Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Wildcat and Tigra
I'm hoping that Wildcat will return during the upcoming season of Arrow, and in a more traditional outfit. They already teased a mask from his earlier days, so it isn't without precedent. Tigra seems like a natural character for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. - not too difficult to pull off on a TV budget and and she's an Avenger that isn't likely to show up in the films any time soon.
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
Mera & Namorita
Mera is the next big DC casting that I am really curious about. It's hard to imagine that the character will not be part of the Aquaman film, and DC will certainly want another heroine aside from Wonder Woman to help populate their cinematic universe. Perhaps Jessica Chastain would work well in the role?
Monday, September 28, 2015
Green Lantern and The Thing
I'm guessing we won't be hearing any definitive news on the cinematic future for the Fantastic Four until the underperforming reboot is released on home video. Hopefully once that is done, common sense will prevail and Marvel will regain the rights. Not only will we have another chance to get the property right, the path will be cleared for what every comic fan would love to see - a big screen Thing Vs. Hulk brawl!
Hal Jordan isn't faring much better here than the last time he met The Thing...
Sunday, September 27, 2015
The Wasp and Insect Queen
Like many readers I always kind of preferred Lana Lang over Lois Lane as a love interest for Superman. Maybe it was because she treated him nice even when he was in his Clark Kent guise, whereas Lois could often be cruel and dismissive. I'm not sure how much she has to do with the Supermine line of comics these days, now that his time as Superboy has been written out of continuity.
Saturday, September 26, 2015
Elongated Man and The Avengers
I remember fondly the issues of Justice League of America in which "Metamorpho says 'No!'" and Black Lightning calls the JLA "turkeys" when asked to join the ranks. It was shocking that anyone would not want to be a member and those made for great stories. Nowadays nobody turns the Avengers or JLA down, and they are bursting at the seams.
Friday, September 25, 2015
Magneto Vs. Doctor Polaris
I think that Magneto holds the distinction for most film appearances by a comic book villain. X-Men: Apocalypse will mark his 6th time as part of an X-movie. Lex Luthor is hot on his heels though, with his 5th film appearance coming up - and if rumors of his appearing in Suicide Squad are true, he will have his sixth turn as well. Doctor Polaris is still waiting patiently.
Thursday, September 24, 2015
The Hulk Vs. Ragman
The Hulk is the latest Marvel character to change identities - Like Thor and Captain America, there will now be a new character assuming the role of the gamma blaster hero - Amadeus Cho. I actually liked Cho in his adventures with Hercules and felt he was an interesting enough character in his own right, and didn't need to hijack a higher profile hero's gig. Ah well, I can't believe this will be a permanent change, and I predict that Bruce Banner will reclaim his title by the time his next film appearance rolls around.
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
Chewbacca and the Fur Force
It's going to be great to finally see Chewbacca in action again on the big screen. I didn't realize until I saw the teaser trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens that Wookies had such longevity - he seems so be holding up pretty well!. I'm glad that it will still be Peter Mayhew underneath the makeup all these years later. Hopefully Chewbacca will be a part of the young Han Solo movie that is being developed as well.
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
Batman & Robin and Big Guy & Rusty the Boy Robot
One thing I used to love about the classic Batman comics was the use of oversized props. Whether it was the dinosaur or giant penny in his Bat-Cave or some diabolical death-trap set up by one of his villains, it always made for an interesting visual. The Batman TV show took note of the trend and featured some live action giant-sized items of its own from time to time. Unfortunately, now that Batman is portrayed as a far grimmer character, such things are largely part of his past.
Monday, September 21, 2015
The Flash and The Beast
The Flash was a pleasant surprise last season and I am looking forward to the new season beginning in a few weeks. After years of watching comic based TV shows that too often tried to distance themselves from their four-color roots, here was a show that happily embraced the comic book nature of its character. This season promises to be even more fun, helping to kick off the Legends of Tomorrow series and promising appearances by characters like Atom Smasher, Doctor Light, Jesse Quick, Professor Zoom, and Jay Garrick. The last season left off in an interesting place and it will be fun to see how Barry Allen and his team move on now that their mentor's true intentions have been exposed.
Sunday, September 20, 2015
Voltron and Shogun Warriors
Shogun Warriors were some of my favorite toys as a kid. Well before Transformers hit the scene, these were the giant robots that sparked my young imagination. I liked that they had spring loaded projectiles and you could have them battle one another. Voltron was a little after my time, but from what I read, it looks like a property that appeals to kids much in the same way.
