Super-Team Family: The Lost Issues!

Galactus and Darth Vader

2012-02-17T13:53:00.000-05:00

Besides The Emperor, there aren't many characters out there that Darth Vader would willingly be a subordinate to. I think Galactus might be an exception, though. The lure of the power cosmic could be just enough to convince him to form an alliance. It would be fun to watch the universe tremble at the coming of this tag-team!

Batgirl and Peter Parker

2012-02-16T13:52:00.001-05:00

As soon as I saw this Phil Noto Batgirl image, I knew just the cover I wanted to create with it. It was just a matter of finding the right stand-in for Dustin Hoffman. It's interesting to watch The Graduate now... it turns out that Mrs. Robinson isn't quite as old as I once used to think. Or maybe, I just got a lot older! That film is always worth watching for the soundtrack alone. Simon and Garfunkle were really in the zone then.

Martian Manhunter and John Carter, Warlord of Mars

2012-02-15T14:02:00.002-05:00

I am very curious to see how the upcoming John Carter film does at the box office. The trailers seem cool enough, but I haven't heard much buzz about this movie, so I don't know how much interest there is. Then again, with popular shows like Spartacus and Game of Thrones currently airing, maybe audiences are ready for a big screen sword-and-sandals type epic. I am not as familiar with John Carter as I am with Tarzan so I don't expect to be put off by minor changes in characters or story if there are any. I would like a better look at the Tharks - it seems like the design is right, but they move so quickly in the trailers I've seen that it is hard to judge the CGI.

Tarzan and Conan

2012-02-14T14:13:00.000-05:00

I have no idea who would win a battle between these two, but it would be epic to behold, I'm sure. I never got around to catching the new Conan film that recently was released. From what I saw from commercials and read in reviews, it didn't offer much that the Schwarzenegger original did better. Tarzan is a much revisited franchise, but frankly, I don't think any live action version has gotten the character just right yet. I'd still like to see a film that stylishly adheres to his earliest adventures. It wouldn't be easy to pull off, but if handled properly it could be incredibly cool.

Wonder Woman and Wonder Man

2012-02-13T14:05:00.000-05:00

Despite the similarity in their superhero names, this is a relationship that I don't think would go very far. Simon's love for the celebrity lifestyle would probably clash with Diana's personality. Still, it would be fun to watch, especially if there was a big bad guy who decided to interrupt things (as often will happen at a comic book social event)! I was happy that this pairing allowed me to do an all-George Perez cover. He continues to amaze in the way that he just seems to keep getting better and better - I'm looking forward to his work on the new World's Finest series.

The All-Star Squadron and Spider-Man

2012-02-10T13:39:00.000-05:00

I was glad to see a cover image for James Robinson's Earth Two series posted today on http://dcu.blog.dccomics.com/ but have to admit I am surprised to see it featuring Earth Two versions of the big three - Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. I figured that they would concentrate more on the trio of Alan Scott, Jay Garrick and Ted Grant. It will be interesting to see if the big three will be a regular part of the series or perhaps killed off early on to serve as a motivation for the rest of Earth Two's heroes and a divergence point from the mainstream DCU. I am very glad to see Jerry Ordway getting regular work in the DC reboot, but I kind of wish he was on this Earth Two title... he is my favorite JSA artist, hands down.

This cover was tougher to do than I thought it would be. I figured it would be a simple matter of swapping out The Tarantula for Spider-Man, but repairing and replacing parts of the background spider web was a pain!

KISS and The X-Men

2012-02-09T13:41:00.000-05:00

There have been a handful of attempts to combine musical acts with comics - Alice Cooper, The Beatles and Night Cat come to mind... but none of them were really ever anything more than an isolated oddity. I think the reason that KISS had a little more success with the transition is that they already seemed like comic book characters to begin with. Their elaborate costumes and personas made for a good fit and suggested story ideas right off the bat. They were able to tap into their existing fan base by utilizing the themes they had all along.

Green Lantern and Iron Man

2012-02-08T13:45:00.000-05:00

I think these two characters go well together, and the pairing became even more appealing to me when I realized I could use Gil Kane images for both of them. I was also glad to fit in cameos by Mogo and Ego... sentient planets are just too cool, and I've always enjoyed stories featuring either of them. If the Green Lantern movie actually gets a sequel (c'mon, Clash of the Titans got one!), I'd love to see Mogo get an onscreen appearance. I definitely got a kick out of the animated Mogo Doesn't Socialize segment from the recent Green Lantern: Emerald Knights DVD.

Firestorm and Spider-Man

2012-02-07T13:42:00.000-05:00

I always saw Firestorm as DC's first real attempt to create a Peter Parker-type character. He was an adolescent superhero who was not a sidekick or spin-off of any existing character, and had lots of outside trials and tribulations that complicated his crime fighting efforts. Heck, One of my first letters ever published was a missive that I sent off to the editors of Fury of Firestorm in their first year comparing Ronnie Raymond with Peter Parker. At 13 years old, I got a real kick out of seeing my name in print... in the pre-internet era, that was about the only way to express your views to fellow comic fans!

Superman and Thor (Versus Mongul)

2012-02-06T13:50:00.003-05:00

I already made a Silver Age version of this pairing, but I wanted to do a Bronze Age version as well, so here it is. This is an example of artwork that has provided inspiration for more than one cover for me. I loved the issue of DC Comics Presents that this came from, as it introduced me to the Prince Gavyn Starman. I used the Starman image from that cover for my Batman/Starman B&B Lost Issue cover. Now, for this team-up, I put Thor in Starman's place. I did a lot of tweaking with the orange Kirby Dots as well, to make the cover work as a whole.

Doctor Fate and Doctor Strange

2012-02-03T14:20:00.001-05:00

I wonder who the first comic character to go by the title "Doctor" was? It may be Doctor Fate, but perhaps there's a character that predates him. I know there were some villainous doctor types... Doctor Death comes to mind. And of course he didn't use the full term but there's Doc Savage, who came before he wave of superhero fiction. He did serve as an inspiration for a lot of characters so maybe that's where the Doctor as superhero name trend came from.

The Atom and Yellowjacket

2012-02-02T14:05:00.000-05:00

Hank Pym has had a lot of identities (Yellowjacket, Ant-Man, Giant-Man, Goliath, The Wasp) and just as many costumes. I have to say my favorite look of his is the Yellowjacket costume. It looked cool and sleek and I loved the big vibrating shoulder wings. Unfortunately, this is the outfit he was wearing when the ill-advised the decision to have him have a breakdown and smack his wife, so it has been since associated with the abusive, unhinged Pym.

