The Huntress and Hawkeye

I was a bit disappointed in the portrayal of The Huntress on Arrow, she did not come off as very heroic to me.  Hopefully future appearances will help to redeem her character.  Hawkeye was the only hero in the Avengers movie that I felt did not get a chance to shine.  He spent the first two thirds under a spell and by the time he saw action, he kind of got lost in the midst of all the other big guns.  Joss Whedon has promised to make up for this in Avengers: The Age of Ultron, and give Clint Barton a far more active role.  It will be great to see him in the spotlight... now if we could just do something about that boring movie costume...

Magnus: Robot Fighter Vs. Magneto

It is going to be interesting to see Magneto played by both Michael Fassbender and Ian McKellan in next summer's X-Men: Days of Future Past.  McKellan was too old for the part even in the first X-Men film, but I liked his interpretation enough that I was able to overlook that.  I thought Fassbender did a great job in X-Men: First Class, and he had the physique and presence to closer emulate the character from the comics.  The sequel looks to be quite different from the DOFP comic storyline, so who knows where Magneto will wind up by the end of the time-bending tale.  Will Bryan Singer bring things around to reflect the comics more, or will the franchise continue to stake out it's own wonky continuity?  I guess we will all find out next year.

Big Guy & Rusty the Boy Robot and Scooby Doo

Scooby and the gang have stood the test of time, while many other cartoon characters have come and gone. I think one reason for their longevity is the fact that they have been very open to guest stars in many of their incarnations.  I used to love when they would meet up with Batman or the Harlem Globetrotters and it's cool that they are still appearing in team ups like their recent meeting with Dynomutt and the Blue Falcon.  A Geoff Darrow inspired meeting with Big Guy & Rusty?  That could be the coolest episode yet!

Justice League of America and The Silver Surfer

There aren't a lot of Marvel Heroes that could give the JLA a run for their money, but I think The Surfer has enough raw power to really do some damage.  This would especially be the case if he took them by surprise and they were not aware of his ability.  It's easy to underestimate a naked guy on a surfboard, after all. Anyway, it would be a fun battle up until the point where they realize it was all based on a crazy misunderstanding and decided to unite against the real villain.

Captain America and Stargirl

I first became aware of Darwyn Cooke when I read that he was behind the awesome opening title sequence for the Batman Beyond cartoon.  So when I saw that he was going to be writing and illustrating some DC comics, I was very interested to see how they would look.  I was blown away with the cinematic feel of his stories - reading comics like Batman: Ego was like looking at the coolest storyboards ever.  Then of course, there's DC: The New Frontier, where he really got a chance to flex his superhero muscles.  He's great as moody noirish tales as well, as can be seen with his work on Parker for IDW.

Batman and The Thing (And More!)

For the 500th issue, I thought I would go back to my roots and feature the two original stars of this blog.  It's no secret why I focused on Batman and Thing-centric team ups  early on, as they are my favorite characters from each company.

Well, Batman has been on the news plenty this week with word that Ben Affleck would be taking over the cowl for the Man of Steel Sequel and potential other films.  I don't have the instant hate that many do for Affleck and I an cautiously optimistic to see what he will do with the role.  He is one of my favorite current directors - I love all three of his films - so the idea that he may go on to direct a solo Batman film down the road has me intrigued, I think he is a great choice for that.  He hasn't done a big effects heavy film yet though, so I don't know if he would be a perfect fit to direct the inevitable JLA film.  I actually didn't mind him as Daredevil, the problems with that film were with the rest of the casting, script and direction... and besides, that was a decade ago, his recent performances have shown him grow as an actor.  At any rate, I am ready for a new incarnation of Batman - this time with more emphasis on the detective aspects, and with a better costume (and one that doesn't retire every time he has a bad day).

The Thing is due to return in a FF reboot as well, but nothing I have heard about that film, from casting to direction, gives me much confidence yet.  Hopefully he will at least be created with CG this time around.

The Crimson Avenger and Daredevil

I was aware of the Crimson Avenger from his appearances as part of The Seven Soldiers of Victory, but I really became a fan when I read the back-up story in DC Comics Presents #38, "Whatever Happened to the Crimson Avenger?", by Len Wein.  It's a great tale about heroism and self sacrifice, and it made me want to seek out other stories starring the red-suited hero. I must not have been the only reader to feel that way, because DC put together a 4-issue Crimson Avenger mini-series not too long afterwards, something I never thought that I would see.

