Batgirl and ROM

Batgirl has a new look in the comics recently, and I have to say that she seems to be sacrificing safety for fashion by replacing the full head mask with one that covers around her eyes and not much else.  I mean, she has a little more head protection than Robin or Nightwing, but this is Gotham City after all.  You would think Batman's proteges would follow his lead and have a complete cowl.

The Falcon and Northwind

I like the generational aspect of DC comics and Infinity Inc. added to that when it introduced a whole new group of sons and daughters of the Justice Society of America to comics readers.  Unfortunately, not much has been done with the characters since that series ended decades ago.  They were apparently a casualty of The New 52, but now that we are past that era and into DC Rebirth, perhaps they can return.  Maybe we have to wait for the original JSA to come back before their kids do.

My apologies for posting this one out of order.  I lost my father on Wednesday and my mind was all over the place. I was glad that in the past decade movie nights at my parents' place became a regular thing, every six weeks or so.  Dad really got a kick out of the Marvel Movies and always wanted to see the new Pixar releases.  I was dazzled as a kid by brightly colored larger than life heroes but through his work ethic, moral code, love for his family and great sense of humor, my father was a real life superhero in front of me all along.

Captain America and Plastic Man

So, what's the deal with Plastic Man's goggles?  I had always assumed that like the rest of his costume, they were a permanent part of him as part of his condition - I had never seen him without them on.  But lately, I have seen a few artists depicting him without the goggles or at least lifting them up -  so has he been able to remove them this whole time or is that a new development?

The Question and Moon Knight

I'm still a little surprised that we never saw The Question show up on Arrow, they seem to have included a lot of DC's street level characters and he would have been a perfect fit.  That series will be coming to a close after a 10-episode season next year, so Vic Sage would have to find another home.  Batwoman seems like a good place for him to show up.

Justice League of America and Darkwing Duck

When I was a kid, I thought it very odd that the JLA's original headquarters was located in a cave.  It seemed very low tech for a team that included such powerful characters (not to mention a billionaire).  I loved The JLA Satellite though, a much more suitable meeting place.  I really hope to see a live action version someday, based on the original Bronze Age design.

Starman and Star-Lord

It looks like Disney pulled a fast one and James Gunn was never really removed from directing Duties on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, so his plans to close out the trilogy will be realized.  He has said before that the plot will revolve around Gamora, which raises some interesting questions given the events of Avengers: Infinity War.  Will the story be about mourning her loss, or is this an indication that she will somehow return in Avengers: Endgame?

Green Goblin Vs. Lex Luthor

One of the many pleasant surprises from Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was the use of the Ultimate Comics' version of The Green Goblin.  Even though he just had a small role, it was very cool to see him in action.  The whole movie is jam-packed full of treats for comic fans, though, literally from the first frame to the post credits scene.  The love for Spider-Man and the genre  that went into the creation of this well-deserved Oscar-winner is very evident, and I highly recommend it.

Nemesis and Daredevil

I haven't seen Nemesis in several years and that's too bad.  The last place I remember him appearing was as a supporting character in Wonder Woman, but I don't know if he made the cut in either of DC's last two reboots.  I loved his back-ups in Brave and the Bold as well as his brief time in Suicide Squad. Hopefully he'll find a new home the next time a DC hero needs a master of disguise super spy to lend them a hand.

Flash Gordon and Commissioner Gordon

With Matt Reeves The Batman planning on casting a younger Caped Crusader, the supporting characters will have to be re-cast as well.  It's going to be tough to top Gary Oldman in the role, but I hope whoever the choose looks to his performance as inspiration.  I hear that after voicing Alfred in the Batman Lego Movie, Ralph Fiennes wants to play a live action version of the trusty butler, which I would be all for.

Black Widow and The Huntress in: "Last Rites!"

The Black Widow solo film finally seems to be getting underway, with Cate Shortland named as director and Florence Pugh tapped to co-star as a fellow agent.  No word on whether any other Marvel heroes will be showing up, but I wouldn't mind seeing Winter Soldier or Hawkeye as part of the mix.  My first choice would be Daredevil, but I know that wont be happening.

These two first crossed paths in STF #735

Justice Society of America and Captain America in: "Zapped... By Zeus!"