I have always liked Gil Kane's design for The Atom's costume, but I do admit it looks a bit dated. I thought that the Justice League Unlimited cartoon had a great take on it - they kept the overall design but had the costume made from a shiny material and gave him Batman-like whited out eyes. It stayed true to the classic look but gave it a nice modern feel.

The New Teen Titans Vs. The New Warriors

2012-02-01T13:40:00.003-05:00

Here are two great teams that I wish could recapture some of the magic they had in their prime. The Teen Titans never quite recovered from the loss of Perez and Wolfman for me, despite some very nice work from creators like Tom Grummett, Geoff Johns and Dan Jurgens. I really like the new Young Justice cartoon, and was hoping the New DCU Teen Titans series would take its cues from that, but they went in another direction that bears very little resemblance to the team of my youth. The New Warriors have never quite bounced back since the events of Civil War. At least Speedball is out of his Penance phase. These two teams are among the most revamped and relaunched properties in comics, so maybe I just have to wait for the next inevitable incarnations and see if those strike more of a chord with me.

Swamp Thing Vs. The Phoenix

2012-01-31T13:53:00.001-05:00

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

2012-01-30T13:15:00.001-05:00

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

2012-01-27T14:08:00.000-05:00

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

2012-01-26T13:51:00.001-05:00

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

2012-01-25T13:31:00.000-05:00

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

2012-01-24T13:55:00.002-05:00

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

2012-01-23T13:47:00.001-05:00

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

2012-01-20T14:05:00.002-05:00

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

2012-01-19T14:12:00.003-05:00

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

2012-01-18T14:17:00.000-05:00

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

2012-01-17T13:54:00.002-05:00

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

2012-01-16T14:00:00.002-05:00

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

2012-01-13T14:42:00.001-05:00

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

2012-01-12T13:38:00.001-05:00

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

2012-01-11T13:31:00.000-05:00

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

2012-01-10T14:26:00.001-05:00

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

2012-01-09T14:29:00.001-05:00

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

2012-01-06T15:06:00.003-05:00

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

2012-01-05T14:36:00.004-05:00

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

2012-01-04T14:28:00.002-05:00

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.

VOTE for Super-Team Family: The Lost Issues

2012-01-04T07:45:00.000-05:00

The Blog has received an Eagle Award Nomination! (OK, so have about 100 other blogs, but still...)

you can vote here:

http://www.eagleawards.co.uk/nominations/

Dr. Mid-Nite and Daredevil

2012-01-03T14:21:00.001-05:00

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

2012-01-02T14:08:00.002-05:00

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!

Green Lantern and the Avengers

2011-12-30T14:31:00.003-05:00

The Marvel Studios produced films have been pretty successful so far, so I am really looking forward to The Avengers, the film everything has been leading up to. Joss Whedon is a great choice for director as he has had success writing for comics as well as handling ensemble pieces on film. Sure there will be costume changes I would like to make and some other tweaks, but the fact that all these characters will on the big screen sharing an adventure together tells me I won't have too much to complain about.

I wish Green Lantern had fared better at the box office. There was a lot to like about the film, but it was ultimately done in by a weak script, shoddy editing and a lackluster villain in Hector Hammond. Warner Brothers has announced a sequel - but they said that for Superman Returns, too, so that may just be studio posturing. I would like to see another attempt made utilizing lessons learned from the first outing, because I still think there is great potential in the franchise.

Aquaman and The Sub Mariner (Part Two)

2011-12-29T11:24:00.000-05:00

I wonder which of these two characters will be the first to get their own big screen film? I've heard Namor bandied about as a potential future Marvel flick and Aquaman was famously brought to fictional cinema in Entourage as well as guest shots on Smallville and an unsuccessful TV pilot. A big budget picture for an underwater superhero would face a lot of hurdles. Underwater shoots are incredibly expensive and there's also the question of how to have the characters speak beneath the depths - easily handled in a comic but a lot tougher to make work in live action. Both characters have famous looks that have their own challenges to pull off - making Aquaman's togs look cool and finding someone who can both act and look good in nothing but swim trunks and ankle wings. It's a lot to overcome, but if done with care we could have a superhero movie unlike any other. I'm betting we see one of them as a co-star in a team flick before a solo outing though.

Aquaman and The Sub-Mariner (Part One)

2011-12-28T14:21:00.000-05:00

I am very glad the Beard and Harpoon Hand days are finally over for Aquaman. I always saw those changes as an attempt to darken the character and make him closer to Marvel's premier ocean hero, and they never really worked for me. Fortunately, that phase is past and Aquaman is not only back to his classic look, but starring in two hit series from the new DC Reboot. It's nice to see him finally getting the respect he deserves.

As the cover indicates, this is a continued story... tune in for part two tomorrow!

The Lost Issues on Near-Mint Radio - Now on Podcast!

2011-12-27T17:52:00.000-05:00

In case you missed it, my interview on Near-Mint Radio regarding The Lost Issues is now up at the Non-Productive Network's Podcast site, which can be found here:

http://podcasts.non-productive.com/

I call in to the progam at 30 minutes in. It was a fun time and they have a great group of people over at NPN.

Justice League of America Vs. The Hulk

2011-12-27T14:31:00.002-05:00

The JLA has a wide variety of character types - street level heroes, champions from other worlds, detectives, scientists and space cops. What they have never really had on their team is a loose cannon character, like The Hulk. Sure, Green Arrow could be stubborn, but he never really got that out of control. It would have been interesting to see how old jade jaws would have fit in among some of the more straight laced members of the Justice League. Something tells me they wouldn't leave him alone for monitor duty! It won't be too long before everyone gets to see The Hulk in a team situation, when The Avengers hits the big screen. I trust that Joss Whedon will utilize him well.

The Creeper and Spider-Man

2011-12-26T11:46:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the first issue of Super-Team Family: The Lost Issues! I was trying to think of what to do for my follow up to B&B and MTIO, and this felt like the next natural progression. Super-Team Family was a short lived DC series in the 70's which presented a combination of reprints and new material featuring superhero teams and team-ups. They would have the old stand-by's like Superman and Batman, but then they would have an interesting team-up like Wildcat and The Creeper or The Flash and The New Gods. It was those offbeat team-ups that appealed to me the most, and they served as a huge inspiration for this blog.

