Justice League of America and Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends (And More!)

Wow, already up to STF #2300!  To think my original goal was to get to 500 covers.  I have been glad to see some comics titles that have been stopped and re-started with new first issues have gone back to their original numbering.  There's something very cool about seeing solicits for Action Comics with issue numbers in the 1000's.  Plus, as a collector, all that re-numbering made keeping them in order a pain!

Spawn Vs. Ragman

It sounds like a new Spawn movie is finally going to happen after years of teases.  Todd McFarlane himself will be directing with Jamie Foxx in the title role and Jeremy Renner as Detective Twitch.  Mcfarlane promises more of a horror film feel and less of a superhero vibe for the movie.  Even with all of the 1990's CGI that does not hold up today, I still kind of liked the first attempt when it was released, and it will be interesting to see the differences that a come about as a result of twenty years passing and having the actual creator behind the camera.

Coming tomorrow - STF #2300!

Doc Savage and The Phantom

If action films have taught me anything, it is to steer clear of rope bridges.  I have seen many flicks where characters try to cross a rope bridge of one kind or another, and it always leads to disaster.  If the thing doesn't break apart on its own when they are half way through, someone else will deliberately destroy it - they never stay intact!  While some people may scream for their heroes not to go downstairs in horror flicks, I yell at the screen telling the heroes to stay away from rope bridges in action movies!

Man-Bat Vs. The Green Goblin

There's no character I want to show up in a future Batman movie than Man-Bat.  Special effects are finally at a place where he can truly be depicted accurately, and his back story and fact that he can be an ally or adversary to the Dark Knight make him perfect for a big screen treatment.   The Green Goblin was very well played by Willem Dafoe, but I wouldn't mind Marvel Studios bringing the villain back, if only to see if a more comics accurate appearance could be achieved.

Doctor Who goes Back to the Future

I recently showed Back to the Future to my parents, who somehow had never seen it.  Even though I have watched it many times, it still holds up really well for me.  It is really a perfectly written script, there are no wasted scenes, even small throwaway lines and visuals early on in the film pay off by the ending.  The cast is a ton of fun to watch, clearly having a blast in their roles.  Even the Huey Louis soundtrack still gets my foot tapping.  Maybe some of the old age makeup could be better done today, but other than that there's not much that can be improved upon.

Warlock and Cyborg

Back in STF #950, which featured a New Mutants/ New Teen Titans team up, I included a back up story that starred Warlock and Cyborg.  I had always meant to flesh out that tale for a cover all its own, and now I have finally gotten around to it.  It's interesting to me that both Warlock from the New Mutants and Adam Warlock each have arch enemies named The Magus.

Justice Society of America Vs. Kang

The path is finally clear for Marvel to get the rights to most of the rest of their characters for cinematic adaptations.  While most are excited about the possibilities it brings for including The X-men and Fantastic Four in their films, I am also glad that it finally frees up one of the greatest Avengers foes of all - Kang!  I am guessing, due to the presence of Doctor Strange's (possibly tampered with?) time stone and the events of Ant-Man and The Wasp's mid-credits scene, that time jumping will be an aspect of the next Avengers movie - hopefully that doesn't mean Kang will be off the table for a while even though the rights issues have been sorted out.

Green Arrow & Black Canary and The Shadow

My first exposure to The Shadow was not from movies, comics, or pulps - but the radio.  My father would get collections of classic radio shows for us kids to listen to at night on camping trips.  My favorites were Mystery Theater, X Minus One, and The Shadow.  You just had to love the menacing laughter that they gave to the title character.  There was no need for visuals when those audio dramas sparked so much imagination.

Thor and Captain Comet

With the surprising news of James Gunn's removal from the third Guardians of The Galaxy movie, many are wondering what will become of the final chapter in the planned trilogy.  Apparently a script is completed, so they could still get production underway on schedule if they have a director with the chops to take it on.  The best suggestion I have heard so far is Taika Waititi.  The visuals, music, humor and overall attitude of Thor: Ragnarok felt more like a Guardians film to me anyway, let's see what he can do with the real thing!

The Punisher Vs. Vigilante in: "Dead to Rights!"

I always liked the look for the Adrian Chase Vigilante.  It looked like something that a district attorney moonlighting as crime-buster would wear, as it completely concealed his identity while being utilitarian and imposing in appearance as well.  There have been some redesigns on characters that have taken up the mantle after him, but for me the original costume is still the best.

These two first faced off in STF #1547...

Blind Justice

I have paired Daredevil and Doctor Mid-Nite together a couple of times, in STF #805, and way back in STF #7, and I decided that the Blind Justice concept could be expanded to an entire team.  I only wish that I could have figured out how to get Rutger Hauer's character from the movie Blind Fury in there, I remember loving that one!

