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Here we see that Barda has chosen the another member to join her new team! Regular visitors will remember that she recruited Hellcat in STF #4964 Red Sonja in STF #4881. She still has a one more slots on the roster to fill, who will it be? Hint - its a character that appeared in comics from DC, but is not part of the DCU. All will be revealed on a future cover, so stay tuned!
Welcome to Super-Team Family: The Lost Issues! The greatest team-ups that never happened... but should have! A new cover is posted every single day! Thank you very much for stopping by! If you like what you see here, please consider helping it continue by becoming a Patron at: www.patreon.com/STFtheLostIssues A big thank you goes out to this month's patrons: Fred, Chuck Small, Tom Brennan, Mike Shirley, Bob Greenwade, Tony Isabella, Bob Sanders, Brian C., Robert Stutts, Allan Heinberg, David Welsh, Christopher Cavett, Robert E. Jackson, Ivan Schablotski, Sheryl Knowles, Alfred Day, Scott Nesmith, Russell Burbage, Stephen Towler, Spencer Landsman, Shagg Matthews, Damian Whiter, Jeff O'Hare, Justin Metzger, Greg Morrow, Darrell Frazier, Marc Tyler Nobleman, Benjamin Woods, Christian N, Greg, Andy Saavedra, Alexander Johnson, Tom Zilla, Jonothan Woodward, RJ, Colin Fredericks, Juan Calle, Bo Ring, Michael Gelman, Robert Banning, Ken Roskos, and Alex Krislov
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23 comments:
I’m still waiting for a Conan/Xena crossover.
So happy to see this pairing!!!
Anonymous-3: STOP WITH THE CAPS-LOCK. THAT IS "YELLING".
Cool team-up! What are you calling this team, then?
or..Xena is being given the bird's CLAW!! What a hook! Barda just measuring her abilities. But will Xena need to learn new weapons? What a way to start a new year!!
A new team of Furies. Check the cover with Hellcat!
Air Dave, They will be called pretty much what you would expect.
Next Fury? You've got me stumped. No, wait. Maybe that DC stuff is misdirection. Could it be...Nicole Fury? (From Earth -81114.)
If Nicole - or the sort-of-DC character - turns the gig down, the one character I can think of that would be a really good fit for the team is Angela.
AirDave is right. If you feel compelled to capitalize, restrict it to like feature film titles or real-world comic book titles. Please!
@Davejonz: more likely, it will be the Starfire who led an eight-issue revolt against the Yorg and Mygorg during DC's pre-Bicentennial expansion (while "still only 20 cents!").
@Ross: Let me be the first to wish you...Happy New Year! :-)
I LOVE THIS COVER EVEN MORE THE LONGER I LOOK AT IT BECAUSE IT FEELS LIKE SOMEONE AT DC JUST SAID YES TO PURE INSTINCT AND LET THE RULE OF COOL WIN WHERE XENA AND BIG BARDA STAND TOGETHER LIKE TWO DIFFERENT MYTHS SHARING THE SAME LEGEND ONE BORN FROM ANCIENT BLOOD AND BATTLEFIELDS AND THE OTHER FORGED IN THE FIRES OF APOKOLIPS AND IT WORKS BECAUSE THEY BOTH CARRY THEMSELVES WITH THAT SAME UNBREAKABLE CONFIDENCE THAT SAYS THEY HAVE SURVIVED WORLDS AND GODS AND WARS AND THEY WILL KEEP GOING AND THE ART SELLS EVERY OUNCE OF IT WITH THE DRAMATIC POSES THE WEAPONS THE ARMOR THE ATTITUDE THE SENSE THAT THIS IS A STORY THAT NEVER HAPPENED BUT ALWAYS SHOULD