The Original STF ran only 15 issues, but the Lost Issues will run considerably longer. I have many, many covers ready to go and I am making more all the time, so buckle up! You will notice a few differences in this series from the other two titles that I took on. First off, the cover says it all - going forward, there will be no fixed host of the series and any issue can feature anybody teaming with anybody. The random numbering is gone and STF will be presented sequentially. Also gone is posting in any kind of alphabetical order, so you'll never have an inkling of what is coming up next. The wide open aspect of this new title has opened up a world of possibilities and I plan to have fun with it!

I decided to kick off the series with a meeting of my two favorite Steve Ditko characters. Of course, I was halfway through with it when I realized that I had used a Jack Kirby Spider-Man figure - oops! Oh well, at least the headshot on the wanted poster is by Ditko!

As a reminder, Super-Team Family: The Lost Issues has a free app that looks great on phones and tablets. Whatever kind of device you have, the appropriate app can be found by clicking the link on the left. Personal Comissions are also available, check my profile for details.

I hope everyone who has enjoyed this blog so far will like the new direction!

Batman and The Grinch

2011-12-23T14:35:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all of the Lost Issues readers! I truly appreciate everyone who makes the time to stop in and check out the covers and I wish you a great holiday season close by the ones you love. The blog grew in popularity last year and hopefully will continue to do so in 2012. I was glad to ge a chance to use the Grinch here, star of perhaps the greatest Christmas cartoon ever. You really can't go wrong with the combination of Doctor Seuss, Chuck Jones and Boris Karloff!

Make sure you come back Monday for the ALL-NEW Lost Issues! Be here on the ground floor of a bold new era!

Batman and Zorro

2011-12-22T14:10:00.002-05:00

Given the strong connections between these two characters, it's surprising that we have never seen them meet up. In the days before comic book film adaptations were a commonplace occurance, heroes like Tarzan, Robin Hood, The Lone Ranger and Zorro were the closest thing to superheroes in the movies, and I would watch anything that featured them. I enjoyed the Antonio Banderas Zorro movies as they reminded me of some of those earlier swashbuckling films. It's been a while though, so I wouldn't mind a new take on Zorro to hit the big or small screen soon.

Well, folks - that's the end of the alphabet! I have one more B&B Cover for tomorrow and that's it for B&B... where to from here? Make sure you tune in on Monday, December 26th for the debut of the all-new Lost Issues Title!

Batman and Xena, Warrior Princess

2011-12-21T14:28:00.003-05:00

I remember getting a kick out of watching Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, and my favorite episodes were always the ones in which Lucy Lawless would guest star as Xena. I was of course very glad then when Xena got her own spin-off series. Sure the show could be corny and campy at times, but the beautiful New Zealand setting as well as the strength of its main actress kept me watching throughout the entire series run. One thing the show proved to me is that there is no reason a live action Wonder Woman could not be successful again. There have been a few projects featuring the Amazon princess that have had trouble getting off the ground in the past few years... perhaps they could have been well served by looking to Xena for inspiration.

Batman and Wolverine (Retro)

2011-12-20T14:10:00.000-05:00

It's too bad that Darren Aronofsky dropped out of the Wolverine sequel. I was not a big fan of the first film, which kind of meandered through a very thin plot, but Aronofsky's involvement in the second had me hopeful for a more stylish thoughtful flick. There is still hope though - the movie is reportedly based on Wolverine's first solo mini-series by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller (which is what they should have done the first time). That tale truly cemented the character's iconic status and should make for a markedly different film from the rest of Logan's cinematic outings. Interviews with Hugh Jackman indicate a willingness to really try and capture the feel of those issues, and I hope he succeeds at that.

Batman and Warlock

2011-12-19T14:47:00.003-05:00

Marvel's cosmic line has been in the spotlight again in the past few years, due to the talents of writers like Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning. This is a good thing because they have such a strong stable of space-faring characters - The Inhumans, The Guardians of the Galaxy, The Annihilators, and of course, Warlock. I have liked Adam Warlock ever since I stumbled onto an issue of his self titled series as a kid. The Jim Starlin artwork on that gave it a sleek, modern look that set it apart from most comics of the day. Hopefully, fans of the new cosmic stories will seek out his earlier adventures.

The Countdown to the All-New Lost Issues Title has begun! 7 days left until the big change on December 26th... stay tuned!

Batman and Usagi Yojimbo

2011-12-16T14:39:00.000-05:00

This cover fulfills a request from a friend. I have to confess that I have yet to read an issue of Usagi Yojimbo. It was years before I realized he had a scar on his forehead and wasn't just always cocking his eyebrow. I remember seeing Usagi Yojimbo when it first came out and thinking it was just another TMNT type parody comic. From what I have heard and seen since, that first impression could not be more incorrect. It seems to have stood the test of time and developed into quite an epic saga. So, where is a good place to start for folks like me who have never read the character before?

Batman and Union Jack

2011-12-15T14:43:00.000-05:00

I've always liked the look of Union Jack. I first encountered the character during the classic run of Captain America by Roger Stern and John Byrne. He seemed cool to me so I checked out his adventures as part of the Invaders as well. Comic characters with costumes based off of a flag motif are pretty common, but I think that Union Jack's is the most successful. It is at once patriotic, intimidating and utilitarian.

Batman and David Dunn: Unbreakable

2011-12-14T13:45:00.002-05:00

M. Night Shyamalan has taken some flack for his more recent output, but I still admire his work on the first few films that he directed. I remember seeing Unbreakable and the first thing that appeared on the screen was some text describing comic book collecting... I knew then that I was going to like the movie! I liked the slow, deliberate pace of the film and the real world angle it gave to the superhero genre. I don't think the film was a huge commercial success (at least in relation to The Sixth Sense) and that's too bad. Shyalaman has stated that he saw the story of David Dunn as a trilogy, and I would have loved to have seen another installment.

Batman and Two-Gun Kid

2011-12-13T13:34:00.001-05:00

My first exposure to Two Gun Kid was when he traveled to the present in the pages of The Avengers. I liked his friendship with Hawkeye and I always enjoy man-out-of-time stories. I thought he had returned to the old west at some point but he showed up in the pages of Dan Slott's She-Hulk series a few years back so I guess he never made it back home. Y'know, I made this cover some time after I had done the Rawhide Kid cover and I just noticed that both have Batman being shot by his co-stars... he just does not get along with Marvel cowboys!

