The Crimson Avenger and Doctor Strange

 

After re-watching Spider-Man: No Way Home, Doctor Strange's irresponsible behavior in altering reality just to make Peter Parker's life easier stood out even more.  He really should have worked out the spell beforehand if he really felt it was necessary.  Better yet, do what How It Should Have Ended suggested and have him simply just wipe away the memory of Mysterio's accusations.  As Sorcerer Supreme, Wong wasn't much better - "Just leave me out of it!"  What?  Anyway, I have a new theory - one or both of these guys is actually a Skrull!  There have to be some big reveals or Secret Invasion, and Wong and Strange acting out of character makes them top suspects in my book.

Deadpool is The Flash

 

It sounds like we may hear more about Deadpool  3 finally getting underway.  A director has been chosen in Shawn Levy, who also helmed Free Guy and The Adam Project with Ryan Reynolds.  I thought that both of those films had their moments, but were just OK, so I'm on the fence about that choice.  Still, it will be a blast to see the self aware character react to switching to another universe and movie studio.  

Deadpool and The Flash had an epic race in STF #2804...

Wonder Woman and Conan (The Movie!)

 

I haven't heard anything new about it in a few years, so I am not sure if there are still plans underway for Arnold Schwarzenegger to return to the role of Conan on the big screen. I hope it's just a slow moving process because I would love to see this film actually come to pass.  An elderly King Conan maintaining order in Cimmeria has some cool story potential.

Wonder Woman and Conan shared a comic book adventure back in STF #1336...

Elektra and Beatrix Kiddo

 

I remember seeing Kill Bill:  Volume 1 and Kill Bill: Volume 2 in the theaters when they were originally released, and finding them to be pretty entertaining.  The plot was just ok, but the various fight scenes is allowed for were all very inventive and beautifully shot.  I can't believe it been almost 20 years since they came out.  I haven't seen either film since, I wonder if they would hold up well if  I check them out again.

Spaceman Spiff Vs. Darkseid

 

If you are a huge Calvin & Hobbes fan like me, I cannot recommend the book Exploring Calvin and Hobbes highly enough.  It starts out with an incredible 35-page interview with the reclusive Bill Watterson and goes on to an in-depth exploration of this strip, detailing Watterson's development, tools, themes, influences and inspirations.  It's a fantastic read.

Black Lightning Vs. Doctor Doom

 

Doctor Doom is going to be a tough role to fill effectively for the MCU.  He's sure to be a major player, and is a monarch as well as a brilliant scientist, so a commanding presence is necessary.  Then again, they'll need an actor that doesn't mind having their face obscured for most if not all of his screen time.  Between the armor, the outfit and the attitude, Doom is one of the trickier villains to bring to live action, but I have faith the next version will be an improvement upon what has come before.

Swamp Thing and Star Trek

 

The crew of the Enterprise has crossed paths with all sorts of incredible beings in their travels - why not an Earth Elemental?  I was glad to use a Swamp Thing image here by the amazing John Totleben.  Several years back, I was lucky enough to pick up this cool crossover sketch by him and Mike Gustovich of comics' two greatest muck monsters:

Hawkman and The Thing in: "Death Cult!"

 

It's almost a certainty that The Thing will be realized via CGI when The Fantastic Four finally join the MCU - but what design will be used? Will his features be modeled after the artwork of Jack Kirby, George Perez, John Byrne or someone else?  If I was in charge, I would keep his look as close to Ron Wilson's depiction from his run on Marvel Two-In-One as possible, that's the Ben Grimm I see when I close my eyes.

Speaking of that title, Hawkman and The Thing last shared an adventure way back in my MTIO: The Lost Issues days in 2011.

New Teen Titans Vs. Godzilla

 

Godzilla has had a grudge against the Titans since he clashed with them in their first incarnation back in STF #1376.  They have a little more firepower this time around, but they still have their work cut out for them.  I remember Changeling turning into a dinosaur on a couple of occasions, that may be a good place to start!

Deadman and Captain Marvel in: "Overtime... in the Afterlife!"

 

Long time STF visitors will know that his story serves as a direct continuation form STF #2181, and it looks like Boston Brand was not kidding about putting Mar-Vell to work. Mar-Vell sort of reminds me of Jack Knight from DC.  Despite their popularity, both characters have been allowed to maintain the powerful endings that were written for them - retirement and death, respectively.  That's a pretty rare thing in comics.

The Punisher and Dick Tracy

 

This is a confrontation I would like to see.  Tracy's extensive rogues gallery is filled with just the type of criminals that would attract the attention of Frank Castle - but a clash of tactics is sure to ensue.  There's definitely good story potential there.

The Phantom Stranger and Moon Knight

 

The first teaser for Disney+ Moon Knight series impressed me enough that I decided not to seek out any further promotional material so that I can start watching it as spoiler free as possible.  Oscar Isaac looks great in the role and the costume(s) translated much better to live action than I was expecting.  Some reviews of the first few episodes have come in and so far they seem universally positive.  I look forward to the end of the month and diving into the show.