Wonder Woman and Red Sonja

DC/Warner Brothers seem to be setting the stage for a Justice League movie by introducing Batman to the Man of Steel franchise and bringing The Flash back to television.  Still the glaring omission has to be Wonder Woman.  She is just too important a part of the team not to be introduced beforehand.  I can see The Martian Manhunter being woven into the JLA movie, but WW's backstory would just overwhelm the rest of the film.  Come on, DC a Wonder Woman film can't be that hard of a nut to crack could it?  She has a huge built in fan base, far exceeding those who have read her in comic form.  Let's hear some news on a solo movie before we dive head first into the Justice League.

The New Teen Titans and Nova

Stan Lee expertly blended the trials and tribulations of teenage life with slam bang superhero action in his groundbreaking work on The Amazing Spider-Man and that has been a recipe for successful comics ever since.  Marvel has used it well in titles like Nova, New Mutants, and New Warriors.  DC's New Teen Titans by Marv Wolfman and George Perez was one of the best examples of the formula.  The first 50 issues of that title have stood the test of time, and are still fondly remembered today.

The Hotheads

It was quickly apparent when assembling this team that writers like to give fire-based characters pretty combustible attitudes as well - it seemed to be a common trait.  I figure the more of these guys that you put in a story together, the more chance for conflict there would be, and that could make fore quite an interesting adventure, despite their similar power sets.

Batman and Sgt. Fury & His Howling Commandos

Now this is how Dark Knight Rises should have ended!  There have been reports that Warner Brothers is trying to woo Christian Bale back to play Batman in the Man of Steel sequel with ungodly amounts of money.  While it would be cool to see Bale and Henry Cavill together at the World's Finest heroes, tying Man of Steel into the Dark Knight trilogy will raise a lot of questions.  For instance, where was Clark when Gotham City was held under siege for months on end? Not to mention how Wayne is even back when he gave his fortune and mantle to another. It's probably best to begin anew with a fresh Gotham and a younger Batman.

Captain Marvel and Captain America

When you count all of the Lost B&B and Lost MTIO covers, this marks my 1,000th cover on the blog.  Yikes, when I began fiddling with paint a few years ago to make a Batman and Martian Manhunter team-up, in never expected it to snowball into this!  Well, hopefully I haven't worn out my welcome, because I still have some lost adventures that I want to share...

I have been meaning to do a golden-age meeting of the Captains for a while and I am glad that I finally got to it.  On the surface, these characters may not have a ton in common, but I think that Captain America would appreciate the earnestness of Billy Batson and they could make for an effective fighting pair.  Plus, who wouldn't want to see the Big  Red Cheese lay the smack down on The Red Skull, or Cap knock his shield upside Sivana's bulbous head?

Zatanna and Harry Potter

The Harry Potter films were fun, and I found that I enjoyed the later installments more than the earlier ones, as the kids grew older and the stakes got higher.  Now that the series is finally over though, there is a big hole in Warner Brother's event film schedule and plenty of money must be freed up as well.  I say now is the time for them to dive head forward into their DC Comics archives.  No more of this slow roll out, lets see some of those movies in development hell - Shazam, The Metal Men, JLA Dark - finally get rolling in addition to the build up to a Justice League film!

Justice League of America and Rocket Raccoon

Today's cover image is fitting if you consider the fact that Rocket Raccoon is going to be appearing on the big screen before the JLA get their chance - now, who ever expected that to happen?  I have only seen a bootleg snippet of footage from Guardians of the Galaxy so far, and I still don't know if Marvel will have another hit on their hands yet - but I have to admit that the characters I am most interested in - Rocket and Groot - both look very cool from a design standpoint at least.  The key will be getting the right actor to provide Rocket's voice.  My favorite suggestions so far have been Liam Neeson or Jason Statham - he needs a real tough guy sound to offset his height.

Lex Luthor and Dr. Doom

It seems that the role of Lex Luthor will be a key one in the upcoming Superman/Batman movie, as casting possibilities are already starting to surface.  The two names at the top of the pack both sound very interesting to me:  Mark Strong and Bryan Cranston.  Strong definitely looks the part, and is known for playing arch villains in movies like Kick-Ass, Sherlock Holmes... and Green Lantern.  That last film is a sticking point - will DC want the same actor as Sinestro to play Luthor?  Even though the GL movie was not the success they had hoped,  Strong was one of the best parts of it and it would be a shame to completely close the door on seeing a full-fledged Sinestro return some day.  At 57, some may think Cranston to be a bit old to play Lex Luthor, but I think he is such a great actor that I could overlook that.  Breaking Bad has shown us that he truly knows how to convey intellectual menace and ambition-driven men, so I think he would be amazing in the role.

