Bronze Tiger & Vixen and Black Panther & Storm

I am a little surprised that we haven't heard more about a possible Black Panther film from Marvel.  I have heard of interest in such a movie for over a decade now, but it never seems to get off the back burner.  I thought for sure a BP film would be part of Marvel's "Phase Three", but that does not look to be the case.  It would be a perfect franchise to add, as it would be markedly different from the Marvel films that have gone before, but still be able to have strong ties to The Avengers.  Hopefully, Phase Four will make the long-simmering plans a reality.

Vixen and Storm

A lot of people look upon the "Detroit Era" of the Justice League as a low point for the team, but There were definitely some parts that I liked about it.  The best thing that it did was to bring Mari McCabe to a larger stage, allowing the obscure character that appeared with Superman a couple of times to find a new audience of fans.  I was glad to see her included in future incarnations of the team and on the animated Justice League Unlimited.

This tale is still not over - stay tuned for the exciting conclusion tomorrow!

The Black Panther and The Bronze Tiger

I thought that the Bronze Tiger was cool as a foil for Batman, but I really grew to appreciate him as a member of the Suicide Squad. It's been cool to see Michael Jai White bring him to life on Arrow and hopefully that will lead to more exposure for the character in the comics.

This story is not over - stay tuned for part two tomorrow!

Tintin and Dynomutt

Out of all the animals on Earth, dogs are the species that we humans most often cast as heroes.  I think that has got to be attributed to their loyalty.  I have heard many real life stories of heroic pooches, and it's always fun to root for them when I see a dog hero do their thing on screen or in print.

Batman and Miss Fury

Miss Fury is yet another classic character that has recently been brought back in modern adventures. I have to confess that I do not know much about her early stories, but taking a look at her, she seems like someone that Batman would be eager to work with.  I mean, she dresses like Catwoman, and fights on the side of the law... he'd be smitten!

Lara Croft and Catwoman

I think that these two have a lot in common and a story featuring them together would be a lot of fun.  I don't know whether they would combine their talents or be at odds with one another, but their similar skill sets would make for an action packed tale... or video game!

Tomar-Re and Beta Ray Bill

I have always gotten a kick out of alien superheroes, an these are two of my absolute favorites.  I have been a fan of Beta Ray Bill ever since he made his logo-destroying debut in the pages of Walt Simonson's Thor run.  Tomar-Re is my second favorite alien Green Lantern (after Chaselon, love that guy) and while the GL movie was somewhat of a misfire, it was very cool to see him up on the big screen.  Hopefully Bill will get his chance in a Thor sequel.

Spider-Man and The Powerpuff Girls

The Powerpuff Girls was one of the first shows I checked out when I finally got The Cartoon Network on my cable service.  I was hooked instantly - each episode was action packed with lots of humor and comic book references and the animation was incredibly creative given the simple designs they were using.  I loved the voice work on the show and the roster of villains as well.  Apparently they are poised for a comeback, but from the quick glimpse I saw of it, they seem to be using a different animation technique than before.  Hopefully it will be able to capture some of the magic of the original series.

Nick Fury and Spy Smasher

I remember thinking that Spy Smasher was cool when I was introduced to him in the pages of a JLA/JSA crossover that featured the "Earth-S" heroes.  At the time I figured that he was just another c-list Fawcett character but it turns out that he had quite a presence back in his day with plenty of solo adventures and even a live action movie serial adaptation.  They got the costume perfectly right in that serial, too - which is more than Batman or Captain America could say.

Blue Beetle Joins The Avengers

Marvel had a TV special this week spotlighting their movie universe.  While most of it was about the films that have come before, there were some cool looks at Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Guardians of the Galaxy.  My favorite part though, was the blink-or you'll miss it look at Avengers: Age of Ultron. We saw images of Quicksilver (looks cool, but I wish he had the silver colored hair), Scarlet Witch (a little boring, just regular clothes with a red jacket, hopefully we'll get more of a uniform) and best of all a Hulk/Iron Man battle with Tony (or someone) in the Hulkbuster armor.  I really look forward to seeing that scene!

Khan and Boba Fett

A science fiction franchise is only as good as its bad guys and here are two of the coolest.  It might be fun to see them work together.  Would their combined efforts finally take down their nemeses, or would one of them wind up double crossing the other first?

