The Punisher Vs. Judge Dredd

I missed the recent Dredd while it was in theaters, and I will have to catch it when it is available for rental.  It certainly looked like a much more faithful adaptation of the character in comparison to the Sylvester Stallone film.  One thing that kept me from seeing this is the highly stylized gore and violence that I saw in some of the clips.  I know that is in keeping with the printed stories, but I don't enjoy watching lots of blood on screen - which coincidentally killed my enjoyment of the most recent Punisher film.  I'll still check it out as I am a fan of the character and Karl Urban... plus I feel a strong urge to support any comic book film where the hero not only wears his helmet but keeps it on the whole time!

Supergirl and Spider-Man

After all of the controversy with the whole clone saga, I am surprised to see Marvel once again replacing Peter Parker - this time with Doctor Octopus occupying Spider-Man's body while Peter has been killed off.  Don't get me wrong, this type of mind-swapping thing is hardly new to comics, but it is the kind of thing usually resolved in an issue or two.  Going to the length of ending the series and beginning a new one featuring Spider-Ock seems a bit much for a stunt that even a casual comic reader knows will be undone (right in time for the next Spider-man film, most likely).  We've already seen Spider-Man killed and replaced in the Ultimate Universe, and there are plenty of non-Parker spider-types running around Marvel these days as it is, so this latest wrinkle doesn't do much to excite me.  Hopefully the writers will find a fresh enough take on the whole villain in a hero's body plotline and Superior Spider-Man will be a pleasant surprise.

Legion of Super-Heroes and Captain Marvel

I enjoyed the animated Legion of Super-Heroes series for what it was, a cartoon geared at younger viewers.  It handled the large cast well and introduced viewers to a side of the DCU that was only hinted at on other shows.  What I would really like to see, however, is the Legion in one of DC's direct to video animated movies.  The Great Darkness Saga would be a cool story to adapt in that format.  DC's animated movies are great, but they seem to be in a cycle of Batman - Superman - JLA stories, which are I guess more guaranteed sales.  Hopefully they will venture out into more of their properties and we can see a true animated LSH epic one of these days.

Captain Atom and Solar: Man of the Atom

These two atomic heroes have been around for decades and have each been published by multiple comic companies, so I thought it was about time they shared an adventure together.  I have liked Captain Atom since his introduction to the DCU in Crisis on Infinite Earths, but I didn't have a chance to try out his New 52 series.  I'm not crazy about his recent redesign as I think it makes him look too similar to The Silver Surfer.  I haven't read as much of Solar, but I have always liked the cool artwork associated with the character, from the classic Gold Key covers to Barry Windsor-Smith's beautiful work during his first Valiant run.

The Superman Family and The Fantastic Four

I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday today close by the ones the love the most.  I truly appreciate everyone who takes the time to check out the blog, it is a labor of love and it has made me happy to see it grow in popularity over the past year.  I especially appreciate those visitors who leave feedback - positive, negative or neutral.  It can be hard to tell what is working or not on here and I am always interested in reading reactions.  Thanks for all the cool suggestions too - and the patience in waiting for me to get around to them.  I have a bunch of reader request covers coming up and I hope they will be worth the wait.  So, stay tuned!  There are hundreds more covers coming and 2013 will see the switch from MS Paint to Photoshop as my cover-creating program, so we're just getting started! Merry Christmas!

Captain America and Doc Savage

I don't think that Marvel ever got these two guys together when they had the Doc Savage rights, but I think it would have made for a cool story.  They both work well in various time frames so I can envision an epic saga that would span decades.  Get legendary Captain America writer Roger Stern to pen the tale and you would have a classic on your hands.

Batman Vs. Walter White

Breaking Bad is my favorite TV series currently running... and just maybe my favorite series ever.   It has just about the strongest first episode of any show I have ever seen.  I don't know how anyone can watch that first episode and not want to find out what happens next.  The show has maintained its excellent quality ever since.  Top notch writing, acting and directing all around have made this a must watch for me.  There are only eight episodes left and it's going to be a long wait until Summer when they air.  I highly recommend any comic fan to watch this show as it could just as well be called "Creation of a Super-Villain".  Bryan Cranston has masterfully portrayed a character that you will at times root for and at times cringe at, but you can never take your eyes off of him.  His slow descent into evil over the seasons has been done so well that everyone has a different opinion as to when he passed the point of no return.  Aaron Paul, Dean Norris and the rest of the cast are always incredibly watchable as well.  It's just about a perfect show.

