Jack of Hearts Vs. The Royal Flush Gang

I have always really liked The Royal Flush Gang.  I find it cool that the team has gone through so many incarnations, from the old West to present day, often with mysterious leaders/benefactors pulling the strings.  Plus, the family aspect to the group adds a different dynamic than most villainous gatherings.  The DC animated shows did some really interesting things with them as well.

Tintin, Space Ghost and The Silver Surfer

The Silver Surfer is one of the few characters that came out unscathed in the Fox movies.  I thought he looked and sounded great in the second Fantastic Four film, despite being in service to a lackluster plot and answering to a CGI cloud we were told was Galactus.  I wonder where The Surfer will appear again now that Marvel has the rights back.  A solo film?  A guest Star in a future Guardians of the Galaxy film?  Or maybe even joining Hulk, Dr. Strange and Sub-Mariner for a proper Defenders team?  There are plenty of places to use him, and I hope they don't make us wait too long.

This story serves as a direct follow up to the two-part tale where Tintin met The Watcher, and then had to be tracked down by Green Lantern and Space Ghost... and of course Silver Surfer and Space Ghost have met as well...

Ms. Marvel and Batgirl

There was a talk of a Joss Whedon-directed solo Batgirl film a while back, but I don't know if that is still in the planning stages.  Justice League's sub-par performance, Batman's rotating lead actors and Whedon's personal headlines may have all taken a toll, and I would not be surprised to see DC take a step back before moving ahead with their full slate of film projects.  Time will tell if Batgirl survives.

Robocop and The Punisher

I was watching a commentary on Star Wars: Rogue One last night and a comment was made about how Darth Vader moved around with slow deliberate confidence, he was powerful and capable enough that he did not need to run.  Robocop strikes me the same way.  It's cool to see him slowly and effectively dispatch his opponents.  It would just seem wrong to watch him ever break into a full trot.

The Human Torch and The Human Bomb

This is another natural pairing that I have been meaning to get to for a while now.  They both harness destructive abilities which they use for the cause of good.  I can imagine an enemy combatant would think twice before engaging either of these faceless heroes on the battlefield.

Spider-Man and Aqualad

I'm not sure what the original Aqualad's status is thse days with all of the reboots and revamps DC has had over the past several years.  I know that there's a new Aqualad  that has appeared in the comics and TV's Young Justice (son of Black Manta), but I don't know if that means that Garth has been completely written out.  Like Wally West, I hope he gets another chance - as a founding member of the Teen Titans, he deserves better.

Superman and Mickey Mouse

I'd like to take this time to wish all of the visitors to this blog a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.  I hope that you are spending this day in the company of the ones you love and it is filled with joy.  It's been another fun year on the blog, passing STF #2000, with over 2500 overall and getting close to the 5 millionth visitor!  Pros like Tony Isabella, Gail Simone and Patrick Zircher and more have contributed cover ideas, quite an honor.  It's been fun to have appearances on Geek to Me Radio, His Dork World/Her Dork World and to be featured on The Geeky Gentlemen podcast, thanks to all of them for having me.  This year the comments section has become quite interesting and active, it's been fun to read. I truly appreciate all the kind words, comments and suggestions therein.  Of course, a huge thanks to the Patrons of this blog - your support makes a huge difference! It's been a blast, here's to another year!

Six Million Dollar Man Vs. Deathlok

For a while I  had been hearing a Six Million Dollar Man movie (or even Six Billion according to some reports).  Jim Carrey was suggested to star, among others, and the last name I heard connected to it was Mark Wahlberg.  It's been a while since I have seen anything written about the potential project, though.  Perhaps the glut of superhero films has put it on the back burner for now.

Captain America and Wonder Woman (The TV Movie Event!)

This marks the 17th appearance of the WW/Cap team, it's about time they got some prime time exposure!  Like many, I fell in love with Lynda Carter's portrayal of the Amazing Amazon as a child, and took her program very seriously.  Now as I watch the reruns as an adult, I can see the cheap budget and camp, but Carters' earnest performance in the title role still wins me over.