J. Jonah Jameson Vs. Dennis the Menace

This oddball match up was comes from a suggestion by Mike Shirley and seconded by Bob Greenwade, both Patrons of this blog, and I thought it was crazy enough to give a shot.  I remember reading Dennis the Menace when I was a boy and often taking the side of Mr. Wilson - I could see why he was annoyed by the kid! Then again, I've always been Team Tom, Wile E. and Sylvester rather than Team Jerry, Roadrunner and Tweety.

Ms. Marvel and Captain Marvel Jr. in: "Sivana's Pet Sentinel!"

 

The first trailer for the Disney+ Ms. Marvel series has been released, and it looks fun.  The show seems to be targeting a slightly younger demographic, sort of a John Hughes-type high school comedy mixed with the MCU.  That approach has worked for the Spider-Man movies, so it should do well here.  Her powers seem to be altered from the comics, I'm guessing so as not to be too similar to Mr. Fantastic.  

Ms. Marvel and Captain Marvel Jr. first met in STF #3034...

Captain Carrot and Devil Dinosaur

 

We've seen Batman: The Brave and The Bold, DC Nation Shorts and Justice League Action each bring all sorts of DC characters to animation, no matter how obscure.  For some reason, Captain Carrot and his Amazing Zoo Crew have yet to make the cut.   That seems to be quite an oversight to me - if there is any DC Comics property that was made for a cartoon adaptation, it's the Zoo Crew!

Batman and Spider-Man in: "Bested by the Bat-Bus!"

 

My father used to drive our family of nine around in a Volkswagen bus when I was a kid.  More recently, one of my brothers purchased a vintage 1972 VW bus, and boy, does riding in it bring back memories.  When I saw that Batman had one of his own, I knew that I had to make a cover around it.  

Batman and Spider-Man have a bit of history on STF: The Lost Issues...

Batman got his first look at the Spider-Buggy in STF #1628...
The Batman/Spidey movie premiered in STF #1014
Spidey and JJJ joined forces against Batman in STF #937...
They were joined by some Amazing Friends in back in October 2011...
The shared a Golden Age adventure in September 2011...
Spidey wore his black outfit for their  July 2010 meeting...
And here is where they first crossed paths.

And don't forget that The Spider-Buggy has seen action with Superman, as well...

Solomon Grundy and The Invaders

 

There's been lots of speculation about Chris Evans returning the MCU as Steve Rogers, despite the fact that his story came to an end in Avengers Endgame and the Captain America mantle has been passed on.  One way to do bring him back without undermining  those developments is to tell stories of what happened to Cap in the alternate timeline where he finally had his dance with Peggy Carter. That way we could get a WWII Captain America movie featuring the debut of The Invaders. That's what I would do, anyway.  Kevin Feige seems to have taken my number off of his speed dial.

Princess Leia on the Planet of the Apes

 It's been announced that more Planet of the Apes movies are on the way.  Now that the trilogy featuring apes' leader Ceasar is completed, it will be interesting to see where the story goes.  I am assuming a significant time jump, perhaps Ceasar's adult son will be the new protagonist.  If they are able to keep up the quality of the last 3 films, I'll be glad to check it out.

Batman and the Outsiders Vs. Mephisto

 

The Batman has finally been released, and I was thoroughly entertained by it.  (No Spoilers in this review) It's probably the most like a Batman comic of any live action adaptation so far.  Batman is finally a proper detective and the movie is very much a film noir.  The cast was uniformly excellent.  Zoe Kravitz and Colin Farrell are easily my favorite live action versions of Selina Kyle and The Penguin, I look forward to seeing more of both in the movies and on streaming shows.  I wanted more of both Alfred and Commissioner Gordon, but they were also excellently realized, especially in their interactions with Bruce Wayne/Batman.  Paul Dano was very effective as The Riddler, even if the character was a few steps too far away from his comic book counterpart for my taste.  Robert Pattinson himself made for a great Batman, though his Bruce Wayne was missing the bored socialite act - but that is an element that can be explored in future installments, he's still perfecting his dual roles at this point. The fight choreography was very well done, you could actually see what was happening. Gotham looked fantastic and felt like a real place and the score was moody and thrilling.  The Nirvana song worked, but we'll see how much it dates the movie like Prince's contributions to Batman '89 as the years pass.  I didn't mind the 3 hour run time, though that may change with repeated viewings.  I absolutely loved that we got a little bit of Batman voice over narration just like in the comics, and hope we get even more the next time around.  The costume looked better onscreen than I had been expecting, and I look forward to seeing what upgrades he gets the next time around.  I still miss the white eyes, but I don't know if we will ever get them with this ultra grounded version of the character.  In fact, that's my only real quibble with the movie - it is so gritty and down to Earth, that I don't know how any of Batman's more fantastical foes like Man-Bat or Clayface could ever fit in here - let alone connecting it to a larger DCU with Superman and the Justice League and so forth.  Matt Reeves has expressed interest in using Mr. Freeze, though, so maybe this world will broaden its comic book horizons going forward.  Cant wait for it to hit HBO Max in 5 weeks so I can watch it again!

