Since the timing for a new Team Cover coincides with an Anniversary Issue, I thought that it was only fitting that I had two STF teams facing off against one another. Combining the 4th appearance of The Light Brigade with the 3rd appearance of Dark Matter seemed like natural choices given their opposite natures and the Cloak & Dagger connection. For the back-up tale, I finally teamed Batman with comics' first character, something I have been meaning to do for years.
U N B E L I E V A B L E! What a cover. Forget Eclipso. There's way too many potential reasons for this conflict. Your casting is a collection of who's who.
ReplyDeleteAnd that early Batman team up? I need Plastic Man to show how many thumbs up it's worth.
Nothing grey (sorry UK spelling) about this team-up. A technicolour triumph.
ReplyDeleteBut maybe the aftermath of this is a combined super-team?
Not the Grays (or even the Grey's) but something alternating the two shades. The Panda Squad? The Zebra Battalion?
I love it. And the backup story idea is absolutely brilliant.
ReplyDeleteI agree with everything my first three colleagues said...and more!
ReplyDeleteI can just see Dagger of the Light Brigade having been manipulated by Granny Goodness of Apokolips via Intergang's newest member; the mind-controlling Shiwan Khan! Forcing the Shadow (no one else could possibly lead them as capably) to mobilize Dark Force against them.
As for the back-up feature? Equally ingenious! Especially that subtle little quip on the Yellow Kid's gunny sack bathrobe. Although, it does raise a slightly digressive question, re: that new Bat-movie coming out circa March 14.
Is that supposed to be a live-action spin-off of the animated series that was executive produced by Duane Capizzi? Or a sequel to Joaquin Phoenix's Joker flick?
Contrasting methods of agents of good bout ta clash? Call the Ref! 3600! Even for a self publisher that's not ta be taken lightly. Especially with all the years you put in. Hard ta take a vacation from something you love so much. And ya can't even make these into posters.
ReplyDeleteThe Bat-man. How long can he last? good luck.
Yep. Tremendously well-done, Ross. This one had to be a lot of work to get all the characters in place.
ReplyDeleteI have a feeling that this battle is over a conflict of ideologies and goals, Civil War style, hence Cloak's quandary. Once he decides, either way, whichever he betrays (and I'm saying this from a writer's perspective) will come to some sort of realization that the side he chose, at the very least, has a good point.
I agree with Cary that the logical leader of Dark Matter would be the Shadow; and for similar reasons, I'd nominate Photon for leading the Light Brigade. From what I know of those two, putting them head-to-head in a non-combat conflict would come up a draw.
I'm sure that this would end with Dark Matter succeeding in their mission, but at a cost of continued hard feelings from the Light Brigade, with the exception that Cloak & Dagger would reconcile with an "agreement to disagree." And I'm sure the story would take all 92 pages that you've allotted for it (allowing 8 pages for the backup feature).
@Cary: The Batman is a whole new take on the character, unrelated to anything that's come before and determined to stay unconnected to any other project (other than sequels).
Love this! I would imagine Obsidian would have been in Cloak's quandary had Jade been on the Light Brigade rather than Dagger.
ReplyDeleteGreat job -- and congratulations on 3600!
Great to see the Yellow Kid again after his team up with Krazy Kat :D
ReplyDeleteHopefully someday we'll see the Kid team up with Zippy the Pinhead
Or maybe Zippy meets Obnoxio!
but Ross, shouldn't the Bat-man pictured here representing the earliest one be Bob Kane's red suited, blonde-haired version instead of the customized Bill Finger version we all know and love????
ReplyDeletethis cover, like your whole site/blog is outstanding...always has been and hopefully always will be.....
Thank you, Ross.....
Wow. 3600 issues? Hats off to you Ross! Being a Shadow fan, I don't know how I missed out on your Dark Matter group. I still see The Shadow as a natural leader, even with this alliance of solemn, moody loners. The Yellow Kid? Ye gods, who on this side of Jules Feiffer remembers him? But now I can see him being a wigged-out one-man Greek Chorus commenting on the early battles of the Batman.
ReplyDeleteGreat use of your gray matter. Shadow Lass has trained with Sun-Boy so she should be in good shape for the conflict.
ReplyDeleteGray man come back? Gray can also be a unit of absorbed radiation. Somebody's been made a victim already and they may not know it.
Cool Batman. Imagine Superman never caught on. Kane would never have tried making such a hero.
Good for you, Ross. Cheers.
@jack-el: AFAIK, there are no surviving copies of that original Bob Kane design. I've seen attempts to recreate it based on written descriptions, but we can only guess how close they are.
ReplyDelete@Jack-El & Bob Buethe: maybe Ross could someday approximate it by cutting and pasting Matt Murdock's original red-and-gold outfit onto the Golden Age Bat-cape?
ReplyDeleteIn the meantime; Happy 3600th anniversary, Ross! :-)
ReplyDelete@Other Bob: Are you referring to this?
ReplyDeletethat is the design i was referring to....
ReplyDeleteit has been represented many places as the original Bob Kane version before Bill Finger became involved as "ghost Bob Kane".....
I just can't find the words to praise this, and Ross, highly enough...
ReplyDeleteThe Kid's caption is beyond perfect.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on #3600 and a team up worthy of such an achievement!
ReplyDeleteSweet!
ReplyDeletePhoton (who will alwyas be MY Captain Marvel) and Shadow Lass - two of my all-time favorites!
Testing, testing! 1-2-3!
ReplyDeleteI hope Capcha is available, now.