Happy Halloween!

Have a great Halloween night!

Evil Ernie and Bert

Happy Halloween!

I always liked Bert as a kid.  He seemed like a kindred soul, a little nerdy in his love for collecting paper clips.  I also remember my little mind being blown away when I saw his full body as he was doing "The Pigeon" dance on an episode of Sesame Street.  Pretty impressive Muppetry, I must say!

Spider-Man and Robin (Part Two)

Continued from yesterday's cover (be sure to check it out for links to other Spidey-Robin adventures), we see the thrilling conclusion to our story.

I always knew that Mysterio would make a great cinematic villain and Spider-Man: Far From Home proved me right.  I am hoping the casting of Paul Dano as the Riddler in Matt Reeves' Batman movie will finally do the character justice.  Sure, Frank Gorshin's manic take was classic, and Jim Carrey had his moments, but neither depicted a genius that I could really see giving The Dark Knight a challenge.  I am hoping Dano's interpretation is closer to more modern depictions of the villain.

Spider-Man and Robin (Part One)

Spidey and Robin have had a bit of history on the blog - They first met back in my B&B: The Lost Issues days... They used the Spider-Signal in STF #2417... Batgirl joined them for an adventure in STF #938... They met when Dick Grayson became Nightwing in STF #87...  and Spidey even helped train Tim Drake to take over the Robin role in STF #838... they met when Robin was in the original Teen Titans in STF #619... and again in the New Teen Titans in STF #767...  not to mention when their successors met up in STF#529  and continued their adventure in STF #530... and they aren't done yet!  Be sure to catch the exciting conclusion to this tale tomorrow!

Zorro and El Kabong

I have been seeing more and more artwork by Francesco Frankavilla in the past few years, and I am really impressed by it.  He has an instantly recognizable style that is as effective in black and white as it is in color, due to his inking skills and mastery of light and shadow.  It's a style all his own that still evokes two of my all time favorite comic artists - Alex Toth and Joe Kubert.  I first discovered him as a cover artist, but soon learned that his interiors are great as well.

Static Vs. Electro in: "Shock of Ages!"

I liked that the Milestone Characters crossed over into the DC Universe for a number of years, it was cool to see team ups like Static and Black Lightning.  Also cool was that Static also crossed over into the DCU in the animated world.  Static Shock was a great cartoon already, then they had appearances by Batman, the Justice League and more.  Static even showed up in Justice League Unlimited and later Young Justice.  For a crossover fan like me, it was great to see those kinds of connections.

These two first tangled in STF #2314...

The Defenders Vs. The Fatal Five

This story serves as a prequel to STF #2710.  If you were wondering just how The Fatal Five got stuck in the present, well here you go! I definitely think that this would be a great match-up. With The Five having the edge in numbers and The Defenders the edge in raw power.  It would be close!

Harry Potter and Tim Hunter

Like a lot of comics fans, I thought, "Hey, that looks familiar..." when the Harry Potter books and movies became a smash hit.  I read and enjoyed The Books of Magic which introduced Tim Hunter years before, and it certainly seemed like an inspiration for the new wizard in training.

Thank you to David Welsh, a Patron of this blog, for suggesting this magical meet up!

The Atom Vs. Galactus

I have often wondered why the depiction of The Atom on DC's Legends of Tomorrow is so off from what we know from the comics.  He's got a clunky suit of armor rather than the sleek outfit we see above, and he hardly uses it to shrink anymore.  Yes, he is a technical genius but his personality is a lot more goofy that what we are used to as well.  It all started to makes sense when I understood that the writers actually wanted to use Ted Kord, the Blue Beetle - but couldn't, and went with Ray Palmer instead.  It seems like they just went ahead and wrote for Ted anyway, just changing the names around.

Galactus first faced the JLA way back in STF #117...

Arcade Vs. Mister Miracle

I really hope that Mister Miracle is done justice in the New Gods movie (which I assume is still happening - I haven't heard much news about if since the directorial announcement).  His colorful costume is a must, complete with cape and mask - hopefully it will not just appear once for a performance scene.  Then, we have to have some cool deathtraps for him to escape from, the more Kirbylike in design, the better.  Finally, hes got to have great chemistry with a statuesque actress playing Big Barda.  Check off those three boxes and I will be a happy viewer.

Calvin & Hobbes join The Green Lantern Corps

I really hope that some forward momentum is happening behind the scenes with a Green Lantern Corps movie.  It seems like ages since we have heard anything about it.  I'm guessing that we will have to wait until the release of Wonder Woman 1984 before Warner Bros starts to clarify the future of the DCEU, and where characters like Flash, Superman and the GLC are going.  We haven't even had confirmation that Matt Reeve's Batman movie will be connected to WW1984 or the still years off Aquaman sequel.  Will JJ Abrams be their answer to Marvel's Kevin Feige?

