Conan Vs. the Demon

 

There had been some talk about Arnold Schwarzenegger returning for another Conan movie, but I haven't heard anything about that in a while.  Perhaps Arnold is having second thoughts after his return to the Terminator franchise met with less than optimal results.  Maybe they are still trying to figure out the best way to present the story of a seventy-something barbarian.  It will be interesting to see if anything comes of these plans.

Katma Tui and The Avengers

 I've seen character descriptions for the upcoming HBO Max Green lantern Corps series, and Katma Tui does not seem to be among them.  I'm OK with that if the reason for her absence is to save her for a live action appearance with John Stewart, when he finally gets his moment to shine in cinema.  I always liked their relationship in the comics.

Swamp Thing and She-Hulk

 I am really looking forward to the She-Hulk Disney+ series.  I am glad that it is being described as a legal comedy with super-heroics thrown in for flavor.  It will be interesting to see The Abomination back, I hope he gets a little bit of a redesign to more closely resemble his comic book counterpart..  I also how the show takes a cue from She-Hulk's comic series in regard to some truly obscure Marvel characters showing up in the court room.  This seems like it will be the perfect place for that.

Shining Knight and Valkyrie

 

When these two heroes first appeared together in STF #2568, Bob Greenwade (a patron of this blog) suggested that I revisit the pairing, but with the two their winged horse companions.   Well, here you go, Bob! I can't blame him for the request, one Pegasus makes for a majestic sight, why not two?  Well for one reason, two can be tough to fit on a single cover!  I was glad I found a way, though.

Raven and Ghost Rider

 Neither Ghost Rider movie was very good.  The villains didn't work for me, the scripts weren't great and the acting was cheesy or over the top.  Yet, for some reason, if I stumble on to one if them while flipping channels, I find myself watching for the action scenes.  There's something so visually cool about a biker with flaming skull and demonic ride administering justice with his chains and penance stare that makes it just a blast to watch, even if it isn't in service of a great film.

New Teen Titans Vs. The Avengers

 

I finally watched the first two seasons of Titans, and I can't say I am a big fan of the series.  Some of the costumes look good - Hawk and Dove, Deathstroke, the Robins and the CGI Trigon come to mind.  The characterizations is where the show falls apart for me.  Every character is depressed and way overly violent in their crimefighting interactions.  Dove should not be as bloodthirsty as Hawk!  Gar Logan only changes into a tiger and then eats people? and what's with all the F bombs?  It's the series' favorite word, used frequently by every character, even ones who it is wholly inappropriate for like Bruce Wayne, Kory or Raven.  There's some cool power usage (I like how Jericho's abilities were realized), and by the end, it feels like the team wants to move away from their violent tendencies, but these episodes were tough to get through for a fan of the 80's comics.

These two teams first met in STF #1250...

The Phantom Stranger and The Watcher in: "Holiday Spirits!"

 

I would like to take this time to say Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you all.  2020 has been trying for everyone but I hope we can all find a way to still connect with our loved ones for the Holiday Season.  I truly appreciate all who take the time to visit this blog.  Comic reading and collecting has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember, but almost always something I did on my own.  This blog has helped me reach out and share my love for the creators and characters in the world of comics with so many others, and that has been a real treat.  Thank you to those who share their comments, praise, corrections and suggestions for future covers, you help keep this a vibrant place.  A huge thank you of course goes to my Patreon Patrons - your support has helped this blog continue for over 10 years!  I can't tell you how much it means to me!

The Phantom Stranger first met The Watcher way back in STF #66...
 

Power Girl and Power Man in: "The Anti-Affection Algorithm!"

 

Sweet Christmas indeed! It will be a mellow one for me this year, with the office Christmas party cancelled and no big family gathering for the first time ever in my life.  I will see at least one brother and maybe have a fleeting outdoor visit with my Mom, so I won't be completely alone.  I am glad I gave myself a year's subscription to HBO Max as a present, so I'll spend tomorrow with Wonder Woman even if Santa Claus isn't coming!

This Marks The 10th appearance of The Power Couple on this blog.

Sandman and Killer Frost

 

Rumors have it that Thomas Haden Church may indeed be returning to play Sandman again in the next Spider-Man movie.  He is just another in a long list of characters from the first two Spidey franchises that has been rumored to return.  The only thing is, the more returning actors that get added to the list, the less I think they will actually get to do.  Maybe they will all just have one brief cameo or they'll be a part of a Mysterio illusion sequence.  I hope they aren't going through all of the trouble to bring people back just to have them quickly walk through the scenery.