I was glad to be able to use an image from the awesomely cool fan-film Batman: Dead End for this cover.  I loved the costume they used for it, and the cowl and cape are especially impressive.  To me, they look far better than anything used in the big budget Hollywood films.

The Avengers Vs. Captain Marvel

Well, it seems that at long last DC has given up on the Captain Marvel name, and the original hero to go by that moniker is now called Shazam.  I understand the reason for the change, but still think that Captain Thunder would have been a better choice for a new name.  Shazam is a great transformation word and even a fitting name for the old wizard, but it still doesn't seem right to me for the main hero.  So when Mary Batson gets her powers will we be calling her She-Zam now?

Spider-Man Vs. Fly-Girl

As I mentioned yesterday, the Red Circle/Archie line of superheroes have gone through multiple incarnations throughout the years.  The latest version of the New Crusaders by Ian Flynn and Ben Bates looks to be pretty appealing to old school comics fans.  I especially like the designs of the characters, particularly The Shield and Fly-Girl.  Fly-Girl is the daughter of the original Flygirl, a character that has been around for decades.  She has a great superhero name that works even better today than when it was originally conceived.  I am hoping that this version of Fly-Girl and the rest of the Crusaders can find a solid following, because they really deserve the chance to thrive.

Spider-Man and The Fly

Archie Comics' cast of superhero characters seem to resurface every few years with a new take on them.  I remember liking some of DC's Impact comics line when they had ownership of the characters many years back.  The Fly stood out to me as it was my introduction to the great artwork of the late Mike Parobeck. It looks like the Crusaders are back in yet another incarnation, and I quite like the new designs - more on that tomorrow, because this story will be continued then...

Jimmy Olsen and The Sub-Mariner

I don't know if Jimmy Olsen will be part of the Man of Steel film, but I hope they give the character a nod.  It was cool to me that Jimmy was a sidekick that you could actually relate to a little more than most, which were simply younger versions of the starring hero.  Jimmy was just a regular awkward kid that Superman saw something special in, and it gave the reader the feeling that they could be worthy of being Superman's Pal too.  Hopefully Jimmy will not be deemed too "uncool" and be jettisoned from this new film iteration altogether.

Superman and Battlestar Galactica

I was a big fan of the revamped Battlestar Galactica series and I was very excited when I heard about Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome, a series featuring Adama in his 20's, just joining the war against the Cylons.  I liked Caprica OK, but this seemed like the prequel I was really waiting for.  Unfortunately the show is not going to be picked up, and all that was produced was a pilot.  I watched it in installments at http://www.machinima.com/ and was very surprised at how much I liked it.  The acting, story line and effects all kept me quite engaged, and I highly recommend that BSG fans check it out.  SYFY is going to air the pilot in February and hopefully there will be a big enough reaction that they will perhaps reconsider their decision not to go forward with the series.

Green Lantern Vs. Galactus

The Green Lantern movie had a lot of potential, but the final result was a decidedly mixed bag.  The biggest mistakes they made were with the villains.  Their best villain was Sinestro - he looked right and Mark Strong performed the character perfectly... but they decided to sideline him and wait for the sequel to let him shine - which seems like a wasted opportunity since that sequel is looking very unlikely at this point.  Hector Hammond was never a great villain in the comics so the decision to feature him so prominently puzzled me... couple that with the fact that they made him look so goofy design-wise, and his scenes are the worst in the movie for me.  Finally we have Parallax, who should have been this very fearsome creature, and they made him another giant cloud, just like Galactus from the Second Fantastic Four film.  Cloud Galactus was roundly mocked by fans and non-fans alike, so it baffled me why Warner Brothers would not learn from that, and just make the same mistake.  A staight up Hal vs. Sinestro plotline would have probably been a lot more successful.

