Eternity in the DC Universe

Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2 brought us Ego, the Living Planet and The Watchers, and truly opened up the cosmic scope of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  Could James Gunn go even bigger and give us a glimpse at Eternity when he finishes up his trilogy?  The Celestials cameo in the first movie was great and I'd love to see his take on the biggest Marvel character of all.

Adam Strange and Captain Marvel in "The Death of Adam Strange"

Death and rebirth in comics is such a merry-go-round these days, it's hard for any character's demise to have a real lasting impact anymore.  The Death of Captain Marvel was published in a very different time for comics, and the demise of Mar-Vell was a true shock and gut-punch for the reader.  The fact that he has been "allowed" to remain dead in this era speaks volumes about the impact of that beautifully illustrated and written graphic novel.

These two heroes first crossed paths in STF #1386...

Doctor Strange and Mandrake

Yes, a love interest has already been established for the cinematic Doctor Strange, but I still hope that there is a way for Clea to be introduced in the sequel.  The first film did such a great job of incorporating so much of Strange's world, and her absence was the only notable missing piece for me.  Even with Captain Marvel coming up, the studio could use more female heroes, so why not her?

Todays cover comes about from a suggestion by Ken Roskos, a Patron of this blog.  Thanks, Ken!

Cloak Vs. Doctor Light

The upcoming Cloak and Dagger has released a trailer and I like what I see.  I always thought that they could make for a great TV show, and I hope the characters are done justice..  There wasn't a whole lot in the way of super powers or costumes featured, but I am sure that's something that will grow throughout the series.  I'll definitely be checking it out.

The Human Torch and The Flash (Part Two)

Continued from yesterday's cover, we see that some evil just wont stay buried...

I am looking forward to this years' season finale of The Flash, even if I am pretty sure of how the cliffhanger from the penultimate episode will be resolved.  This show has done a lot involving evil speedsters and changing timelines thus far, so I hope they can explore some new territory next year. Is it too much to hope for Elongated Man to show up on one of the worlds Barry visits?

The Human Torch and The Flash (Part One)

It looks like DC has heard the fans loud and clear, and that Jay Garrick and the rest of the original Justice Society are finally poised to make a return... or perhaps I should say Rebirth.  I applaud this move, their entire line is built upon heroic legacy, and the JSA'ers are the ones that started it all.  Let's hope they will be back in their own series before too long.

This is only this first part of a two-part thriller, so make sure you come back tomorrow for the exciting conclusion!

All-Star Squadron in the Marvel Universe

All-Star Squadron #1 had one of my all-time favorite comic covers.  The image of Hawkman, Dr. Mid-Nite and The Atom selecting who would be members of the new team was used as an advertisement leading up to the series, and it fascinated me.  In those pre internet spoiler days, I really has no idea which of the featured heroes would make the cut.  I just had to get the issue as soon as it came out - and I wasn't disappointed!

Duck Avenger Vs. Captain Carrot

Captain Carrot was another character that I hoped would show up on Batman : The Brave and the Bold that we never got to see.  Batman visited some offbeat worlds on that show so why not Earth-C to encounter The Zoo Crew?  They never showed up on any of DC's animated shorts, either.  Maybe, like Young Justice, one of those cartoons will return one of these days and we will get another chance..

Chewbacca and Groot

Continued from yesterday's cover, we see that Han & Rocket's partners have been having an adventure of their own...

Now that Han Solo is gone. I hope that Chewbacca will still be featured prominently in Star Wars: The Last Jedi and beyond.  With the passing of Carrie Fisher, we don't have much of the original cast left, and while I like all the new characters, I still get a thrill out of seeing the classic heroes in action.

Han Solo and Rocket Raccoon in: "Search for the Stolen Smugglers!"

Han and Rocket first crossed paths in STF #1488... and this adventure is not over yet - make sure you stop by tomorrow for the thrilling conclusion!

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 was another fun night at the movies. My opinion may change after more viewings, but after seeing it once, I'd have to say that I would rank it below the first installment.  I thought some of the more juvenile humor fell a bit flat and would have like to have seen a few more locales visited.  The soundtrack was cool but the first grabbed me a little more (again, something that may change once I see the movie again, I'm sure I will own the Blu Ray).  Still, I loved the addition of Mantis and all of the great comic book visuals like Gamora holding a gigantic gun and Ego in planet form.  The (POST-CREDIT SPOILER HERE) tease of the original Guardians was great, I want a movie with just them now!

