Hellboy and Captain America

This was a pairing that I had not initially thought about, but got a few requests for in the comments sections.  The more I considered it, the more I liked the idea of a story featuring Cap and Hellboy together.  It could feature a curse from WWII being revived in the present day and feature scenes from both time frames.  Of course having a master like Mike Mignola tell the story would only make it even cooler.

Wolverine and Superman

I recently read Old Man Logan and found it to be an entertaining glimpse into a possible future for Wolverine.  It was a bit dark at times for my taste, but I enjoyed the characterization and beautiful Steve McNiven artwork.  Apparently it was a hit because Marvel has brought that version of Wolverine to the present day for their current stories.  There are also rumors that the storyline will factor into Hugh Jackman's final Wolverine movie.  Interesting developments, but I wonder how long it will be until Logan in his prime returns again.

The last time these two crossed paths, things didn't go so smoothly...

Spider-Man and Green Lantern (Part 2)

It has been promised that there will be no retelling of Spider-Man's origin once he joins the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  Not only is this a good thing because audiences don't need to see Uncle Ben die yet again, but hopefully it will lead to more humor from the hero.  Toby Maguire's Spidey spent so much time mourning over loved ones that there was very little time left over for levity.  Andrew Garfield always came off more arrogant and cocky that funny in the role, so the comedy didn't really work for me in his films.  Hopefully the humorous side of Spider-Man is something that will finally be realized.

Spider-Man and Green Lantern (Part 1)

The teaser trailer for Captain America: Civil War has been released, and it looks great between the glimpses of Black Panther, the inclusion of so many Avengers and the conflict between Cap and Iron Man.  Still, there was no sign of the part of the movie that has me most curious -Spider-Man.  I wonder how big of a role he will have - I can't be too large with everything else going on, but I can't believe they will only give such an important character a brief cameo either.

Make sure you check back in tomorrow for the thrilling conclusion to this tale...

Dick Tracy and Captain Marvel

When I look at the inventive and whimsical character designs of both C.C. Beck and Chester Gould, it's not hard to imagine that their signature characters could inhabit the same world.  It would have been cool to see how Beck would have illustrated Dick Tracy or how Gould would have interpreted The Big Red Cheese.

Justice Society of America Vs. Dr. Doom (Part 2)

It has been revealed to very little surprise that the sequel to this year's Fantastic Four reboot is no longer going forward.  Hopefully this will be the first step towards getting the rights back to Marvel Studios - or at least partially, as with Spider-Man. If there's anywhere that Doctor Doom is finally going to get a proper cinematic translation, it's back at home with Marvel.

Justice Society of America Vs. Dr. Doom (Part 1)

The JSA have had a long history of tangling with maniacal villains seeking world domination, so this is a match up that I would love to see.  I can imagine that the Society would not take very kindly to the Latverian dictator.

Make sure you stop by again tomorrow for Part 2 of this story!

Gamora and The Martian Manhunter

It has been reported that David Goyer has expressed a reticence to use The Martian Manhunter in the the DC films because he feels like the character is too outlandish to work onscreen.  I hope those sentiments were put to rest once Guardians of the Galaxy became a smash hit.  That film froved that a green skinned alien would work just fine... right alongside a talking raccoon and tree creature, to boot! Let's get with the program, DC execs!

Swamp Thing and The Micronauts

Talk of the long in development Justice League Dark movie has picked up again, with director and casting rumors floating around.  Even though Guillermo Del Toro is no longer attached to the project, apparently his top choice for the role of Swamp Thing was Ron Perlman - and the studio is still interested in him.  I had figured Swamp Thing would be a CGI creation, but if they are going to go with a live actor, I think that Perlman makes for a great choice.

The Defenders Vs. Darkseid

I still think it is a bit odd that Netflix is using The Defenders as the title of the series which combines Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist, when Heroes for Hire seems to be a much more appropriate title. Not only that, it lessens the chance that we will see an actual live action Defenders show or film featuring the classic cast featured in the cover above.  I loved that non-team growing up and have been waiting to see it featured in a cartoon or movie.  It's funny, the closest we have gotten is when Justice League Unlimited presented a pseudo-Defenders team made up of Aquaman, Solomon Grundy, Dr. Fate and Amazo on "Wake the Dead", a great episode.