Doctor Mid-Nite and Moon Knight

These guys both have pretty impractical costumes for crime fighting, but I give them a pass because they just look so cool.  An all-white costume is probably not the best choice for a night-based hero like Moon Knight, and Dr. Mid-Nite's duds look kind of heavy and clunky for running around in.  That's the beauty of comics though, you don't have to be so beholden to functionality.  These outfits look great on the printed page, and that's what matters most.

Blue Devil and The Son of Satan

Blue Devil's original series was a ton of fun and the kind of comic that we don't see enough of nowadays.  I have enjoyed the character's appearances in various team titles since his own series ended, but attempts to darken him have taken away some of the original appeal for me.  Daimon Hellstrom was always a dark character, but he took on more of a superheoish role than he would later be known for when I first encountered him in the pages of The Defenders.  That remains my favorite version of the character, and the later, grittier stories he was involved in didn't do much for me.

Doctor Doom and The Joker

To be honest, I don't know how long that Doctor Doom would put up with a partnership with the Joker, but that would be part of the fun of a story like this.  This cover represents the two greatest rivalries in comics, in my opinion.  The  Joker and Batman are such complete opposites that it is always interesting watching them clash with one another.  Doom and Reed Richards on the other hand had quite a bit in common at one time - their great intellects led them to the same courses in college, after all.  The drama between them lies in how their personalities sent them on widely divergent paths. I get the feeling that Doom is secretly envious of Mr. Fantastic while The Joker probably pities Batman in his own crazy way.

Captain America Vs. The Justice League of America

I always read about how Batman could beat anybody, given time to prepare.  I think that the same argument could me made for Captain America in the Marvel Universe.  Cap may not have as many gadgets as Batman, but his "never give up" attitude is unparalleled by any other superhero.  Some of my favorite Captain America stories are where he is up against unfathomable power like Kang or The Cosmic Cube... and he still finds a way to win. Chris Evans has done well with this aspect of the character, you really believe this is a guy who could take anything thrown at him.

Daredevil Vs. Solomon Grundy

The movie rights to Daredevil have reverted back to Marvel, and I am very curious to see what approach they take with the character.  Something tells me that we won't be seeing any playground battle scenes featuring Matt Murdock in his street clothes next time out.  Marvel would be wise to avoid a "hip" soundtrack that only serves to date the movie the next time around as well.  I recently watched a great sports movie, Warrior, which starred Tom Hardy, Nick Nolte and Joel Edgerton.  Egderton is a great actor and a tough looking redhead who can take on very physical roles.  I think Marvel should look very closely at this guy for their next live action Daredevil.

The Guardians of the Universe and Captain Britain

Captain Britain's original costume is one of my favorites.  It seems like it shouldn't work but for some reason it just looks cool to me.  The Guardians' appearance has gone through a few changes over the years.  I am glad that they don't all look pretty much identical to one another anymore.  The Green Lantern movie over-thought their design (as they did with the overly glowing GL uniforms) by giving them translucent heads that reminded me of Mars Attacks more than anything else.  Don't get me started  on the silly giant chairs they were perched upon!  Those seemed a bit impractical.

The Question and Spider-Man

As I was making this cover, I realized that I was featuring a couple of Steve Ditko characters, but without using Ditko artwork - so I decided to sneak in a back-up feature to make up for that.  It's too bad that Steve Ditko never once returned to Spider-Man after he left the character.  I saw a documentary recently where Stan Lee expressed the desire to get together with the reclusive Ditko for one more Spidey tale.  I don't know if he could ever convince him to do that, but I would pick that issue up in a second!

The Punisher and The Shadow

Marvel has once again retooled their Thunderbolts title and I am surprised to see The Punisher in the line up, alongside Red Hulk, Deadpool, Electra and Venom.  Sure Frank Castle has crossed paths with many other characters in his career, but this is the first time I have seen him become a full fledged team member.  Don't get me wrong, the team that has been assembled here sounds like it will be interesting to follow, but The Punisher joining a super group seems crazy to me, even a hard edged group like this one.  I hope that Writer Daniel way comes up with a plausible reason for his inclusion, because nothing in Frank Castle's past appearances suggests that he was much of a joiner.

