Jade and The Hulk

Jade is yet another casualty of the New 52 Reboot.  She and her brother, Obsidian, apparently had no place in a reality where their once-father was de-aged and changed his sexual orientation.  Two perfectly good characters tossed aside for the sake of a quickly forgotten headline.  Comics being comics, I hope they still find a way to resurface somewhere.

Challengers of the Unknown and Iron Man

The Challenger of the Unknown are a DC property that never quite hit the big time as far as recognition beyond comics are concerned, but they seem to find a way to return every so often.  I think a lot of it all comes down to their team name - it just sounds so cool, and it's a shame not to use it, not unlike The Doom Patrol.   I'm not sure what the Challengers' current status is in the New 52.  Hopefully they'll find their place in the spotlight again one of these days.

The Flash and The Thing in "The Fast and the Furious!"

I miss the Pre-New 52 Wally West.  It's still strange to me that DC spent so many decades building him up as a character, only to cast him aside.  Plus, along the shoddy treatment of Ralph Dibny, DC's anti-ginger bias  saddens me.  Guy Gardner better watch his back.  Hopefully Grant Morrison's current Multiversity project will allow for the Wally I grew up with to return in some way.

The Avengers and Manhunter

Now that the actors portraying the big 3 Avengers are nearing the end of their movie contracts, I am sure Marvel must be considering where to go next.  Do they give Thor, Iron man and Cap a rest while giving some of their other heroes a chance on the big screen, or will they continue to make sequels?  If it's the latter, will other actors step into the roles, or will they swap out the characters, focusing on Bucky as Cap or Rhodey as Iron Man?  One thing is for sure, Marvel is on a roll and shows no sign of slowing down any time soon.

Hourman and Jack Bauer

I was very happy to hear that the TV series 24 was making a return appearance this year,  and it did not disappoint.  Sure, it was way over the top, but that's what I always loved about the show.  Kiefer Sutherland and William Devane chewed the scenery quite nicely and the addition of Yvonne Strahovsky  was a welcome one.  The ending left the story of Jack Bauer open, so hopefully we haven't seen the last of him.

Adam Strange and Captain Universe

Captain Universe is a great concept - super powers that get regularly passed from one person to another. This is another C-list Marvel hero that I could see making a successful transition to movies or television. They would not even have to lock in a major star for an extended contract, due to the nature of the property.  There could even be multiple Captain Universes in one movie.  Now that Marvel's film division is digging a bit deeper into their catalog of characters, I hope that they will consider this hero for live action.

The Spectre and Ghostbusters

With the untimely passing of Harold Ramis, I figured that the rumors of a third Ghostbusters film would finally cease, but that does not seem to be the case.  There is still chatter about a new installment, with the remaining members handing off the reigns to a younger team.  Some say the group will be filled with contemporary comedic stars, and some say an all-female group may be in the plans.  I love the first movie, and the second - while not perfect - has grown on me... but something tells me that just too much time has passed and it is time to let the sequel dream go.  I'd love to be proven wrong, but I think it will be very hard to recapture the magic.

Metamorpho and Mr. Fantastic

I've been wanting to feature the U-Foes on a cover for a while.  I love their name and they have interesting power sets to go with their outlandish appearances.  I think they would put even the versatile team of Rex mason and Reed Richards to the test.  It would be pretty cool to see them translated to live action, maybe going up against The Hulk.

Captain America And The Demon in "The Curse of Blackbriar Thorne"

The latest shake up in the world of Captain America comics is that Steve Rogers has the body of an old man and Sam Wilson is taking over as the new Cap.  Not a bad concept, but every time I see Wilson in the weird hybrid Falcon/Cap outfit, I just don't understand how it is supposed to work. How is he going to fling that shield with those huge wings in the way?  I probably shouldn't be too concerned, as Rogers is sure to be back in the role by the time his next sequel rolls around.