The Lost Issues on Near Mint Radio - Tonight!

2011-12-13T09:19:00.001-05:00

I will be on Near Mint Radio on the Non-Productive network tonight to discuss the Lost Issues blog and announce the big change that's coming up! The program begins at 7PM EST and I will be on around 7:30PM. You can listen live at non-productive.com tonight... and if you miss it, the program will be listed in their podcast archives in a few days.

Batman and Tigra

2011-12-13T09:10:00.000-05:00

I have been a fan of Tigra since her original appearances as The Cat, to her fully felinte transformation and then her time as an Avenger. She is currently being featured in Avengers Academy. I get a kick out of the fact that she is still rocking the bikini... I don't ever remember any of my teachers dressing like that!

I was glad that this pairing finally gave me a chance to do an all Bruce Timm cover. He has a great grasp of body language and the ability to distill a character down to a simple streamlined iconic look.

Batman and Thor (Retro)

2011-12-09T14:36:00.001-05:00

Well, I have seen the Thor film a few times now and for me it is a mixed bag. The casting was great and I really enjoyed the performances, particularly by Tom Hiddleston as Loki. OK, maybe they should have gotten a fatter actor for Falstaff! Asgard looked great and the battle with the Ice Giants was suitably epic. My problems with the movie are that Thor spends way too much time depowered and out of costume... and even when he wears the costume it is without the helmet save for five seconds at the beginning. And the helmet looks great, there's no reason not to have it on in battle (a trend to looks to be continued in the Avengers). The battle with the Destroyer and final battle with Loki both seemed a bit abrupt as well. Still, Thor is one of the tougher characters to pull of on film and Kenneth Branagh did an admirable job. He is not returning for the sequel and the replacement director has already left the project so the next installment is currently up in the air. Hey, Marvel - give Peter Jackson a call!

Batman and The Young Allies (Retro)

2011-12-08T13:41:00.001-05:00

Long before the likes of the New Mutants or even the Teen Titans, the Young Allies blazed the trail for future teenage superhero groups. Indeed they were Marvel's first ongoing team book. Bucky, Toro and a plucky group of kids helped foil plots by the Red Skull and real world Axis Leaders. With a renewed interest in Bucky these days due to his high profile return as the Winter Soldier as well as his recent cinematic exposure, I hope to see some new tales of this WWII super group hit the stands.

Batman and Marvelman (Retro)

2011-12-07T13:33:00.001-05:00

Marvelman is one of the comics I would most like to read and have not gotten the chance to. I've read great things about the character, especially the stories in which he was renamed Miracleman. These tales have been tied up with legal issues for years, preventing any reprints from being produced. The original issues have skyrocketed in price as a result. In recent years much has been written about Marvel Acquiring the rights to the character (meaning use of the Marvelman name is no longer a problem), but thus far I have only seen some of his most early adventures collected. Hopefully whatever legal red tape remains will be unraveled soon and the rest of his tales can be brought back to the market.

Batman and The X-Men (Retro)

2011-12-06T13:13:00.001-05:00

Well, I've had Batman in retro adventures with each of the individual members, I guess it's time for him to meet the merry mutants as a whole. Now, here's the First Class I was really hoping to see on the big screen. Alas, with the X-films wonky continuity, it seems as though on a full franchise reboot will allow for that to happen. It was great at least to finally see the traditional yellow and navy blue outfits on screen at last, proving they could look cool regardless of any comments made in earlier films.

Batman and The West Coast Avengers

2011-12-05T14:17:00.001-05:00

I was a big fan of the first West Coast Avengers mini-series and the ongoing series that followed it. The Avengers had included a lot of cool members over the years and the idea of a second team operating concurrently would allow more characters to be showcased. Little did I realize what a trend that would start! Now not only are certain characters diluted by multiple versions of them running around, entire teams have their own variants. There are multiple versions of the Avengers, X-Men and the Justice League operating simultaneously and it's getting pretty crowded out there. It used to be an honor to join the Avengers or the JLA... now it makes a character more unique if they've never been a member!

Batman and The Vision and The Scarlet Witch

2011-12-02T13:33:00.001-05:00

I have featured each of these characters before, but wanted to use them together because I always enjoyed them as a couple. Sure, a romance between a mutant and a synthezoid was a little freaky, but that's what made their relationship so compelling. Unfortunately, both characters have been through the wringer for the past few decades, with The Scarlet Witch growing increasingly more unstable and The Vision receiving personality wipes and new bodies. Their romance was one of the first casualties of all of this tampering. I think it is time to get them both back to a more stable, iconic place and see if there is any of that old magic left. I'm just sentimental enough to think that these two crazy kids could still make it work after all of these years.

Batman and The Viking Prince

2011-12-01T08:56:00.001-05:00

A pretty obscure character today, but I figured as one of the original stars of The Brave and the Bold (predating the Batman team up era), the Viking Prince deserved and inclusion here. Of course, the fact that his adventures were illustrated by the incomparable Joe Kubert makes him even more appealing to me. DC recently released a collection of all of the Viking Prince stories and I highly recommend it for any fans of swashbuckling action and top notch artwork.

Batman and the Thunderbolts

2011-11-30T08:40:00.001-05:00

Thunderbolts is one of Marvel's best concepts in the past few decades. The original run by Kurt Busiek and Mark Bagley came out at a time when comics were all about gimmicks - lots of foil covers and variant issues to drum up interest. The Thunderbolts had the best gimmick of all though, a great plot twist at the end of the first issue which gave the series a unique hook. Having villains disguised as heroes led to a lot of fascinating character arcs, as each member of the team reacted differently to their newfound hero status. Some embraced the new outlook and tried to stay on the path of the truly heroic, while others relished in the deceit and grew even more devious. It was a great exploration of some characters that had been around in comics for many years, and it gave them all some real depth. Busiek and Bagley proved once again that every character has growth potential when placed in interesting enough circumstances.