Ultraman Vs. Venom

 

I thought I would present a take on the crossover that started it all.  I remember seeing ads for Superman Vs. Spider-Man and being fascinated by them.  It was a mythical comic to me as it took about a decade before I would be able to own a copy.

Ultraman here is by Ethan Van Sciver.  I was glad to get a sketch by him several years ago:

Swamp Thing and The Scarlet Witch

 

One question that I have for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is exactly what role The Scarlet Witch will play in it.  Will Wanda be the true adversary of the film, or will she be influenced by outside sources?  I'd hate to see her turn irredeemably evil, but she did do some pretty bad things to innocent people in Wanda/Vision.  As I have mentioned before, I am doing my best to avoid spoilers for the film, so I'll just have to see it to find out.

The New Mutants and Cyborg

 

The New Mutants was exciting for readers of my age because here was an X-team that we could start collecting and following as soon as they began.  Well, not exactly, for me anyway.  While I was able to get the series off of the stands from issue #1, the first appearance of the team was in one of Marvel's new graphic novels.  Those were only available in comics shops, none of which were nearby my home, certainly not in bike riding distance.  It would be years before I was able to get my hands on a copy.

Man-Bat Joins The Sinister Six

 

Spider-Man: No Way Home kind of gave us a Sinister Six story but not really.  I guess if you count the mid-credit scene there were six Spidey villains in the mix - or if you count J. Jonah Jameson as a villain.  Still, hopefully one day down the line we'll see a true sinister six adventure on the big screen.  

I was happy to use a Don Newton image of Man-Bat here.  I was lucky enough to pick up an original  Don Newton page many years back:

Space Ghost and Space Cabbie

 

Recently I have been watching the 1967 Jonny Quest series on HBO Max, and thoroughly enjoying them.  Sure, the animation of the time was fairly limited, but the plots and gorgeous visual work more than make up for that.  Alex Toth's designs for the characters, vehicles, hi-tech devices and weapons are a joy to take in.  Toth also gave Space Ghost one of the greatest superhero costumes ever, so It's no surprise.

The Tick and Forbush Man

 

We need to see The Tick back in animation.  Both the old and newer live action incarnations of the series had their moments, but could not quite capture the manic fun of the comics or the cartoon.  With the explosion of superhero movies in the past decade plus, there's plenty of new material for a new Tick show to pit its signature spin on.

Hawkman and Captain Britain

 

I was happy to use an image of Hawkman here by the very talented Lee Weeks.  I was able to pick up an original page of his many years back, and even got to thank him for it at a convention years later, he was incredibly nice and got a kick out of the STF Daredevil/Calvin & Hobbes t-shirt I was wearing. I gave him a business card with the Blog's address on it when he asked where I got the shirt from, so who knows?  Maybe he's checking out this entry right now.

Godzilla Vs. Fin Fang Foom

 

This is a match up that I am surprised we did not see for real back when Marvel had the rights to publish Godzilla comics.  I definitely would have been down for a Herb Trimpe-illustrated throwdown between these two behemoths.  I have always loved the designs of both of these monsters and it would be great to see them clash.

Green Lantern & Green Arrow Vs. The Frightful Four

Warner Bros is taking their sweet time bringing Hal Jordan back to the movies.  There's the long ago announced and slow moving Green Lantern Corps series for HBO Max, but he wont be part of that.  By the time he hits the big screen again, we'll be ready for a new Oliver Queen as well - so why not bring them back together?  I'd be up for a Hard Travelling Heroes movie!

 

Doctor Strange enters The Twilight Zone

 

As much as I enjoyed  Spider-Man: No Way Home, I can only imagine how much more I would have liked it if most of the surprises in the movie were not spoiled by the internet beforehand.  With that in mind, I am making even a more concerted effort to stay as spoiler free as possible for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.  It won't be easy, but hopefully I can go into that film without knowing every plot point and cameo if I remain strict about what articles and message boards I click on for the next few weeks.

Camelot 3000 and Guardians of the Galaxy

 

I can imagine a tale that combines a rag-tag team of space pirates with the futuristic Knights of the Round Table would be filled with lots of cool action and character moments.  Camelot 3000 remains a favorite of mine, largely in part to Brian Bolland's amazing artwork.  I consider my self very lucky to have been able to pick up an original sketch by Bolland several years back, since he works mostly digitally these days:

Batman and The Shield

 

This cover was another case where it may look like all that was needed was to insert the Shield image on top of the Batman image - but there was a bit of clean up and prep work before I could get to that point.  Here's a look at the room staging: