The BIG League

It was cool seeing both Ant-Man and The Atom grow to giant-size and battle in Captain America: Civil War and DC's Legends of Tomorrow respectively, but I have to admit that I had the same issue with both action sequences.  I'm not sure why when they size up, they suddenly start moving in slow motion.  It seems to undermine any advantage they get from being huge.  Wouldn't they still move around at a normal rate?

Cosmic Boy and Polaris

This is a storyline that I have been meaning to come back to for a few years Longtime followers may remember STF issues #24 1nd #25, in which Magneto traveled to the future to battle the Legion of Super-Heroes and look for his estranged son,  Cosmic Boy... OK, it took me four years but better late than never, right?

Little Nemo and Sandman

I haven't heard much about a potential Sandman live action movie since Joseph Gordon-Levitt announced that he was parting ways with the production.  I can understand why there would be difficulty in adapting Neil Gaiman's epic tale and I would rather the time be taken to do it right, so that's not necessarily a bad thing.  Still, I hope the film has not been completely abandoned.

Thank you to Marc Tyler Nobleman, comics' historian and Patron of this blog, for the idea to pair these two!

Superman and Prime

I always thought that Prime and the rest of the Malibu Comics Ultraverse characters got a bum rap.  Even in the superhero glut of the 90's they were able to stand out in the marketplace with their fun heroes and talented creative teams and even had cartoon tie-ins and crossovers with Marvel Comics.  When Marvel acquired the rights to the Ultraverse characters, I thought that it was the beginning of bigger and better things for them, but it was just the opposite.  For some reason Marvel never really did anything with them and they are now in limbo with the rest of the 90's also-rans.  I wonder what happened there?

Deadman and Vampirella

Justice League Dark has been officially announced as one of the next releases on DC Comics' animated slate.  It will be good to see Deadman back in animated action again, I loved his appearances on Justice League United and Batman: The Brave and the Bold.  Hopefully if sales on this feature are impressive enough, DC will give the property another look for a live action treatment as well.

Magnus: Robot Fighter and Machine Man

I was almost exclusively a Marvel and DC kid during my early years as a comics fan, because that's pretty much all I was exposed to.  I did have a handful of other comics including some Gold Key Magnus issues.  Even though he wasn't a hero from the big two companies, the amazing Russ Manning artwork really impressed me and made me a fan of the character.

Magnus and Machine Man met once before on the blog, with Jocasta along for the action...

The Thing and Starman (Ted Knight)

There are many artists that have given us great depictions of The Thing.  John Byrne, Scott Kolins, Andre Divito, George Perez and of course Jack Kirby are among my favorites - but when I close my eyes and think of the character, the image that pops up is always a Ron Wilson illustrated Thing.  I loved Marvel Two-In-One growing up and for me, Wilson's was always the definitive version of the ever-lovin' idol of millions.

This isn't the only Starman that Ben Grimm has crossed paths with - he met Jack Knight back in my MTIO: The Lost Issues days...

Snoopy and The Rocketeer

I watched The Peanuts Movie, and I thought it was great.  I loved the blending of CGI animation with Charles Schulz' classic character designs and visually everything looked amazing, the best of the old and the new styles.  The story was fulled with heart and humor and really made me root for Charlie Brown.  The main plotline is interspersed with an action thriller featuring Snoopy vs. the Red Baron which was a blast.  If you have kids or were a fan of Peanuts when you were a kid yourself, I highly recommend a viewing.

The Creeper and The Avengers

I wrote a few days ago of the difficulty in translating Moon Knight's costume to live action.  That;s nothing compared to the challenge of depicting a real-life Creeper uniform.  The yellow, the shag rug, the green hair, the striped trunks... I always thought he looked cool in the comics but I don't know if I would be able to take a live version seriously. I will say I have seen some decent cosplay of the character.

Hourman Vs. The Hulk

I can't wait to see Hourman in action as a regular cast member of DC's Legends of Justice.  I always though that his gimmick - super abilities for only an hour at a time - was perfect for a TV series.  I was thinking more along the lines of a solo show, but this will be cool too - especially as it has been hinted that he will be introducing more members of the JSA during the upcoming season.

Ragman and Spider-Man in "Patch Work"

Lots of casting for Spider-Man: Homecoming has been announced, but very few roles have been identified.  Given that the film will largely take place in high school, I am sure most will be students or teachers.  Michael Keaton seems to be back in the mix, reportedly as Adrian Toomes, The Vulture. I am really interested to see Keaton's return to the world of comics, this time in a villainous role. I wonder in her will be shaving his head?

Ragman and Spider-Man first crossed paths back in STF #1160...

