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 Do you enjoy following Super-team family: The Lost Issues?  Do you hope it keeps going?  Here's your chance to do just that!

It is time once again for my yearly reminder about how you can help out - while this blog is a labor of love for me, it remains a one-man operation and can be quite time consuming to keep up on a daily basis, while maintaining the quality (which I hope I do, let me know if you feel I am slipping). Every little bit helps!

The blog will of course always be free, but if you would like to help support it, there are a couple of ways to do so - by by making a one time contribution by clicking on the "Donate" button at the bottom of the page, or by becoming a Patron at Patreon.  While I take suggestions from anyone, Patrons of course will get special consideration.

I truly appreciate everyone who takes the time to check out my covers, and those who participate in the comments sections. It's a great little community we have here!

Thanks for coming by for your daily dose of team up fun!

Flash Gordon and Princess Leia

 

I wonder how much of the upcoming Obi Wan Kenobi Disney+ series will focus on the Skywalker twins.  I've heard that Joel Edgerton and Bonnie Piesse will be back as Uncle Ben and Aunt Beru, which indicates that a young Luke will be in there somewhere.  Will we also see scenes from the early years of Leia?

The Legion of Super-Heroes and Quasar

 

One thing I liked about Star Trek: The Next Generation was that they had a whole episode that explained why so many of the "alien" races they met on the show still had many humanoid features.  Something about an ancient race seeding the cosmos, it made sense within the context of the show.  I'm trying to remember whether Marvel or DC have done something similar.  I Look at a team like The Legion of Super-Heroes with a roster from all over the galaxy, yet most can still pass for human - was there ever an in-story reason given for that phenomenon? 

The Micronauts and Buzz Lightyear

 

The announced Buzz Lightyear solo movie, Lightyear, sounds like an interesting project.  Rather than being a story featuring the Tim Allen-voiced Buzz that we know from the great Toy Story series, the movie will tell the origin tale of the "real life" Buzz that the toy was later based upon. Chris Evans will lend his voice to the lead role, and it should be a fun outer space adventure.  I have only seen one piece of concept art but it looked cool, a Pixar-style Buzz, but clearly not a toy.

Black Goliath Vs. Godzilla

 

We've seen flashbacks of the original Ant-Man and The Wasp in action in the MCU, but what about Bill Foster?  I don't think I have seen Laurence Fishburne listed in the Quantumania cast, so it looks like we will have to keep waiting.  He was last seen promising not to abandon The Ghost, who is rumored to possibly be a part of either The Thunderbolts or Dark Avengers, so maybe there's another place that he could show up again.

Avengers meet Mr. Miracle and Big Barda

 

It looks like the Avengers and New Gods have patched up their differences from STF #3000... and I have to say, Mr. Miracle and Barda look like they would fit right in with the team.  I do hope that they and the rest of the New Gods get another shot at the big screen, now that the Ava DuVernay film has been scrapped.  Telling the story of their upbringing on Apokolips and eventual romance would be compelling and provide lots of great moments for a movie.

Hawkman Vs. The Red Skull

 

I'd say my personal favorite artist is Jim Aparo, but if you were to ask me who I think is the best comic artist ever, I'd have to say Joe Kubert.  He had such a confident hand and could make any genre of story look great.  As if his artistic contributions weren't enough, his school for comic art has passed his lessons on to new generations of illustrators.  I was never able to pick up a full original page by him, but I did get the next best thing:  Kubert inks over the talented pencils of Nestor Redondo from DC's Tarzan series: 

Ant-Man and Cyborg

 

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is getting underway, so I hope we get some more information regarding it soon.  Perhaps we will see if the title characters have updated costumes, or if Hank and Jan will be suiting up either in present day or a flashback.  Can we expect to get a glimpse of how Kang will look?  Dare I hope for confirmation that events in the film will lead to the introduction of the Fantastic Four to the MCU, as has been rumored for a while now?

Spider-Man Vs. The Fly (The Movie!)

 

 

"Be afraid... be very afraid!"  We were all saying that to each other the year Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis starred in David Kronenberg's updated version of The Fly.  Goldblum was great as the brilliant but obsessed scientist and the effects were suitably creepy.  I re-watched it recently and it still holds up.

Thank you to comics historian and Patron of this Blog, Marc Tyler Nobleman, for suggesting this cinematic pairing!