Batman and The Shroud

This is another pairing that I never got around to in my Brave and The Bold: the Lost Issues days, but had always meant to.  Like Moon Knight, The Shroud began as a Batman-type in the Marvel Universe, but soon found his own niche.  I always got a kick out of his mysterious looking cloak, and I enjoyed when he recently surfaced in the pages of Daredevil.

Wonder Woman Vs. Thundra

Marvel Two-In-One was one of my favorite titles growing up, and I liked that it introduced me to so many of Marvel's lesser known heroes.  To me, having them star alongside The Thing gave them instant status, since he's always been my favorite Marvel character.I became a big fan of heroes like Thundra, Stingray and Giant Man Bill Foster due to their appearances there.  OK, maybe Aquarian never excited me that much, but the title had a pretty good track record of introducing me to cool co-stars.

The Defenders and Red Tornado

I liked the designation of Non-Team for The Defenders in the early years of the title.  It really fit - this was not a group of heroes that had regular meetings, assignments or monitor duty.  They didn't even have a formal headquarters, they just hung out at Dr. Strange's place.  Thrown together more by circumstance than choice, they were as likely to be battling each other as an outside force.  These non-traditional aspects made the group unpredictable, and fun to read about.

Captain Action and Dial "H" For Hero

Although I never actually saw it for sale in stores, the ads for Captain Action fascinated me.  Here was an action figure that could transform into many different heroes - and what a selection!  Batman, Superman, Captain America, The Phantom, The Lone Ranger, Flash Gordon, The Green Hornet, and many more...  the guy was a real life inter-company crossover before there was even such a thing!  It's crazy that they had the rights to use all those different characters, I can't imagine it happening that way today.

Gambit Vs. The Royal Flush Gang

It looks like Marvel pulled a fast one (SPOILERS for those not caught up on recent X-Men events), by promoting one superhero wedding and giving us another instead.  Rather than Colossus and Kitty Pryde getting hitched, it was Gambit and Rogue who tied the knot at the last minute.  It will be interesting to see where that development takes each character going forward.

A big thank you goes out to Philip Pfeiffer for not only supporting the blog, but suggesting this match up!

Spider-Man and Monkeyman & O'Brien

I remember the first time I saw Art Adams artwork, on a Marvel Team-Up cover featuring that title's first appearance of the black costume.  It made an instant impression on me, and when I saw his highly detailed and energetic interiors shortly after in the Longshot mini-series and elsewhere I became an instant fan.  Monkeyman and O'Brien really shows off his talents well, with stories that feature beautiful women, gorillas, monsters, aliens and a true sense of fun.

Jolt and Stargirl

I was a big fan of Kurt Busiek's Thunderbolts series for Marvel, with villains disguised as heroes and the effect that had on them.  When Jolt was introduced, the series got even better, as she was the first member of the team truly untarnished by a villainous past and made a big impression on the rest of them.  She was later killed off, but then got better.  I haven't kept much track of what's happened to her since that series ended, but if they ever bring it back, I hope she will be part of the team once again.

Superman Vs. Doctor Octopus

Henry Cavill has been hinting lately that he is once again bulking up for the role of Superman.  This is Good news because I do like his portrayal, despite the poor scripts he has had to work with thus far.  The question is where he will return - in a sequel of his own or perhaps a cameo in Shazam! or another DC movie?  Hopefully there will be some sort of announcement at the upcoming Comicon that will shed more light on DC's plans for the Man of Steel.

Ghost Rider enters The House Of Mystery

I liked the balance that dc had with its old horror titles like House of Mystery, The Witching Hour, or House of Secrets.  While the stories inside were filled with scary creatures and dark morality tales, the horror hosts that introduced them still had a sense of humor about them.  A wicked sense of humor to be sure, but it was definitely there.  It was a juxtaposition that worked well for a young reader like I was at the time.

Human Torch & Iceman Vs. The Flash

It should come as no surprise that I have been a fan of comic crossovers since I was a kid.  I can remember seeing an ad for Strange Tales #120 which featured The Human Torch fighting side by side with Iceman from the X-Men.  I had never seen those heroes with such opposite abilities in one story together before and I was fascinated by the concept. It would be decades before I actually tracked down a copy of that issue - and it was worth the wait!

Long time followers of this blog know that the dialogue on this cover refers to the events of  STF #573...

Deadman and Elektra (Part Two)

Continued from yesterday's cover, we see why Boston Brand has been hanging around...