Kamandi and Ka-Zar

i was pleasantly surprised to see The Kamandi Challenge in DC's recent solicitations.  Not only am I glad to see The Last Boy on Earth getting some more exposure, it also is using the round-robin format of DC Challenge, a fondly remembered maxi-series.  Each issue is handled by a different creative team that has to solve a cliffhanger and leave a new one while keeping the story moving along.  Fun stuff!

Sgt. Rock Vs. Cobra Commander

With the popularity of the G.I. Joe line, I wonder why DC never tried to get in on the action with Sgt. Rock and Easy Company or some of their other war heroes.  There were the Mego DC action figures and later on the Super-Powers toys - it would have been cool to see Frank Rock included.

Plastic Man and Spider-Man

I remember when I was a kid watching an early episode of Super Friends, and seeing Plastic Man show up at the end.  I was blown away - I loved when they had other heroes appear, and here was one that seemed like a real crossover.  DC may have had the rights to Plas at that time, but he wasn't regularly appearing alongside their heroes yet, let alone a Justice League member.  I watched Super Friends for years after that, and even though they repeated a lot of episodes, I never saw that one again.  I wound up buying a DVD collection decades later just to be able to watch it once more.

What is it with Aunt May, anyway?  She's already had eyes for Uncle Dudley and Alfred Pennyworth...

Blue Beetle and The Hulk

I am looking forward to seeing Hulk in full gladiator mode in the upcoming Thor: Ragnarok, and I am a little curious as to how he ends up on the battle planet.  We last see him flying away on an Avengers' Quinjet, but I don't imagine he made the whole trip in that,  Perhaps The Grandmaster abducted him for use in his arena?  Or maybe Dr. Strange's involvement will have something to do with it.

If you're wondering what happened to Booster, he knows to keep his distance after the last time he and Beetle ran into The Hulk...

Firestorm and Werewolf By Night (Part Two)

Continued from yesterday's cover, it looks like Ronnie Raymond has undergone yet another transformation.  I remember Firestorm's evolution into an elemental character in the late 80's, and it was such a left turn for the hero - both visually and personality-wise, that I found it to be off putting.  DC seemed to have a good thing going with the character and I wondered why they wanted to take a risk by changing him up so much.  Thankfully, the nuclear man returned to a more familiar status quo not too long after.

Firestorm and Werewolf by Night (Part One)

Of all the classic movie monsters, I always liked The Werewolf the best.  Looking back, I am sure that my love of comics influenced that feeling - the transition from man to werewolf and back provided the extra element of a secret identity to the horror character.

As indicated above, this is only the first part of this offbeat team-up - make sure you come back tomorrow for the exciting conclusion!

Snow White and the Seven Soldiers of Victory

I thought that this team-up suggestion by Bob Greenwade in the comments section of a recent cover was a little odd, but it kept rattling around in the back of my brain, so I decided to give it a shot.  I actually caught some of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves on TV yesterday, and after all these years I still find it very watchable.  The artwork and animation holds up amazingly well, it's a testament to the talents of the Disney crew that worked on it so many decades ago.

Fantastic Four Vs. The Crime Syndicate

Given his interest in alternate realities, this is a match-up that could easily be initiated by Mr. Fantastic. I can see Reed Richards being fascinated by the reverse nature of Earth Three and getting mixed up with this evil JLA doppleganger team.

Robo Force (Vs. Brainiac!)

I was glad to see R2D2 joining Rey in locating Luke Skywalker in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, because it gives me hope that he will be featured more prominently in the next chapter of the series. I was an instant fan when I first saw him at the age of 8, and I still am to this day.  My sister-in law confessed to me that her first crush was on R2D2, we love to tease her about it.  

This is Robo Force's fourth appearance on the blog - they almost lost one of their own in STF #1450... they Battled Ultron in STF #202 and first became a team back in STF #150...

Man-Thing enters The House of Mystery

I was looking over some previews of the newest Man-Thing series and was surprised to see him speaking.  I'm not sure how I feel about that change.  Yes, it probably makes the character a lot easier to write for, but I worry that it will make him seem even closer to Swamp Thing.  I used to like that Man-Thing was mute, it made him seem scarier and more like a force of nature.  Still, I can't judge from a couple of pages, maybe the new take works well.