Martian Manhunter Vs. Alien (with Superman)

I have heard that Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is rumored to have a role in DC's Justice League movie plans.  Most of the speculation centers around him playing either John Stewart or Doomsday, but I think that there is a character that he would be much better suited for:  J'onn J'onzz.  Johnson has played strong stoic characters before and even has the ability to bring forth the subtle humor that the role may call for.  Plus, he certainly has the superheroic physique requires for J'onn's signature costume.  I how that the producers are at least giving this option some thought.

Thor and Hellboy

I am a fan of Ron Perlman's take on Hellboy in the two Guillermo Del Toro directed films that have been released.  I hope we finally get to see the finale to the movie trilogy even though the first two were not huge financial successes.  In the meantime, I thought it was very cool for the actor to take the time and effort out to reprise the role for a young leukemia patient - even having the kid get made up as a mini Hellboy.  Great stuff: http://collider.com/ron-perlman-hellboy-make-a-wish/

Gorilla Grodd Vs. The Red Skull

Editor Julius Schwarz knew a few things that were bound to provide a spike in sales when they were featured on a comic book cover.  One of those  was the appearance of a gorilla, and darn if that wasn't true. All of DC's mainstays seemed to mix it up with gorillas at some point and I was always eager to read those stories.  So it's no surprise that The Flash got a gorilla arch enemy to call his own.  Grodd's appearances have always been fun and I really hope that he finds his way into the Flash TV show if it goes to series.

The Doom Patrol Vs. Galactus

I can imagine a scenario like this actually taking place in the pages of Doom Patrol.  Niles Caulder was always taking crazy chances and unnecessary risks, and was also known for keeping secrets from the rest of the team.  Sure, it was usually for the greater good, but he really knew how to escalate a situation.

Forge and Steel

Forge's ability to instantly understand and work with any kind of machinery and tech was one of the cooler mutant powers, in my opinion.  I always hoped that he would get a higher profile, but for some reason he as always seemed to stay on the periphery of the X-Men universe. I think he and John Henry Irons would make a cool team and it would be fun to see what kinds of devices they would come up with.

Man-Bat Vs. Werewolf By Night

Something about both of these guys always appealed to me.  Maybe it was the fact that despite the bestial forms that they were known to assume, they would always keep their pants on.  Sure, it may have had more to do with the Comics' Code than anything else, but I always preferred to believe that those jeans were a symbol of their humanity trying to break through. Whatever the reason, they looked cool!

Justice League of America Vs. The X-Men (and more!)

When it comes to Anniversary issues, there are a few that really stand out for me.  Probably my favorite is Justice League of America #200, a brilliant story that hearkened back to the team's first adventure and featured the greatest line up of artists that have ever appeared in a single issue - Kane, Bolland, Aparo, Perez, Broderick, Kubert, Giordano and Infantino - just great stuff.  I also have a fondness for Avengers #200 and Detective Comics #500.  It's too bad that with all the relaunches and renumbering that comics go through these days that such milestones are seldom reached anymore.

Justice League of America And Marvel Girl

It must have been tough being Jean Grey growing up.  First, she had trouble finding acceptance among her peers due to her mutant powers.  Then, once she finally gets into Xavier's school, she had the opposite problem! Reading those early issues, it seems like every member of the team had a crush one her - including Professor X!. I'm glad they didn't pursue that story line very far.

By the way, the above cover is only the beginning of this tale.  It leads into tomorrow's issue #700.

The Fantastic Four and Green Lantern (Vs. Doctor Doom)

The Fantastic Four have had a lot of costume changes and for the most part, they have worked.  I was unsure at first about the white uniforms they used here (while Johnny was "temporarily" dead), but they grew on me.  Currently the FF are sporting red colored uniforms, which just does not look right to my eye.  Maybe for The Human Torch red is a good look, but I don't like it for the rest of the team.  It especially doesn't work against the thing's orange rocky hide.  I don't mind the design, just the color - change it to blue and they would look great!

Ragman and Daredevil

I was glad to see Ragman step back into the spotlight with his inclusion in the Shadowpact series.  I don't think that he has been seen since the New 52 reboot though.  Hopefully, he will find a home in comics again, I always loved his cool costume and back story.