Thor Vs. Darkseid

My main issues with the first Thor film were not enough action due to Thor being de-powered for the middle of the film and the lack of the trademark helmet save for a few seconds at the beginning.  From what I have read and seen of the sequel, it looks like there will be a lot more action this time around, which is a good thing.  The helmet never made an appearance in The Avengers and I think that's pretty much a lost cause now.  I had hoped the new director would use it, but it hasn't shown up in any of the images from the film yet - and they are taken from battle scenes.  It makes no sense to me, the helmet they designed looks cool and you can still see the actor's face, which is usually the issue.

Darkseid seemed to be the perfect villain to use for a JLA movie, but now that Thanos has been introduced into the Marvel cinematic universe, I can see Warner Brothers wanting to go in another direction.  Something tells me we will still see the Lord of Apokolips on the big screen eventually, he's too good a character not to use.

Tarzan and Shanna, The She-Devil

The latest I have read on the next Tarzan movie is that Warner Brothers has signed on David Yates to direct.  Yates helmed the last four Harry Potter films, so he knows his way around a major franchise at least.  Special effects have taken a major leap since the last live action Tarzan film, so I am very curious to see how this turns out.  No actor has been selected yet, but I have read names like Alexander Skarsgard and Charlie Hunnam being considered.  Hopefully we will hear more soon and that Hollywood will finally do this iconic hero justice.

The Flash and Ghost Rider

For the fastest man on Earth, The Flash is sure taking a slow road to the silver screen.  I have heard rumors of a film for years, but nothing solid ever seems to materialize.  I used to think that he would be one of the harder characters to set a movie around because of his bright costume and outlandish rogues, but we have seen colorful costumes work well on screen and today's special effects could really make some of his adventures come to life.  The 90's TV series went for a darker, street level look inspired by the 1989 Batman movie, but what I would like to see is a true Flash style adventure.  Heck, Rise of the Planet of the Apes convinced me that we could see a Flash Vs. Gorilla Grodd movie that wouldn't be played for laughs.

Martian Manhunter and Iron Man

I read some interesting comments by Zach Snyder yesterday that seemed to indicate that Man of Steel would indeed be tied into the eventual Justice League film and that Henry Cavill would be the Superman of that franchise as well.  Snyder said that to divulge more would be to spoilerish... so perhaps there will be seeds for the JLA movie in Man of Steel?  If Warner Brothers were to take their cues from the First Iron Man movie and include a post credits scene to tease that larger DC Universe, I think The Martian Manhunter might be a good candidate for a cameo.  It could be something as simple as a reveal of J'onn trapped in a government facility and the feds not wanting Superman to know of his existence.  While I would love to see a Solo Martian Manhunter film, his is the most unlikely to get one out of the original seven JLAers.  It might make better sense if his back story was woven into the JLA's origin, just as it was in the animated series.

The New Teen Titans Vs. Galactus

The New Teen Titans #1-50 by Marv Wolfman and George Perez were superhero comics at their best.  It is sad that this group of characters has been forced apart when they worked so well together.  These days, Dick Grayson is too busy with the Batman crew to think about a team, Starfire, Cyborg, Changeling and Raven all seem to have undergone history transplants and have been scattered to different sections of the DCU, and Donna Troy and Wally West remain missing in action.  Is that any way to treat the stars of your flaghip title from the 80's?  Hopefully DC will find a way to reunite this crew some day.

Superman and Magnus: Robot Fighter

Nobody can draw a period piece like Steve Rude.  His attention to detail and slick retro style really shine when he  depicts a scene from yesteryear.  I always like how he will give Superman these cool squinty Joe Shuster styled eyes.  Rude is currently contributing to DC's Before Watchmen even with a one shot featuring Dollar Bill, written by Len Wein.  I have no doubt that once again Rude will accurately and stylishly illustrate the fashions and designs of the time, and it should be a beautiful comic to look at.

