Nightcrawler and The Atom

I'm still hoping that The Atom gets a little bit closer to his comic counterpart in the upcoming season of DC's Legends of Tomorrow.  I like Brandon Routh's performance as Ray Palmer, but I want to see a lot more shrinking and the costume definitely needs and upgrade,  Lets see a sleeker suit that is inspired more by Gil Kane's designs than Tony Stark's.

These two shared a Pirate adventure in STF #1454...

In four days... The STF 2000th issue 100-Page Giant!

Ghost Rider and The Teen Titans in: "The Ghoul Inside Grayson!"

One thing that Marvel did well that set them apart from DC was the way they had heroic characters that looked like monsters.  Ghost Rider, The Thing, The Hulk, and others gave readers heroes to root for that looked as cool as some villains and it was a move that definitely worked.  DC eventually added in characters like The Demon and Swamp Thing, but for a long time their line-up was a pretty attractive bunch - even the Martian Manhunter looked like a handsome green bald guy for most of the Silver Age.

Ghost Rider first joined the Teen Titans back in STF #828, and his feud with Robin intensified in  STF #1689...

Only five issues to go until the STF 2000th Issue 100-Page Spectacular!

Black Panther and The Fox

I am surprised we have not seen more footage from Black Panther.  Lots of photos of the characters have been floating around, but no sign of a full length trailer yet.  I suppose that Marvel wants to get past the release of Thor: Ragnarok before they swinh into full Black Panther publicity mode.  With the film opening in early February, I am sure they hype will begin sometime soon.

Fantastic Four and The Iron Giant

This is actually the third part of a stealth-three part tale.  Long time STF visitors will know that there's good reason for the Iron Giant to eat the Fantasticar (other than the tasty metal).  It was established back in STF #274  that The Iron Giant was actually a Transformer... and of course, STF #807 revealed that the Fantasticar is actually a Decepticon!  So, it all makes sense.  Who says this isn't the swingin' age of crossover continuity?

Wer'e just a week away from the STF 2000th issue 100-Page Giant!

Deadman and Dark Phoenix

Continued from yesterday's cover, we see that reforming Jean was a bigger job than Boston Brand had anticipated...

With Deadman set to be one of the stars of the Justice League Dark movie, I wonder what actor would work well in the role. I liked how the animated Deadman on Justice League Unlimited had a very distinct speaking voice that other actors that he was in possession of could emulate.  The role also calls for someone who won't mind being under full head makeup for all or most of the film.  Finally, Boston Brand has always had a sense of humor, so an actor with good comic timing would be a plus.  I could see Brad Pitt having fun with the part ten-fifteen years ago, but he may be considered too old and big of a star to be considered now.

Deadman and The X-Men

It looks as though Jean Grey is returning to life once again in the comics - which means there will now be two Jeans running around, as the time displaced younger versions of the First Class X-Men are still in operation.  I don't really mind because The Phoenix is all about death and rebirth, so she is one character that resurrection seems perfectly appropriate for.

This is Part One of a Two-Part Epic - make sure that you stop by tomorrow for the exciting conclusion!

Booster Gold and Stan Lee

This marks my 2,500th cover on the blog!

I read recently that Leonardo DiCaprio has expressed interest in portraying Stan Lee in a movie biography.  While I have my reservations about whether he is the perfect actor for the role, I do think that there is potential for a very interesting film there.  I have enjoyed reading about the formation of Marvel Comics and it would be cool to see it on the big screen.  There's a great opportunity to lend some interesting visuals to it as well, given the subject matter.

Dr. Occult and Dick Tracy

Before Superman came around and began the costumed hero movement, a trench coat and fedora seemed to be the apparel of choice for fictional crimefighters.  I can understand why, it is a pretty cool look.  I don'y know how practical it was, though.  I used to wear a trench coat, and they are not easy to run in, let alone engage in fisticuffs.  Plus, I have to imagine those hats would fall off in the midst of battle.  

The Avengers and Suicide Squad

Avengers: Infinity War is sounding like it will be the most epic in scope of all of the Marvel movies thus far.  That's only fitting since it is considered to be the culmination of everything that has come before - and just about every hero introduced up until now is slated to appear.  That's going to be the biggest test - will the Russo Brothers be able to juggle dozens of character and give everyone a chance to shine, all while telling a coherent story?  It's going to be fun to find out, but I have faith in them after their excellent work on the Captain America sequels.

