Black Canary and Mockingbird

These two characters are so close to one another, it's almost like an Earth One-Earth Two situation.  They've got similar tastes in hairstyles, fighting disciplines, outfits and men.  I'm sure they would have plenty to talk about while kicking butt and taking names.

Blue Beetle and Hawkeye

Hawkeye's first mini-series back in 1983 was a great read.  It was the first time I had ever seen the Avenging Archer in his own title and  I wondered what took so long for him to get his shot. It was a fun story with real repercussions and beautiful Brett Breeding artwork.  I thought it would be cool to see Hawkeye team up with Ted Kord - they are both non powered heroes who can nevertheless fit in with the big guys due to their skills and tenacity.

Animal Man and The Pet Avengers

With so much teeth-clenching, grim and gritty comics out there, it's nice to have concepts on the fun side like The Pet Avengers to lighten things up from time to time.  I think vast universes like Marvel and DC have built can support characters and titles of all kinds and there is room for whimsy along with the angst. Given Buddy Baker's power to mimic the abilities of any animal in his vicinity, I think this would make for a formidable partnership.

Man-Bat Vs. Man-Wolf

When it came to cover artists, there were two that always stood above the pack for me in their ability to sell a story with a single image.   To me, Gil Kane was the Marvel cover artist, and Nick Cardy was easily my favorite from DC.  Their talents were clearly recognized because they were used on covers spanning all types of genres, from superhero to western to horror and more.  I was glad to be able to use both of these legendary artists for today's entry.

Batman and Lobster Johnson

I really like the extended world that has sprung out of Mike Mignola's Hellboy series.  Abe Sapien and the rest of the B.P.R.D. are cool and fun characters, and I love the addition of 30's pulp hero Lobster Johnson to the mix.  It would be cool to see him share an adventure with Batman, be it in a period piece or taking place in the current day.

Wonder Woman and The Wasp

I first took notice of Cliff Chiang's artwork in the Josie Mac backups he did for Detective Comics, and I became an instant fan.  He has a great, clean design sense and he has the ability to depict characters with realistic proportions who nonetheless come off as heroic.  His work on DC's Dr. Thirteen really let him show his versatility, with so many disparate characters.  Chiang also draws some of the best looking women in comics currently, I love his takes on Wonder Woman, Zatanna and the Black Canary especially.

Changeling and Wolverine

I always liked the moment in X-Men and The New Teen Titans where these two characters meet and Changeling comments on their shared name.  At that point, Wolverine's origins were still shrouded in mystery, and that quick exchange sent my mind wandering - there's gotta be a story there, right?

Conan Vs. He-Man in: "The Mountains of Madness!"

Now that Arnold Schwarzenegger is out of politics and back in the movies, I keep hearing news of him returning to some of his most famous roles.  He is slated to appear in the next Terminator installment and will reteam with Danny DeVito for Triplets, a sequel to Twins.  The project that piques my interest the most, though, is the next Conan film.  At first I thought it sounded crazy that he would return to the role after all these years, but the more that I think about it, the more it seems to me that it might be very cool to see a tale of an older, battle weary barbarian.  I hope that the script lives up to the story potential.

Conan and He-Man in "Crom and Punishment!"

I have heard rumors of a return to the big screen for the Masters of The Universe franchise, and it will be interesting to see what comes of it.  The first film was the embodiment of 80's cheese, but I think that there's a cool movie possible if the property is handled in the right way.  With the right director and design team, it could be a great fantasy epic.

In the meantime, I thought it would be fun to pair Prince Adam up with the greatest barbarian of all.  Of course, this much testosterone cannot be contained to a single issue, so the story will continue tomorrow!

Dick Tracy Vs. Solomon Grundy

Dick Tracy already has a great line up of enemies, featuring all sorts of misshapen and disfigured criminals.  Is it much of a stretch that he begin to run into the superhuman variety of outlaw?   Would his years battling the denizens of the underworld prepare him to tackle a supernatural foe?  I don't know, but it might be fun to read about!

The Hulk Vs. Sinestro

The biggest disappointment about the tepid reception to the Green Lantern film is that it now looks to be highly unlikely that we will ever get to see Mark Strong really get to cut loose as Sinestro.  Strong was one of the best parts about the movie, but the filmmakers were clearly holding back with him, leaving his story to be resolved in a sequel that will probably never come.  The producers should have jettisoned the whole Hector Hammond sub plot and went with a straight up Hal vs. Sinestro story line.  Who knows - the Hulk found a new lease on life after two so-so film outings, maybe there's a glimmer of hope for GL and Sinestro to shine again on the big screen.