Green Lantern (Alan Scott) and Spider-Man

DC received some publicity a few months back with the newly rebooted Alan Scott Green Lantern in the pages of Earth 2 by making this version a gay man.  I am all for diversity in comics, but this struck me as an odd move.  In order to make it work, Alan Scott had to be de-aged and as a result his two children have been written out of continuity - his daughter Jade, and his son Obsidian... who just happened to already be a quite popular gay character!  So diversity wasn't really served here because they just swapped one a gay hero for another... and also lost a perfectly good female hero in the transition as well.  It was a strange decision in my eyes, all for the sake of a few headlines on a slow news day.  Hopefully Jade and Obsidian will find their way back to the DCU one of these days.

The Rocketeer and Indiana Jones

Here are two great characters that were both inspired in part by the cliffhanger serial movies of the 40's.  I think they would fit right in with each other and it would make for an action-packed tale.  Now that Disney owns Lucasfilm, I wonder what their plans for the Indiana Jones franchise will be?  Disney produced the Rocketeer film, but they never went back to that well, even when it found an audience on video. Hopefully the success of Disney's Marvel arm will convince them to give the property another try one of these days.

The Teen Titans Vs. The Punisher

The three live-action Punisher movies all had their own shortcomings and none was a big hit in the theaters.  I'm guessing that the film rights will soon revert Marvel Studios if they haven't already.  Still, they may be hesitant to put forth another Punisher movie until the memory of the other attempts fade a bit more.  Perhaps in the meantime they could go with a dark animated series  Give Frank Castle the classic get-up, white gloves and boots and all - This looks can work well in stylized animation where it would be almost impossible to pull off in live action.  Animated violence is much easier for me to take than live action gore, so I might even prefer this approach.  This might be fun as a late night cable series and it popular enough, warm audiences to the idea of giving a cinematic outing another try.

Ragman and The Scarlet Witch

The good news is that The Scarlet Witch will be featured regularly in the new high-profile title Uncanny Avengers, drawn by the very talented John Cassiday. It's been a while since she has had a regular title to star in and it will be interesting to see how she interacts with other members such as Wonder Man, with whom she has quite a history.  The only thing that worries me is that the title will be written by Brian Michael Bendis, who seems to prefer the crazy unbalanced Wanda.  I really hope he moves her beyond  that stage, as I was never a fan of her whacked out homicidal phase.

I'm not sure if Ragman has appeared in the New 52 DCU yet, but I hope he finds a home soon (Justice League Dark perhaps?).  DC had been doing a good job of utilizing him before the revamp and it would be a shame to see that all go away.

Chewbacca Joins Star Trek: The Next Generation

It's nice to see the two big science fiction franchises still going strong.  We should be seeing a trailer for the next Star Trek film soon, and I am looking forward to it since I quite enjoyed the first outing by JJ Abrams and the new crew.  Star Wars is set to explode again, now that it is under the control of Diseny.  The two bits that I have heard confirmed regarding Episode 7 - that it will be written by Toy Story 3's Michael Arndt and that it will feature Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher - have me very interested.  Hopefully the visions of Jar Jar and a 10 year old Darth Vader saying, "Yipppeeee!" will fade away for good now.

Blue Beetle and Captain America

When comic companies purchase characters from previous owners and integrate them with their universe, it can be a bit jarring for the reader and might take awhile before the new acquisitions really seem to fit in to their new environment.  That was not the case with Blue Beetle.  After his introduction to the DCU in Crisis on Infinite Earths with the rest of the Charlton comic characters, Ted Kord seemed to be right at home to me.  I liked his inclusion with the JLA and of course his friendship with Booster Gold worked so well it was like it was destined to be.  I really wish he had made a return in the New 52, even if only as a mentor type to the New Blue Beetle, Jaime Reyes.  Reyes just had his second Blue Beetle series cancelled - perhaps it would have fared better if it had featured Ted Kord as well?

Doctor Fate and Ghost Rider

I see in the latest DC solicitations that Doctor Fate will be making his New 52 debut  in the pages of Earth 2.  I am expecting quite a different look for him, as all the JSA'er thus far have sported... but it will be a crime if they lose the iconic helmet! I am a fan of Nicola Scott's work, so I am hopeful that she will create a cool visual for him.

