Batman and The Hulk (The Movie!)

With new comic book related TV shows and movies being announced on a regular basis these days, it's easy to take for granted the times we live in.  Back in the day, there weren't a lot of choices for the live action superhero fan.  Batman and The Incredible Hulk each had their strengths and weaknesses.  The Incredible Hulk took the subject matter seriously, but didn't feature much from the comics beyond the main character.  Batman happily presented many characters and visuals from the comics, but presented the whole thing with tongue firmly planted in cheek.  I'd have liked a show that met in the middle somewhere.

Batman and The Hulk have crossed paths a few times in The Lost Issues:

They first met in my first attempt at a 100-Page Giant...

I later presented them in a Golden-Age team-up...

They met during The Hulk's gray phase...

And the last time they butted heads was in my 900th Issue.

The Vigilante Vs. Daredevil (Part Two)

I think a crossover story between these two would have been a natural.  Given that they both worked in the court system in their civilian identities, there would have been plenty of opportunities to see them get mixed up in the same case.  Something tells me they would not take a liking to one another though!

The Vigilante Vs. Daredevil (Part One)

I remember being annoyed that DC had built up a great character like Adrian Chase in the pages of New Teen Titans only to spin him off into a series that I wasn't able to get.  The Vigilante's solo title was in their new "Baxter" format and only on sale in comic shops.  It was a few years before I finally got around to reading it.  There was lots of great art and writing in those early issues.

As the cover indicates, this it tale continues tomorrow, so stay tuned!

The Atomics and The Super-Friends

It just occurred to me that the heroes we ill be seeing in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice are the same core line up from The Super Friends.  Well, Aquaman is supposedly only a cameo and Robin appears to be dead, but still. that fact certainly underscores how dark and moody the film looks - in stark contrast to the brightly colored heroes we grew up watching.  I still hold out hope that the film has some true rays of hope and light by the end and what we have seen thus far is the dark before the dawn.

Justice League of America Vs. Doctor Doom (And More!)

Continued from yesterday's cover, we see that Doom is not done with the DCU yet!  It's amazing to look at a varied assemblage of heroes like this and realize that most of the characters are due to appear on the big and small screen in the next few years.  I'm most looking forward to Jay Garrick on The Flash and Doomsday's rumored appearance in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. It's a good time to be a comics fan.

Silver Surfer in the DC Universe

I enjoy looking at Mike Allred's take on The Silver Surfer.  The Surfer is one of those characters that really brings out the psychedelic in his artists, from Kirby onward.  I still remember an awesome black light Silver Surfer from my youth, very cool stuff!

This cover leads directly into tomorrows 1200th issue, so be sure to come back!

Bizarro Vs. The Hulk

I never understood why in Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, the writers missed a perfect opportunity to include Bizarro.  Imagine how much cooler the film would have been if  Lex Luthor created Bizarro out of Superman's strand of hair instead of Mark Pillow's Nuclear Man!  It's not like they didn't have the rights!

Iron Fist and Miss Piggy

I have read reports that there has been some trouble with Netflix' ability to figure out the proper direction to go with concerning their upcoming Iron Fist series.  I loved what they did with Daredevil, so I am confident that they will work something out.  Still, if they want inspiration, they should look no further than Matt Fraction's Immortal Iron Fist run from ten years or so ago.  I'd love to see the first year or two adapted.

Thanks to Adam Stockman, a patron of this blog in excellent standing, for the crazy offbeat suggestion for this cover!

Doc Savage and The Human Torch

I am still very wary of the new Fantastic Four reboot that's about to hit theaters, but one thing that I think they got right visually is the look of the Human Torch flamed on and in action.  There's been endless debate about Michael B. Jordan's casting as Johnny Storm, but I don't think anyone can deny that the Human Torch battle scenes look pretty authentic - from the quick glimpses we have seen thus far, at least.   Wish I felt the same way about The Thing's appearance.  Put some pants on, Ben!

Thanos Vs. The Legion of Super-Heroes in :"Minions of the Mad Titan!"

Over three Marvel movies we have seen three glimpses of Thanos, and there are a lot of expectations for his full appearances in Avengers: Infinity War Parts I & II.  I really hope he has a better plan than to send hundreds of attack troops against Earth and The Avengers because we have seen that a couple of times already.  I'd like to see him get up close and personal with the likes of Iron Man and Thor and not spend most of his time sitting on his throne giving orders.

This is not the first time the LSH has been menaced by Thanos...

