Batman and The Beast in: "Mark of the Man-Beast!"

Currently there are shows or films in production featuring Comissioner Gordon, Batwoman, Batgirl, Harley Quinn, Robin, Alfred Pennyworth, The Joker and Birds of Prey.  That's all well and good, but what about the main course - Batman himself?  It seems crazy to me to have him off the table while all his supporting characters and villains are getting the spotlight.  The same thing seems to be happening to Superman.

Batman and The Beast have crossed paths before on the blog - they shared a retro adventure back in 2011, and first met on a very rough cover from 2010 from when I was just starting to mess around with MS Paint.

Ikaris Vs. Darkseid

Marvel has found its Eternals director in Chloe Zhao.  I hope that lessons have been learned and more care is taken with this offshoot of humanity than was with The Inhumans.  The other question is whether this film will hit theaters before DC's own Jack Kirby epic, New Gods.  It will be interesting to watch the project develop and see if it can become another hit franchise.

Swamp Thing and Wolverine in: "To Heal The Green!"

When comics pro and Patron of this blog Tony Isabella requested this scenario on a cover, I had to try and make it happen.  not only is it a great concept, but it serves as a perfect follow up to the first time these two heroes met in STF #1154. Yeah, I'm just collaborating with the creator of Black Lightning, Misty Knight, Tigra and more - a pretty sweet feeling for a lifelong comics fan like myself.

Doctor Strange and Dr. Manhattan

I'd be interested in hearing what folks think of DC's Doomsday Clock, which brings the Watchmen characters together with the heroes of the DCU.  At first I was wary of such a move, but I am a big fan of writer Geoff Johns and artist Gary Frank, so I am intrigued with what they have put together.  Is it worth checking out once they issue a collected edition?

Tempest and Storm

I liked Aqualad's transition to Tempest.  It was cool for him to get his own unique power set and the red version of Aquaman's blue costume looked cool on him.  I liked the Tempest from the Doom Patrol too, though, so I might have gone with a different code name, though.

Thanks again to comics historian and Patron of this blog Marc Tyler Nobleman for another great team-up suggestion!

Firestorm and The Defenders

Now that Marvel has access to virtually their entire library of characters for movie treatment, there's no reason we cant get a proper Defenders team up on the big screen. They already have Hulk, Dr. Strange and Valkyrie established to anchor the non-team.  Heck, they could even use the group as a lead up to their next big crossover film - live action Avengers/Defenders War, anyone?

Challengers of the Unknown and Star Trek

Will there be another Star Trek movie?  Word is that Chris Pine and Chris Hemsworth (slated for a return as Kirk's father) have walked away due to contract issues.  Hopefully that's just a negotiation tactic and everything will get worked out.

This cover was a suggestion from comics historian and Patron of this blog Marc Tyler Nobleman, and frankly I was surprised I never thought of it myself.  It seems like such a natural to have these adventurers meet for one epic story.  Thanks, Marc!

The Joker Vs. The Punisher

There are very few Marvel heroes, or even anti-heroes, that are as no-nonsense in attitude as The Punisher.  For that reason I would love the see him forced to work together with The Joker.  They did actually meet at part of the John Romita Jr. illustrated Batman Vs. The Punisher special, but they had the Dark Knight to referee in that case.  Let's see what kind of fireworks would happen with just the two of them on their own!

Space Ghost joins Star Wars

OK, so the DCEU is having trouble finding solid footing, but there's no reason that we can't have another series if interconnected superhero movies in addition to Marvel's.  The Valiant Universe looks to be making an attempt to get in on the action, which could be cool - but what I'd love to see is a series of films featuring the Hanna Barbera heroes.  Start with Space Ghost and Spin out the Galaxy Trio, Herculoids, Birdman, Shazzan and more.  The kids who were fans of those shows growing up are now directors, producers and movie executives - Let's finally see those properties get some live action love!

Sub-Mariner Vs. The Creature From The Black Lagoon

The Creature from the Black Lagoon remains for me one of the greatest monsters ever created for the silver screen.  The suit is a true work of art and looks amazing above and below water.  It definitely frightened me as a kid and certainly has had an influence on other movie makers, most recently Guillermo del Toro as seen in The Shape of Water.  I do wish that he had crossed over with some of the other Universl Monsters back in the day.