The Spectre and Doctor Strange in: "Bloodlust for the Baron!"

After seeing how effectively Steve Ditko's otherworldly designs were incorporated into the Doctor Strange movie, I really want to see what can be done with The Spectre on the big screen.  I think that a visually inventive director could really have fun with his appearance, powers, and journeys intothe minds of criminals to mete out justice.

This is the third meeting between these two heroes - they battled Nightmare in STF #458, and first met way back in STF #110...

Booster Gold and Doctor Who (Part Two)

Presenting the exciting conclusion to yesterdays cover...

I'm looking forward to this year's Docter Who Christmas Special, they ar often my favorite episodes of the season.  This one looks to introduce the 13th Doctor, Jodie Whittaker.  I haven't hear anything about a new companion, though - I wonder if it wll be a male partner since they are going with a female Doctor Who for the first time.  Either way, the dynamic between the two should be different from what viewers have seen before.

Booster Gold and Doctor Who (Part One)

I remember Booster Gold feeling like a very welcome addition to the DCU when he first hit the scene.  All too often when a new superhero was introduced to Marvel and DC, they were an offshoot of an existing character, or at least derivative in some way.  Booster was a truly original creation with a unique back story and personality.  It's been enjoyable to watch him grow as a hero over the years.

Stay tuned tomorrow for the exiting conclusion to this tale!

Winter Soldier Vs. Red Hood

These characters both made controversial returns to the living.  Both of them had deaths as sidekicks that profoundly affected their mentors.  They both came back as tortured souls that came in conflict with those they once fought beside before getting their act together and becoming forces for good once again.  They would have plenty to talk about at least!

This cover comes about as the result of a suggestion by Barak Blackburn, a Patron of this blog - thanks, Barak!

Batman Vs. Bullseye

I haven't heard anything about it, but I am really hoping that Bullseye will be showing up on the third season of Netflix' Daredevil.  The Kingpin will be back so it shouldn't be hard to have him bring Bullseye in to the mix as a hired assassin.  It would be nice to see another interpretation after Colin Farrell's scenery-chewing turn.

Mr. T and The Hulk!

If you had given the 12-year old me control of a major movie studio, this is the kind of project that I would have been spearheading.  I'd have been ahead of my time though - movie audiences simply weren't conditioned yet for so much raw awesomeness in a single film.  I look at the success of Thor: Ragnarok, with all of its fantastical elements, and think maybe the public is ready now.

Mephisto Vs. Blue Devil

Blue Devil was a book that I picked up on the strength of a free preview that was presented in Fury of Firestorm.  The whole package looked great, I liked his costume, the set up for the series and the way it mixed the whimsical with the occult.  Plus, the Paris Cullins art was fantastic and fit the tone of the comic perfectly.  Hopefully we will see Blue Devil return in DC Rebirth.

Hyperion Vs. Ultraman

I have to admit, there was one main reason I really dug Hyperion as a kid - he had red hair, like me!  Usually when I would see a redhead in the comics, they would be a villain, sidekick or comical character, but this particular ginger was the Superman of his world.  I didn't have his physique, but it was a start!

These two clashed with their respective teams in STF #1682...

The Flash Vs. Galactus

Plans for a Flashpoint movie still seem to be underway, depite the lukewarm reception to Justice League.  While it will be cool to see Jeffrey Dean Morgan's Thomas Wayne suit up as Batman, I think it's still to early to be presenting this story.  Besides, its has darker versions of all the Justice Leaguers - and aren't they trying to get away from the depressing story lines after Zach Snyder's mostly dour trilogy?  At any rate, it has been reported that there has been a big shake up behind the scenes at Warner Brothers as to who controls the DC movie properties, so I don't expect these plans to be set in stone.

X-Men in the DC Universe

This is a cover that I have been looking forward to posting.  The advertisement for DC Comics themed Matchbox Cars had been in my image library for a long time, and I was determined to find a way to use it.  I finally cracked it, and the end result is a story that I think would be a hoot to read.