Green Lantern and War Machine

Well, we've seen Iron Man's ally and fellow armored hero War Machine on the big screen, and I now wonder how long it will be before Green Lantern John Stewart gets his chance.  There was an Easter Egg in the Green Lantern film that hinted at Stewart's existence, but sequel chances are less than slim for that movie.  However, it's under-performance may just cause DC/Warner Brothers to scrap Hal Jordan altogether and use Stewart instead as the GL for an upcoming Justice League film, just as they did (and did very well) in the animated version.  I thought Hal got a raw deal and would like for him to have another silver screen chance, but I would not mind if they went with that option.  I was already a fan of the character, and I really liked what they did with him on JLA/JLU, especially his relationship with Hawkgirl.

Rorschach and The Spirit

These two guys may not have any fancy powers, but they would still be a formidable team.  Their tenacity and knowledge of the city's dark secrets make them a constant thorn in the side for the underworld or anyone who would prey on the innocent.  And they would look damned good dealing out their punishment - the trench coat and fedora motif might not be that practical for crime fighting, but it almost always works very well visually.

Captain Atom and The Human Torch

There are a lot of cool headquarters in comics  Batman has his cave, Superman has his fortress and Doctor Strange has his Sanctum Sanctorum.  Still there was always something I really liked about the Fantastic Four's Baxter Building, mainly because it has been effectively used as a plot point in some of the FF's best stories.  Whether it was launched into outer space, used as a gateway to the negative zone, or being crashed by super villains, it has always been like another character.  I think my favorite tale was during John Byrne's run, where The Trapster is thwarted in his invasion attempt solely by the Building's security system - great stuff!

Super Goof and Dynomutt

I didn't follow too many funny animal type comics when I was growing up, I was all about the superheroes.  Now, when the cartoon characters we also superheroes, that was a different story.  Disney comics were another exception.  Even though the stories skewed a bit young for me, I always had to check them out because of the gorgeous artwork within.

Superman and The Sub-Mariner

I think that a battle between Superman and Prince Namor could be epic.  Sure, I would give Superman the edge... unless Namor was somehow able to lure him into the ocean.  There, he is even more powerful and has all the resources of Atlantis and the undersea world at his command, and Superman could be in for the fight of his life.  Making it a period piece would be even mor fun for me, as I love the golden age versions of these pioneering comicds charaters.

The Demon and Thor

I have yet to see an episode of Game of Thrones, so I wasn't sure what to make of Kenneth Branagh being replaced as director on the sequel to Thor with GoT vet Alan Taylor, but I have to say that I like what I have seen in the trailers that have been released so far.  I thought that then first film was too Earth bound, and that does not seem to be the cast with the second outing. Also, there are indications that Sif will get a larger role, which is good because I loved her portrayal in the original film.  The only fault I saw was the same as has always been for the cinematic Thor - Put your helmet on already!

The Thing Vs. Geo-Force

Here's a team up that I can't believe I never got to when I was doing my lost MTIO run.  Given Geo-Force's abilities to control The Earth's gravitational field and manipulate rock & stone, this could be a very interesting battle.  The thing I always thought was cool about Geo-Force was his relationship with his sister, Terra - the traitorous Teen Titan.  However, once she was killed off, DC never seemed to know what to do with Prince Brion of Markovia.  I have yet to see him appear in the New 52, hopefully he won't be just another victim of the reboot.

Vixen and The Black Panther

I've always liked Vixen, from way back to the days where she was a Superman supporting character with an ugly costume.  She's had to work hard to gain prominence, first as a member of the ill-fated Detroit era Justice League and then of Suicide Squad.  It was with the squad that she really began to flourish, under the pen of John Ostrander, who gave her a bit more depth.  I enjoyed her appearances on Justice League Unlimited as well, they really demonstrated how cool her abilities can be.  I think she was with Justice League International in the New 52, but since that title's cancellation, I am not sure where she's ended up.  Hopefully DC will find a home for her,  she's earned her place alongside the A-listers by now.

