Robin (The Ex-Boy Wonder) and Daredevil

I love getting a chance to feature the funky costume that the Earth-Two Robin wore in Justice League of America #55 and a few other appearances.  It has been often maligned as one of comics' ugliest outfits, but I thought it was cool the first time I saw it and I still do today. I especially like the logo, which should be obvious from the avatar that I use on this blog!

Daredevil has a history with various robins in the pages of STF - He fought alongside former Robin-turned Nightwing in STF #431 and again in STF #1300... He has has also crossed paths with Jason Todd and battled side by side with Tim Drake...

Doctor Light and Spider-Man

I remember really liking the new heroic Doctor Light that rose out of the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths and expecting big things for the character.  Unfortunately, she never really seemed to find a home.  I remember her showing up briefly in a few Justice League story lines, but I always thought that she was deserving of more attention.  It was cool to see a version of her in live action on The Flash, and hopefully that is a sign of bigger things to come for her in the comic world down the line.

Dick Tracy and Nick Fury

One of the Reasons characters like Batman, Spider-Man and The Flash have enjoyed success on TV is because they have great rogues galleries to draw upon.  Dick Tracy has one of the best line ups of villains around, which makes me think the character would be perfect for a series that could take its time exploring them (rather than cramming them all into a single story, a mistake the movie version made.

Iron Fist and The Metal Men

Attempts have been made from time to time to modernize the Metal Men.  We've seen darker takes, incarnations where Doc himself becomes a robot, and clunky visual redesigns.  Give me the sleek appearance of the originals with their personalities and whimsical adventures intact any day.  This is one property works best when it stays true to its classic design.

Wildcat Vs. The Punisher

I was a bit disappointed that Ted Grant was introduced on Arrow and not much was ever done with him.  There was a cool moment where he sparred with Oliver Queen and the latter actually used a boxing glove arrow on him, but Grant himself still has not gotten the chance to shine.  Now that the Justice Society looks to be a big part of DC's Legends of Tomorrow, I am hoping that Ted's Wildcat side will finally be explored further.

Queen and the Champions

I remember seeing the artwork on Queen's News of the World album cover and being transfixed by it.  This was in a time before painted comics were a common occurrence, so the image of a giant robot scooping up the band members was one of the coolest scenes that I had ever seen illustrated.  I loved the expression that artist Frank Kelly Freas gave the robot, making him look more curious than menacing, which made him seem all the more creepy to me.

Hellboy and Ragman

I am always happy to include an all-Mike Mignola cover on the blog.  He is such a master of light and shadow that his work looks equally gorgeous in black and white as it does in full color.  I like his take on Ragman - Joe Kubert's offbeat costume design for the character is one of my favorites and Mignola gives it just the right noirish appearance.

Iron Man and Robocop

While it is certainly a change from the classic origin, I thought that involving Tony Stark in the development of Spider-Man's uniform in Captain America: Civil War was a smart move.  It kept Peter Parker the perpetually broke teen from Queens while allowing him to wear a suit that looked like it leapt right out of the comics, emotive eyes and all.  Iron Man will be a part of Spider-Man: Homecoming as well - with rumored upgrades to the Spidey suit including the classic web-wings!  That's something I have wanted to see in live action for a long time.

Wonder Woman and Sub-Mariner

Wonder Woman has wrapped principal photography, so I am hoping that we will be seeing a teaser trailer in a few months.  It will be interesting to see the changes in tone this film will have after the reception to Batman v Superman.  There have already been stories about Geoff Johns taking a leadership role in the DC films going forward, but Wonder Woman was well underway before the shake up at the top.  Let's hope the film has an uplifting message of heroism and hope.

Crisis in the Marvel Universe!

The heroes of the Marvel Universe really shouldn't be surprised by this development... they were warned of the impending danger by The Flash back in STF #573, and indeed first became aware of the threat way back in STF #100...

My original goal when I switched over to making Super-Team Family covers was to hit STF #500, and I am pleased that I have tripled that so far!  Thanks to all of the visitors and especially those who have supported me on Patreon!

The Atom and The Fantastic Four

I enjoy Brandon Routh on DC's Legends of Tomorrow.  He feels like a true Silver Age DC hero - brave, intelligent, self-sacrificing, and often with a smile on his face even in the midst of battle.  I hope he will shrink more and streamline his costume for season two, though.  Hey, Firestorm finally started using his fusion powers on the season finale, so progress is always possible!

I'm sure that when Ray comes to, he'll feel bad about Reed's lab - after all, he's spent some time researching there himself...