The Question Vs. Mysterio

Given that the Question is all about uncovering mysteries and conspiracies, I think that he would be a great match against Mysterio, the master of illusion and deception.  I'm betting it would be a cloudy issues as well - both of these guys are fond of showing up covered in plumes of smoke.

Metron Vs. The Watcher

I was interested at first when I heard that Uatu the Watcher would be at the center of Marvel's latest event, Original Sin, as I have always thought he was a cool concept and character.  Sadly, it turns out that the story revolves around his murder and mutilation... so not really my cup of tea after all.  I wish the big 2 publishers could find more interesting things to do with my favorite characters than to kill them off!

Raven and Professor X

Raven is one of the coolest female characters created by DC, but it doesn't seem like they really know what to do with her these days.  Her original allies - Starfire, Dick Grayson, Wally West, Cyborg and Donna Troy have been changed or altered so much that they no longer interact with her in the current continuity, and that's too bad because I had enjoyed those relationships.  She gained new fans with the Teen Titans animated series, but unfortunately no character resembling the Raven from TV can be found in the comics today.  Raven's New 52 costume redesign is one of the most head scratching looks they have come up with.  Why mess with a classic?

Superman and Samaritan

Kurt Busiek's Astro City comics provide a great blend of superheroic action and the ramifications that it has on the everyday people that are caught in its wake.  With talent like Alex Ross on covers and Brent Anderson on interiors, these were comics that I always felt I got the full value of my money out of.  I haven't sampled the newer tales since Astro City's recent return, but I definitely plan to.

Black Canary and Spider-Girl

In the comics, the mantle of Black canary was passed down from mother to daughter.  The TV series Arrow seems to be heading towards a slight spin on this theme, as there have been indications that the Black Canary title will be transferred from sister to sister.  The lack of canary cry and use of a mask on the current Canary makes more sense to me now, It seems like they have had this planned for a while.

Mera and Stingray

Stingray's costume just shouldn't work - the colors are all wrong for an undersea hero and the big blank mask doesn't allow for much emotion to be depicted.  That said, I have always thought that it was kind of cool, and in the end that's what really counts, I guess.  Mera has kept her look relatively unchanged over the years, although she seems to have lost the flippers.  Call me crazy, but I kind of liked those, too!

Doctor Strange and Johnny Thunder

I always liked the concept behind Johnny Thunder, sort of Aladdin crossed with a superhero.  Even though the Thunderbolt was incredibly powerful, he could only do what Johnny commanded, and Johnny on his own had no special abilities.  This dynamic made for some interesting adventures and set the character apart from traditional crime fighters.

Green Arrow Vs. The Punisher

During my interview on Compton After Dark a few weeks back, host Dean Compton mentioned that his two favorite characters were Green Arrow and The Punisher and he wanted to see me pair them together.  I was surprised that I hadn't done this team-up yet, because the do seem like they would go well together... even their names make for a cool story title!

Krypto and Underdog

A meeting between the world's two greatest superhero pooches has been long overdue.  I have always loved Krypto, and I am glad that attempts to write him out of Superman's continuity are usually eventually undone.  Underdog was fondly remembered from my childhood, but I still couldn't get too excited about the movie version from a few years back - I don't think that live action was the best way to go.

Captain America and Firestorm

I knew that the upcoming Flash television series was going to feature some other characters from the DCU, but I never expected them to announce Firestorm!  I am very interested to see what they do with the character.  He's not the type of superhero that you can really go half-way with, as often happens on TV adaptations. Will they go all the way with the glowing eyes, flaming head and puffy sleeves?  Time will tell, but I hope they try!

Dr. Fate and V

After reading Watchmen and Saga of The Swamp Thing, I was hungry for more comics by Alan Moore, so I was very interested when V For Vendetta was released.  Moore and artist David Lloyd created an amazing graphic experience with that story, filled with mystery, corruption and heroics.  It's a series that I have gone back and reread a few times, always getting something new out of it.