Batman and The Thing (Retro)

2011-11-29T14:17:00.001-05:00

It was fun to go back to a Thing cover again... this actually makes my fourth pairing with these two (sixth if you count Fantastic Four covers). They are my two favorite characters from their respective companies so I really dig the idea of them sharing adventures together. How I would have loved to see Jim Aparo illustrate The Thing in B&B, or John Buscema give us a Marvel version of the team up in MTIO... Such wishes filled my head as a child and the untapped possibilities they suggest are the basis for this blog.

Batman and The Super-Skrull

2011-11-28T11:12:00.001-05:00

It was a fun moment at the end of Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer when Johnny Storm temporarily gained the powers of the entire team. It was clearly a nod to one of the Fantastic Four's coolest villains, the Super Skrull. That was a nice tease but what I as a fan really would have preferred was a full out adventure with the actual Super Skrull. I had the same feeling when watching Ang Lee's Hulk - Lee made the strange decision to combine the Hulk's abusive father with classic villains Zzzax and The Absorbing Man. I would have much rather had a solo appearance by one of those villains rather than the odd mashup we got. There's still hope for future movies, though. With a FF film reboot on the horizon as well as rumored Skrull involvement in the Avengers film, maybe there's a chance we'll finally see the Super Skrull on the big screen one day.

Batman and The Sub-Mariner (Retro)

2011-11-23T13:35:00.001-05:00

Namor has been getting around a lot lately. Already a current or former member of The Invaders, The Defenders, The Avengers and The Illuminati, he has most recently been hanging out with The X-Men. Boy, for a supposedly anti-social character, he sure joins a lot of teams! I guess it was only a matter of time, given his status as Marvel's first official mutant. I don't mind seeing the Sub-Mariner in a team setting - it's fun to watch him interact with other characters with his no-nonsense attitude.

Batman and The Sinister Six

2011-11-22T13:04:00.001-05:00

It will be interesting to see a new take on the Spider-Man film franchise, but part of me was hoping that the new films would continue in the previous movie's continuity. That way we could have Spider-Man 4 with Kraven hunting the Lizard and Spidey in the middle, then a Spider-Man 5 with Mysterio and/or Electro as the villains... all setting the stage for Spider-Man: Secret Six!, where the foes from each movie unite to finally try an take the web-slinger down for good. It would be a crowded film but so cool to see one of my favorite Annuals come to life. Ah well, perhaps it is never meant to be, but we still have the comics and the animated adaptations of the Sercret Six to enjoy.

Batman and The Silver Surfer (Retro)

2011-11-21T15:48:00.001-05:00

Before the studio decided to reboot the Fantastic Four film franchise, there was talk of a Silver Surfer spin-off movie. I don't know if the reboot plans have scuttled this, but it is something that I would still be interested to see. The Surfer was easily the best part of the FF sequel, he looked spot on and I liked Laurence Fishburne providing the voice. They could have a film set completely off of Earth and finally do Galactus justice (no clouds. please). Throw in an appearance by Beta Ray Bill or a trip to Ego, the Living Planet and you would have a summer blockbuster like no other!

Batman and The Secret Wars

2011-11-18T14:23:00.001-05:00

Marvel and DC have fallen into a repetitive cycle with one major line wide event after another, complete with countless spin-off mini-series and tie-in issues and the sheer abundance of them has certainly diluted the impact for me. When Marvel first released Secret Wars, huge crossovers were still a rare happening and I have very fond memories of devouring the issues as they came out. Marvel's move of featuring it's characters returning from the Secret Wars on Battleworld with all of their changes (Spider-Man's new costume, She-Hulk in the FF, etc.) was a clever one, it really made me want to read the year-long series to find out what had happened. I also loved the Mike Zeck art and wish he could have completed the full twelve issues. Like DC's Crisis on Infinite Earths, there are some flaws to be found upon rereading, but I will always hold it in high regard due to the memories it conjures up.

Batman and The Rawhide Kid

2011-11-17T09:51:00.001-05:00

I was glad to see that with the Recent DC reboot, they are still giving the western comic a chance in today's market. I was a big fan of Marvel & DC's Western Characters like Jonah Hex, The Two-Gun Kid, The Rawhide Kid and Scalphunter. I think the genre is well suited for comics and provides a nice contrast to all of the super science and fantastical action found in the majority of titles. John Ostrander and Tom Mandrake's The Kents was a great read and I keep meaning to try the current Jonah Hex stories. Marvel brought The Rawhide Kid back in a controversial mini series a few years back, but the less said about that, the better.

Batman and The New Warriors

2011-11-16T07:40:00.001-05:00

When the New Warriors first appeared, I wondered why it had taken Marvel so long to put together a team like theirs. There had not been a team of non-mutant teenage heroes since The Young Allies in the golden age (OK, they did have Power Pack, but that group was pre-teen). I think the Success of DC's New Teen Titans at the time encouraged them to give the concept a try. The formula must have worked for Marvel, as we have seen teen groups The Runaways, Young Avengers and The Future Foundation follow in their wake. The New Warriors was the first though, and it would be nice to see them make a return. They have never seemed to quite recover form the destruction of the group in Marvel's Civil War event. There have been a few attempts to relaunch a New Warriors comic, but nothing has stuck yet. The original team had an interesting roster of characters, and hopefully we will see a more permanent return soon.

Batman and The Matrix

2011-11-15T14:22:00.001-05:00

I was lucky enough to see the first Matrix on opening day and thus did not have any of the movie spoiled for me beforehand. I never knew where the movie was going and it was a wild ride from start to finish.The two sequels each had some cool visual moments but didn't really capitalize on all the potential from where the first film left off, in my opinion. On the other hand, I wholeheartedly endorse The Animatrix, the direct to DVD film with six stories set in the continuity of The Matrix, each one animated in its own unique style. Even if you are not a fan of the 2 Matrix sequels, it is still well worth seeking out.

Batman and The Mask

2011-11-14T13:42:00.001-05:00

I did not know much about The Mask as a comic book series other than the basic concept and the fact that I liked the John Arcudi artwork. So when the movie version of the comic came out, I went in with an open mind. I thought it was a perfect vehicle for Jim Carrey and it is still one of my favorite performances of his. I was hoping to see a sequel, but unfortunately the studio went the cheap route and cut the budget and star power form it. The results were forgettable, and it's too bad. This was a property that at one point had a successful comic, movie and cartoon series running, and I hope to see new material from it in the future.