Saturday, September 19, 2015
Iron Man and Hitman
I usually don't go for comics which try to parody and make fun of traditional superhero stories. Often I find them to be more mean spirited than humorous. Garth Ennis and John McCrae's Hitman was a definite exception. I thought that they struck just the right balance, and I have to admit I found the series pretty darn funny. When mainstream DC heroes would show up, they were part of the humor, but never too much at their own expense. Hitman himself had a great personality and was entertaining to read.
Friday, September 18, 2015
Batman and the Outsiders and The Black Knight
The Outsiders is one team that I would like to see make a comeback. There have been a few revivals over the years, but most made the mistake of not including enough of the founding members. I'd prefer Batman to be in the mix, but i would be happy with just Geo-Force, Katana, Halo, Black Lightning and Metamorpho. DC doesn't really seem to know what to do with those characters anyway - why not let them join forces again?
Thursday, September 17, 2015
Mockingbird and The Secret Six
When Tony Isabella, comic legend and creator of Black Lightning among others, suggested this team-up, I had to smack my head because I had never thought of it! Every incarnation of the Secret Six took orders from a mysterious figure known only as Mockingbird after all... It's a natural! I have been enjoying seeing Mockingbird in live action on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and with word of a spin-off, it looks like we will be seeing even more of her. Perhaps if the Suicide Squad film is a big hit, we will see the Secret Six hit the silver screen as well one of these days.
Wednesday, September 16, 2015
You too can help out Super-Team Family: The Lost Issues!
Just a quick reminder about how you can help to keep the blog going - while it is a labor of love, it is still (despite what some may think) a one-man operation and can be quite time consuming to keep up on a daily basis. Every little bit of support helps
The blog will of course always be free, but if you would like to help support the blog, there are a few ways to do so - by advertising (still dirt cheap, my ads usually go for a few pennies a day), by making a one time contribution by clicking on the "Donate" button at the bottom of the page, or by becoming a Patron. While I take suggestions from anyone, Patrons of course will get special consideration.
Thanks again, and especially thanks for coming by for your daily dose of team up fun!
The blog will of course always be free, but if you would like to help support the blog, there are a few ways to do so - by advertising (still dirt cheap, my ads usually go for a few pennies a day), by making a one time contribution by clicking on the "Donate" button at the bottom of the page, or by becoming a Patron. While I take suggestions from anyone, Patrons of course will get special consideration.
Thanks again, and especially thanks for coming by for your daily dose of team up fun!
The Human Torch and Hawkman
Hawkman and Hawkgirl will be appearing on the upcoming Legends of Tomorrow TV series and pictures have been released of them in costume. It's hard to completely judge without seeing them in action or with their wings, but they look ok so far. I would have tweaked the helmets a bit, especially the eyes, and given them a bit more color - but at least they aren't too far a radical departure from the comic look.
Tuesday, September 15, 2015
The New Teen Titans and The Avengers
This is a team up that I have been wanting to tackle forever, but never had anything come together to my satisfaction, so I am glad to finally be able to present it. The New Teen Titans and The Avengers were both firing on all cylinders in the mid 80's and I would have loved to have seen a meeting between both teams featuring the line-ups from that era... with George Perez art, naturally!
Monday, September 14, 2015
Space Ghost and The Justice League of America
I am a big fan of the "Satellite Era" of the Justice League and I am glad so many of the members of that era are finally going to get a chance to shine on TV. Between The Flash, Supergirl, Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow, we'll have most of them in action somewhere, helping comics fans to bide our time while the big screen Justice League with the founding members is being made. Let's hope there's room for Ralph Dibny in there somewhere...
Sunday, September 13, 2015
Man-Thing and Mr. Monster
I know that Man-Thing starred in a cheesy Sci Fi channel movie a few years back, but I would like to see him get another shot at live action. Marvel was able to pull off Groot effectively in Guardians of the Galaxy, so there's no reason that they can't create a convincing CGI Man-Thing as well. Where would he fit in though? Perhaps a guest appearance in a Doctor Strange film would be the way to go.
Saturday, September 12, 2015
Supergirl and The Powerpuff Girls
I am cautiously optimistic about the upcoming Supergirl TV series. I hope that it looks to the success of The Flash, and puts an emphasis on the superheroics, rather than too much teenage melodrama. The Costume looks good (needs yellow in the S shield, though) and I love that Linda Danvers adopted parents will be played by Dean Cain and Helen Slater. I have to admit that what really has me intrigued is the promise of Red Tornado showing up on the first season!
Friday, September 11, 2015
Green Arrow and Rawhide Kid
I always liked it when the superhero comics I read would cross over into other genres like horror or western. I loved when the JLA went back in time to meet up with Jonah Hex, Bat Lash, Cinnamon and others. I thought that Hawkeye and Two-Gun Kid's friendship in the pages of The Avengers was a great concept as well.