The Bronze Tiger Vs. Captain America

Suicide Squad was a critical misfire, but it seems like a sequel is still in the works.  Hopefully they will change things up by adding a few new members.  I'd love to see The Bronze Tiger join the team.  I liked him in the John Ostrander-written Suicide Squad comic.  He gave the team a moral compass as he was one of the few members without a villainous background, and it made for interesting interactions with the rest of the team.

Doctor Who and Judge Dredd

My first memories of Doctor Who are from when I was in grade school and would come home to watch episodes featuring Tom Baker on PBS.  I was at the perfect age where the low budget sets and cheesy special effects did not phase me.  I thought K-9 was cool and Leela was quite alluring.  I loved the Doctor's outfit and attitude and found the show to be the closest thing to a live action comic book that I could find.  I enjoy the new episodes and new Doctors, but nothing will compare with my first exposure to the mythos.

Galactus Vs. The Legion of Super-Heroes

I like the possibilities that this match up presents.  I can see galactus still bein a force to be reckoned with in the Legionnaire's time period.  I'm sure that Colossal Boy would want first crack at him, but it would take the combined might of the team backed up by Brainiac 5's smarts to bring him down.  As for who the big G might choose as a new herald from the group, that's easy.  Dawnstar's tracking abilities would make her a perfect candidate.

Galactus first faced the LSH in STF #1487...

Black Lightning and The Falcon

It's going to be a good year for Black Lightning.  Not only is he getting his own self-titled TV show on The CW, he's coming back to comics as well.  A new series is in the works written by none other than his creator (and Patron of this blog, to boot) Tony Isabella. Artist Clayton Henry will be joining Isabella for Black Lightning: Cold Dead Hands, a 6-issue mini series.   it's been a decades-long wait for Jefferson Pierce to finally get his proper exposure and I hope that the show and series only lead to bigger things.

Batman and Prime

I'm a big fan of Norm Breyfogle's artwork, especially his stints on Batman and Detective Comics.  He gave the Dark Knight and his rogues gallery a modern look while honoring the classic designs.  I liked his ability to depict action sequences, I could really get a sense of movement from his characters.  His design sense lent itself well to cover art, too - he really produced some beautiful work there.

Power Man Vs. Black Adam

Luke Cage and Iron Fist are both slated to have second seasons of their Netflix series, which is a good thing.  Still, I kind of wished they would have had a series together after watching them meet and interact on The Defenders.  Perhaps they will still guest star on each other's shows.  I hope they do get a combined show eventually, or at least another season of Defenders, so we can see the Heroes For Hire in side by side action again.

Justice League of America and The Silver Surfer in: "Countdown to Supernova!"

The Satellite-era Justice League line up is still my favorite, and not just because that's the group I grew up reading about.  It was packed with powerhouses and members that had made an impact in comics on their own before joining the team.  These days, it seems anyone can become a Leaguer or Avenger, but it was still a big deal back then.  I do wish that founding member Martian Manhunter had played more of a role during this time, but other than that, I loved the roster..

The Silver Surfer first crossed paths with the JLA in STF #502...

Super-Team Family: The Lost Issues on Geeky Gentlemen!

This was a nice surprise to see today - The Geeky Gentleman have an in-depth discussion of some of their favorite covers from the blog - you can check it out here:

Aquaman and Black Bolt

It's too bad that the buzz on The Inhumans TV series has been universally poor. n I love the characters and think that they have great potential, but this whole project seems not to have had the same consideration put into the marvel Movies or Netflix shows.  I will still give it a shot, hopefully my lowered expectations will not be completely justified.

This pairing was a suggestion from Robert E. Jackson, a Patron of this blog.  Thanks, Robert!

The Fantastic Four Vs. The Crime Syndicate in: "Crisis at the Baxter Building!"

I'm not sure what to make of plans for a new Fantastic Four movie told from the point of view of Franklin and Valeria Richards.  I can understand the need for a fresh take after the previous cinematic attempts, but is that what fans really want to see?  Rumors of a solo Doctor Doom origin film are equally head scratching.  If they really don't know what to do with the materiel, I wish they would just relinquish control.

It was about time that the FF try and retake the Baxter Building.  The Syndicate took it over back in STF #1851...