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Solomon Grundy Vs. Archie

Back Issue's Michael Eury and Robert "RevBob" Hood both suggested a Miss Grundy/Solomon Grundy team-up and once again the concept was so offbeat that it rattled around in my head until I finally got around to putting a cover together that featured it. Thanks for the inspiration, Michael & Robert- you guys come up with some great ideas!

Hawkman and Hercules

The Thor movies have been a bit uneven for me.  While I like the heroics and the scenes on Asgard, the scenes on Earth featured a bit too much humor which I felt fell flat.  I think that a better source of humor for future sequels might be the introduction of Hercules into the mix.  I have always gotten a kick out of his battle happy attitude and his friendly rivalry with the God of Thunder.

Zatanna and Spider-Man

I have opted to wait for the Blu-Ray to watch Amazing Spider-Man 2, as did many folks.  After the films' slight under-performance in the theaters, Sony seems undecided as to where to go next with the web slinger.  The third installment has been postponed, and now there have been rumors of a Venom solo film, or a movie featuring the Sinister Six (or a female version thereof).  I'm not sure how they plan to sell these movie when they couldn't with Spider-Man.  Hopefully they will get their act together or just let Marvel Studios take over the rights.

Batman Vs. The Masters of Evil

I'd love to see Batman mix it up with these bad guys.  Despite the overwhelming odds, I would still have to give the Caped Crusader the edge in this battle.  There's no way he would allow him in such a situation without a few surprises planned to counter their various abilities.  Still, this group handed The Avengers one of their biggest defeats, so you can never count them out.

Swamp Thing and The Silver Surfer

These two characters both possess incredible power and that in other hands would be deadly on a planetary scale.  Fortunately, they are two of the most thoughtful heroes in comicdom.  I'd love to see a story with them together not only for the amazing visuals it would provide, but also the insightful dialogue between the two.

Captain Atom and X-Factor

With the conclusion of X-Men: Days of Future Past, the chances to see this actual First Class of X-Men have slightly increased, but from what I have read about X-Men: Apocalypse, I don't know if that will be the case.  Then there's the fact that Scott, Bobby and Jean still seem to have been born at their established times, despite the timeline shift - I'm not sure how it would work to have them appearing in a movie that takes place in 1983.

The Green Hornet and Green Lantern

Kyle Rayner's original costume got a lot of flack from some fans, particularly the mask.  I thought that this was a bad rap, and that the costume as designed was pretty cool looking, and a nice departure from the Green Lantern outfits we had seen up until that point.  Some artists did have difficulty illustrating the mask, causing some to call it a "crab face", but that was more due to their translation than the actual look that Darryl Banks came up with.

Katana Vs. Elektra

I have been recording and watching the remaining episodes of Beware the Batman, which the Cartoon Network is inexplicably burying at 3AM in the morning.  It is too bad that they had so little faith in the show, because I enjoy the interplay between Batman and Katana.  An early appearance by Metamorpho had me hoping that the Outsiders were in the future of the series, but alas, it does not seem to be.

Iron Man Vs. Darkseid

I'd have loved to read this match up if only to see what kind of cool machines Jack Kirby would come up with.  Tony Stark having access to Apokolips technology, as imagined by Kirby?  You just know there would have been some amazing designs.

Mars Attacks! led by Marvin the Martian

Look, if your goal  is to annihilate humankind, you might as well  be enthusiastic in your work, and that's why I imagine an issue featuring these characters would be a lot of fun.  The destruction of Earth is a morbid plan, but if presented through the point of view of the would be conquerors, I have to admit it would probably be an engaging read.

Booster Gold and Dazzler

While doing my interview with the Clobberin' Time podcast the other night, this pairing was suggested.  At first, it seemed like an odd choice, but when you consider that both of these characters embrace the media side of their superhero careers, it actually makes sense and could be a pretty fun story.  Thanks to Matt Fisher for the inspiration!