Thursday, September 10, 2015
Black Goliath and The Metal Men
I thought that Bill Foster was a great character that never really got a fair shake at Marvel. Following his short lived series he seemed to have trouble finding a permanent home, making guest appearances here and there, but never settling down anywhere. He finally got a story arc in Marvel Two-In-One, but it revolved around him being terminally ill. Illness didn't kill him off though, it was a clone of Thor in one of Marvel's many crossover events which seem to require a sacrifice. The guy just never got the respect he deserved, in my opinion.
Wednesday, September 9, 2015
Captain Klutz Vs. Galactus
As a kid, I loved the humor and movie/TV parodies in Mad Magazine, but what really drew me to it was the art. Sergio Aragones, Don Martin, Al Jaffe, Antonio Prohias and Dave Berg, among others, showcased a variety of artistic styles, and I loved them all. While Aragones was probably my favorite, nobody ever used sound effects as effectively as Don Martin. "Poit" will forever be the sound of a finger poking someone in the eye to me.
Tuesday, September 8, 2015
Lightray and Thor
Most of the New Gods stories I've read have revolved around Darkseid, Mr. Miracle or Orion. I have always thought that Lightray was cool and wanted to learn more about him. I liked his sunny disposition and power set - he seems like he would fit in quite well with Thor's supporting cast.
Monday, September 7, 2015
The Teen Titans & Triton / The Atom Vs. Ultron
I used to love anthology comics and it's too bad that they seem to be largely a thing of the past. I loved seeing a variety of different characters, with multiple stories in a single issue. I was a fan of Marvel Comics Presents and Solo Avengers. On the DC side, I loved it when World's Finest became a dollar comic with all of the rotating back-up features and of course, Super-Team Family had a huge effect on me.
Sunday, September 6, 2015
Swamp Thing and The New Avengers
The Avengers always has a rotating roster, but it used to have some limitations. These days just about any Marvel character can be an Avenger, or already has been, and that takes something away from the team, in my opinion. It started when Wolverine and Spider-Man joined - this move may have resulted in higher sales, but it never really made much sense to me . The stories since Avengers Disassembled haven't grabbed me the way the classic title did in the 70's and 80's.
Saturday, September 5, 2015
Sub-Mariner Vs. Superman
The new Superman costume which debuted with DC's New 52 has some changes that I do not care for. I can understand the lack of red trunks, as that look is a bit outdated, but the rest of the alterations strike me as rather arbitrary. The high collar does not work for me at all, and I am glad the movies didn't follow suit there. The odd lines and "S" shield shapes on his arms and legs are unnecessary and a little busy for my tastes. I am glad that he still has the "S" shield on his cape, but wish they had gone with the traditional yellow/gold instead of black. The new look has stuck for the time being, but I hope to see a return to a more traditional costume down the road.
Superman and Namor have crossed paths once before on the blog...
Friday, September 4, 2015
Hawkman and Sasquatch
I have liked Sasquatch since I first discovered the character in the pages of Marvel Two-In-One. There are a lot of big strong guy characters out there, but I really thought that his design was cool - both his look and his massive size. It's too bad that he and Alpha Flight have had a hard time maintaining a series for very long.
Thursday, September 3, 2015
The Creeper Vs. The Taskmaster
I think that this would be a close match up. The Creeper's manic style mixed with his healing ability might allow him to get the upper hand against The Taskmaster... for a while. I guess it be up to how quickly he can strike before his own moves start to get mimicked and countered.
Wednesday, September 2, 2015
Enemy Ace Vs. The Rocketeer
I recently rewatched The Rocketeer and it is amazing how well the film hold up after 20 years. A couple of the flight scenes have slightly dodgy special effects, but other than that I would put ir right alongside any of today's superhero blockbusters. I was thumbing through my Dave Stevens Rocketeer hardcover as I watched it and it really is the comic coming right to life - the characters and designs in the movie are all spot on. Between it and Captain America: The First Avenger, Joe Johnston has made two of my all time favorite comic flicks ever.
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
Darkseid Vs. Thanos in "Fatal Flaw!"
With Justice League set to begin filming early next year, we will hopefully finally get a more solid idea of who the main villain of the film will be. Will DC go ahead and use Darkseid, who was the first foe that the current incarnation of the JLA faced - or will they deem him too close to Thanos? Will the rumors of Brainiac turn out to be true, or is he being saved for a future solo Superman outing? Or will they surprise us with an out of left field selection like Starro?
Darkseid and Thanos have crossed paths once before on the blog.