Fire and The New Mutants

Word on the New Mutants movie is that it is that it has been plagued with difficulties since the beginning.  Delays, reshoots, budget issues and indecision over the tone of the film have all seemingly taken their toll.  I remember seeing some kind of teaser a good while ago, and to be frank, if it wasn't labeled as a New Mutants movie, I would not have known that's what it was supposed to be.  Now the rumor is that it will either go straight to a streaming service or not be released at all.  It's too bad, I loved the series in its first few years and would love to see a faithful adaptation one day.

Captain Atom and U.S.Agent

I really liked the redesign that Pat Broderick gave to Captain Atom's costume when DC brought the Charlton heroes into the DCU.  It's simple and effective - you just know the guy is powerful by looking at him.  There have been a few attempts to redesign his look since, but that always looked a little busy to me and didn't really work.  He looked great in animation as well, always a good test of a costumes effectiveness.

Doctor Fate Vs. Mephisto

The Marvel movies have shown us locations all across the globe, including fictional countries.  We've also seen lots of deep space locales, not to mention the Microverse, Dark Dimension and other mystical realms.  When is Marvel going to take us to Hell?  Or at least the underworldly realm ruled by Mephisto?  A Doctor Strange sequel would seem the most likely place, but I could see a Silver Surfer movie venturing to that dark place as well.

Doctor Who and Green Lantern

The artwork of Dave Gibbons exploded in popularity when Watchmen hit the stands, but the first time he made an impression with me was his work on Green Lantern.  His depictions of Hal Jordan, John Stewart and the extended cast of the title looked great to me, his clean lines gave everything a modern feel.  I was a big fan of his back up tales as well, featuring alien GL's in solo adventures.

These two first met in STF #1911...

Green Arrow Vs. Sandman

Flint Marko's redemption was something I really liked, and I wish more had been done to establish him as a true hero afterwards.  Instead he seemed to cross back and forth over the line between hero and villain in the decades that followed.  I confess that I have lost track - I'm not sure what his status is these days.

Hawkman and Wolverine

I'd love to see these two in an adventure together.  While heroic, both have a savage side that sets them apart from their teammates.  Wolverine is very long lived while Hawkman has been through many reincarnations, so they have both experienced a lot more in life than their fellow teammates.  They even both utilize exotic metals with amazing properties to enhance their natural born abilities.

Chameleon Boy and The Human Torch

One of the great things about The Legion of Super-Heroes was that so many of the individual members were strong enough to be solo stars in my eyes.  Some, like Karate Kid, Mon-El, and Cosmic Boy have even made that leap.  I'd like to see Chameleon Boy in some solo adventures, I love his power set.  Other choices to branch out on their own would be Dawnstar, Ultra Boy or Wildfire.

Power Man and Iron Fist Vs. Black Adam

I get that The Rock is a huge movie star, and I get why DC chose not to use him as the villain in their first Shazam! film.  Still, plans to have him star in a solo movie before even meeting The Big Red Cheese have me scratching my head.  I think there is plenty of room for Black Adam to have an origin and back story fleshed out in a regular sequel to Shazam!  Go ahead and give Dwayne Johnson top billing if that's what it takes.  If a sequel is a huge hit, then maybe consider giving Black Adam his own solo vehicle.

Power man first battled Black Adam in STF #1982...

Blonde Phantom and Black Canary

Having Earth One Black Canary be revealed to actually be the daughter of the original Earth Two Black Canary was a retcon that made sense to me.  I always wondered if there was an age difference between Dinah and Green Arrow when they became a couple, since she had been sharing adventures with the Justice Society for a while before he came along.  I also fondly remember an issue of Secret Origins which featured both of the Black Canaries, streamlining their history and focusing on their relationship with one another.

Halo and Nova

I may be in the minority on this one, but I have always thought that Halo's costume was very cool.  I love the asymmetrical design of it and it looks good from many different angles - even if it might be a pain to illustrate for some.  Most of all, it's just unique!  Other artists have tried to update Jim Aparo's original look for the character, but nothing has worked as well for me as the original.

The Vision and G.I. Robot

So, Paul Bettany will be joining Elizabeth Olsen for the Vision and Scarlet Witch series on Disney's streaming service.  Whether this means that The Vision somehow survives after the events of Avengers: Endgame or that the show will take place in the past remains to be seen.  I'm just glad we will get the chance to see these characters together again, I always wanted more of them in their film appearances.