Captain Marvel and Firestorm

I like Annette Bening as an actress but using her in place of comic-accurate depictions of both Mar-Vell and The Supreme Intelligence in Captain Marvel was a huge missed opportunity for me. If they had to gender bend Mar-Vell, they could have still at least given us a scene of a de-aged Bening depicting the original Captain Marvel in action in her prime.  And I get the idea that everyone sees The Supreme Intelligence in their own way, but couldn't one person have seen it as a a big giant green floating head with tentacles?  Maybe future installments of the franchise can remedy these fan favorite oversights.

Batman and Abe Sapien

Matt Reeve's Batman movie is ramping up with cast announcements coming every few days.  I do like that they are going with a younger cast that can stay in the roles for a while if this new vision is a hit.  Many have been comparing the villain-heavy story to The Long Halloween, which is a great story to draw inspiration from.  I am also getting the feeling that Batman: The Animated Series will be a big influence on the look and feel of this new incarnation.  Batman has seldom been presented better than in that show, so I hope my hunch is correct.

Megaton Man and Radioactive Man

I'd love to see an animated Simpsons spinoff that takes place in the world of Radioactive Man -  especially if it took its cues from the excellent Bongo Comics featuring Bart Simpson's favorite hero.  They were created with a true knowledge and love of comics history, with different issues having fun with the conventions of different comic eras.  That's a concept that they could extend to the different types of superhero cartoons that we have seen over the years.  

Plastic Man and The Fantastic Four

I always got a kick out of the Fantasticars.  The first "flying bathtub" model was beautiful in its simplicity, and its non-aerodynamic shape just made Reed seem brilliant enough to keep the thing in the air.  This later design was great too, especially the way it could detach into four separate parts.  The Fantasticars allowed Ben Grimm to show off his piloting skills as well.  Have there ever been any toys made out of them?

The Falcon and The Teen Titans

I am very curious about how Sam Wilson will wield the Shield that Captain America gave to him.  Cap used it very effectively, but he had the super-soldier serum to allow him to do that.  Sam is in great shape, but has normal human strength.  We all saw what happened when Happy Hogan tried a Captain America like move in Spider-Man: Far From Home!  Sam is of course is more skilled than Happy, but still has no special powers to assist him - not to mention his wings getting in the way when wielding the shield.  Hopefully this will be addressed in the upcoming Disney+ show.

Sabrina and the Scarlet Witch

Out of all the upcoming Disney+ shows, Wanda/Vision is the one that I have the most questions about.  Will The Vision truly return, or will he only be there through flashbacks or illusions?  There have been rumors that Wiccan and Speed are being cast for the show, how would the be introduced?  What will Wanda's status be at the end?  We know she will truly become The Scarlet Witch, but will she stay a hero, or become more of an antagonist by the time she joins Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness?  It will be interesting to see how everything plays out.

Aquaman Vs. Man-Thing

Man-Thing was name-checked in Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., but I would like to see him actually included somewhere in the MCU.  I first thought a Doctor Strange sequel might be a good place, but that seems like it has enough going on already.  With talk of Ghost Rider being brought back and Mahershala Ali as Blade, Marvel seems ready to explore their darker side, so maybe a Midnight Sons type of movie could be a way to go.

Sub-Mariner and Tintin / Human Bomb Vs. the Hulk

As a kid on a very limited budget, I had to make my nickels and dimes count when purchasing comics.  The more heroes the better, which is why I gravitated towards team and team-up titles.  I also liked anthology comics where you would get multiple stories in one issue.  Since the original Super-Team Family fell into that category, I like to feature more than one tale on a cover from time to time, even for non-anniversary issues.

Superman Vs. The Masters of Evil

With Thunderbolt Ross rumored to be making an appearance in the upcoming Black Widow movie, there has been speculation that Red Hulk may be introduced, perhaps joining forces with The Taskmaster.  Could this be the beginning of a Masters of Evil-type team?  Maybe even leading to a Dark Avengers or Thunderbolts story line?  It's all conjecture at this point, but I'd love to see that direction taken.

Wonder Woman and Cerebus

I am wondering when we will finally see some footage from Wonder Woman 1984.  It seems like filming started a long time ago.  Perhaps they don't want to outshine the Birds of Prey movie and Warner Brothers will wait until that is released to do their big WW push.  I am very curious about how this film will look, the exact plot and Kristin Wiig's interpretation of The Cheetah.  Hopefully Patty Jenkins can maintain the quality of the first installment.

Black Panther and Swamp Thing in: "The Monarch and The Muck Monster!"

