recommend them.

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Dr. Mid-Nite and Daredevil

This is the kind of match up that I really wanted to do when I decided to make the switch to Super-Team Family.  Sure, I love the classic match-ups like Aquaman and Namor, but it's the more off-beat team ups that always appealed to me. Matt Murdock and Charles McNider together in one tale would make for a fun story, I think. I have heard great things about Daredevil's most current series and definitely plan to pick it up.  Dr. Mid-Nite's fate is uncertain until DC relaunches a Justice Society title... hopefully it won't be too long before that happens.

Swamp Thing and Man-Thing

I've always dug characters that can cross over genres and these two swamp monsters certainly fit the bill.  One issue could be a full on horror tale with a supernatural tinge and then then next issue Batman or Spider-Man would show up.  I enjoyed Swamp thing as a kid and then was blown away like everyone when Alan Moore took over the title - but I have to admit I found Man-Thing to be the scarier of the two characters.  The creepy nonhuman design and the fact that he would burn anyone, good or evil, if they showed too much fear sent chills down my young spine.  Swamp Thing is enjoying better sales than he has had in years with the DC Reboot, and Man-Thing has been starring with the Thunderbolts lately.  It's good to see the big guys still performing strong!