Metamorpho and Spider-Man

Metamorpho is nowhere to be seen in the New 52 DCU.  The closest we have seen is Element Woman, who looks to be involved with the Justice League at some point, so I had given up on seeing Rex mason anytime soon.  However, with yesterday's solicitations, there may be a glimmer of hope.  Katana #1 says that we will find the sword-wielding hero trying to "restore The Outsiders to their former glory".  Hmmm... so will we see the likes of Metamorpho, Halo and Geo-Force in the future?  We've already seen Black Lightning, but it's a youthified version who hangs with Blue Devil.  Who knows what the other Outsiders will be like when they make an appearance?

Kamandi and Iron Man

Iron Man 3 has released its first trailer, and I like what I see so far.  I loved the first Iron Man but thought the second suffered from plot elements that were too similar to the original film - Stark seems to have to learn the same life lesson over again and the film once again ends with him facing off against a foe with a bigger suit of armor.  The third installment looks to be a big improvement with the stakes very high for Iron Man.  I liked the shot of Ben Kingsley as The Mandarin, and when you look in the background of that scene, you can see a mural featuring Fin Fang Foom in the background... is it too much to hope that comicdom's coolest dragon will make an appearance?

Kang Conquers the DC Universe

Well, we are over a year into the latest DC reboot and it's a mixed bag.  While I am in favor or reintegrating the Vertigo properties that started out in the mainstream DCU and characters like Amethyst, I... Vampire, Resurrection Man, and yes even Vibe getting another shot, there are also a lot of drawbacks to the new direction.  There are still too many characters that I loved either missing completely or altered too dramatically for my tastes, and the costume redesigns are about 10% hit and 90% miss in my book.  If the reboot was meant to clear up continuity, it failed there as well.  I think the desire to start fresh but also retain current Batman and Green Lantern storylines resulted in a half-hearted reboot.  I still think they would have been better served by starting completely new, de-aging all the original sidekicks, and eventually finding new roles for later legacy characters like Kyle Rayner, Tim Drake, Cassandra Sandsmark and so on.  Or they should have just looked at DC's animated division which has done a perfect job of streamlining the continuity while retaining the classic looks and core personalities of the characters.

Justice League Vs. The Phoenix

I really loved the line up for the new Justice League title that spun out of Legends.  It really took advantage of the newly merged universe from Crisis on Infinite Earths by featuring a team made up of heroes from the formerly separated worlds.  You had Batman, Black Canary and Martian Manhunter from the original JLA, and then added Dr. Fate (Earth-2), Captain Marvel (Earth-S), Blue Beetle (Charlton), Mister Miracle (Fourth World) and Dr. Light (a brand new character from Crisis).  It was a cool grouping and I really wish they had enjoyed more adventures together before the team started swapping out members and became more about situation comedy than super heroics.

The Human Torch and Starman

I have always been a fan of Johnny Storm, but I have to say that I always thought that the original Human Torch was cooler looking than his Silver Age successor   His flames were usually illustrated a little wilder and his featureless face when flamed on made him look very foreboding.  While the wisecracking Johnny made the reader comfortable with a man on fire, the more inhuman depiction of Jim Hammond made it clear that this was a guy you did not want to get too close to!

Swamp Thing and Doctor Strange

The past week there have been reports that Gullermo Del Toro is interested in directing a film called Heaven Sent, which would feature DC's stable of supernatural characters - Swamp Thing, Deadman, Constantine, The Phantom Stranger, Zatanna, The Demon and so on.  I fondly remember the epic storylines that Alan Moore would write with these mystical stars during his Saga of the Swamp Thing run.  This almost sounds too good to be true so I am not holding my breath at this point.  But with the Success of The Avengers, I guess anything is possible - and if such a film is indeed in the planning stages, Del Toro is just about the perfect choice.  Let's hope this becomes a reality.

Hawkman and Doc Savage

Doc Savage is one of the biggest pulp characters that has never really been able to make the transition to live action.  I think there was some low budget attempt featuring ex-Tarzan Ron Ely, but other than that filmmakers seem to have steered clear of the property.  It's too bad, because I think that there is a great Indiana Jones type film to be be made with Doc Savage.  Casting might be a challenge, as you would need a action star type that could also convincingly portray Doc's intellect.