ROM Vs. Aliens

 

If there is any race as deadly as the Dire Wraiths are, it's got to be Xenomorphs, so I can easily see this battle happening.  I am happy to use a George Perez ROM image here. I was lucky enough to pick up a trio of Perez sketches some years back:

Aquaman and Doc Savage

 

The Aquaman sequel finally seems to be getting underway, and now has an official title:  Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.  I'm not sure what to make of that, it doesn't say much about the plot and frankly is kind of generic. Still, with James Wan directing once again, I have confidence that we will get an entertaining film.  I think that it will be hitting theaters not very long after Marvel introduces Namor in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, so the cinematic battle of underwater worlds will truly be on!  Here's hoping the dueling Atlantises will elevate both films.

The Wonder Woman & Captain America Action Hour!

 

This marks the 25th appearance of the WW/Cap romance... I figured it was time they get their own cartoon.  Speaking of which, I think that Warner Bros and HBO Max should at long last give us Wonder Woman: The Animated series.  She's certainly a strong enough character to headline a show of her own.  With new animated adventures of Batman and Superman on the way, there's no reason to keep ignoring the final member of DC's Trinity.

Katana and Blade

 

I realize that pretty much every Marvel movie has been pushed back a year, but its still strange that we have not heard anything about where or when Blade will appear it the MCU.  It seems like the announcement of Mahershala Ali in the role was made ages ago.  No sign of the character appearing in any of the Movies or Disney+ series for the next couple of years, though.  He's too cool of a character to keep under wraps, hopefully we will hear more about Marvel's plans for him soon.

He-Man and Tarzan

 

This cover serves as a prequel to STF #528...

I remember getting a kick out of the Johnny Weissmuller Tarzan movies that would sometimes play on TV after school when I was a kid.  I'm still a sucker for movies that feature lots of animals.  We even named one of our many cats Tantor after Tarzan's trusty Elephant - I'm betting we aren't the only ones who did that.

Sgt. Rock and The Black Knight

 

I am very curious to see how Dane Whitman, The Black Knight, is used in The Eternals.  The teaser trailer didn't give much of a hint - he was shown only briefly, wearing contemporary clothing.  The movie is expected to span many years, so perhaps there will be at least one scene set in the last with him fully suited up with winged steed and mystical sword in hand.  Or maybe that's something we will have to wait to see in a future film.

Apocalypse Vs. Darkseid

 

Both of these guys deserve another shot at the big screen.  X-Men: Apocalypse did not really do the villain justice.  I don't fault Oscar Isaac's performance, but the visuals weren't quite there to bring the oversized X-Villain to life.  I did enjoy Darkseid's brief moments in Zack Snyder's Justice League, but he deserves more of a spotlight and besides, Warner Bros has decided the this movie doesn't "count".  It'll probably be a bunch of years, but I bet we'll see both of them on the silver screen again.

The Metal Men meet Giant Man & The Wasp

 

I was happy to see Michelle Pfeiffer posting a workout video in preparation for return as Janet Van Dyne in Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania.  I was hoping that the original Wasp would see some more action this time around and it looks like I may get my wish.  If Pfeiffer also returns as Selina Kyle in The Flash, it will be even better!

Huntress and Hawkeye in "Sibling Revelry!"

 

This is the seventh appearance of the Hawkeye/Huntress brother/sister team...

They first appeared together in STF #505...

Next, they had a twisted family reunion in STF #1387... 

which continued into the next issue, STF #1388...

Then they visited their parents in STF #1877...

They ran afoul of gangs in STF #2625...

And the last time, they were manipulated by Mesmero in STF #2972...

Man-Bat, Man-Thing and Yoda

 

I'm looking forward to the Obi Wan Kenobi series on Disney+.  Will Yoda show up at some point?  I haven't heard anything about that but of all the announced series, that seems to be the most likely place for him to make an appearance.  I won't be holding my breath for a scene like the one above, though - but it would be very cool!

Man-Thing first traveled to Dagobah in STF #303, and he previously met Man-Bat in STF #333...

Roger Rabbit and Dick Tracy

 

As a big fan of crossovers, I was of course a huge fan of Who Framed Roger Rabbit? Not only was the combination of live action and animation done amazingly well (it still holds up today), the film was full of characters sharing the screen that I never expected to see.  Seeing Mickey Mouse and Bugs Bunny interact was cool, and watching ducks Daffy and Donald in a dueling piano battle was pure bliss.  I wonder if there will ever be a sequel.

Batman and Brother Voodoo in: "The Zombies of Blackgate!"