Iceman and Robin in "Cold Case!"

The first time that I paired Iceman and Robin together, I used Dick Grayson, and more than one person pointed out to me that Tim Drake might have offered more story opportunities because of the shared last name.  What can I say, I have to agree, so here's a cover to remedy the situation!

Batman and Deadman meet Muhammad Ali

Michael Eury of Back Issue  requested a Batman/Ali match up a while ago, I hope he doesn't mind the addition of Deadman.  I took me years to acquire a copy of Superman Vs. Muhammad Ali, and when I read it, I was not disappointed.  Sure, the story is crazy, but the Neal Adams art in it is spectacular.  Not only was he at the top of his form, the tabloid-sized pages really helped to showcase his work.  I am glad that it has been reprinted so that more readers can appreciate it today.

The Avengers on The Planet of the Apes

The current Planet of the Apes franchise is readying a third installment and I hope it keeps up the high standards of the first two films.  I liked how the second movie was so different from the first while still carrying the story along.  The second Avengers film, while a ton of fun, hit a lot of the same story beats as the first and thus didn't feel quite as special.  Hopefully the third will give audiences something they haven't seen before, and with the Russo Brothers at the helm, I am confident it will.

Sherlock Holmes and Detective Chimp

I am a huge fan of Sherlock starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman, and I am looking forward to finally seeing it return at the end of the year,  even if only for a single special.  Both actors are understandably in demand these days, and while I am a fan of Star Trek and Doctor Strange as well, I do wish they had time to work on more episodes of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's famed sleuth.

Robotman Vs. Iron Man (Part Two)

Continued from yesterday's cover, we see that once again, Tony Stark has been less than forthcoming with one of his allies.  Let's hope that Tony finds some redemption by the end of Captain America: Civil War.  He did not come off well in Avengers: Age of Ultron. acting fairly recklessly despite his great intellect. Stark's attempts to become a better man have been the centerpiece to his character arc in the Marvel Cinematic Universe began, and he deserves to finally be able to complete that journey.

Robotman and Iron Man (Part One)

Only a few promotional images from Captain America: Civil War have surfaced, but I like what I have seen of Iron Man's new armor.  I have enjoyed the various designs that we have seen in the films to date, but I still miss Tony Stark's classic red & gold armor that he wore throughout the bulk of the Silver and early Bronze age.  I have been waiting to see that look onscreen, widow's peak, hip discs and all, and maybe we will one day - but this new look is pretty cool too.

Make Sure you stop by for Part 2 tomorrow!

The Legion of Super-Heroes and ROM

I am still scratching my head as to why there has never been a ROM revival.  I'm not sure who holds the rights these days, but I do know that the character is very fondly remembered and has a huge following.  Imagine how cool a live action ROM would look, or how fun it would be to blast Dire Wraiths in a ROM video game!  Much lesser properties have been brought back, bur ROM remains in limbo.  It seems like a huge missed opportunity to me.

Justice League of America and The Punisher

I have enjoyed plenty of comics featuring The Punisher, but his live action appearances have always fallen short for me.  Non of the three attempts have really brought the character from the comics to life effectively in my opinion.  That said, I am really looking forward to his appearances on the second season of Netflix' Daredevil series.  Not only do I have faith in Marvel after the first excellent season, but the casting of Jon Bernthal in the role is just about perfect.  I have a feeling that the fourth time is going to be the charm.

Captain Marvel and Ms. Marvel in: "Welcome To The Family!"

Now that DC has begun Calling Billy Batson Shazam in his superhero identity and Carol Danvers is the official Captain Marvel of  Marvel Comics these days, there's been an opening for the title of Ms. Marvel.  Marvel didn't waste any time and new there is a new hero on the scene.  She certainly is getting plenty of early exposure, with her own comic, appearances with Carol Danvers and membership in The Avengers.

Cap teamed with the original Ms. Marvel way back in STF #72...

It Girl and Hawkgirl

Kendra Saunders has already been introduced on The Flash, and It looks like we will be seeing Hawkgirl showing up soon.  The Arrow / Flash crossover has had photos released revealing Hawkgirl and Hawkman suited up and ready for battle.  I hope they get the wings and flying sequences right, because there is a ton of potential to be had with those characters.  I look forward to seeing them really explored on the upcoming Legends of Tomorrow.