Daredevil and Calvin and Hobbes

I have to admire Bill Watterson for ending Calvin and Hobbes while it was still at the peak of its quality and never looking back.  His refusal to licence his characters out to other mediums is a rare move which has also preserved the strip's integrity.  That said, I would love to see him return one day.  Calvin and Hobbes was my favorite comic strip ever and it would be great to see what Watterson would have to say about them after such a long hiatus.

Joker's Wild

I thought I would try my hand at a villainous team this time around.  What's more creepy than a clown?  I mean even real clowns are kind of creepy to me, so evil clowns are that much worse.  While this crew would certainly give any hero a run for their money, I imaging that there would be a lot of inter-team conflicts as well with so many crazy personalities.  That may undermine their effectiveness, but they would still be fun to read about.

Spider-Man Vs. Freddy Krueger

Happy Halloween!  I was the perfect age when the first Nightmare on Elm Street hit theaters.  I'm not a huge horror fan these days but back in high school there was nothing more fun than popping in a scary flick with a bunch of friends and junk food.  This franchise was especially fun because of the creative ways they used dreamscapes and Robert Englund's darkly humorous performances.  I think my favorite outing  was the third one - I was a big fan of Kincaid.  I haven't seen the updated version featuring Jackie Earle Haley - hopefully they kept in the laughs as well as the kills.

The Doom Patrol and The Fantastic Four

I was really digging how the Doom Patrol seemed to be getting back to basics prior to the New 52 reboot.  Sadly, they seem to be another casualty.  Robotman has appeared in a somewhat altered form, but I don't know how long it will be before we see the proper Doom Patrol in action again.  The Fantastic Four are about to  get a new series, along with the rest of the Marvel Universe with the Marvel Now titles just on the horizon.  I am not sure what the new creative team has in store, but the title looks to be focusing on family and adventure, so that's a good start!

The Green Lantern Corps and Captain Marvel

Just when I was getting into the new Green Lantern CGI series, with it's cool action sequences featuring various members of the GLC, The Cartoon Network has yanked it from the schedule - along with Young Justice and the DC Nation shorts.  I think it really hurts the momentum of a series when it is constantly shifting air times.  Hopefully when the DC block of shows returns in 2013 they will have a bunch of episodes stored up and can be given a nice long uninterrupted run.

Boba Fett Vs. Godzilla

I have to say, I don't know who I would root for in this match up.  They were both introduced as antagonists, but are so cool that you can't help kind of rooting for them anyway as an audience member.  Whoever ends up standing at the end, it would be a fun battle to watch!

Wonder Woman and Captain America in "The Break-Up!"

Superhero marriages almost never end happily.  If one spouse or the other isn't killed off, they are usually torn apart anyway to increase the dramatic tension.  Heck sometimes the entire union is dissolved through a reboot or a deal with the devil!  Even Reed and Sue Richards, with their long marriage, have had many a bump in the road.  No wonder there's the stereotype of the single male comic reader... the stories have frightened us as to what happens after the wedding!

Dick Tracy Vs. Superman (Plus Tintin)

I'm not sure what the rights situation is, but I think the time is right for another crack at a live-action Dick Tracy.  I still think a series would be the way to go, that way the producers could take their time with Tracy's great rogues gallery rather than have to choose only a couple (or cram them all into one film like the last attempt).  If another Tracy movie happens, maybe they could go the motion capture route, like Tintin.  That would give it a look distinctive from the Beatty film and the classic Chester Gould designs could be presented accurately.  Hopefully it will not be too long before we hear an announcement on the property.

Starman (Prince Gavyn) and The Silver Surfer

DC has had many versions of the character Starman, but as far as I have heard they have yet to introduce a Starman into the New 52 reboot. The closest we have gotten is Stargirl, who is scheduled to be a member of the new Justice League of America. With James Robinson writing Earth-2, that title is probably the most likely place a new Starman will appear.  Still, I hope that DC revives the Prince Gavyn version of Starman.  I  have always liked him and would be very interested in seeing his continuing adventures.