Hawkeye and The Huntress in "Blood Relatives!" Part Two

Continued from yesterday's tale, we see why some family reunions can be awkward.  I have four brothers and two sisters, so I have always enjoyed stories that deal with a family dynamic.  It is cool to see the sibling relationship in play with characters like Hawk & Dove, Power Pack, Johnny and Susan Storm, Northstar and Aurora or even Shimmer and Mammoth.

The Huntress and Hawkeye in: "Blood Relatives!" Part One

I revealed that these two were siblings on a previous STF cover, and I have been wanting to revisit that relationship ever since. They just seem to me like they would make a good team, each are street level heroes that would rather use arrows than guns, they even kind of dress alike. Make sure you stop in tomorrow to see the twisted ending to this shocking tale!

Adam Strange and Captain Marvel

Mar-Vell remains the one Marvel superhero that has been allowed to stay dead.  Indeed, the Death of Captain Marvel graphic novel made a huge impression on me, and I am glad that they have resisted a resurrection thus far.  Then again, Marvel's next big event which they are teasing is called "Dead No More", so who knows what they have in mind?

Snake Eyes Vs. Deadpool

I have to say that the one upcoming superhero movie that I feel has yet to make a misstep is Deadpool.  Nothing I have seen from the casting to the trailers to the marketing campaign has given me a reason to doubt that I will have a blast watching this film.  The humor and attitude has been spot on, and Deadpool and Colossus look great.  Plus, I love how well the white CG eyes work - he really looks like the comic character come to life.

Wonder Woman and The Hulk (The Movie!)

Thanks to MeTV, I have finally seen every episode of Wonder Woman and The Incredible Hulk.  Not only is it fun to watch these shows and revisit the TV superheroes of my childhood, it's cool to see which classic 70's star will show up next.  From Shields & Yarnell to Sherman Hemsley to Rick Springfield, it's always an interesting blast from the past.

These two also shared a more traditional comic adventure...

The Punisher Vs. Hourman

We are only a couple of months away from the second season of Netflix' Daredevil, which I am sure I will devour instantly.  One thing I am most looking forward to is Jon Bernthal's performance as Frank Castle.  I am glad to hear that he will be very involved in the plot and not just a one or two episode guest star.  In the few photos released, we still haven't seen him wearing the classing Punisher skull shirt, though - hopefully we won't have to wait until the final episode for his signature look as we did with Daredevil himself.

Jack O'Lantern Vs. Jack O'Lantern

DC's Jack O'Lantern is a character that i always felt held a lot of potential, even though he was never able to gain a high profile.  I liked him as a member of the Global Guardians and was glad to see him explored closer as a member of Primal Force.  Alas, that team did not last long and I don't know if old Jack has appeared since the title was cancelled.  I still believe there are good stories to be told featuring him.

Beppo the Super-Monkey and Rocket Raccoon

When I was a kid, DC was the place to go if you wanted whimsy as part of your comics.  Super-Monkeys, Bat-Mites, wacky alien sidekicks, and crazy Red Kryptonite transformations were just some of the fun kinds of concepts I rarely saw in Marvels more "serious" output.  How times have changed in this era of cinematic superheroes.  DC's offerings are dead serious, while Marvel has made a talking raccoon one of its biggest stars.  I'm not holding my breath for a Beppo appearance on the big screen.

The Totalitarians

The only problem with a team like this is finding anyone who could stand up to them.  By my calculations, they have the combined powers and abilities of The Justice League, The Avengers, The Legion of Super-Heroes, The X-Men and The Fantastic Four.  That's a lot to overcome!

Hawk & Dove and Spider-Man

The only thing that really bummed me out about TNT deciding not to go forward with their Titans series is that they had intended to use The Hawk and the Dove as part of the roster.  I have always liked these characters, both Pre and Post-Crisis versions, and it would have been cool to see them in live action.  Something tells me the costumes from the comics would have been highly altered had this come to pass.  They may be pretty retro, but I really dig those Ditko designs.

Superman Vs. Archie

This cover comes about from a request from none other than comics' veteran Jim Valentino.  Jim's creativity brought us normalman, a classic Guardians of the Galaxy run, Shadowhawk, A Touch of Silver, and many other comics and concepts throughout the years.  Above and beyond that, he has shown great support to the blog, so how could I pass up the opportunity to use a suggestion by him?

Archie Andrews and Kal-El met once before under decidedly different circumstances...