Judge Dredd and The Spectre

 

There have been a lot of cool motorcycle designs in comics, from Ghost Rider to Wildcat to Batman and his allies.  Judge Dredd's Lawmaster has to sit somewhere near the top of the list of my favorites.  It has just a foreboding presence as Dredd himself does, and there's no doubt who it belongs to.  I especially like the big chunky wheels.

The Vision and Hawkman

 

Wanda/Vision is set to debut in less than a month (finally), and given the intriguing trailer it will be interesting to see how the series develops.  I hope that there will be some way for The Vision to survive the series and continue on in the MCU,  but I think that his appearance is only due to Wanda's hex magic.  I'm guessing by the end of the series, She will have lost him for good and that's what will cause her to snap and make a break the multiverse which will be dealt with in the next Spider-Man movie and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.  So, I'll enjoy The Vision while we still have him!

Blue Devil Vs. Mojo

 

This seems like it would be a natural match up.  Mojo is all about getting ratings and finding the next big star.  Dan Cassidy has been known to hastily enter into bargains with shady characters to further his career in Hollywood - indeed, that's how he became The Blue Devil in the first place.  It would be an interesting clash, and a fun one as well.

Green Lantern Vs. The Super Skrull

 

With the announcement that Secret Invasion will be one of the upcoming Marvel Disney+ series, we can expect a lot more Skrull Action in the MCU.  The Fantastic Four was also finally officially announced, but that still seems to be a way off.  The Super Skrull's gimmick of mimicking the abilities of each member of Marvel's first family means that he likely will not be a part of these series considering they will not have been introduced yet.  Perhaps Kl'rt will still show up though, but just in his un-powered form.

ROM Vs. Worf

 

It looks as though ROM's recent encounter with Captain Kirk was not the end of his adventures with The Federation.  Michael Dorn is famous for his portrayal of Worf, but these days his voice action work comes readily to mind as well.  I've been hearing his signature voice on cartoons for decades now, including lots of comic characters like Gorgon, Steel, Kalibak, Atrocitus, Kraven, Ronan and Bane. He is always a welcome addition.

The Bondsmen (The Movie!)

 

The passing of Sean Connery had many of us revisiting his classic Bond movies.  He still hasn't been topped in the role in my opinion.  It's crazy to think that we will be seeing Michael Keaton and Harrison Ford resuming their iconic roles as Batman and Indiana Jones in the next couple of years.

This cover marks the fourth appearance of The Bondsmen.  They found themselves in a beastly situation in STF #3050, They had to temporarily replace one of their own in STF #880 and were first introduced in STF #564...

Elongated Man and Moon Knight in: "Exorcising Eclipso!"

 

The continuing saga of comicdom's greatest fighting team is here - let's give them their own label - The MK/EM Team! Coincidentally, it's been 1000 covers since their first appearance.

This is the seventh appearance of the MK/EM team - Concern about Eclipso's lasting effect on Ralph arose in STF #3098, Ralph fell under Eclipso's influence in STF #2908, They faced an angry underworld in STF #2831,  Psycho Pirate turned them against each other in STF #2732, Ralph came to the rescue in STF #2518, and they first started working together in STF #2169...

Colossus Vs. Changeling

 

It's the thrilling conclusion to the two-part tale!

Continued from yesterday's cover, we see that Piotr hasn't taken too kindly to Gar Logan's interest in Kitty Pryde.  For as much of a girl-chaser as Gar is, he certainly hasn't had much luck with the ladies.  They're either, taken, not interested, or super-villains in disguise.  It's not easy being green.

Kitty Pryde and Changeling

 

One of my favorite parts of X-Men and The New Teen Titans was the flirtation between Gar Logan and Kitty Pryde.  It's too bad that the planned sequel story never came to fruition, it would have been fun to see that thread followed up on.

Today's tale is only Part One of a Two-Part Story - so make sure you stop by tomorrow for the thrilling conclusion!

Cloak & Dagger Vs. Two-Face

 I'd love to see Two-Face get another crack at a live action appearance.  I was happy with what Christopher Nolan and Aaron Eckhart did with the character in The Dark Knight, he had a great origin and looked amazing.  Still, I was never satisfied with the fact that that Two-Face's whole career only lasted a couple of hours.  He deserves to be a bigger and longer lasting thorn in Batman's side the next time around.

