Batman Vs. Jabba the Hutt

 

Well, now we know why Daredevil had to take over in Gotham City on yesterday's cover!  I'm sure that Batman is just playing possum here and has Jabba right where he wants him.

Daredevil Vs. Batman's Villains

 

This is the first time Daredevil has faced to combined Batman Rogues, but he has crossed paths with some of them individually:

He clashed with The Joker in STF #1183

He Battled Two-Face in STF #1780 and STF #4256

He had to work with The Riddler in STF #4118

He faced off with Catwoman in STF #2311 and again in STF #5045

He confronted The Penguin in STF #4451

...And just where is Batman anyway?  Find out tomorrow!

Green Lantern and Iron Man in: "Snow Bound!"

 

The Lanterns series ended with a thud.  Some spoilers follow:

Hal is still dead and the secret to his murder was unsatisfying and insulting to the character - not to mention his killer faced no repercussions.  The last three episodes had zero constructs and lots of "tell, don't show moments", where action takes a back seat to talking heads.  John has a ring now, but he stole it off of Hal's corpse and it's tainted by Sinestro's yellow energy with a new oath that doesn't include confronting evil.  Is  John going to become Parallax?  I don't know if I even care anymore.  What a waste of great actors and characters.

This is Iron Man's first team up with John Stewart on the blog, but he's met Hal Jordan and the Corps before: 

Hal and Tony did some Weapons Testing in STF #1209, 

They first clashed way back in Issue #33...

It was Iron Man's turn to take the upper hand  in their next meeting...

Finally they fought side by side in their third outing...

And Stark joined the Corps in their last adventure.

Captain Marvel Jr. and Toro

 

Mac Raboy and Alex Schomburg are at the top of my list of favorite Golden Age artists.  I love checking out the classic covers that they created back then, they must have jumped off of the racks.  I was happy to combine the two masters of the art form here.

Johnny Thunder and Sub-Mariner

 

It will be interesting to see what Dr. Doom and Namor's relationship will be like in Avengers:  Doomsday.  I remember them working together almost as much as they were at odds back in the pages of Super-Villain Team Up.  I wonder if that dynamic will be represented on the big screen.

Dial "H" For Hercules

 

Uh oh!  Looks like STF's greatest foe Mr. Universe is back!  It's a good thing that Robby Reed can summon an Olympian God with that dial of his!

Lois Lane and The Wasp (And More Stories!)

 

For this Anniversary Issue, I figured it was time for a Ladies' Night cover.  Here's a closer look at the stories featured within:

 

Robocop and Wolverine

 

These are two no-nonsense heroes that like to get right to the job at hand.  There might not be a lot of witty banter in this issue, but the action would probably make up for it.

Coming tomorrow: STF #5300! 

Bronze Tiger Vs. Kraven the Hunter

 

I'm surprised that with two different Suicide Squad movies, we have not seen a big screen depiction of Bronze Tiger yet.  Michael Jai White played the hero on Arrow, which was cool - but we didn't get to see enough of him.

The Six Million Dollar Man and Nick Fury

 

Steve Austin seems like he would have been a good candidate to join S.H.I.E.L.D.  He's part man, part Life Model Decoy already, after all!

Professor X leads The Justice League of America

 

How differently would the JLA operate if Charles Xavier was running the operation?  I would be interesting to read about, at least for an issue.

Nighthawk Vs. Doctor Light

 

I always really liked this costume of nighthawk's, buccaneer boots and all.  That cape seems like it would be kind of difficult to draw, but it was unique and looked really cool to me.

Shaun the Sheep meets The Minions

 

As a huge fan of Wallace & Gromit, I had to check out another Aardman creation, Shaun the Sheep.  He's featured in a lot of shorter episodes, and I also checked out  his first movie.  They all of course feature great claymation and it is impressive how the adventures are virtually dialogue-free.  The Minions entertain me as well - in small doses anyway.

The Demon and Underdog

 

This is a pairing that has been suggested a few times, most recently by Bob Greenwade, a patron of this blog.  It does seem like somewhat of an odd couple until they start speaking.  Plus, they have similar tastes in fashion!

Doctor Fate Vs. Nightmare

 

I think the plan is still for a third Dr. Strange movie to be made.  Nightmare would be a great candidate for a villain.  I can imagine a lot of cool dreamscapes and scenarios with him in the mix and it would be fun to see them realized.

Red Tornado and The Hulk

 

Hopefully they can resolve their differences because this could make for an interesting odd couple.  A monster denying his human side and a robot trying to become more human - on the road, fighting crime... I'd read it!

Judge Dredd, Captain Marvel and Black Canary

 

I you have to follow someone into battle, Judge Dredd isn't a bad choice.  Let's hope that his recruits can keep up with him!

Nightwing and Power Man

 

Time for some Gil Kane goodness.  He was always able to select the perfect moment in a story and present it dynamically with his amazing artwork.  He was easily my favorite Marvel Comics cover artist.

Superman and Iceman

 

No word on whether Iceman will be a part of Marvel's new X-Men plans yet.  I had hoped they would be starting with a proper first class team, but it looks like they are jumping around the X-Men timeline for their roster.  Man of Tomorrow is in post production, so hopefully we will get some looks at that soon.  Superman's costume looks pretty much the same, but slightly less baggy and more form fitting, which is a good thing.

Challengers of the Unknown Vs. Doctor Doom

 

The Challengers were like a non-powered version of the Fantastic Four, so it's only natural that they would eventually clash with the mad monarch of Latveria.  Speaking of Doom, am I crazy, or does the accent that Robert Downey Jr. is using for him sound like David Corenswet's Hammer of Boravia voice from Superman? Once I realized that, I can't unhear it.