Ambush Bug Vs. Wolverine

With the Disney/Fox deal looking imminent, folks are already speculating as to when Wolverine will make his entrance into the MCU.  Some have hoped for Huge Jackman to join the festivities in the follow up to Infinity War, but Jackman himself has said his time has passed. I'm thinking Marvel will take their time and start fresh with the X-Men characters, so it will probably be a while before we hear any casting for Logan.  I'm really hoping that when he finally does appear, they will find a way to make the costume work, something that Fox was unable or unwilling to do.

Plastic Man Vs. Sandman

This is another match up I would love to see.  Both characters have been on two sides of the law at different times in her careers, so they share that unique perspective.  Plus, it would be a visually inventive battle for an artist to depict, given the malleable nature of their abilities. 

Phantom Lady and The Phantom

It was fun looking for art to use on this cover.  George Wilson and Matt Baker really did some amazing work on The Phantom and Phantom Lady, respectively.  I love Wilson's realistic yet dynamic painting style and Baker really knew how to illustrate beautiful women and made great use of panel layout.

Fantastic Four and The Legion of Super-Heroes

I was wondering where Marvel Studios is go with their films in Phase Three of their plans.  Now that a deal between Disney and Fox seems imminent, a whole new world of possibilities are opening up.  Finally a decen't Fantastic Four movie, an X-Men saga with the proper timeline, costumes and characters, Secret Wars, a comics-accurate Defenders team, Beast in the Avengers... so many places to go.  I especially want a big screen Thing Vs. Hulk fight - something I have been waiting my whole life to see!

I Got a Cool New T-Shirt!

How could I resist?

Detective Chimp on the Planet of the Apes

I enjoyed War for the Planet of the Apes and felt it completed the new trilogy well.  I do find it a bit too convenient that the same disease that destroys humanity and also grants apes higher intellect, but that's something you just have to go with.  Techinically, the movie looked great, the motion capture was very well done for the most part.  I look forward to seeing what director Matt Reeves does with Batman.

Power Girl and Power Man in: "Poached... by the Parasite!"

The Parasite is a great villain because of his simple but very effective powers.  Having the ability to gain strength by draining energy from others  - and also gaining any super-power present in the process - makes him a versatile villain to write for.  Since he can absorb the traits any opponent that he can come in contact with, he can face off against heroes with a very wide range of power levels and it will still be an interesting fight.

This is the fourth appearance of The Power Couple -  They found a bounty on their heads in STF #1892,  faced the mob together in STF #773 and first met in STF #71...

The Human Torch and Wildcat

I'm not sure when Wildcat began using his own personal stylized Cat-Cycle, But I always thought is was one of the cooler rides in comics.  Sure, Ghost Rider had an awesome flaming motorcycle, but the huge cat head with eyes for headlights struck me as a great design.  I'd have loved to have seen the guys on American Chopper build a real-life version.

Cerebus Vs. Groo The Wanderer

Cerebus was a comic that I had always meant to get around to reading.  I liked the idea that creator Dave Sim used his hero to explore different genres of comics and that he was committed to completing at least 300 issues.  As the series went on, I read that it became more of a platform for Sim's beliefs than the ongoing adventures of the characters he created, so I lost interest in checking it out.  Is it worth seeking out the earlier issues?

This cover comes about as the result of a suggestion by Mike Shirley, a Patron of this blog - thanks, Mike!

Swamp Thing and Groot

This would be one of the few team-up ups with Swamp Thing where he would turn out to be the talkative one.  While the dialog between the two may not be all that stimulating, I can still imagine that pairing them together could lead to a pretty fun story.  I wonder what Groot would think of The Parliament of Trees - or vice versa?

Halo and Spider-Woman

I hope that the upcoming Black Lightning series continues the CW tradition of introducing other DC characters in the show.  We already know that his daughters exploring their heroic heritage will be a big part of the show.  It would be cool to see Halo, Geo-Force and Metamorpho join the already established Katana to enter Jefferson Pierce's world.