The DC Streaming service just doesn't have enough new material to warrant a subscription from me yet.  The series that has most intrigued me, however, is the one season and out Swamp Thing.  I have been considering just renting it separately.  So I will put the question out there - is it worth it?  Has anyone been able to watch the complete run and give a review?

These two first met in STF #2470...

G.I. Robot and Dynomutt

I remember seeing Dynomutt and The Blue Falcon appearing as guest stars on Scooby-Doo or as two of the contestants on Laff-A-Lympics, and getting a real kick out of them.  these appearances were just teases, though - I always wished that they would have gotten a series of their own.  A robotic superhero dog, with his human sidekick?  I would have tuned in every Saturday!

Green Lantern Corps and Guardians of the Galaxy

Continuing from Part One and Part Two of our story, we reach the epic conclusion!

I wonder what Rocket Racoon's relationship will be like with the rest of the Guardians of the Galaxy when the third movie arrives.  Did his time without them in the five years that they were snapped out of existence change him at all?  Certainly it must have made him appreciate them more.  What was he up to the whole time?  I hope to see some of this addressed and it's not just a reset to what has gone before.

Kilowog and Rocket Raccoon

Continuing from yesterday's Part One, we see that more players have joined in on the action. 

There has been much speculation that JJ Abrams will be taking the reigns of the DCEU now that he has a huge production deal with Warner Brothers.  Most are guessing that his first film will be  a Superman project, which could be cool - but what I would really like to see is his take on The Green Lantern Corps.  Yes, he can be derivative at times, but he knows how to make a space epic look great.

Make sure you come back tomorrow for the thrilling conclusion!

Star-Lord and Green Lantern

I remember seeing the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie, and thinking what a good solution it was to have Star-Lord's mask appear and disappear with a click of a button on his neck.  I could accept it with alien technology and it meant we could see the actor's face more.  Marvel, however, has really taken the idea and run with it.  Now it seems like everyone has these magical types of helmets.  Iron Man, War Machine, Ant-Man, The Wasp, Spider-Man, Captain Marvel, Black Panther, Yellowjacket... pretty much anyone who wears a helmet seems to have access to that movie-friendly yet improbable tech.  I love the movies, but that's always been a minor nit pick for me.

Star-Lord met Hal Jordan in STF #2604...

This is only Part One of a Three-Part epic - so make sure that you return tomorrow for the middle chapter!

Elongated Man and Moon Knight in: "I Hate You, Man"

Back by popular demand!  The boys return for another thriller due to overwhelming interest in their unique partnership.  OK, maybe that's not completely true... I'm the only one demanding this team.  What can I say, I like them together!

This is the third appearance of the MK/EM team - Ralph came to the rescue in STF #2518, and they first started working together in STF #2169...

Wildcat Vs. The Champion

One of my all-time favorite comics is Marvel Two-In-One Annual #7, which introduced The competition based Elder of the Universe, The Champion.  He took on all of the heavy hitters in the Marvel Universe and the result was in my opinion the best Ben Grimm comic ever printed.  I thought it might be fun to have The Champion face off against DC's premiere boxer/hero.  Like The Thing, Wildcat just doesn't know how to quit, even if the odds against him are overwhelming.

Code: Red in: "Mars Needs Gingers!"

The De-Gingering of DC continues.  Lightning Lad is the latest character to lose his red hair.  What do they have against us gingers?  They are always killing them off or changing their appearance to non-gingers.  When a ginger character makes the leap to movies or TV, the red hair seems like the first thing to go.  It's enough to make a guy feel unwanted.

Code: Red first appeared in STF #1293...

Marvel Zombies in The House of Mystery

One of the best parts of Spider-Man: Far From Home was how Mysterio's illusions were depicted.  With the ever changing scenery and giant versions of the villain, it was just like the comic pages coming to life.  A great Easter Egg was Tony Stark rising from the grave in full armor, which clearly evoked the Marvel Zombies version of Iron Man - too cool!

Space Ghost Vs. Darkseid

The live action Scooby-Doo movie may have not been a masterpiece, but it did well enough at the box office to warrant sequels.  I wonder why we haven't seen more Hanna-Barbera properties given the big screen treatment.  Space Ghost would be my first choice, although The Herculoids or Jonny Quest would be great to see as well.  Heck, the should get a whole interconnected HBCU going!

Sgt. Fury and The Creature Commandos in: "Taking Transylvania!"

As a fan of both superheroes and classic monster movies, The Creature Commandos was always a concept that appealed to me, since it kept a foot in both of those genres.  I am surprised that (to my knowledge) DC never teamed them up with Sgt. Rock.

Nick Fury would later meet the Creature Commandos while in S.H.I.E.L.D. in STF #1172...