Red Tornado and ROM

This is the kind of offbeat pairing that might not set the sales charts on fire, but I would be all over.  Has The Red Tornado appeared in the new 52 yet?  I've always liked the character and it would be cool to see him again.  I've given up on seeing ROM again due to some kind of rights issues.  I'm not sure how keeping a property out of the public eye for decades benefits any company.  A new ROM comic could mean a new toy line, right?  Hopefully those with the rights will realize there is a profit to be made and  allow ROM to star in comics again.

Nightwing and Daredevil

Batman and Daredevil have actually crossed paths, and it was definitely cool... but this is a pairing that might actually work even better.  While Daredevil has had his share of grim and gloomy stories, I like him best when he still has some of that original lighthearted attitude from his earlier adventures.  That disposition would make him a good fit with Dick Grayson, who has the skills of Batman without quite as much angst.  I can see them getting the job done effectively while still appreciating how cool it is to be a superhero, making for a fun story.

Justice Society of America and The Avengers

Both The Avengers and Man of Steel have had city destroying alien invasion final acts, and with Pacific Rim around the corner, I'm betting we haven't seen the last of those during this summer movie season.  I hope that going forward there will be different types of action featured because even these giant battles can get a little boring if movie makers keep going to the same well.  The inclusion of Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch in the Avengers sequel will provide the opportunity to present a wider array of powers on screen, and that ought to give audiences some new types of spectacle to gawk at.  It's all in the choreography of the fights, and that's something that Joss Whedon handled well the first time around, so I am confident that he will give us some great moments again.

The Metal Men Vs. Battlestar Galactica

I was late to the party when it came to the new Battlestar Galactica TV series.  I had heard good things but missed too many episodes and never gave it a chance.  Finally, I was able to catch up on Netflix, and I was hooked.  When the series ended, I wanted more, so I tried out the prequel series Caprica.  It was OK, but didn't grab me the same way as BSG and at any rate it only lasted a single season.  Finally, another pilot was produced that was much more like what I was hoping for - Battlestar Galactica: Blood and Chrome.  It featured a young Adama learning his way and used a lot of CGI imagery.  The pilot was first shown in installments online and then as a special on the SyFy Network.  For reasons I cannot fathom, it was not picked up to become a full series, which is a real shame because I thought that everyone involved did a great job with it.  If you are a BSG fan and have not seen it, it is well worth seeking out.

Superman Vs. Galactus

I saw Man of Steel last night and I was thoroughly entertained.  The cast was top notch and Henry Cavill I felt was perfect in the lead role. Michael Shannon made for a great Zod as well. The Superman/Lois relationship is handled quite differently here, but I didn't mind this slight change to the mythos.  The Krypton scenes were amazing and I loved that they borrowed elements from artists like John Byrne for the set and costume design.    Superman's two fathers as played by Russell Crowe and Kevin Costner both put their hearts into their roles, and it showed.  The effects were amazing, especially the flying scenes.  Fans complained that Superman did not actually fight anybody in his last theatrical outing and that certainly is not the case here.  If I have a complaint, it's about the scale of destruction in the final hour of the film.  Metropolis seems to be pretty much leveled and the death toll must be in the millions, but nobody seems to notice.  Clark Kent shows up for work a couple of days later and it's like nothing happened.  How is there even a Daily Planet to go to at that point?  I'd like to have seen either more evacuation scenes earlier on (so when giant buildings topple it doesn't mean the deaths of thousands) or some scenes of Superman helping with the rebuilding.  Still, all in all, I thought it was a blast of a film and if this is truly the kick off to a larger DC movie universe, they are on the right track.

The Rocketeer and Airboy

Airboy is a classic character that I think would fit right into an adventure will Cliff Secord.  They are both pilots who use their tools and skills for fighting crime.  Airboy even had some beautiful covers illustrated by Dave Stevens when he was revived by Eclipse Comics.  I wonder if Stevens was inspired by the original Airboy tales when he came up with The Rocketeer?

Hit Girl Joins The Teen Titans

I had mixed feelings about the first Kick-Ass film.  I liked that it was showing what would really happen if someone actually decided to put on a costume and fight crime... but then the movie seemed to break its own rules when Hit Girl showed up.  The sight of a little kid beating up grown men, doing back flips and reloading her guns in mid-air was anything but realistic and did not jibe with the vibe that had been set up.  I have since watched the movie again and since I was ready for this, I wound up enjoying it a lot more the second time around.  I'm not sure what to expect from the sequel, as I did not read the comics adaptation (a bit on the violent side for my tastes), but the brief footage I have seen so far looks interesting - even if they have left reality completely behind at this point.