Batman and The Lone Ranger

2011-11-11T14:28:00.001-05:00

I used to get a kick out of the Lone Ranger with Clayton Moore and Jay Silverheels as a kid. When we would play cowboys, our imaginary villains would be Butch Cavendish and the Cavendish Gang, the Ranger's longtime enemies. I was excited when I heard there was going to be a big screen Lone Ranger film, and disappointed that it turned out to be that infamous Clinton Spilsbury fiasco. Now there is a new Lone Ranger film in Development, and I am surprised that it took so many years for Hollywood to give the property another try. I hope it will finally do the characters justice, but I'm still unsure about Johnny Depp as Tonto. I'll withhold my judgment until I see a trailer.

Batman and The Legion of Monsters

2011-11-10T13:41:00.001-05:00

Now this is a cool team that I wish we could have gotten to see more of. Like yesterdays entry with the LoEG, this is another teamed formed by pre-existing characters that share a particular genre. it was offbeat team ups and teams like the Legion of Monsters that really fueled my imagination for what other crossovers could be possible and led to this blog. Have they made any other appearances together as a team after their initial outing? I have seen more modern images of them but I am not sure if they are from a full story.

Batman and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen

2011-11-09T13:49:00.000-05:00

Being the huge fan of team-ups that I am, I was instantly drawn to the concept of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. I love the idea of so many great fictional characters crossing over in one big story, and the creative team of Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill pulled it off incredibly well. The stories featuring this team are dense and rewarding, chock full of literary references in the script and art, and make the reader want to seek out the tales that these characters originally starred in. The movie version is a major departure from the comics, and people looking for a faithful adaptation will be disappointed. I have to admit that if I disassociate it with the Moore/O'Neil stories I kind of enjoy it on a popcorn movie level, It was nice to see Sean Connery back for one more action role.

Batman and The Kingpin

2011-11-08T14:48:00.000-05:00

It's interesting that the villain most closely related to Daredevil originally started out as a foil for Spider-Man. There was something always very menacing about Wilson Fisk. Sure, he had a lot of muscle mass and could hold his own in a brawl, but his real power was in the influence that he held over the underworld. There had been plenty of crime bosses in comics, but The Kingpin was the first to fully tap into that Godfather type vibe which really set him apart from the average foe. Writers like Frank Miller, Brian Michael Bendis and Ed Brubaker have done a great job of exploring the complexities that make him tick, and it's always interesting to see what he will be up to next.

Batman and The Irredeemable Ant-Man

2011-11-07T14:20:00.000-05:00

I wasn't sure what to make of the new Eric O'Grady version of Ant-Man when I first heard of him. I usually prefer a new concept rather than another character simply taking over an existing identity. The mini-series that he was introduced in by Robert Kirkman and Phil Hester garnered a lot of positive reviews so I decided to check it out. It was a lot off fun and this new, more amoral Ant-Man grew on me pretty quickly. There was a lot of fun humor in the story and the original Ant-Man, Hank Pym, was a big part of it, rather than being completely cast aside to make room for the new guy. Since that introduction, O'Grady has shared a mini-series with Pym and has even become a member of the Thunderbolts. That's a great spot for him, as it features characters that fall between the lines of heroism and villainy, and explores which path they will ultimately take. I like O'Grady as a reluctant hero, but I hope he doesn't completely lose some of his more questionable attributes because they keep him interesting.

Batman and The Iron Giant

2011-11-04T12:57:00.000-04:00

I remember being early for some event and going to see The Iron Giant in the theaters to kill some time. I was very glad that I made that decision because it turned out to be one of my favorite movies ever. Filled with great character design, beautiful animation and a story brimming over with humor and heart, it has earned its title as a modern day classic. This was due in no small part to the work of director Brad Bird, who went on to join Pixar and bring us such gems as Ratatouille and The Incredibles. Bird's nect project is Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, and it will be interesting to see if he can bring the same level of excellence to a live action project.

Batman and The Inhumans (Retro)

2011-11-03T14:49:00.001-04:00

I have heard that The Inhumans is one of the properties up for a potential film treatment. It would be tough to pull off, but if done well it could be a very cool idea. I think that the Inhumans and their world contain some of the very best Jack Kirby design work and any adaptation would have to embrace the unique look that he created. The Asgard scenes in Thor showed the potential of this, but they didn't go far enough in my opinion. None of this showing the helmet for five seconds and then never using it again business, a motion picture Inhumans must be unashamed of it's comic book roots. A filmmaker like Peter Jackson might be able to do it justice.

Batman and The Human Torch (Retro)

2011-11-02T14:07:00.000-04:00

Johnny Storm was recently killed off in the pages of The Fantastic Four (It was his turn, I think every other team member had "died" and returned at least once before). Of course, the death was off-panel, so it is almost certainly just a matter of time before hewill be resoted to life in some manner. There has been a flurry of promotion recently for the upcoming 600th issue and I wonder if that is where Johnny will make his return. It seems a bit obvious though, so I wouldn't e surprised if writer Jonathan Hickman throws a bit of a curve ball. Whatever happens, I fully expect Johnny to be back by the time the Fantastic Four reboot film hits theaters, gotta keep that corporate synergy intact!

Batman and The Hulk (Gray)

2011-11-01T13:13:00.000-04:00

I've loved the Batman and Hulk pairing ever since that great tabloid sized adventure they shared by Len Wein and Jose Luis Garcia Lopez, so I thought I would feature an updated version of the story from my retro issue, this time starring the Gray Hulk. I really enjoyed when Peter David brought back the Hulk in his Gray persona back during his run on the title. The Hulk can be a tough character to write on an extended basis and this was a nice way to mix things up and avoid repetition. While the classic green version is still my favorite, it was interesting to read the adventures of this smarter and more devious version for a while.

This cover is also a team up of the two great Adams artiists in the field, Neal and Art!

Batman and Tales From The Crypt

2011-10-31T12:41:00.000-04:00

I thought I would put together a special Halloween cover. Since the comic book Crypt Keeper looked so much less cool than the live action version (just an old dude in a fright wig and robe versus the beady eyed skeleton from the TV show), I had to come up with a suitable guest star... and who better than the one character in comicdom that has been allowed to remain dead!

I was more of a superhero fan when I was a kid, but I did like to check out horror comics like Tales From the Crypt, Unexpected and House of Mystery from time to time. They were always filled with pleasantly gruesome morality tales and often had some amazing artwork, both on the covers and the interiors.