Jonah Hex Vs. Scarlet Witch

I was intrigued by the quick glimpse of Scarlet Witch and The Vision in the teaser trailer for Avengers: Infinity War.  It looks like they will continue to develop their romantic relationship.  They were one of my favorite comic couples so that should be interesting to see - even if the trailer also hinted at bad things in store for the synthezoid.

Tigra and Thundercats

LIke Transformers, Thundercats was a cartoon that I missed out on when it first aired.  When I finally got around to checking out some of the newer episodes,  I immediately thought of Tigra from Marvel.  They just seem like they belong together.

Tigra first discovered her heritage from Tygra, her teammate on The Fur Force...

Doctor Fate and Shaman

So who owns the cinematic rights to the members of Alpha Flight?  Marvel is going to be looking for more heroes to spotlight in their Phase Three move [plans, so they would be a natural choice.  Then again, they began as a spin off from a story in Uncanny X-Men, so maybe they are part of the property that Fox holds - in which case I wonder why they haven't used them yet.  Hopefully some studio will eventually bring them to the big screen.

Star Trek and Adam Strange

I checked out the classic animated Star Trek on Netflix and was pleasantly surprised.  Sure the animation is pretty limited, but the stories were great, some would have been perfect for the live action series.  The best part is that the entire original cast provided voices, lending the cartoon a real air of authenticity.

Captain America and The Doom Patrol

I am glad to see that the whole "Cap as a sleeper Hydra agent" story line seems to finally be coming to a close.  Yes, there have been Captain America gone bad tales before, but they only lasted for an issue or two, rather than dragging on and on and bleeding into other titles.  Hopefully going forward, the comics will feature a Steve Rogers with the heroic qualities that make him an inspiration once again.

The Vision and Red Tornado in: "Upgraded... and Unstable!"

I see that Red Tornado (or an alternate world version of him) will be showing up on the CW superhero show crossover "Crisis on Earth X" this week.  Hopefully, they have tweaked his look a bit, he looked a little low rent on Supergirl.   I'd love to see him get the big screen treatment after seeing how well The Vision has been realized in his cinematic appearances.

The Vision and red Tornado have crossed paths before in The Lost Issues - They investigated "who stole humanity?" back in Issue #1272 , merged programming Issue #971 and first met in an early MS Paint cover in Issue #44

Batman and The Incredibles

The teaser for The Incredibles 2 has been released, and I am very happy that this movie is finally being made.  I figured that the setting would jump ahead a few years in time, but it looks like things will take off shortly after the end of the last film, with the family just realizing that baby Jack Jack has powers of his own.  I don't mind if that is the case because there is plenty of material to be mined there.  It will also be interesting to see what spin the film takes on superheroes this time around, considering they have become the dominant cinematic genre in the years since the first Incredibles was released.

Hercules and Hercules

With Thor: Ragnarok being pretty much a straight up comedy, I think that Marvel's Hercules would have fit right in to the proceedings. I guess with Thor and  The Hulk, they didn't want another muscly male character, so Valkyrie was used instead.  Still, if the franchise goes on and Taika Waititi continues directing, I'd love to see what he could do with The Prince of Power.

This double Hercules tale comes about as the result of a request by STF Patron Travis Johnson, among others.  Thanks, Travis!

Deathlok and OMAC

OMAC is another character that is perfect for an appearance on DC's Legends of Tomorrow, given the time-travel aspect of the show.  Perhaps an adventure in the future with Brother Eye  will allow them to actually spend more than a minute or two in  their costumes as well!  I'd hope they would do Buddy Blank and his alter ego justice though - I'm still shaking my head over the lackluster interpretation of Deathlok on Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Seven Swordsmen

Back in another life, when I went to acting school, I took a fencing class, and it was an absolute blast.  There were a few offensive and defensive moves to learn, and once I had them down, it was easy to choreograph battles.  We would practice in slow motion until we got it perfect and then switch to real time.  Tons of fun!