 

 

So many rumors are swirling around the production on The Batman.  Robert Pattinson refused to get in shape and is hated by Director Matt Reeves?  Pattinson and Zoe Kravitz hooking up in real life and getting intimate on the Batmobile?  Warner Bros execs feel the movie is far too dark and are demanding reshoots?  Frankly most of this doesn't pass the smell test for me.  Since most of the rumors I hear are from anonymous sources, I'm guessing fans who don't want Ben Affleck replaced in the role are trying to sow discord.  Everything official that I have seen so far has looked pretty good to me.

Batman and Brother Voodoo first met in one of my earliest entries, an MS Paint cover from 2010...

Drax the Destroyer and Superman

 

One adjustment that I hope is made for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is Drax' personality.  In the first movie, he was presented as a noble, fierce warrior whose literal interpretations led to some humorous moments.  In the second movie and his appearances with the Avengers, Drax pretty much became a completely humorous character and came off as somewhat of a buffoon.  Let's hope his emotional balance is restored for his next cinematic outing.

Galactus and Eclipso

 

Usually the final step in creating these covers is for me to step back, look at the image and then try to come up with some captions, dialogue or a title that will give an idea as to what the story inside might be about.  Every once in a while, I feel that the image alone is enough to suggest the contents without any other additional information.  This is one of those cases - I couldn't think of anything that I would add to this cover that would do anything besides clutter it up.

Adam Strange Joins Star Wars

 

 

Continued from yesterday's cover, we see Adam has found Tatooine's most famous resident along with his friends.  Jabba's not going to know what hit him!  I quite liked this Adam Strange costume redesign by Pasquale Ferry.  It looks a bit more modern while still maintaining the aesthetic of his classic uniform.

Beta Ray Bill and Adam Strange in: "Jabba's Ransom!"

 

It looks like Adam and Bill have resolved whatever conflict The Grandmaster was trying to engineer in STF #3194... and this is not the end of this adventure - so make sure to come back tomorrow for the exciting conclusion!

I was glad to use an Ivan Reis Adam Strange image for this cover.  Here's an original Superman/Batman page by Reis that I picked up many years ago:

Daredevil in The House of Mystery

 

Daredevil works best as a street level hero, but it's fun to see him way over his head with more larger than life challenges from time to time.  Whether it's battling The Sub-Mariner, tangling with Ultron or getting caught in the path of Mephisto, it's been interesting to see how Matt Murdock deals with the situations that he finds himself in.   

X-Men and Spaceman Spiff

 

I  have been rereading the entire run of Calvin and Hobbes and I am about half way through.  It amazes me how Bill Watterson really hit the ground running with the comic strip.  Often you'll see a progression in the first few years of a strip, but he had the character designs, personalities and comedic style pretty much fully formed right from the beginning.  On the other end, he never let the quality wane, either.  If anything, he stayed at top form right until the final installment.  This is my third or fourth time reading these and I am still enjoying them as much as the first time around. 

Justice League of America and Photon

 

When I watched the theatrical release of Justice League, I was very unimpressed with what I saw.  So, I was not sure what to expect with the 4-hour Snyder Cut on HBO Max.  Wow, what a difference!  It is really a crime what was done with the movie.  This version had a much better story that really held together, with an overall epic feel and much improved  action and effects sequences.  Cyborg finally had a proper role and was great to watch.  Steppenwolf looked miles better and his interactions with Darkseid were a highlight.  I'm still not crazy about Ezra Miller as The Flash, but he was far more tolerable here, with a couple of really great action beats.  It's not perfect - it's at least a half hour too long (I would not have included the future stuff at the end) and Mera's British accent was not convincing.  Still, I've watched it twice now and quite enjoyed it both times.  What an example of ow studio interference can torpedo a movie! 

Daredevil and Hawkman

 

Hawkman is one of the toughest looks to get right in live action.  Previous attempts have always made the wings look too small to my eyes.  The helmet is iconic, but tricky to get to look good from multiple angles.  Plus, you need an actor with an incredible build to pull off the shirtless version.  Aldis Hodge seems to have been working out, though (he would have to to be able to go up against The Rock!).  Hopefully the costume designers for Black Adam will give him a suit and wings that finally do the character justice.

Doc Savage and The Question

 

The Question was utilized so well in the Justice league Unlimited that I am still surprised that we have never seen a live action version of the character.  He does seem like a great candidate for an HBO Max series.  I can see his investigations taking viewers into some interesting and less often seen corners of the DCU.

Iron Man Meets R2D2 and C3PO

 

We finally see the reason Shellhead has been spending some time in the Star Wars era.  Iron Man previously met Han Solo, and later on, Chewbacca, but that was with his original armor.  We see him here in my personal favorite suit - one can only imagine what kind of tech Tony Stark would come up with after having some time to examine droids!