Batman and The Hulk (Retro)

2011-10-28T14:41:00.000-04:00

It will be cool to see The Hulk return in next Summer's Avengers film. Mark Ruffalo is doing the motion capture to define the CGI performance, so it will be interesting to see the final product. What has me even more interested, however, is the Hulk TV series that is on the horizon. Not much has been said about it, but the involvement of Guillermo Del Toro has me eagerly anticipating it. With him behind the scenes, you know that the Hulk will be going up against some fearsome adversaries instead of mobsters and rednecks like in the Bill Bixby series!

Batman and The Green Goblin

2011-10-27T14:44:00.004-04:00

There's a lot to admire in Sam Raimi's first Spider-Man film, but I think on major misstep was the look of the Green Goblin. I've read comparisons to Power Ranger costumes and between the monochrome bodysuit and unmoving face, I can see where they are coming from. The body armor type suit was fine, but if they had thrown on a tattered putple tunic over it, it would have looked cooler and closer to the comics. for the mask, I would have tried to allow for more of Willem DaFoe's expressive performance show through. It was hard enough with Spider-Man's face completely concealed, it gets tough for an audience to engage with the characters when both hero and villain are covered up.

Batman and The Fantastic Four (Retro)

2011-10-26T14:33:00.002-04:00

I understand that The Fantastic Four is due for a movie reboot. While the first two entries had some fun moments, they are largely missed opportunities. Hopefully lesson will have been learned and we will finally see the epic FF film that I know is possible. Ben Grimm's Thing form must be CGI, the man in suit version simply does not work. I'd love to see a take on Doctor Doom that was actually faithful to the comics, but given his large role in the first two movies, it is time to give him a rest. A better angle would be a Negative Zone adventures, with a suitably creepy Annihilus and brutish Blastaar as the villains. Spend a little more money this time around on shots of Reed and Johnny using their powers and play up the adventurers aspect of the team and it would be a superhero film that really stands out among the crowd.

Batman and The Ecapist

2011-10-25T15:24:00.000-04:00

I was intrigued when I heard that the The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon had won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 2001. A book about comic creators, set against the backdrop of the Golden Age, and it was given the highest honor in writing? This I had to check out. I am glad that I did, because I found it to be a very engrossing read. The main creation of the characters, The Escapist, sounded really cool and would have fit right in with Superman, Captain Marvel, The Human Torch and the rest of the first wave of costumed heroes. The Escapist has since found a life beyonfd the pages of the novel, as some of today's top creators have crafted stories featuring him. I have hear that a Kavalier & Clay movie has been in the works for some time. It is an epic tale that has all the elements to make for a dramatic and visually interesting story, so I hope that some A-list talent is attached and the film version gets off the ground.

Batman and The Champions

2011-10-24T14:26:00.000-04:00

I always loved The Champions because of their cool roster. Two X-Men, a super spy, a Greek God, and the Spirit of Vengeance... I would never have thought to put them together, but they made for one of may favorite teams ever. Their series didn't last long, and perhaps part of that was due to the offbeat line-up. I loved how they interacted with one another and would love to see them work together as a team on a regular basis again. Marvel seems not to give up on The Defenders, giving them another relaunch every couple of years - I think it's time they gave The Champions the same chance!

Batman and The Blue Beetle (Retro)

2011-10-21T13:59:00.000-04:00

The Blue beetle is one of those legacy characters for whom I enjoy every incarnation. I like the new Jaime Reyes version and i am glad that he has gotten another chance at a solo title with the New 52 at DC. I was hoping the Reboot would bring Ted Kord back in some manner - no sign of him yet but I guess there's still a chance. I am the least familiar with the Dan Garrett original, but I have enjoyed the few Golden Age stories that I have seen him in. Heck I even liked the live action, beer bellied Blue Beetle that used to appear on episodes of The Electric Company, that guy used to make me laugh!

Batman and The Black Cat

2011-10-20T14:40:00.000-04:00

At first glance, The Black Cat comes off as a Catwoman clone, but Marvel has done a good job of giving her enough of her own spin to keep the character unique. I like that she is infatuated with Spider-Man and has little use or interest in his alter-ego, Peter Parker. It's a nice twist on the traditional comic book relationship where the hero is usually trying to maintain a romance without letting his superheroic side intrude. I prefer the stories where Felicia is written a bit off-balance - not really a villain, but unhinged just enough that she makes Spidey's life a nightmare as she seeks to satisfy her adrenaline junkie driven desires. The more complicated Spider-Man's life becomes, the more compelling his adventures are, and The Black Cat is one of the more entertaining love interests that has been introduced in the Spider-Man mythos..

Batman and The Beast (Retro)

2011-10-19T14:37:00.000-04:00

It was cool that X-Men: First Class featured Hank McCoy in both his human and beastly forms. I would have like to have seen the oversized hands to go along with his big feet though. I remember the Amazing Adventures serial that featured the Beast as he first made his transformation to the blue furry look fondly. I finally tracked down all the issues after reading about him as an Avenger as well as a founding member of the X-Men. It was cool to see the bridge between the two eras. I really liked his original blue look, and the more cat-like appearance he adopted during the Grant Morrison X-Men run doesn't work nearly as well for me. I'm kind of surprised the haven't gone back to the classic look by now,

Batman and The Avengers - Cap's Kooky Quartet (Retro)

2011-10-18T14:48:00.000-04:00

There are so many cool Avengers line-ups, I decided they warranted another cover. As I mentioned yesterday, I hope for Avengers film sequels to feature more of their large roster. Unfortunately, because of rights issues, it will be very unlikely that I will see my favorite grouping on the big screen because the era I loved the most was when The Beast was an Avenger. I always felt that he fit in better there than with the X-Men once he evolved into his blue furry state. Of course these days we have Wolverine and now Storm as card carrying Avengers, but that just does not work for me at all - it smacks of a decision made by corporate number crunchers rather than driven by the plot. Don't even get me started on Spider-Man as an Avenger!

Batman and The Avengers (Retro)

2011-10-17T14:38:00.002-04:00

Well the teaser trailer has hit, and next summer's Avengers film and while it did not show a whole lot, just seeing the characters interacting together has me sold. There was only a tease of The Hulk at the end, but I am sure those effects will take the longest to complete. I have to hand it to Marvel, their plan of introducing the characters in separate movies and then bringing them together really seems to have worked. It's an amazing feat that they were able to combine their movie franchises the way the comics share a common continuity. I hope the Avengers is the huge hit that it is expecting to be, because I'd love to see sequels featuring Giant-Man, The Wasp, Vision, The Scarlet Witch and others in the future.