Ego Vs. Mogo

This was a match up that I teased way back in STF #33, and I have always meant to get back to. We've seen Ego make his film debut in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2,  now it's time to have some Mogo love on the big screen.  Let's hope he can get at least a cameo when The Green Lantern Corps finally gets to the movies.  I loved his animated appearance when Mogo Doesn't Socialize was adapted.

Rogue and The Flash

I was thinking that if the Gambit movie ever got off the ground, we might get a chance to see a more comics-accurate version of Rogue on the big screen.  Alas, with all the starts and stops that project has had, not to mention Disney's acquisition of 20th Century Fox' film properties, it looks like the film will never be made.  It will probably be some years before Marvel gets their own version of the X-Men up and running, and even longer before Rogue becomes part of the mix.

Daredevil and Snake Eyes

I am a big fan of the new Netflix series The Toys That Made Us.  Probably my favorite episode so far focused on the evolution of the G.I Joe action figure line.  It was very cool to see how the property evolved from the larger sized toys of my youth to the smaller line that also made a splash in comics and animation. I can see why the change was made, but for me, nothing will replace my original Joe with the real facial hair and kung-fu grip!

Darth Vader Vs. Darkseid

I was the perfect age when Star Wars was first released - 8 years old.  I was of course blown away by the movie.  May father picked up the Treasury Edition comic adaptation of the movie by Marvel for us kids shortly afterwards and I devoured it.  This was well before the advent of VCR's and movies took about 4 years to go from the theaters to TV, so these big comics were the one way to keep the stories and characters fresh in my mind while waiting for the sequels, and I remember them fondly.

These two first faced off in a back-up tale in STF #2184...

Galactus Vs. Starro

Picking up from the story just a few days ago in STF #2337, we see that the Devourer of Worlds is not too pleased with the fact that his herald has been poached. Hmmm, I don't think that any of his drones would have much effect on Galactus, but maybe Starro could affix himself to the big guy and make a slave of him? Not without a fight of course, and it would be a corker to see, just as Cavilier1970 and Bob Greenwade suggested in the comments for the earlier cover.

Stupendous Man joins Tiny Titans

Tiny Titans was one of the best superhero comics for kids that I have ever seen.  It featured an army of fun, colorful characters in truly funny stories to introduce young readers to the world of the Teen Titans and beyond.  Plus, each issue was packed with enough DCU in-jokes that there was plenty of enjoyment for long time fans as well.  It stuck me as a great title for parents and kids to read together.

Thank you to Mike Shirley, a patron of this blog, for suggesting this team up!

The Metal Men and ROM

Mattel recently announced that they are going to open a film division and begin making their own movies based on their various toy lines.  Properties like Barbie, Hot Wheels and Masters of the Universe are being considered for big screen treatment.  I wonder if Parker Brothers would consider taking a look at some of their licenses for movie adaptations.  I don't know if there's an audience for a ROM flick, but I'd sure go see it!

The New Teen Titans and She-Hulk

I was on the fence about DC's upcoming streaming service, but I think I am going to have to give it a pass for now.  The trailer for Titans did not make a great first impression - the tone seemed off, as if DC had learned nothing from their cinematic mistakes.  The promise of a deep DC movie collection as well as comics that can be read on screen is fine, but frankly won't offer me very much that I haven't seen or isn't already in my collection after a lifetime as a fan.  Still, I have hopes for The Doom Patrol, Stargirl and Swamp Thing series - once those are released, and if they are quality productions, I may give the service another look.

Spider-Man and Wild Dog

Costume variants are pretty commonplace today, but when Spider-Man first got his black costume from Secret Wars, it was a pretty big deal.  I remember thinking it would only stick around for an issue or two, and being surprised at how long it lasted.  Plus, the whole alien symbiote angle was an inventive concept that has spawned new characters and storylines in the decades since.  That was a costume change that truly counted.

The Silver Surfer Vs. Starro

Starro always seemed so creepy to me as a kid.  There were other space-spanning, world-conquering menaces in comics, like Galactus, Darkseid, Thanos, Despero and so on - but they were still relatively humanoid in appearance.  Starro was no offshoot of man, making his motivations seem truly alien in nature.  There seemed to be no reasoning with such a creature.

The Surfer first tangled with Starro in one of the back up features in STF #700...