Boba Fett Vs. Predator

I've read in more than one place that Captain Phasma is the Boba Fett of the Star Wars: The Force Awakens.  I can see why the comparison has been made - both are very cool looking characters that ultimately do very little in the film and are dispatched fairly easily.  Phasma is still alive though, so there is still a chance for her to get some redeeming scenes the next time around.

The Teen Titans Vs. Godzilla

TNT has decided not to move forward with their Titans series, and I think that might not be a bad thing.  The more I heard about the show, the more it seemed to veer away from the classic Tenn Titans concept.  Now there are rumors that the previously announced Cyborg film will be morphing into a full fledged Teen Titans project.  I am hoping those are true because the whole team is worthy of the big screen treatment.

Gyro Gearloose Joins Captain Carrot and his Amazing Zoo Crew

He may never have quite reached the popularity of Donald Duck or even Uncle Scrooge, but I always thought that Gyro Gearloose was pretty darn cool.  I have always been fascinated by unique inventions, so I would naturally gravitate to stories featuring this master tinkerer.  It was always interesting to me to see what new devices he would come up with.

Doctor Strange and Doctor Occult

The first images of Benedict Cumberbatch in full Doctor Strange garb and the sets he will inhabit have been released, and I must say that he looks even better than I was hoping he would in the role.  The details are all correct as well, from the Eye of Agomotto to his signature window in the Sanctum Sanctorum.  So, they have the visuals right - if the story and performances are up to par, this could be very cool indeed.

Brainiac Vs. Ultron

I was very excited to see my favorite Avengers villain, Ultron, starring in last summer's blockbuster sequel.  My only fear was that it would mean no Brainiac in a Superman movie for a while to avoid similarities.  Well, I no longer have that reservation, since I don't feel that Ultron was realized as well as he could have been.  The design of his drone robots were a lot closer to his comic book look than Ultron himself and having Tony Stark as his "father" (rather than Hank Pym), passing on a snarky sense of humor did not work for me.  The Ultron arc on the Animated Avengers: Earths Mightiest Heroes was a more satisfying depiction, in my opinion.  So, I say bring on Brainiac... and get Marv Wolfman or Paul Dini to consult on his personality and appearance!

STF: The Lost Issues on World Comic Book Review!

I was interviewed about the blog on World Comic Book Review - you can check it out here!

Judge Dredd Vs. Deadpool & Bloodshot

This cover came about as a request from Patron in excellent standing Tom Zilla.  I hope he doesn't mind the addition of Judge Dredd, but when thinking of a worthy antagonist for these two healing factor enhanced mercs, and he immediately came to mind.  I recently picked up the first issue of the revamped Bloodshot series and I was pleasantly surprised.  It definitely has me curious about what happens next.

R2D2 Conquers the Daleks

BB-8 was cool and all, but I'm hoping that in Star Wars: Episode VIII, R2D2 will get more to do.  With Luke emerging from the shadows, I think that's a safe bet fortunately.  I love how the Dalek design on the new Doctor Who episodes have remained so close to their original appearance.  Sure they look retro and cheap, but that's always been part of the charm for me.

Jareth and Ziggy Stardust

Like many, I was very sorry to hear about the passing of David Bowie.  His music was big during my high school years - I remember singing "Golden Years" in Rock Ensemble - and I have remained a fan to this day.  The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars is one of those perfect albums, not a bad track on it.  I also enjoyed his work as an actor, from The Man Who Fell To Earth to The Prestige. May he rest in peace.

Deathlok and Jonah Hex

This cover comes from discussion in the comments section for this blog.  Michael Jones came up with this pairing, and Susan Hillwig suggested the use of this particular Hex image.  What can I say, when they're right, they're right - it would be a fun story!  Thanks, Michael and Susan!

Spider-Man and James Bond

Marvel has said that there will be no new Spider-Man origin tale when the character in introduced to the MCU in Captain America: Civil War and his own solo movie, to avoid unnecessary repetition.  Still, they have also maintained that he will be high-school based, so that means that there will still be parallels to the earlier films, at least as far as cast of characters goes.  Will Gwen or MJ be the love interest this time around?  Or will Marvel introduce them simultaneously perhaps?

Captain America commands The DC Universe

Captain America: Civil War looks like it may very well have the potential to be my favorite Marvel film so far.  The Russo Brothers did an exceptional job on their first outing with Cap, and mow they have a host of new characters to play with as well.  It will be interesting to see how the rift between Steve Rogers and Tony Stark shakes out, but I am most curious as to how Characters like Spider-Man, The Black Panther and Ant-Man will fit into the mix.