Lara Croft and Man-Thing

Alicia Vikander has been cast as the new cinematic Lara Croft.  I have not seen her Oscar-winning performance in The Danish Girl, but I though she did a fine job in Ex Machina.  Still, that role is quite different from the hero of Tomb Raider and she seems pretty petit for an action star.  Hopefully she will undergo enough physical preparation for her to provide a convincing depiction of the video game icon.

Iron Man and Green Arrow

The latest shake up for Iron Man is that he will be replaced in the role by a 15 year old girl that was recently introduced - Riri Williams.  I guess I am supposed to be surprised by this move, but Marvel has done the same thing (place new character in the role of established hero as a "shocking twist", usually ending up with two heroes of the same name operating simultaneously) so many times over the past few years that it's beginning to get a little repetitive.  I'm not sure is this is to have a new hero in place by the time Robert Downey Jr. retires from the cinematic version or not - I guess it will all depend on the popularity of the new Riri Williams Iron Man.  It has also been announced that Victor Von Doom with be operating as Iron Man as well - but that looks to be for a shorter story line.

Blade Vs. Man-Bat

Blade is another Marvel property that is rumored to be under consideration for getting a Netflix series.  It's only fitting since the Wesley Sniped Blade film really kicked off the Marvel Age of comic movies, in my opinion.  It showed how cool superheroic abilities could look with new special effects and paved the way for Spider-Man, X-Men and ultimately Marvel's own studio.I wouldn't even mind seeing Snipes himself continue in the role.

Justice League of America and The Watcher

I was among the viewers that felt Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was too dark and dreary too much of the time, so I was pleased to read some reports from the set of Justice League.  It sounds like lessons have been learned and that the new members, especially Ezra Miller's Flash, will bring a  little bit of levity to the proceedings.  I know that Zack Snyder was going for a "darkest before the dawn" type vibe, which I can appreciate - I just wish it didn't take two full movies of darkness to get there!

Justice Society of America and Moon Knight

Continued from yesterday's cover, we see the sacrifice that was made as a result of the Dr. Fate/Moon Knight fight...

So far, what I have seen of DC Rebirth has been pretty impressive, a much better rebranding effort than The New 52 was.  Still, the "rebirth" I am waiting for is the return of the classic JSA characters.  It will be interesting to see what their new status quo will be and if they are woven in with the new Earth 2 heroes.  I'd love to see a new ongoing comic featuring the original team in their prime a la All-Star Squadron.

Doctor Fate Vs. Moon Knight

With Moon Knight listed among the potential characters that could be featured on Netflix, I wonder how his signature look will be realized in live action.  It's a tough costume to translate, and probably would work much better in animation.  I can't remember if Moon Knight has ever appeared in Marvels animated offerings... I don't think he has, other than maybe a cameo on the 90's Spider-Man cartoon.

This is only the beginning of this adventure - stay tuned to see the repercussions in Part Two tomorrow!

Batman and The Black Panther in "Deadly Diplomacy"

Some people felt that Spider-Man sort of felt shoehorned into Captain America: Civil War, but since we have seen so much of the character cinematically I think most audience members were able to fill in the blanks as far as his story goes.  Black Panther was the hero that I think could have benefitted the most with a little more screen time.  I will say that the Russo Brothers got a lot of information about him in with his limited role, but I wanted to see even more.  This just makes increases my anticipation to see his solo outing, even though it may not be all that solo given how many Avengers are hanging around in Wakanda at the end of Civil War.

Batman and T'Challa met once before on one of my very first MS Paint covers...

Howard the Duck and Mickey Mouse

I have really been enjoying the new Mickey Mouse shorts that have been appearing  for the last few years.  Artist and director Paul rudish has given the character and his world a visual overhaul which is a modern take that still hearkens back to the very earliest Mickey cartoons.  Mickey was never my favorite of the Disney characters, but these new shorts are making me rethink that position.

Firestorm in the Marvel Universe (Part Two)

Continued from yesterday's cover, we see that the nuclear man finally found some balance again. It has been interesting seeing the different partnerships in the Firestorm matrix over the years.  My favorite is still the original Martin Stein / Ronnie Raymond combo, but I also liked when Raymond and Jason Rusch worked together as well.  The TV version has the scientist / jock vibe of the original so I have enjoyed what they have done there.

Firestorm in The Marvel Universe (Part One)

One cool thing about Marvel having so many of their heroes operating in New York City is the ease in which the characters can cross over with one another.  No need for the writers to come up with some reason for them to cross paths when they call the same city home and can just bump into each other on (or above) the street!  While there are some limitations to using an actual locale rather than several fictional cities like DC, this aspect is a definite plus.