She-Hulk Vs. Superman's Villains

I am still amazed that we have not seen a live action She-Hulk yet.  I've said it before - A lawyer that deals in meta-human cases who is also a superhero herself would make for a great  Movie or TV series filled with action, humor, and courtroom drama. Plus, Jennifer Walters has such a great personality, I would think it would be a fun role to play for an actress.

The Punisher Vs. Ambush Bug

I'm looking forward to the watching new (and it would seem, final) season of The Punisher on Netflix.  It's getting good reviews and Jon Bernthal does a great job in the role of Frank Castle.  I hope that they had some kind of heads-up on a cancellation so that the show can come to some sort of conclusion (like Daredevil) and not end on a cliffhanger (like Luke Cage).

Captain America and Buck Rogers

Here's another potential family relation that I am surprised had not occurred to me before.  I think it might be interesting to explore - having such a swashbuckling uncle could be one place that Steve Rogers developed his heroic attitude.  Plus, they clearly share the same love for red buccaneer boots!

Swamp Thing and Black Panther

I liked the upgrades to Black Panther's costume in his solo movie, but I have to admit the technology is a bit far fetched, even with the addition of fictional vibranium into the mix.  So he can tap a small necklace and a whole costume appears around it?  I'm not crazy about Iron Man pulling a similar stunt with his armor in Avengers: Infinity War, either.  Sure, there's some mention of nanites or whatever, but to me it just seems like magic.

Fantastic Four Vs. Composite Superman

The Composite Superman may have a somewhat goofy appearance, but I took him very seriously as a kid.  A giant  with green skin and a split Batman/Superman costume that possessed the combined powers of the Legion of Super-Heroes was an immensely cool concept to me not a villain to be taken lightly!

Power Pack and The Legion of Super-Heroes

Now that Disney owns the Marvel properties, I will be surprised if we don't heard more plans for Power Pack.  A superhero team made up of young brothers and sisters that get caught up in intergalactic shenanigans seems like a natural for the the House of Mickey.  I can imagine a feature film, streaming series or even an animated show coming out of the concept.

The Demon and Spider-Man

We are supposed to be getting a trailer or at least teaser for Spider-Man: Far From Home very soon, maybe even tomorrow.  I'm wondering how Marvel is going to handle it, given the fact that Peter Parker was "dusted" along with half the universe, the last time we saw him.  Will this new adventure be revealed to have happened before the Thanos SNAP or are they just assuming that we all know Spidey is coming back in one way or another anyway?

Black Widow Vs. Deathstroke

Natasha is clearly referring here to the events of STF #2377...

We have seen Deathstroke in live action before,  but my favorite stories of his feature him up against The New Teen Titans, particularly The Judas Contract.  Maybe DC Streaming Service will feature an adaptation of that on Titans if the series continues.  The animated version was OK, but I'd lilk to see something closer to the comics version.

A gift from my brother

I've shared the artwork of my brother Alan Pearsall before on this blog.  I thought you might get a kick out of the birthday present he made for me:

Animal Man, Man-Thing and Concrete (Vs. The A-V-M Man!)

When I first featured this trio together in STF #2425, more than one commenter felt it only natural that they face off against the Animal-Vegetable-Mineral Man, so - here you go!

Today is my 50th Birthday,  and I honestly still feel very young at heart. This blog has been a part of that - reading, collecting and creating comics brought me a lot of happiness as a kid and this project has helped me stay in touch with the good feelings that the hobby brings.

Rocket Raccoon & Groot and Calvin & Hobbes

This was a suggestion by Mike Shirley, a Patron of this Blog, among others. It seems that the third installment of Guardians of the Galaxy has been put off for a while, while the search continues for a new director to replace James Gunn.  Marvel has so many new properties to introduce that maybe a pause wont be a bad thing.  We still have to find out in what shape and how intact the Guardians will be after the events of the upcoming Avengers: Endgame, after all.  Hopefully, though,  we will see them back within five years - with Warlock in the mix!

