Tarzan and The Phantom in: "The Nature of Evil!"

 

Tarzan and The Phantom first met on this blog back in 2012, on a very early MS Paint cover... I figured it was high time that I put them together again - especially if it means that I get to combine my two favorite comic book artists - Jim Aparo and Joe Kubert.

Aquaman Vs. Sandman

 

Aquaman is a pretty tough guy but location is everything!  It would be interesting to see how he would get out of this fix.  I just finished the surprisingly entertaining Spider-Noir on Amazon Prime, and I enjoyed how The Sandman was realized on that show, pretty good for a TV budget.

Batman and Nighthawk in "Battle of the Billionaires!"

 

It looks like these two rich boys are at it again!  They were last seen fighting over a gold digger in STF #1295, and they first appeared together frightened side by side in on of this Blog's earliest covers...

Deadman and Man-Thing Vs. Skeletor

 

This can serve as a direct sequel to when Deadman previously crossed paths with Man-Thing in STF #4613. The new Masters of the Universe movie looks pretty good to me, visually at least.  The quick shots I have seen of Skeletor in the trailers looked cool - and I don't mind that they didn't keep his campy cartoon voice.

The Wild Robot and The Iron Giant

 

The Iron Giant is probably my favorite animated movie, so when I first heard about The Wild Robot, I thought it might just be a knock-off.  I was wrong about that, other than the two films featuring a robot, the stories are quite different.  I absolutely loved The Wild Robot, it is packed with heart, humor, action and amazing animation.  There are two more Wild Robot books and I am glad that the next one is being made into a sequel right now.

Bulletman and Captain America

 

I remember being surprised when I first encountered Bulletman in the comics.  Here he was appearing in a Justice League/Justice Society crossover - and I didn't realize DC had the rights to the character.  Up until then, I had seen him only as an action figure, I thought he was part of the G.I. Joe line. I'm still not sure how he got mixed in with the rest of those Real American Heroes.

Sun Boy and Devil Dinosaur

 

This is a meeting I've had in the back of my mind for a while.  Of all the locales presented in the MCU movie, I am a little surprised we haven't seen The Savage Land yet.  Oh well, just another thing to get to once everything is probably rebooted after Avengers: Secret Wars.

The Atom and Nick Fury

 

There has been a lot of discussion about how Jack Kirby redefined the language of comics with his action packed angles and layouts.  I'd argue that Jim Steranko belongs in that conversation as well.  His innovative page layouts were constantly pushing boundaries and presented action and movement incredibly effectively.

Justice League of America and Cloak & Dagger

 

I still remember fondly the first Cloak and Dagger mini-series.  I had enjoyed the heroes as recurring characters in the Spider-Man titles, but here they really had a chance to shine.  The Rick Leonardi artwork was amazing, and a big part of my enjoyment of those issues.

The New Warriors and Swamp Thing

 

There have been rumors of a James Mangold directed Swamp Thing movie for a while now.  Apparently, while it has been put on the back burner for the time being, it is still in development.  Previous live action attempts with the character have not been able to strike a chord with audiences, but I still feel that there is a lot of potential with the right script and director. Here's hoping Mangold's vision finally gets realized and hits the big screen.

Green Arrow and Captain Britain

 

I love that, even in a life and death struggle, Ollie still uses a suction cup arrow.  Maybe is also has an electrical charge or something.  Hey, whatever it takes to get the job done!

Batman and Wallace & Gromit

 

Batman has had some pretty cool gadgets installed into his car, but what if these two assisted in the next rebuild?  I can imagine that some of the new special features would keep even The Joker guessing!

Professor X and Wildcat

 

I have featured a bunch of covers in which Ted Grant is training heroes, and I thought I would try one where the instruction was going the other way around.  Let's hope that Wildcat's mental muscle is up to the task!

Supergirl and Morbius

 

The Supergirl movie isn't far off, but there doesn't seem  like there is a lot of excitement for it.  Seeing Jason Mamoa as Lobo should be fun.  The trailers to me have been Just OK - The movie looks fine, just nothing that I feel that I need to run out and see. Hopefully the film will defy expectations and become a critical and commercial hit.

The Quarrymen in: "Welcome To The Second Stone Age!"

 It's been a while since I have featured The Quarrymen, one of this blogs first teams.  Who better to usher in a new Stone Age, after all?

Daredevil and Rorschach

 

Lee Bermejo's art is unique in the field.  His mastery of light and shadow make him perfect for gritty noir adventures.  His understanding of how different fabrics and materials appear and move give his depiction of superhero costumes a reality that is matched by few others.

Gandalf and Doctor Strange

 

I'm not sure whether to be excited or not for the in-production Lord of the Rings: The Hunt For Gollum.  In my opinion, the LOTR movie trilogy is one of the greatest cinematic achievements ever.  The Hobbit films, however did not work nearly as well for me.  What could have been a great single film was expanded into a bloated trilogy.  Hopefully, lessons were learned from that. It will be nice to see Ian McKellan as Gandalf one last time.

Skyrocket and Ms. Marvel

 

I'm glad to use Skyrocket on this blog again, one of DC's hidden gems.  Hopefully they will take her off the shelf and find a new place to feature her.  Power Company was a fun comic and it's too bad that it didn't stick around longer.

The Spectre in the Marvel Universe

 

Just how different would things have turned out if this guy showed up on Battleworld during the first Secret Wars?  Who knows, but it certainly would have been fun to read about!

Hawkeye Vs. Batman's Villains

 

Who has the best rogues gallery?  I've seen the villains of Batman, Spider-Man and The Flash mentioned most often in this discussion.  Personally, I'd give Batman's foes the edge - they may not be as powerful as the others, but their personalities make for interesting stories.