Uncle Scrooge Vs. Superman

Justice League was not as well crafted as Wonder Woman, but it was a marked improvement over Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice.  I found the plot and villain to be very generic, I wish there had been more surprises there.  The Flash's costume did not work at all for me and I felt Quicksilver had better speed effects.  Ezra Miller was engaging I guess, but did not look or sound like any Barry Allen I ever read in the comics.  Same for Jason Mamoa - an entertaining performance, but he didn't look or behave like Aquaman from the comics.  I thought that Cyborg was well done, but it should have been Green Lantern or Martian Manhunter in his place, let him graduate to the JLA, not found it.  The action was great, even though much of it under the red skies looked pretty video-gamey.  The saving grace for the movie is Superman.  When he finally returns, we get to see the hero we have been waiting three movies for (hard not to smile during the first credits scene).  So, even though the movie suffered from the director switch and is far from perfect, it leaves things in a place that gives me optimism for the future.

Mars Attacks Star Wars!

The full trailer for Star Wars: the Last Jedi has me looking forward to the next chapter in the saga.  My main complaints about the last installment were a few to many parallels to A New Hope and the lack of Luke Skywalker, both of which look to be addressed this time around.  It will be interesting to see where director Rian Johnson takes the characters going forward.

Kang Vs. Krang Vs. Kang!

The yearly Treehouse Of Horror episodes of The Simpsons are among my favorites.  The writers really seem to have fun with them.  Plus, there's usually an appearance by the aliens Kang and Kodos.  I was surprised to find out that Kodos was female when Kang referred to her as "my sister" at one point (or was that the other way around?)

This crazy combination comes as the result of a suggestion by STF Patron Travis Johnson.  Thanks, Travis!

Black Goliath and Blue Beetle

Black Goliath's costume just screams Bronze Age and I love it.  I always liked those high collars, even though they don't seem to serve a purpose other than restricting peripheral vision. I do wonder why he left his gut uncovered.  Maybe Bill Foster really worked hard on his crunches and wanted to make sure everyone could see his six pack?

Bruce Lee and Iron Fist

Like Mr. T, Bruce Lee was another person from my youth that felt like a real-life superhero.  He really knew how to fight (convincing screen combat at least) and brought The Green Hornet and the movies that he starred in to another level.  His tragic death at such an early age only added to his iconic aura.

Green Arrow and Hawkeye in: "The'Bots and the Bowmen"

Green Arrow and Hawkeye have met before on the blog - They first met in one of my very earliest STF covers... then they were at odds with a few fellow Avengers along for the tale... Next up they faced off against The Hulk and Solomon Grundy... then it was time to hone their skills... and next they shared an adventure with Black Canary and Mockingbird. and last time was a classic adventure from early in their careers,,,

Dazzler and Green Lantern

When I was a kid, I saw Dr. Light as one of the premiere DC villains.  Unlike most super-villains, he wasn't confined to a single superhero.  He got around, taking on Green Lantern, The Atom, The Teen Titans, The JLA and more.  It's too bad that he later became somewhat of a joke, and what was done with him in Identity Crisis still leaves a bad taste in my mouth.  I'd like to see a Rebirth version that undoes a lot of those missteps.

Aquaman in The Marvel Universe

Uh oh, looks like Aquaman had a little too much Olympian wine...

The word is that DC will be following Marvel's lead and will be including a couple of extra scenes during and at the end of the credits for Justice League which will set up future movies.  One is supposed to get audiences pumped for the solo Aquaman film, and I am looking forward to checking it out!

Concrete and Yoda

I remember reading The Art of Star Wars when I was a kid and discovering the work of Ralph McQuarrie.  His advertisements, matte paintings and concept art absolutely blew me away, and gave me a real appreciation for the skill that goes into creating a fictional world.  watching the original trilogy again, you can see his artwork or influence in almost every scene.