Hercules and OMAC

Thor: Ragnarok is getting great buzz and looks like it will be the most crowd pleasing Thor movie yet.  That's good new because Thor has a nice deep villains roster and with Chris Hemsworth still very much in shape, there's no reason the series should conclude at three.  I would definitely like Hercules to be introduced in the next installment, should there be one.  I always loved the interplay and rivalry between him and the God of Thunder.

Batman and The Walking Dead

I am looking forward to the next season of Walking Dead.  The show has done a great job of building up Negan as an adversary and putting Rick and his crew up against impossible odds, so it will be cool to see how they turn things around, and how many sacrifices will have to made to do so.  Last season admittedly took its time getting everything into position, so I am expecting more action this time around.

The Flash and Spitfire

The beauty of The Flash's uniform is in its simplicity.  I think that's why the costume  that Ezra Miller will be sporting in Justice League isn't really working for me.  It strikes me as overly complicated, broken down into numerous sections with what looks to be unnecessary wiring criss-crossing all over it.  And of course, no yellow boots, which the Flash TV shows have gotten wrong as well.  I'd rather have seen something sleek like the Spider-Man suit in the Marvel movies.

Steel and Nova

The big screen may still not be ready for Steel again even though many years have passed since the Shaquille O'Neal led film - but there's no reason he should not show up on TV's Supergirl.  That might be the perfect place to redeem John Henry Irons in the eyes of non comic book fans.  With Cadmus and the DEO, there are plenty of places that he could fit in.

Superman and Rogue

Now that the X-Men films have had a soft reboot, I wonder if we will see a more comics-accurate verion of Rogue sometime down the line.  The Anna Paquin version was kind of a Rogue/Kitty Pride hybrid and didn't have a lot in common with her comic counterpart other than her mutant abilities.  I'd like to see the reformed villain verion of the character that was full of confidence and attitude.  Maybe if the Gambit film ever gets off the ground, she will show up there.

Hawkman and Ant-Man

I love that Michelle Pfeiffer has been cast in the upcoming Ant-Man and the Wasp as Janet Van Dyne, the original Wasp. After this, Nicole Kidman in the now shooting Aquaman, Tommy Lee Jones in Captain America: The First Avenger and Michael Keaton's excellent turn as The Vulture, I am wondering what other Batman alumnus we can see re-cast in new comic roles.  My vote is for Danny DeVito as M.O.D.O.K. (you know you want it).

Iron Man and Hardware

I always loved Iron Man's classic gold and red armor, but there was one artist that really put it over the top for me.  Whether he was on full art duties or only as an inker, Bob Layton gave Tony Stark's armor an ultra shiny gloss that really made it look modern and hi-tech to my young eyes.  It was the first time I has seen such effects depicting metallic surfaces, and it helped Iron Man to stand out among other heroes.

Green Arrow and Wolverine

I get a kick out of reading old Green Arrow tales with his original costume and Speedy as a sidekick.  Still, it's pretty obvious why he needed a revamp to the leather suited bearded Ollie Queen that we know today.  Pretty much all of those plots could have been interchangeable with those that Batman and Robin took part in.  They had some great artwork and fun stories, but other than the archery gimmick, were not very unique. I'm glad the battling bowman eventually found his own voice.

Mice Squad!

After my team covers featuring duck defenders, canine heroes and cat cops, I got some requests for a group of superhero mice as well.  There were actually a lot to choose from  There seem to be more mouse heroes out there than any other type of animal.  Maybe it's the  juxtaposition between such small fragile creatures and a larger than life alter ego that makes it such an appealing concept for creators.

Apocalypse Vs. Captain Comet

On of my absolute favorite silver age artists was Murphy Anderson.  He had a great eye for composition and I really liked his depictions of nature and animals as well as how he illustrated beautiful women.  I loved him as an inker as well, it was always cool to see his polished work in combination with other artists.

Tarzan and Rima

As a kid, I thought that Rima was a much popular character than she was, mainly because of her appearances on The Super Friends.  I had a few of her comics as well - and later I found out that other than that short-lived title, she didn't appear much at all.  At any rate, I still fondly remember those tales, mainly due to the amazing artwork of Joe Kubert and Nestor Redondo.

Calvin and Hobbes on Hoth

I'm not sure what to expect from the upcoming Han Solo film.  The studio changed directors halfway through and as a result there have been some major changes, including at least one character being completely written out.  Still, the new director is Ron Howard, who is clearly very talented - plus there was similar behind the scenes turmoil with Rogue One, and I loved how that film turned out.  I have fingers crossed that they can pull this one off as well.