Coming tomorrow: STF #1500!

Iceman Vs. Captain Cold

DC's Legends of Tomorrow has promised to have slightly different rosters with each season, and indeed a new DCU face made an appearance at the end of the season finale.  *** Spoilers beyond this point for those not caught up *** We have already seen one character make the ultimate sacrifice - Captain Cold.  I can't say I will miss Wentworth Miller's chewing the scenery by drawingggggg out every otherrrrr worrrrdd he says.  Still, in a show all about time travel, nothing is certain.  He may find a way to stick around yet!  And now Hourman has joined the team, explaining that he is a member of the Justice Society... they certainly knew how to get me back for season two!

Snake Plissken and Mister Miracle

While I have reservations about DC using Jack Kirby's Fourth World villains for the upcoming Justice League movies (hard to get excited about Steppenwolf and Darkseid may be too close to Marvel's Thanos plans) - one side effect that I do like is the door will be opened so some of the cooler New Gods character to show up down the line.  I'd love to see a film chronicling Scott Free's escape from Granny Goodness and meeting with Big Barda to make their way to Earth.

Hawkwoman and Archangel

While I always preferred Warren Worthington with the traditional feather wings, his Archangel look was pretty cool.  It will be fun to see those metal wings in action in X-Men Apocalypse.  I wasn't so crazy about  Hawkman and Hawkwoman switching to metal wings during their Hawkworld phase, but fortunately, that didn't last too long.

Madman and The Beast

I like The Beast fine as a member of The X-Men, but my favorite stories featuring him are from his solo adventures, his time with The Avengers or his team-up with characters like Spider-Man or Wonder Man.  Heck, I think he is a strong enough character to anchor a team-up title of his own like Spidey or The Thing.

Captain Hero and Super-Dagwood

When I was a kid I wondered why characters like Jughead Jones or Dagwood Bumstead were depicted so lean and lanky despite how often they were shown chowing down on burgers or giant sandwiches.  The answer was clear of course - they burned off all of those extra calories by fighting crime as costumed vigilantes in their spare time!  It all makes sense now.

Raven and Cloak & Dagger

Cloak and Dagger are finally coming to live action  in the form of an ongoing series on Disney's Freeform channel.  Not much else has been announced, so I hope to hear of some of the creative talent involved soon.  I have always thought that Tyrone Johnson and Tandy Bowen had a lot of potential and hopefully this new incarnation will introduce them to a larger audience.

Superman and Space Ghost

I was very sorry to hear yesterday about Darwyn Cooke having to receive palliative treatment for an aggressive cancer.   Cooke's amazing storytelling brought us Justice League: The New Frontier among many other incredible comics.  He is such an amazing talent and deserves all of out thoughts and prayers at this time.  Here's hoping his health improves very soon.

Update... Sadly I woke today to hear he had passed... RIP Darwyn Cooke.

Mr. Terrific and Daredevil

I am about to complete my second viewing of the second season of Netflix' Daredevil.  I liked is so much that I decided to re-watch it with my brother and his wife as part of our regular movie nights.  I love that the show has been able to maintain its quality and I am really looking forward to the third season as well as The Punsher's solo series - not to mention Luke Cage, Iron Fist, The Defenders and more Jessica Jones.  I'll keep watching as long as Netflix keeps up the great work.

Expansion Team

When you include the Brave and the Bold and Marvel Two-In-One Lost Issues, this marks my 2000th Cover!  Thanks for all the support, especially from Patrons of the blog, for helping it to continue!

I remember seeing the original Ghostbusters in the movie theater and loving the final act with the Sta-Puft Marshmallow Man.  Not only was it a hilarious yet imposing visual, I had no idea any such scene was going to take place.   If the movie had been released these days, there's no way the massive moment would have been kept a secret from audiences.  Either online spoilers or a toy tie in that gives too much away, or even the movie's own trailer would somehow ruin the surprise.  I can only imagine how much more cool that big moment in the Captain America: Civil War airport fight would have been if I wasn't already completely expecting it by the time the movie opened.

The Expansion Team first got together back in STF #934...

Kraven the Hunter Vs. Predator

We have yet to see Kraven on the big screen, but with Spider-Man about to start another franchise, there's still the possibility.  He may be a tough character to pull of but I think that an actor like Jeffrey Dean Morgan would be able to embody the ferocity and determination of Sergei Kravinoff.