Stay tuned for Part Two of this epic tomorrow... can you figure out how this predicament will be resolved?  The clue is on this cover!

Krypto and Groot & Rocket Raccoon

When I used to see Rocket Raccoon operate complex weaponry, I accepted it as artistic licence - now I'm not so sure.  I was camping recently and while we thought we had safely put all the food and snacks away inside containers that were themselves inside latched coolers, we were completely ransacked by one or more Raccoons in the middle of the night.  We woke to find all the meat, bread and snacks gone, they had no trouble getting into everything!  It's a good thing we didn't have any laser cannons lying around!

Kamandi and Thundarr the Barbarian

Thundarr the Barbarian always kind of reminded me of Kamandi when would catch the cartoon as a kid.  Add in the Jack Kirby connection and this sees like it would be a natural team up.  I remember thinking the show was fun, but the abundant use of stock footage almost made it feel like I was watching the same episode over and over

Vigilante Vs. The Punisher

Thanks to Patron of this Blog Tom Zilla for this team up suggestion, one I was surprised I had not done yet...

One of the things that I am looking forward to for the upcoming season of Arrow is the inclusion of the Adrian Chase Vigilante.  Josh Segarra is taking on the role of what is being described as a new series regular.  I remember really loving his story arc in New Teen Titans as well as his self titled series and it will be great to see him in live action.  Hope he keeps the ski mask!  

Green Lantern Corps and Silver Surfer

If there is one death at DC I would like to undo, it's that of Katma Tui.  I always liked her character and was glad when she became a romantic interest for John Stewart, thinking she would get more to do.  Unfortunately that made her ripe for a sacrifice to motivate John and her fate was sealed.  It hurt even more when the grisly moment of her death at the hands of Star Sapphire was illustrated by legendary Green Lantern artist Gil Kane, making it seem more "real" to me. I thought that with her appearances on the animated Justice League Unlimited, she would make a comeback but alas I have not seen her return.

The Flash and Photon

In two seasons, The Flash has been a springboard to bring a lot of DC characters and concepts to TV,  I love how the show has fully embraced its roots, with DCU heroes and villains battling against a backdrop of multiple Earths and time travel.  Some of the family/romantic melodrama can be a bit tough to wade through, but there are still enough cool comic book inspired moments each episode to keep me coming back.  I look forward to seeing how Barry Allen's drastic action in the season finale will affect the series going forward.

Wolverine and The Vixen

This is a request from Patron in excellent standing and comics' historian Marc Tyler Nobleman.  I had mentioned how much I liked Vixen's appearance on the last season of Arrow, and I am glad to hear that she will be joining the cast of DC's Legends of Tomorrow or a version of her at least.  It seems we will be introduced to an earlier Vixen, a precursor to Mari McCabe.  Hopefully they will do the character justice, she has a ton of potential.

Batgirl and Miss Fury

Well, Jena Malone's character that was cut from the theatrical release of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice has finally been revealed, and it was not Barbara Gordon and many had speculated, but Jenet Klyburn.  If I remember my comics, Jenet Klyburn had strong ties to S.T.A.R. Laboratories, so that could be an interesting angle for future films.  Still, this leaves Batgirl available.. where will she show up?  Aflleck's Batman is older with a new willingness to work with allies, so she could appear in a future Bat-film.  My preference would be to bring her to the Supergirl TV series - I'd love to see the World's Finest heroines in action together.

Hoppy the Marvel Bunny and Usagi Yojimbo

One thing that I liked about CC Beck's Shazam Family stories was the blurred line between super heroics and more cartoony funny animal comics.  His whimsical yet exciting tone had room for characters like Tawky Tawny, Mr. Mind and Hoppy in addition to more traditional supporting characters and villains.  Sure, there were some cartoony characters like Mr. Mxyzptlk, Bat-Mite, Itty, Zook and the rest in the DC titles, but they never quite fit in as well for me as the Shazam characters did.

Sgt. Rock and Agent Carter

It's too bad that Agent Carter has not been renewed for a third season. Frankly, the series held my attention a lot more than Agents of Shield has ever managed to.  I liked Hayley Atwell in the title role quite a bit and I was also glad that viewers got a human Jarvis.  Atwell has signed on to another series, but hopefully she can return for a special or something down the line.

Batman and Guardian

This cover is about me finally checking off a box in my head.  I always meant to do a Batman/Guardian cover back when this blog began as Brave and the Bold: The Lost Issues and never got around to it.  It always bugged me and I am glad that I finally put these two guys together.  Gotta love that Byrne designed costume!