Superman and The Thing in "Storming Latveria!"

It was interesting to see Superman actually show up on Supergirl last night - well OK, just his shoulder and a few brief sentences via text, but I though that they were going to keep him completely separate from the show.  I'm enjoying what I see so far.

This story of course continues from yesterday's cover.  The events of this story explain the bad blood between Ben and Clark, and why the last time they met they threw down, so it's good to see them working together again... if you are curious as to how this tale progresses, well that story was already told in STF #491, where our heroes not only have to deal with Doom, but Lex Luthor and an angry populace as well....

The Thing and Superboy (Vs. Dr. Doom)

Regular visitors to his blog will find it no surprise that the original Brave and the Bold was my all-time favorite comic book series.  One of my personal favorite issues had to be #192, in which Batman teamed up with Superboy.  At first glance, I didn't think it would be anything special since Batman regularly appeared alongside Superman in the pages of World's Finest and elsewhere.  I needn't have worried though, writer Mike W. Barr and artist Jim Aparo turned in a story unlike any I had read before between the two characters, and I still remember it fondly to this day.  

These two met once before, back in my MTIO days...

...and this story isn't over yet, make sure to check in tomorrow for Part 2!

Wolverine Vs. Doomsday

Each of these guys have a superhuman healing factor, so this could be a long battle.  Doomsday has long been rumored to be making an appearance in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, but I have not seen any actual confirmation of this.  I imagine he would be an all-CGI creation though, so it's not like there would be leaked set photos.  Something is definitely up with the corpse of General Zod though, and that situation is where we may see Doomsday arise from.

Black Panther Vs. The Joker

Some distant footage of The Black Panther on the set of Captain America: Civil War has surfaced, and I have to say he looks great.  I am really looking forward to seeing how he fit into the story and watching him in live action.  I have a feeling I am going to be left wanting more though - with so much going on in the film and so many characters, there doesn't seem like there will be a lot of time to focus on T'Challa.  I'll have to be happy with what we get, and look forward to his solo film outing a little further down the road.

Cheetah Vs. Tigra

From what I have gathered, the villains in the upcoming Wonder Woman film are most likely going to be Ares and Circe, which makes sense given that it will be presenting her origins.  Still, I am hoping for an appearance by Cheetah.  I have been a fan of each incarnation of the character since watching her mix it up on Super Friends as part of the Legion of Doom, and it would be great to see her make the leap to live action.

Groot and Mr. Spock

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 has added started to get rolling, adding in Mantis to join Groot and the rest of the crew on their next adventure. I understand that The Collector will be back as well, but no word yet on who will be the villain of the sequel.  Whatever they decide, I am really looking forward to it, especially if director James Gunn can put together another great soundtrack to go with it!

The Avengers and The Legion of Super-Heroes (And More!)

I am a huge fan of the 100-Page Giants that DC used to put out in the 70's.  It was cool to see an issue jam packed with multiple stories featuring Superman or The Flash from various eras,  The issues I really loved, though, were the ones that offered a wide variety of characters.  Detective Comics would feature a new Batman story with a classic tale of the Caped Crusader, but then there would be stories featuring characters like The Spectre, Hawkman, The Golden Age Green Lantern, Kid Eternity. Elongated Man and more.  Each issue was like a mini tour of the DC universe.

Spider-Man & His Amazing Friends and The Super Friends

For a long time growing up, these two cartoons were all there was as far as animated superheroes on TV went.  I will always have a soft spot for The Super Friends, especially the "Challenge" years, but I preferred Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends because they had better action.  My only complaint was there were not enough episodes - I felt like I watched each one 20 times over!

The Invaders and Doctor Fate

The core three Invaders make up almost the perfect team for me.  They represent man, machine and mutant and can protect land, air and water with the perspectives of a soldier, rebel and outcast.  A lot of different types of stories can be told by featuring those three.

The Spectre Vs. Galactus

This is a battle that I would love to see.  Not only would it be a great match up, it would be a visual feast as well.  Artists seem to have a lot of fun with the super-science of Galactus' giant machines and The Spectre's displays of magic, so you know a story featuring both would have plenty of opportunities for inventive graphics.