Rocket Raccoon and Han Solo

The young Han Solo has been cast for the film to feature the early years of the Star Wars'  hero.  I am not familiar with the work of Alden Ehrenreich, but he sure has his work cut out for him.  As cool as seeing a movie about Han and Chewie in their smuggling prime may sound, comparison to Harrison Ford's iconic performance will be unavoidable, and it will take some doing for the new guy to make the role his own.

Legion of Super-Heroes Vs. Galactus

Of all the various DCU groups and heroes that I have pitted against Galactus, I think that this is the one that I would enjoy seeing the most.  The Legion has such a large roster of characters with many different types of power sets, and that would make for an epic battle.  I'm thinking that the LSH could really give the Devourer of Worlds a run for his money.

Dr. Fate and The Human Torch

The repercussions of HYDRA's activities were still being felt in Captain America: Civil War, which I watched Friday night.  The film, which is more like Avengers 3, was a ton of fun but there was so much packed into it I think it will take another viewing to absorb it all.  The opening sequence was fantastic, showing Cap's new team working together.  Newcomers Black Panther and Spider-Man (one seamlessly woven into the plot, one somewhat shoehorned in) were a blast to watch and once again The Falcon stole the show for me, now with even cooler moves and Redwing along for the ride.  I wish Ant-Man had been given more to do, but I liked his role in the airport battle.  It was nice to see Vision and Scarlet Witch sharing time together as well.  I still feel like Captain America: Winter Soldier and Guardians of the Galaxy are the Marvel movies to beat, but this one ranks high due to so many cool moments even if the story wasn't as strong.

Dr. Fate originally met the Torch in an adventure with the Invaders back in STF #1298 ...

Doc Savage and Conan

I recently watched the original Conan The Barbarian movie to see how well it held up since my first viewing.  While it certainly shows its age there's a few too many montage scenes, I had a a lot of fun revisiting it.  Arnold in his youth, James Earl Jones, giant snakes, swordfights and scantily clad women - it's no wonder my 13 year old self was drawn to this film.

Deadman and Hela

I don't know if it has been officially announced that Cate Blanchet will be playing Hela in Thor: Ragnarok, but that seems to be the general consensus of what her role will be. I hope so, because I have always enjoyed the character in the comics, and Blanchet is perfect for the part.  Hopefully we will see some of that great Hela headgear as designed by Jack Kirby or Walt Simonson.

Black Lightning and Power Man in "The Bensonhurst Benefactor!"

I'm not sure where a live action Black Lightning will show up first, but DC has plenty of opportunities.  He operated out of Metropolis and then later worked regularly with Batman and Katana and even the JLA briefly, so there's plenty of ways to integrate him into the movies.  He is a street level hero that would work well on Arrow, but he does have metahuman abilities so he would fit right in on The Flash or Supergirl as well. Heck, he's cool enough to get a show all his own - let's get on this, DC!

The last time I featured these two one a cover together, they were at odds, so I am glad I finally got around to creating one in which they are fighting side by side.

Power Girl and She-Hulk

The first season of Supergirl ended with the title character looking surprised at the unseen passenger of a rocket.  Was it Krypto, Superman, her mother, or someone else?  Some have speculated that this could be the introduction of Power Girl into the series, which could be interesting as well.  For a character that has been cosplayed so much, it is surprising that we still have not seen an official live action version yet.

Judge Dredd Vs. The Mighty Heroes

When Patron of this blog Adam Stockman suggested that I use The Mighty Heroes on a cover, it was a real blast from the past - I hadn't thought about these guys in years!  I watched a few episodes on Youtube to refresh my memories and they came flooding back.  I especially remember liking Rope Man when I was a kid.  I still think that Diaper Man is a little creepy though.

Wonder Woman and Captain America in "Standoff at the Statue!"

Cap and Wonder Woman have finally recovered from the latest trial in their continuing romance on the blog, only to be attacked when they least expected it...

I can't wait to see Cap's latest cinematic outing next week, and with the early word of mouth that I have heard, it's gonna be a good one.  Principal photography on Wonder Woman must be wrapping up soon, so hopefully a teaser will follow soon after.  Despite mixed reaction to Batman v Superman, Wonder Woman received mostly unanimous praise, so I am looking forward to her solo outing.

Spider-Man and Starman

DC Comics has made great use of the generational legacy aspects of their characters.  On of the best examples is Starman.  James Robinson in particular was able to weave all of the various heroes to adopt the Starman title together into a single cohesive narrative that served to make all of them more interesting to me.  A Jack Knight Starman TV show seems like something that would have a lot of potential.