Metamorpho and Iron Man

I think that the differences between these characters' power sets would make for an interesting match up. I'm not really sure who I would give the edge to if they went to battle, although I would be rooting for Rex.  I have always had a soft spot for hard-luck heroes, and he is one of the best.

Robin and Ultimate Spider-Man

Little did I know when I made this cover that Damian Wayne would be killed off before I even had a chance to post it.  While I do think that it has been problematic that Batman has had so many sidekicks, I have to admit that I was just warming up to the kid before Grant Morrison decided to permanently close out his story arc... or did he?  Morrison's time on Batman has apparently ended with the revelation of numerous Damian clones, leaving the door for a return quite open, it would seem.

Marvel's Age of Ultron event ended with Galactus showing up in the Ultimate Universe, and some are already suspecting that this will indeed signal the end to that line of comics.  I can see that happening, but if it does I am sure there will be some elements that carry over to the mainstream Marvel Universe.  The top of that list is Miles Morales, I just can't see that character going away no matter what happens to the Ultimate line.

The Tick Vs. Ambush Bug

These guys seem like they were made to appear together. Aside from the similarity in appearance, the stories that they star in are always chock full of commentary and humor regarding the state of the comics industry.  I can imagine that any tale that featured them side by side would just be a ton of fun.  Heck, call in Patrick Warburton and Henry Winkler to reprise the voices and animate the story!  Now that would be a blast!

Hawk & Dove and Cloak & Dagger

I think that these two pairs of street level crime fighters would be fun to toss in a story together.  Dove and Dagger seem to spend as much time battling alongside their partners as they do trying to keep them in check, and that would make for an interesting dynamic.  It would also be a cool looking issue - the costume designs on these teams are both very visually appealing, it's no wonder to me that they have remained relatively the same since the characters were introduced (even though one of the genders may have changed).

Deadman and Mephisto

It's only fitting that I feature Boston Brand today since I just had a great time at the Boston Comic Con.  Getting in was crazy, I don't think they were expecting such a huge crowd and the line took almost two hours to filter through.  It wasn't that bad, all the cool costumes gave me and my brothers plenty to look at.  We had a blast once we got in, highlights for me were talking to a couple of my favorite pros, Phil Jiminez and Lee Weeks.  Just great guys.  I had some nice brief chats with Bill Willingham,  Colleen Doran, Mike Mignola, Aaron Lopestri, and Mark Bagley as well.

The Hobbits and The Hulk

I was a Peter Jackson fan after seeing The Frighteners (a movie that convinced me that The Spectre could work in live action, watch it and you'll see what I mean), and I was very encouraged when I heard he was going to take on the Lord of the Rings Trilogy.  Still, I wasn't prepared for just how lavishly those great books would be recreated.  Sure, there are changes and omissions (I was hoping to see Tom Bombadil), but it was still amazing how much he captured onscreen.  I had my reservations about the much shorter The Hobbit being stretched into three films, but I have to admit to being thoroughly entertained by the first installment and am looking forward to the second. So here's a director who can film an ensemble cast in a film packed with battles, amazing abilities and special effects, all while staying true to the source material, and isn't afraid to stay with a franchise... I think a Justice League movie could be an interesting next move - DC/Warner Brothers, are you listening?

The Brown Hornet, Spaceman Spiff and Marvin the Martian

I was a big Fat Albert and The Cosby Kids fan growing up, I even remember having a Fat Albert lunch box for a while.  I loved Bill Cosby's stand up comedy records and it was cool for me to see his childhood in animated form.  Of course, I thought it was cool when they introduced the show-within-a-show The Brown Hornet, adding a superhero element to the program.  I always thought that he could have had a life beyond the series, but I never saw anything from him after it went away.

The Flash and Iceman / Dr. Fate Vs. The Red Skull

Another two-fer today.  The Flash has gotten a lot of press lately, with reports of a potential movie on the horizon, not to mention an appearance on the WB's Arrow, that is said to be leading to a new Flash TV Show.  I'm not sure whether the television news means that the movie is no longer happening or not, but it would surprise me if Warner Brothers went ahead with two versions.  One good bit of news on the TV front is that the producers are promising a proper costume and they will actually call the character by his name, which is a departure for their superhero adaptations.  I still fondly remember the 90's series and hope that the new iteration does Barry Allen justice.