There are a lot of question marks in my mind regarding the upcoming Wonder Woman 1984.  Reports are that is is not to be considered a sequel, but simply another adventure like the James Bond franchise, although I'm not sure exactly what the distinction is there,  Then there's the question of how Steve Trevor is still around decades after his apparent death.  There have also been rumors regarding rewrites and reshoots to either alter the role of Kristin Wiig's Cheetah or to give the DCEU a soft reboot.  Sounds a bit all over the place, hopefully the final product will be a cohesive hit.

Cap first met the JSA in STF #290, and this marks the 22nd appearance of the WW/Cap romance on the blog...

Steel and Machine Man

I've lost track of both of these heroes since I stopped regularly buying comics (the hobby priced me out - I am a digital sale trade waiter these days).  The last I am aware of John Henry Irons is that he passed on his heroic identity to his daughter, who's running with the Teen Titans now.  I haven't heard much about Aaron Stack since his team Nextwave closed up shop.  Hopefully they have both found new homes since,  they are both great characters.

The Spectre and The Invaders

I first encountered stories of the Spear of Destiny in the pages of All-Star Squadron, and I thought it was an effective plot device.  It's ability to control magic-based heroes was a good explanation for how some of the more powerful Justice Society of America members didn't just take matters in their own hands and end World War II.  It also allowed for nothing to be taken away from the accomplishments of the non-super powered service men and women during the war effort.

The Coven (Vs. the Wicked Witch)

The Scarlet Witch will have her own mini series with the Vision on Disney's upcoming streaming service, which sound pretty cool.  When will we see Clea though?  Although a Doctor Strange sequel has been announced, I haven't heard confirmation that the character will appear.  I hope she will though, she was a big part of the Doctor Strange comics I read growing up.

The Coven first assembled in STF #920...

Jack O'Lantern and Shamrock

I remember thinking that Shamrock was the coolest character introduced in Marvel's Contest of Champions mini-series.  I thought that the power of amazing good luck was very unique and a lot could be done with it.  Unfortunately, none of the new heroes introduced made much of a splash.  Later on, Domino hit the scene with good luck power of her own, making poor Shamrock redundant.  I still like her though and hope that she hasn't been forgotten completely.

Man-Bat Vs. Kraven the Hunter

With the announcement that the next Batman movie will feature four bat-villains, I am really hoping that at long last Man-Bat gets to have his shot at the big screen.  I guess it depends on how street level Matt Reeves want his version of Batman to be, as this tale will take place earlier in the caped Crusader's career.  Personally, I think it's high time that more powerful characters like Man-Bat and Clayface are included.

Wonder Woman and Xena

These two really do need to share and adventure together someday.  Xena: Warrior Princess  was certainly inspired in some ways by Wonder Woman's comic and TV show.  Then, when WW finally became represented on the big screen, some cues were taken from Xena's series.  How cool would it be to see them fighting side by side?

Batman & The Outsiders and The Phoenix in: "Corruption Interrupted!"

I guess one positive thing about the new Dark Phoenix movie looking more like X-Men: The Last Stand than the comics that the classic story is based upon is that it doesn't completely close the door on a proper retelling by Marvel Studios at some point down the road.  Sure it would be the third cinematic version, but if they follow the comics it won't be anything like audiences have seen before.

The Outsiders first tangled with The Phoenix in STF #112...

Aquaman and Iron Man in: "WWIII Begins at Sea!"

 The fate of characters like Iron Man and Captain America is very much up in the air with the upcoming Avengers: Endgame and the actors contracts expiring.  Even if Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans wish to leave their roles, I hope the characters they play are not killed off.  I'd prefer them to be kept on the table in some way even if it means eventually re-casting.  I mean, how do we get a Secret Wars movie down the road without Iron Man and Cap?

Aquaman first met Iron Man way back in STF #471... 

Legion of Super-Heroes and The Sub-Mariner

Aquaman was such a surprise big hit that not only has a sequel been announced, but also a spin-off horror movie based on The Trench.  I thought that they looked great in the movie and I really enjoyed the scenes that they appeared in - but can they support a film all by themselves?  Do they even speak?  I guess they could tell the story of how they mutated over the years into their current forms.