The Beyonder and Dr. Manhattan

 

I saw the delays in publishing DC's Doomsday Clock maxi-series, so I decided to wait until it was completed and pick up a collected edition of the big DC/Watchmen crossover.  I like Gary Frank's artwork and Geoff Johns is usually pretty reliable, but I have read mixed reviews.  What say you?  Has anyone here read it, and if so, do you feel that it is worth checking out?

Batman & The Outsiders and Iceman

 

I was not surprised when Iceman was one of the first X-Men to get his own mini-series.  While he may not have been as flashy a character as Nightcrawler or Wolverine, and not even a member of the "All-New" X-Men, he still had gained fans from his appearances on Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends.  Plus, during the winter months, it was easy for kids to roleplay as him while horsing around in the snow. It was a weird series though!

Adam Strange and Doctor Strange in: "Drag Me Out Of Hell!"

 

Adam was left in Hell following the events of STF #3145, so who better than his mystical brother to try an bail him out?

This is the fifth appearance of The Strange Brothers.  They were last seen facing their wicked uncle in STF #2801, They were forced to do penance in STF #2649, before that, they were trying to escape from Limbo in STF #2146, and they were first revealed to be brothers in STF #370...

Superman and Hellboy

 

It's always interesting to see Superman have to contend with supernatural situations, so this could be an interesting pairing to read about.  Who knows what mischief Jimmy got into to warrant the attention of the underworld?  

Popeye and Thor

 

I thought it would be fun to put these two characters up, and didn't realize until I was in the middle of creating this cover that their outfits were so color coordinated.  It's just a pure coincidence, but they really do look like they go together. Let's just hope Thor doesn't use Mjolnir to summon a storm the next time Popeye says, "Well, blow me down!"

The Thing and the Guardian in: "The Boys Are Back In Town!"

 

I liked when The Guardian was a regular cast member in the Superman titles.  Having him work as security for The Cadmus Project provided plenty of opportunities for him to shine even in The Man of Steel's shadow.  I also like that he was a clone of the original Golden Age Guardian, and I would have like to have seen that aspect of the character explored further.

The connection on this cover was first hinted at when The Thing first met The Guardian in a MTIO: The Lost Issues! cover back in 2011...

Hyperion Vs. Martian Manhunter

 

Sure, he was a Superman Knock-off, but there were a couple of reasons that I always liked Hyperion.  First, he was a riff on the Man of Steel when it was still a relatively unique idea - in the decades since his debut, I've lost count of all the Superman analogues out there.  Then there was a more personal reason - I was glad that such a powerful character had red hair like me!  Of course, if he ever makes it into the MCU, that's probably the first characteristic that will be jettisoned!

Metamorpho and The Hulk

 

I've been meaning to pair Metamorpho up with The Hulk for a while now, but I figured it would be a typical slugfest cover.  I stumbled on to these matching poses and they inspired me to go in a different direction.  It would certainly make for a unique story... and I'm betting out two stars would manage to get some smashing in by the end of it.

Black Panther and Kamandi in: "The Apes of Wrath!"

 

It looks like movement is being made on the Black Panther sequel.  Rumors say that by that film's end we may have two new faces under the Black Panther mask - Shuri and M'Baku.  T'Challa will reportedly die at the beginning of the movie, setting events into motion and hopefully Marvel will find a tasteful way to present that. I did appreciate the all-Chadwick Boseman Marvel title sequence that was released a few days ago, that was a nice tribute.

These two heroes first crossed paths in STF #1471...

Godzilla and Mr. Mind

 

Shazam! Fury of the Gods looks to be a jam-packed film.  Its got a whole extended Shazam Family to deal with, with promises of DC character Cameos, Sivana's return and presumably some Gods are going to be furious.  Still, I hope there's plenty of room left for the antagonist teased at the end of the first film - Mr. Mind!  He is one of my all-time favorite villains and I love that he is finally getting a big budget movie treatment.

ROM and Captain Kirk

 ROM was based on a toy, even though the actual action figure may not have been as impressive as the character as depicted in comics.  One thing I really liked about ROM was his arch enemies - the Dire Wraiths.  They had a great design, unlike the look of most aliens.  My question is - was there ever any Dire Wraith toys sold as accessories to ROM?  Thinking back I don't remember any, and that seems like a missed opportunity to me.

Doom Patrol and The Beast

 

The Sentinels are are always fun to see, but I have to admit the do seem to be pretty impractical.  I mean, I can see the use for mutant hunting robots if that's your thing, but I never really understood why they were built to be so giant.  If they are trying to capture mutants, that's hardly a stealthy design - I imagine they are pretty easy to see coming.