Katana and Nightcrawler

I have always been a fan of Katana and I am glad that DC is finally giving her the increased exposure that she has always deserved.  Once a C-List character, she is now being featured in her own self titled series, as a member of The Justice League of America, and will be appearing alongside Batman in the upcoming Beware the Batman CGI TV series.  I used to enjoy the relationship that she had with Halo in Batman and the Outsiders, and I hope that she will be brought back as well, perhaps in the pages of Katana's series?

Katana has gone through a few looks over the years, and I do like her most recent one.  Of course, my favorite will always be her original, as designed by the legendary Jim Aparo.

The Black Cat and Catwoman (Part Two)

I wrote a few days back about how Ed McGuinness' style translated well to animation.  Amanda Conner is another amazing artist with a style that I think would be perfect to animate.  It's been a while since DC has announced any of their animated shorts featuring b-listers to go with their full length features, but if they begin that practice again I'd love to see a Power Girl short with Conner-inspired character design.

The Black Cat and Catwoman (Part One)

I have a feeling that these two would be kindred spirits.  They both love the cat theme, skirt the line between good and bad, and know just how to wrap their respective heroes around their fingers.  In fact, I don't think that a single issue is enough to contain the fun they would get into if they got together.  And so, their tale will continue tomorrow...

Batman and The Badger

I don't know a whole lot about The Badger, as I was not a First Comics reader when his stories were originally presented.  I had gotten a few requests to include him, so I read up on the character and he seems pretty interesting, what with his fractured psyche and all.  He seems to have jumped around a few comics companies  with a few relaunches.  So I'll put the question out there - for someone who has never read the character before, where's the best place to start?

Jonah Hex and Spider-Man

Some set photos of the Amazing Spider-Man sequel have revealed Gwen Stacy clad in the very outfit she was wearing when she was tossed off of a bridge by The Green Goblin in the comics.  Are they planning to kill her off?  I'm thinking the outfit may just be a nod to the fans because I can't believe they would attempt that classic storyline before the Goblin has even been established as a character - this film will already be crowded enough with Electro and The Rhino.  So, I fell that Gwen is probably safe... for now.  All bets will be off with the third installment!

Superman and Ms. Marvel

There's something about Ed McGuinness' bulky style that has always appealed to me.  His characters are larger than life and yet stay relatable due to his skill with body language and facial expressions.  I thought that his look worked well in animation when it was emulated for the Superman/Batman: Public Enemies DVD release.

Spawn Vs. Venom

Todd McFarlane had done some DC work that I was aware of with Infinity Inc. and the Invasion! mini-series, but it wasn't until he exploded on to the Spider-Man titles that I really began to take notice of his work.  His experimentation with panel layouts and character design propelled Spidey to new heights and really struck a chord with comic fans in the middle of the 90's boom.  I've been impressed with McFarlane's work with various movie and sports related action figures as well.  He has really elevated the art form there.

Hawkman and Flash Gordon

Even though I was born a few decades too late, I had always been a big fan of the classic cliffhanger movie serials, and that was my first exposure to Flash Gordon. I later discovered the amazing comic work with art by greats like Alex Raymond and Al Williamson and my  interest in the character really grew from there.  I have to Imagine that the Hawkmen from the Flash Gordon strip were more than a little instrumental in the evolution of comicdom's most famous winged character.

Batman and Thor in "Taking Back Asgard!"

With carnage the likes of which was produced in issue #416, you just know the heavy hitters would be called in to clean up the mess.  And who better to illustrate the tale than Art Adams?  I first saw Adams' artwork gracing Marvel and DC titles in the late 80's and his style which merged a cartoonish whimsy with intricate detail was unlike anything I had seen before, and perfect for depicting super-heroic exploits.

Loki and the Joker

These are two arch nemeses that love to sow chaos, but do so in very different manners.  Loki is extremely methodical in his plans, carefully manipulating events to suit his evil ends.  The Joker on the other hand prefers to throw a grenade of unpredictability into an organized system and bask in the reaction.  I can't imagine an alliance between them would end well for any parties involved.

This combination is too explosive for a single issue, and the consequences of this tale will be dealt with on tomorrow's cover...

Ace and the Dogs of War

I love superheroes and I love dogs, so when the two are combined it really captures my interest.  I know I am not the only one who must feel that way because once I started featuring new teams on this blog, an all-pooch crew was one of the more common requests I would get.  I think a team like this, once they stopped sniffing each other's butts, would be unstoppable!

The Legion of Super-Heroes and The Galaxy Trio

I picked up a Birdman DVD and was surprised at what a kick I got out of the back-up cartoons featuring the Galaxy Trio, a team I had all but forgotten from my youth.  Vapor Man, Meteor Man and Gravity Girl looked cool and had interesting abilities, and outer space action is always fun.  It would be interesting to see a modern take on the property one of these days.