Hellboy and The Demon

More footage from the Hellboy reboot have been released, and I will say that it was a step up from what I had seen before and that there are definitely some interesting visuals in there.   The brief glimpse of baby Hellboy was a hoot.  I'm still not quite sold on the look of Hellboy himself though, I prefer the make up that Ron Perlman sported. Still, I'll keep an open mind and hopefully this new version will be a pleasant surprise.

Calvin & Hobbes and Man-Thing

I'm willing to bet there are a lit of owners that have named their new kittens "Hobbes", particularly during the original run of the Calvin & Hobbes comic strip.  Being a cat lover and owner myself, I can understand.  My current cat Ace is named after a fictional pet as well - just don't tell him it's Batman's dog!  Heck, the main reason I am interested in seeing Captain Marvel is to check out Goose the Cat (Chewie in the comics) because reviewers seem to agree that he steals the show.

G.I. Joe and Sgt. Rock

I'm a little surprised that I haven't heard any solid  plans for another G.I. Joe  movie.  There was mention of a G.I. Joe/Transformers crossover flick, which sounds so crazy it just might work, but I don't think that ever got beyond the pitch stage.  They could also go in another direction and present a more grounded reboot.  Whatever is decided, there's still plenty of material to mine in the property.

The Watcher and Green Lanterns

I haven't read too many issues featuring new Green Lanterns Simon Baz and Jessica Cruz, but I have to say I really like the costume designs for each.  Cruz' personality and how it relates to her use of the ring is pretty interesting as well.  I am curious as to whether there is a story reason that Earth now has seven human Green Lanterns in operation (Hal, John, Kyle, Guy, Simon Jessica and the new Teen Lantern).  I don't think there have been so many at once before.

Popeye and Aquaman

I have to believe that the portrayal of Aquaman on Batman: The Brave and Bold was a big influence on Jason Mamoa's take on the sea king for the big screen.  I was originally wary of the bombastic "Outrageous!" version of Arthur Curry on the cartoon, but was quickly won over.  Likewise, I was still unsure about Mamoa as Aquaman after Justice League, but his solo film was so fun and unapologetically comics inspired that I just had to go along for the ride and had a blast with it.

Moon Knight and Elongated Man in: You're Gonna Need a Stretcher!"

That's right, the boys are back!  Wait... you didn't think that when I first paired these two together in STF #2169, that it was just going to be a one-off adventure, did you?  Sorry, there's just too much to explore with a partnership of such epic proportions.  Yeah, you may as well just get used to it - this is a thing now.

Gambit and Swamp Thing

This was a suggestion I got for a Mardi Gras cover, and I think it would make for a fun story.  I'm looking forward to seeing some footage from the upcoming Swamp Thing series on DC's streaming service.  I've been impressed with the the talent they have chosen to be in front of and behind the camera, so I am hoping for the best.

Superman Vs. The Kingpin

Marvel can't use any of the characters that were on the Netflix shows for 2 years following their cancellation, so it will be a while before we hear anything about them joining the MCU.  It will be tough to top Vincent D'Onofrio as The Kingpin, but I would still like to see yhe character on the big screen again.  As a kid, I always saw him equally as a villain for Spider-Man as he was with Daredevil, so a movie featuring all three would seem like a natural way to go.

Regular blog followers will know that Superman has been at odds with The Kingpin since he was Superboy...

Conan and Mr. Spock

In addition to reprising his Terminator role, there are plans for Arnold Schwarzenegger to once again play Conan The Barbarian on the big screen.  I realize there were plenty of King Conan tales featuring an older version of the character, but I don't know that he was ever in his 70's in those stories.  It will be interesting to see what direction will be taken and how much physical combat is involved.

Black Cat Vs. Catwoman in: "Tailing Selina!"

Selina Kyle has sported more different looks than most villains over the years,  but part of me will always miss the classic costume she wore above.  It's elegant while utilizing the popular villain color scheme of purple and green.  Plus, with apologies to Edna Mode, I love capes!

The modern day Catwoman and Black Cat shared a two-part adventure that began in STF #423 and concluded in STF #424...

Tigra and Tarzan

It will probably be a while before we see Tigra join the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  With The Cheetah set to make her debut in the upcoming Wonder Woman 1984, Tigra will probably seem too similar in nature to introduce too quickly afterwards. Still, I always liked her personality and I hope she shows up somewhere down the line/