Indiana Jones Vs. The Red Skull

Ever since the Red Skull alluded to the events of Raiders of the Lost Ark in Captain America The Firs Avenger by saying, "The fuhrer is too busy digging for trinkets in the desert", I have wanted to see this match up.  Of course Cap himself met Indy in a previous STF issue, so this can be considered a sequel to that one.

Spawn and Ghost Rider

I am surprised we didn't see Spawn crossover with more Marvel heroes.  Of course it would have been cool to see him with Spider-Man by McFarlane, but there are other intriguing possibilities as well.  Ghost Rider, Doctor Strange or Son of Satan would been cool choices to share and adventure with Image Comics' breakout star..

Green Arrow & Speedy Vs. Spider-Man

Untold Tales of Spider-Man is one of my favorite Spidey titles ever.  It told tales of the Web-Slinger at the beginning of his career, but rather than re-tell previous stories, Writer Kurt Busiek and artist Pat Oliffe featured adventures that took place in between the well-known early Amazing Spider-Man issues.  That's not an easy feat to pull off effectively, but they did a great job with the concept, in my opinion.  I am not sure if this series has ever been collected, but I highly recommend looking through the back issue bins for this gem of a title.

Luke Skywalker Vs. Aliens

Star Wars: The Force Awakens is steadily making its way to becoming the highest grossing film of all time, and I did my part by attending an opening night screening.  I had a blast, it was great seeing the familiar faces from 1977 back in action once more.  I wasn't expecting that I would enjoy the new characters so much though, I thought they were all compelling and will look forward to seeing more of them in the future.  Some have said that JJ Abrams repeated too many plot points from A New Hope, but that was  not as big of an  issue for me.  The cantina scene was fine, I am sure that Han and Chewie visited more than one bar in their escapades.  I thought having a Stormtrooper disguised as a Rebel was a pretty clever spin on the Rebels disguised as Stormtroopers from the first film.  Yes, BB-8 was another cute droid hiding secret information, but he was so cool to watch, I didn't mind at all.  I will say that a third Death Star type weapon was pushing it a bit though.  My only real issue was that I wanted more Luke Skywalker (which I discussed in an earlier post), but I have confidence that he will have a lot more to do the next time around - at least I really hope so!

Catwoman and The Cat

Dave Stevens and John Romita Sr. are remembered for for the heroic exploits of The Rocketeer and Spider-Man (among other heroes), and for good reason.  But when I think of these legends, my mind immediately goes to their gorgeous depictions of the supporting female players in the comics they illustrated.  For my money, it's hard to top these two as far as beautifully drawn women in comics go.  Many other artists have concentrated on the sex appeal aspect, and while that was present in their work, Stevens' and Romita's ladies had a personality and inner beauty that always seemed to shine through even in static comic images.

Catwoman would cross paths again with Greer Grant in her later career as Tigra...

Green Lantern and Thor in "The Asgardians of the Universe!"

Will Hal Jordan be in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice after all?  Actor Dan Amboyer had auditioned to play Superman in Man of Steel and even though he did not get the part, he was offered a role in the upcoming blockbuster.  While he will not reveal who he is playing, casting sheets have referred to him as "Pilot"   and "Lt. Christie", which has many speculating that those are simply code for Green Lantern.  He certainly looks right for the part, but only time will tell if these rumors have any validity.

Hal and Thor have crossed paths a few times before on the blog...

They clashed with Star Sapphire in STF #834...

The shared an adventure on Easter Island in STF #649...

...and they were duped into battle in STF #375.

The Impossibles and The Incredibles

I only remember watching The Impossibles a few times as a kid.  I recall liking what I saw though, they had power sets that I had not seen on other cartoons and I was a sucker for anything super-hero related.  It was not until many years later looking back upon the property that I realized they were loosely based on The Three Stooges!

Jonah Hex meets Rawhide Kid, Two-Gun Kid and Kid Colt

DC and Marvel wisely made sure that their western heroes had crossover appeal to superhero fans like me.  They all seemed to have trademark outfits that they always wore, just like costumed crimefighters should.  Plus, in addition to their more down to Earth adventures, they would from time to time get involved in the goings on of the present-day heroes.  I am glad they got me interested in these cowboys, because their titles featured some of the best artwork around.

Captain Marvel Jr. and Spider-Man

Mysterio is my choice for a villain when Spider-Man gets his next solo movie (this time with Marvel Studios' involvement).  Not only has he not been used before, his special effect's driven abilities will lend themselves well for plenty of visually interesting action scenes.  The only problem is once again both hero and villain will have full face concealing costumes - and we know how Hollywood hates that!

Spidey didn't get along too well with Billy Batson either...