If the on-again, off-again Justice League Dark film ever gets made, I can see Deadman as being the breakout character.  Of all the heroes mentioned to be a part of the cast, he has the most likable, down to Earth personality.  His experienced yet humorous take on the occult situations that they encounter can make him someone that audiences can identify with.

Deadman and Elektra (Part One)

I have really enjoyed the character arc of Elektra in the second season of Netflix' Daredevil series, as well as The Defenders.  Elodie Yung is perfect in the role, capturing both the menace and the allure of the ninja assassin.  Now that she has a decidedly different status quo in the underworld, I am really looking forward to her crossing paths with Matt Murdock once more.

As indicated above, this is just Part One of a Two Part adventure, so be sure to come back tomorrow for the exciting conclusion!

Calvin & Hobbes and Winnie the Pooh

I hadn't been paying too much attention to the upcoming Christopher Robin film starring Ewan McGregor, but I checked out the trailer the other day and was intrigued.  It looks like a heartwarming tale that will tug at all the right heart strings.  What really struck me, though, was the design of Pooh and all the other forest characters.  The look as though they stepped right out of A.A. Milne's original stories.  I'll definitely be checking this movie out.

Blue Beetle Vs. Sandman

I was very saddened to hear of the passing of Steve Ditko, a giant in the history of comic book artwork.  His mastery of body language and inventive layouts plus the ability to depict a diverse supporting cast played a huge part in making Spider-Man a massive hit. If all he ever gave us was his work on Spidey he would have been a legend, but he gave us so much more, from Doctor Strange to The Creeper and Hawk and Dove, to Mr. A and The Question and beyond.  I know he was very reclusive, but I hope he knew how important he was to the industry and how many fans he made happy over the years.

Jade & Obsidian and Rogue

Continued from yesterday's cover, we now see who it was that The Sentinels were after - did any of you guess correctly? 

Jade and Obsidian have been missing in action for a while now.  Once the classic Justice Society of America was taken off the table, there was no longer a place for their children as well.  DC seems to be ready to bring the JSA back though, and hopefully these two won't be too far behind.

Power Girl and Rogue

One  X-Men character that I am really looking forward to having a Marvel cinematic makeover is Rogue.  Anna Paquin's version was more of a Rogue/Kitty Pryde hybrid and, other than her power set, never reminded me much of the comic book character.  I'd love to see the sassy Southern villain gone good finally get her live-action due.

Hmmm... Just who is their true target on the cover above?  All will be revealed tomorrow in Part Two, so make sure you come back!

Liberty Belle and The Invaders

Happy 4th of July!

It looks like the Disney/Fox merger is about to finally go through, which mean there should be no obstacle to using The Human Torch (be it Storm or Hammond) in the movies.  I understand the Namor has a similar situation with The Hulk's - rights issues mean he can't have a solo film, but can appear as a guest star.  Given the fact that we only saw the bulk of Captain America's war years in a brief montage, there's no reason we can't have an Invaders movie now.   Let's hope it's something that Marvel Studios considers one of these days.

Black Lightning and Hellcat

I loved the first season of Black Lightning, which did a great job of establishing Jefferson Pierce's friends and family.  I am really looking forward to seeing where the story goes from here now that his daughters are both embracing their super powers as well.  I was intrigued to read that supporting character Dr. Jace will be joining the cast - she was a key player in Black Lightning's adventures with The Outciders in the comics, so I am hoping that her inclusion is another indication that team is heading towards a live action treatment down the line.

Sandman Vs. the Hulk

Fans have been wondering when of if we were going to get a version of the Grey Hulk in the movies.  He certainly has been evolving - first becoming far more verbose after Being in Hulk form for two years in Thor: Ragnorok, and then refusing to emerge after a Thanos butt-whuppin' in Avengers Infinity War.  Promotional images of the next Avengers film indicate that we may be getting a different kind of hulk the next time around - but not Mr. Fixit or the early Grey version.  To me it looks as though they are heading towards the Professor Hulk of Peter David's run, with full un-torn uniform and Banner's intellect intact.  It will be interesting to see exactly where they are going and how they handle it.

Aquaman and Sub-Mariner in : "Slaves of the Mer-Mutates!"

Rumors are that we may finally see some footage from James Wan's Aquaman at DC's upcoming Comicon presentation, and I am dying to see what it looks like.  There have been some still shots and production drawings released that look very promising.  My favorite is a shot of some Atlantians riding some huge underwater creatures.  If they can find a way to get Aquaman on a giant sea horse, I will be very pleased!

Aquaman and Namor have a bit of history on this blog.  They last met trying to avert war in Issue #1105, faced the sea's wrath back in Issue #751 and starred in my very first STF two-parter in Issue #3 and Issue #4.