7 Soldiers of Victory and The Liberty Legion

The Seven Soldiers of Victory were quite a contrast from the Justice Society - in a good way.  The JSA for the most part was made up of incredibly powerful characters that could host a solo comic of their own.  The 7 soldiers mainly consisted of non-powered adventurers that usually appeared in back-up tales.  I liked the difference in roster types, it helped to make each team a little more unique to me.

Colossus and Red Tornado

I have been pleasantly surprised by how well Colossus has been handled in the Deadpool movies.  He looks just about perfect, as if he stepped right off of the comics page, just like Deadpool himself. The main thing I had been worried about was his portrayal, I didn't want the character there just to be mocked by the star of the movies.  While he is there in service to the mostly comedic scripts, he is never the butt of the jokes and has kept his dignity intact.  I wish I could say the same for The Juggernaut, who's been treated as a joke in two different films now.

Iron Beetle and Daredevil

If you are curious about the new heroic identities that these two are using, Jaime Reyes got his new armor in in STF #386, and Matt Murdock received his power ring in STF #1960... Bob Greenwade, a Patron of this blog, suggested I put them together for a story. I've been meaning to put Krakoa on Oa, and this seemed to me to be the perfect place to do so.  Who says this isn't the swingin' STF age of serving up scintillating suggested situations?

Starman and Quasar

I liked the Will Payton Starman, even if that purple and yellow outfit was hard on the eyes (the switch later on to a red and black version of that design was a huge improvement).  Roger Stern is one of the most dependable superhero writers and his Starman series was no exception.  I thought it was very cool that this version was later connected to the Prince Gavyn Starman by writer James Robinson, cementing the legacy aspect of the heroic name.

Mary Marvel and Invisible Girl

I liked this redesign of Susan Storm's outfit by Paul Ryan.  Some other costume changes she has had over the years did not really work for the character, but this one was a nice update that I would have liked to have seen hang around longer.  Mary Marvel's change to a white version of her costume was OK, but I have to say that nothing beats her classic look.

Zatanna and Hellboy

The first trailer for the rebooted Hellboy film has been released and it looks to me like a step down from the Guilllermo del Toro-directed movies.  The make up on David Harbour seems kind of sloppy and the actor comes off as uncomfortable in it.  We were promised that this would be a "darker take" on the character, but you can't tell it from the sitcom-like tone of the trailer.  The first two movies weren't perfect, but I would have much preferred that trilogy be completed than what we are seeing here.

Supergirl and TRON

When I watch older movies with a computer programming or video game element to them like War Games, The Net, The Wizard, or even Superman III, they look very dated.  It's a testament to the writing and art design of TRON to see how well that movie holds up over 35 years later.  I still love the special effects used on the Game Grid.  TRON absolutely amazed me as a kid, and I still like to revisit it every few years.

Mister Terrific and Iron Man in: "Interstellar Gun Run!"

I am trying to not spoil things for myself or get my hopes up too much - but I caught a glimpse of some blurred out images from the upcoming Avengers: Endgame, and they seemed to show what could be Iron Man sporting his classic look gold and yellow armor that he wore throughout the 70's and 80's.  Again, they were blurry so it may just be wishful thinking on my part, but if true it is something that I have been waiting for since Robert Downey Jr. first took on the role.

These two heroes first met back in STF #2152...

The Thing Vs. Batman (in the ring!)

I thought that it was time for another meeting between these two.  Not only they the former "hosts" of this blog, but they are my favorite characters from Marvel and DC respectively.

They have, of course, met before in other Lost Issues -  They last faced a fiery situation in STF #554... They topped off an Anniversary Issue in STF #500... before that, They battled the Riddler/Trapster team... earlier, The Thing discovered the Bat Cave... and was handed control of The Outsiders... not to mention This Whole Blog... and finally first appeared together in one of the earliest covers...

Dr. Doom Vs. Ra's Al Ghul

Reading the comics as a kid, I never quite knew how to pronounce Ra's Al Ghul.  I have to say, that I am still confused - I have seen the character appear on TV and an the movies and heard him discussed in creator interviews, and there still does not seem to be a clear consensus.  I've hard "RAHZ-al-Ghoul" as often as I have heard "RAYSHE-al-ghoul".  Maybe I need to go back and see how his creator Dennis O'Neil says it, that should be considered the official pronunciation.