The Flash Vs. Yellowjacket

I saw Ant-Man this weekend and was thoroughly entertained.  I liked the smaller-scale (pun intended) that this movie had, with the dual father/daughter relationship stories playing out.  I expected the shrinking action to be cool and inventive and Director Peyton Reed definitely delivered there.  What I didn't expect were two great scenes that thankfully were not spoiled for me before hand.  The ultra-cool opening sequence and Ant-Man's encounter with another Marvel hero were great surprises and the audience I was with loved those moments as well.  The cast was great all around and I hope to see Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lily and Michael Douglas return in a sequel.

Seven Soldiers of Victory and The Avengers

The first really big crossover epic I remember reading was Justice League of America #100-102, in which the JLA and the JSA rescue the time-lost Seven Soldiers of Victory.  I loved this crazy story featuring dozens of heroes and became an instant fan of the SSoV.  Grant Morrison's reboot was entertaining, but I really like the original crew, and wish that they had appeared more often.

Power Man and Shaft

This would have been a fun pairing to see back in the day, either in the comics or on the big screen.  Luke Cage was always the coolest hero in the room, but he might meet his match here.  Watching them fight side by side with an awesome 70's soundtrack would have been a great way to spend a summer afternoon.

Doctor Syn, Alias The Scarecrow Vs. The Scarecrow

I had gotten a couple of requests to feature the Dr. Syn Scarecrow on the blog over the years, but I couldn't find many images and nothing ever really came together. When Jeff O'Hare recently made the request, I decided to to try once again.  Jeff is a Patron of this blog, which means that his suggestions will get special consideration, so I was happy to give it another crack.

Another reason it took me so long to do a Doctor Syn cover is that I have never seen the Patrick McGoohan film that he comes from - it's tough to do covers when I know very little about the subjects.  Still, I was intrigued with what I read on him, and I tried to find a copy of the movie on Netflix, to no avail.  I'll have to make a point of watching it one of these days.

This isn't the first time Jonathan Crane has encountered another Scarecrow...

Ghostbusters Vs. Godzilla

I am not sure what to make of the Ghostbusters reboot that is currently in production.  On one hand, I think that the main part of what worked about the original film was the cast, and without them, it's hard to get excited about the project. Then again, I think they have assembled a talented cast - Kristin Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Leslie Jones and  Kate McKinnon are all pretty funny, in my opinion.  Paul Feig has proven himself a talented director as well.  Will they be enough to step out of the shadow of the first film?  That remains to be seen.

Guardians of the Galaxy and Guardians of the Universe

I have to admit, when I first heard that Marvel was bringing us a Guardians of the Galaxy movie, I was hoping for these guys.  I of course loved what we got in theaters, but it would still be cool to see some of the original team get a little cinematic exposure.  Sure, we had Yondu - but he wasn't very close to the classic character that I knew from the comics.

STF: The Lost Issues on Noblemania!

Comics historian Marc Tyler Nobleman gave the blog a nice write up on his website Noblemania - you can check it out here.

The Sub-Mariner Vs. The Shark

I liked Namor's blue outfit that he wore for a time in the 70's.  Versions of it still surface from time to time, so I know that it must have struck a chord with some of the creators who have worked on the Sub-Mariner over the years.  If a live action movie ever gets made I can't imagine they will have a guy in a speedo the whole time, so this look might make for a suitable alternate costume.

The Question and The Watcher

These two seem to operate on very different levels, but I think that they could make for a very interesting pairing.  The Question is all about finding answers, so who better to go to than the one character that has been a witness to everything?  I imagine that a meeting between them would make for one heck of an interesting interrogation.

Deadman and Scooby-Doo

Scooby-Doo and the gang are returning to television with new episodes once again, this time on an upcoming Boomerang series called Be Cool, Scooby-Doo.  It's hard to think of another cartoon property that has been revived as many times and it is a credit to the core concept that seems to strike a nerve with kids of multiple generations.  This new version will be visually different from previous attempts, and it will be interesting to see if audiences respond to the new look.

The Quarrymen

Back in STF #270, I presented the beginnings of this team.  A few commented that Badrock from Image Comics would fit right in with the group I had assembled, and I have to agree.  So, now with their return appearance, they have added him in as a member,

Finally clear shots of The Thing from the upcoming Fantastic Four reboot have been making the rounds, and I am less than impressed.  I was happy to hear that they were going with a CGI Thing this time around because I figured they could make him look just like the comics.  Then design they came up with is way off - His size seems to change from image to image, his face is all wrong, he has too many fingers and for some reason he's not wearing pants in any of the pictures released.