Batman and The Astonishing X-Men

2011-10-14T15:10:00.000-04:00

I was a huge fan of the X-Men during the 80's - Chris Claremont really knew how to weave a superhero soap opera and the art by Dave Cockrum, John Byrne, Paul Smith and others was always a treat. I do feel that the X-Men became a victim of their own popularity though, as more and more spinoff titles were added. Eventually, there were so many characters, crossovers and and plot lines to keep track of that I finally gave up on following them altogether. Every once in a while a new creative team I liked would come on board and I would check out one of the flagship titles again - but they were never able to capture the same magic. That changed when Joss Whedon and John Cassiday gave us Astonishing X-Men. With a streamlined cast and firm grip on the characters, it was the best X-Men title I had read in years. I only wish they had stayed on the series longer. Whedon's comic work here gives me confidence in the upcoming Avengers movie which he wrote and is directing. The trailer released this week definitely has some Whedon-esque lines!

Batman and The Angel (Retro)

2011-10-13T14:24:00.000-04:00

The Angel as originally conceived is a character that would never be created today. Back when he was introduced, the power of flight and the visual of a man with wings was impressive enough to hook in readers - I know that I really liked him. Somewhere along the line, it was felt that the character needed to get beefed up and given more of an edge. When he was transformed into Archangel, he was turned blue, given metallic wings that could project blades, and saddled with a new grim and gritty attitude. If this had just been for a story line that would have been fine, but he has never quite reverted back to his original status. I think the changes made him seem more like a villain than a hero. I haven't checked in on the X-books in a while so I am not sure what his status is now - I think he is still blue but are his wings metal or back to the classic feathered look? I'm an old school guy so I almost always prefer the original design.

Batman and Thanos

2011-10-12T11:39:00.000-04:00

There are a lot of universe-spanning villains in comics, but Thanos stands out because of his unique motivation. Sure, he wants to destroy half of all sentient life, but it is for more than just the sake of domination... he wants to impress the woman whom he has a major crush on - namely, the living embodiment of death! How do you reason with a guy who has that kind of sensibility? I like how Thanos has gone from a Captain Marvel villain to a nemesis for the entire catalog of marvel characters. I have read rumors that he will be making an appearance in next summer's Avengers film, and while I take those with a huge grain of salt, the idea does intrigue me - it would be interesting to see if he could be effectively translated into live action.

Batman and Super Grover

2011-10-11T14:14:00.000-04:00

Out of all the Muppet characters on Sesame Street, Grover was far and away my favorite. He was always funny and I used to love The Monster at the End of this Book. The fact that Grover would often appear as Super Grover of course put him over the top for me. When Kermit spun off into The Muppet Show, I think Grover could have easily gone along with him, he would have fit right in with that crowd. I am glad to see The Muppets getting another shot at the big screen soon, the trailers for the upcoming film look like a lot of fun and it really feels as though the filmmakers are just as big Muppet fans as I am. In this day of Pixar and CGI created children's characters, it's nice to see some old-school favorites getting some love.

Batman and Sunfire

2011-10-10T14:23:00.000-04:00

I remember being interested by Sunfire when I first saw him as a member of the all-new team in Giant-Size X-Men #1. I had seen other fire controlling characters before but I liked his unique background and really dug his look based on Japanese dragon designs. It was too bad that he departed so quickly, perhaps that was because he, like Wolverine, was somewhat of a loose cannon and the powers that be only wanted one bad boy on the team at a time. I must not have been his only fan, though, because he still makes appearances in the various X-titles from time to time. I've seen attempts as costume redesigns for him, but I am glad he usually reverts back to his original look - gotta love that mask!

Batman and Starfox

2011-10-07T13:40:00.000-04:00

Starfox is a character that stands out amongst other outer space based heroes. While most have noble or tragic motivations, Eros mainly seemed to get into adventures as part of a quest for excitement. This lust for life is put into stark contrast when compared to his brother, the evil Thanos, who is obsessed with death. That relationship gives some depth to Starfox, who one the surface may seem just to be a shallow skirt-chaser.

Batman and The Great Lakes Avengers

2011-10-06T14:47:00.000-04:00

I thought that Squirrel Girl and the Great Lakes Avengers were a good fit together. I really enjoyed the various GLA mini-series and annuals written by Dan Slott. They are a great take on the fun side of superheroics and something I would like to see more of in the Marvel Universe. Hopefully they will resist the urge to make these characters more grounded and they will keep their humorous edge in future appearances.

Batman and Squirrel Girl

2011-10-05T14:30:00.000-04:00

One of the things that has given me pause regarding the current DCU reboot is that so far, most of the fun characters are nowhere to be seen. Metamorpho, the Metal Men, Elongated Man, The Shazam Family, Blue Devil and more seem to have been cast aside in favor of more grim and gritty titles. I hope that changes soon as the diversity in character types makes for a more well rounded universe, in my opinion. Marvel doesn't have as many fun characters, but I have to say I am charmed by Squirrel Girl. Here's a character that is fun to read and really stands out among all of the more serious heroes as well as the other heroines parading around in glorified bathing suits. I hope that Marvel find more outlets for Squirrel Girl, her adventures always bring a smile to my face. Part 2 of this story is coming tomorrow!

Batman and Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends

2011-10-04T11:27:00.000-04:00

Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends was appointment television for me when I was growing up. I was a fan of the solo Spider-Man cartoon and remember thinking it was awesome that the new show featured Iceman as well. I probably would have preferred the Human Torch over Firestar but his rights were tied up at the time. I loved the way the series did not shy away from guest stars and by the end of its run, a good portion of the Marvel Universe had made appearances. That was a precursor to shows like Justice League Unlimited and Batman: The Brave and the Bold which have done a great job with universe-building. Another thing I remember is that each episode had its own title card at the beginning, something that Batman: The Animated Series would also use to great effect. It is beyond me why these Spidey series have not come to DVD/Blu-Ray yet... I know that I would snap up season sets in an instant if they were solicited! I used to have some grainy VHS copies, but it would be nice to see some crisp versions of these episodes (especially my favorite "Seven Little Superheroes") after so many years.