The Freedom Fighters and The Invaders in: "Bad Day To Be A Nazi!"

I featured a cover with these two teams meeting before, but when I saw the chance to have a reunion featuring all Gil Kane artwork, I had to give it a shot.  I still love stories set in World War Two, that era fascinates me.  I think the best superhero epics that take place in that time are the ones that still manage to give the non-powered soldiers their respect and due.

The Flash and Spider-Man

The WB Network has released the first image of Grant Gustin in his Flash costume for the upcoming series, and even though it was only a profile head shot, it was very well received among comic fans. That's because it is an honest to goodness superhero cowl, and not just red sunglasses or something, you never know when a TV adaptation will go that route.  Even the Scarlet Speedster's ear pieces were there, and the tweaked version that uses the lightning bolt insignia works nicely.  Hopefully the rest of the outfit will look as good.

Captain Marvel and Mage

We've seen a bunch of superheroes sport the "jeans and T-shirt" look at this point, but when Matt Wagner's Mage first hit the stands back in 1984, that style was one of the things that made Kevin Matchstick stand out.  Mage was a fun comic, a cool spin on the traditional superheroes and the King Arthur legend that is well worth seeking out.

Superman in the Marvel Universe

I remember seeing ads for Superman Vs. Muhammad Ali when I was a kid, and being fascinated by it.  Treasury-sized comics were a rarity at the time and it was cool to see that the great artwork of Neal Adams was going to be presented in such a large format.  Plus, superman was teaming up with a real life guy, probably the most famous sports figure of the time.  I thought that was so crazy that I just had to read the story to find out what was up.  That turned out to be a long wait because I never saw a copy on sale.  It took decades and the invention of the internet before I tracked down a copy.  The story is just as nuts as I was expecting it to be, and the Adams artwork was gorgeous - well worth the wait!

She-Hulk Vs. Wonder Woman

We're still waiting to see an official photo of Gal Gadot in her Wonder Woman costume, but there have been some hints from the designer, Michael Williamson.  While he says that he looked at all eras of the character and will try to stay true to the classic iconography, that's pretty much the kind of thing we always hear.  More interesting were his references to Roman gladiators' garb and the costumes from 300 and Thor.  I am glad that they are going in that direction, it seems like the best way to bring her costume to live action.

Chance Falconer and Kitty Pryde

Leave it to Chance was one of  my favorite series ever.  James Robinson and Paul Smith presented tales of a master magician's daughter learning the ways of the mystical world.  Aside from her daring and pluck, Chance Falconer has a pet dragon.  I think this makes her a natural for an adventure with Kitty, I'm sure they would have plenty to discuss.

Mr. Spock and Barbarella

Sure, we all know about Captain Kirk's weakness for the ladies, but what about Spock?  Vulcans aren't ones to brag, so I am sure he would keep any such dalliances to himself.  The new Trek movies have Spock in a relationship with Uhura, and I don't  really get that.  Sure, the timeline has changed and the two met earlier than they supposedly did in the classic TV series - but they are still supposed to be the same people.  Wouldn't there have been some sign of an attraction before?

Nexus and Warlock

It will be interesting to see how well Guardians of the Galaxy does at the box office.  If it is the success that Marvel is hoping it will be, it may open the doors for more varied and risky comic book films.  I'd love to see more comic-based space epics on the screen, introducing new audiences to the great characters that I grew up with.  Nexus and Warlock would be a good place to start - perhaps Warlock cold even be featured in a GotG sequel.

Ghost Rider Vs. The Spectre

Here are a couple of great supernatural heroes that artist really seem to have fun with.  The flowing cape, the flaming hair, and the mystical surroundings they found themselves in all lend themselves to visually interesting creative interpretations. It's a shame we haven't seen more of either character in animation.

The Legion of Awesome!

Who among us comic fans haven't envisioned ourselves as the heroic avengers that we read about?  Many of my favorite cartoon characters have shared that desire and created costumed alter egos for themselves.  Though their identities may be shrouded in secrecy, their thirst for justice always shines through.  They would be a formidable team if they joined forces.