Thor and Big Barda

DC has used Darkseid as a central villain on their Superman and Justice League animated shows, and a few of the other Fourth World characters have made brief appearances.  As cool as those appearances were, there's still a ton of potential in these Kirby Creations and I hope we can see Big Barda and the rest of the New Gods get some real focus in the form of one of DC's animated features or perhaps even a live action film down the road.

Daredevil Vs. The Joker

I am very curious about Jared Leto's interpretation of The Joker in the upcoming Suicide Squad movie.  One thing I like about his look is the lack of any scars or facial paralysis like we have seen in previous incarnations.  The Joker laughs and smiles all the time because he is crazy, not because his face is frozen that way - It always frustrated me that the film versions didn't seem to get that.  I could do without the "Damaged" tattoo on Leto's forehead, but other than that he looks closer to the Clown Prince of Crime than any other live action version.  Let's hope his performance is an accurate one as well.

Devil Dinosaur and Turok: Dinosaur Hunter

This pairing is another suggestion from Tom Zilla.  Tom is a Patron of the blog in excellent standing, so I was more than happy to oblige (I take note of all ideas, but Patrons get moved to the top of the list). With Jurassic Park once again a box office phenomenon, perhaps the time is ready to see Turok or ol' Devil Dinosaur up on the big screen?  Well maybe not - but I know I would be front row!

Spider-Man and Death

Tom Holland has been cast as the next Spider-Man and the first to appear in official Marvel movies.  I can't say that I have seen his work before but he seems well regarded and looks the part of a just starting out Peter Parker.  One thing I did see was him performing his own back flips, which is a talent that I am certain will come in handy for his new role.

The cinematic Sandman seems to be ramping up production as well - but still no word as to whether his sister death will appear.

The Six Million Dollar Man and Cyborg

Both of these guys have feature films on the horizon - Steve Austin in a Mark Wahlberg project and Victor Stone as part of the JLA with  a solo outing to follow.  I haven't heard much beyond the initial announcements, but I hope that both of their cinematic futures are in the right hands and do the characters justice.  It will be cool to see a modern version of The Six Million Dollar Man, I think there is more potential in that property than for many TV remakes.  Cyborg has been steadily raising his profile and his film should be a nice culmination of that.

Batgirl and The X-Files

I am really looking forward to seeing The X-Files in their upcoming return to television.  I remember hearing a lot about the show when it first aired, but having missed the first couple of seasons, I was hesitant to try and get into it.  Finally I picked up some recordings of the show and caught up quickly over the course of a month or so.  It was the first show that I really "binge watched", years before that became a common practice.

Shazam and Shazzan

I remember watching Shazzan on Hanna-Barberra's World of Super Adventure and thought it was a clever cross between the Aladdin myth and super-heroes.  Still, I thought the "young masters" were a bit stiff and lame.  I would have rather have seen Shazzan as a solo act.  OK, he could keep Kaboobie around, he was kind of cool.

Captain America and Uncle Sam

It's crazy with Captain America reaching an all time high level of popularity through his film appearances that Marvel seems to be determined to keep him out of his costume.  After the events of the comic book Civil War, he was killed off, to be replaced by Bucky Barnes/The Winter Soldier.  He finally regained his mantle, but did not hold onto it all that long.  These days, Sam Wilson/The Falcon has stepped into the role.  Not a bad idea, but he should have chosen to go with either the wings or the shield - using both just seems so wonky to me.  With Steve Rogers heading up another huge summer film next year, will he be able to assume the title of Captain America again in time for the premiere?  Or will that film spell the end for Steve as Cap on screen as well?

Mars Attacks The Phantom!

I was saddened to hear of the recent passing of Earl Norem.  Through making this blog and regularly checking out comic images, I have become a huge fan of his work.  No matter what genre he was working on, Norem always found a way to present a lushly detailed cover to draw the casual reader in.   His painted work is a feast for the eyes, and always has a great pulp feeling to it.  He will be missed.

Cat-Man Vs.The Black Cat

Cat-Man is a perfect example of a character that just needs the right direction and writer.  He always seemed like a C-list member of Batman's Rogues gallery - he didn't even have an original motif.  I was surprised to see him as a member of Gail Simone's Secret Six relaunch.  Simone really fleshed out his personality and background, and quickly made him one of my favorite members of the team.

Wolverine and Han Solo

Hugh Jackman has announced that his next Wolverine movie will be his last appearance as Logan (following a turn in X-Men: Apocalypse as well).  While that was probably inevitable after so many outings as the character, the rumor that he will be portraying the "Old Man Logan" version of Wolverine is pretty interesting.  Originally I passed it off as pure speculation, but Marvel seems to be giving Old man Logan a huge push in its upcoming comic books, so maybe there is something to it.