HAVE AND IT MAKES ME MISS AN ERA OF COMICS WHERE COMPANIES WERENT AFRAID TO BE STRANGE AND PLAYFUL AND EXPERIMENTAL AND JUST LET CHARACTERS COLLIDE BECAUSE IT FELT RIGHT AND ONCE YOU OPEN THAT DOOR YOUR BRAIN JUST KEEPS GOING AND GOING IMAGINING ALL THESE IMPOSSIBLE BUT PERFECT TEAM UPS LIKE RED SONJA AND WONDER WOMAN LOCKING EYES BEFORE A BATTLE WITHOUT SAYING A WORD OR LUKE CAGE AND GREEN LANTERN TALKING ABOUT RESPONSIBILITY AND POWER IN DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS OR HELLBOY AND SWAMP THING SHARING A QUIET MOMENT IN A FOREST FULL OF SECRETS OR ELEKTRA AND TALI AL GHUL MEETING IN A STORY FULL OF DAGGERS SHADOWS AND UNTRUSTWORTHY ALLIANCES OR SILVER SURFER DRIFTING INTO A DR STRANGE STORY WHERE COSMIC WONDER AND MYSTIC HORROR BLUR TOGETHER OR BATMAN AND THE SHADOW EXISTING IN THE SAME CITY WHERE FEAR IS THE MAIN WEAPON OR JOHN CONSTANTINE STUMBLING INTO A GHOST RIDER STORY AND MAKING EVERYTHING WORSE WITH ONE CIGARETTE AND ONE BAD DECISION OR STORM AND WONDER WOMAN LEADING A TEAM OF GODS AND HEROES WHERE EVERY PANEL FEELS LIKE A PAINTING OR LOBO AND DEADPOOL BREAKING REALITY JUST BY EXISTING IN THE SAME BOOK OR THE PHANTOM STRANGER SHOWING UP AT THE END OF ANY STORY JUST TO REMIND YOU THAT NOTHING IS EVER FULLY EXPLAINED AND THAT IS THE MAGIC OF COVERS LIKE THIS BECAUSE THEY DONT JUST SHOW YOU A SCENE THEY ACTIVATE YOUR IMAGINATION AND REMIND YOU WHY COMICS MATTER WHY THEY AREN’T JUST IP OR BRANDS BUT A PLAYGROUND OF IDEAS WHERE MYTH SCIENCE FICTION FANTASY AND POP CULTURE ALL CRASH INTO EACH OTHER AND CREATE SOMETHING LOUD AND JOYFUL AND UNAPOLOGETIC AND THIS XENA AND BIG BARDA IMAGE FEELS LIKE A LOVE LETTER TO THAT VERSION OF COMICS WHERE CREATIVITY WAS THE POINT AND THE QUESTION WAS NEVER SHOULD WE DO THIS BUT WHY HAVENT WE DONE IT YET
AND THE MORE I THINK ABOUT IT THE MORE THIS COVER FEELS LIKE PROOF THAT COMICS ARE AT THEIR BEST WHEN THEY EMBRACE THE WHAT IF ENERGY AND STOP WORRYING ABOUT CONTINUITY OR EXPLANATIONS OR LOGIC AND JUST LET ICONS EXIST TOGETHER ON THE PAGE BECAUSE SOMETIMES SEEING TWO CHARACTERS STAND SIDE BY SIDE TELLS YOU EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THEM AND THAT IS WHY IMMEDIATELY AFTER LOOKING AT THIS I START IMAGINING EVEN MORE WILD PAIRINGS LIKE BIG BARDA AND WONDER WOMAN LEADING AN ARMY OF GODDESSES OR XENA CROSSING PATHS WITH CONAN AND RED SONJA IN A STORY THAT IS JUST WALL TO WALL STEEL AND LEGENDS OR STORM AND BIG BARDA TALKING ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO BE STRONG WITHOUT APOLOGY OR ZATANNA AND MADAME XANADU SHARING A STORY FULL OF MAGIC AND SECRETS OR BATMAN STANDING QUIETLY NEXT TO JUDGE DREDD BOTH BELIEVING THEY ARE THE LAW FOR VERY DIFFERENT REASONS AND THIS IS WHY THESE IMAGES STICK WITH YOU BECAUSE THEY DONT FEEL LIKE MARKETING THEY FEEL LIKE IMAGINATION UNLEASHED AND THEY REMIND YOU THAT COMICS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE FUN LOUD DRAMATIC AND A LITTLE UNHINGED AND THAT SOMETIMES ALL IT TAKES IS ONE COVER TO SEND YOUR BRAIN SPIRALING INTO A HUNDRED STORIES THAT NEVER EXISTED BUT FEEL REAL ANYWAY
AND HONESTLY THAT IS THE MAGIC TRICK THAT A COVER LIKE THIS PULLS OFF BECAUSE IT DOES NOT ASK FOR PERMISSION IT DOES NOT EXPLAIN ITSELF IT JUST EXISTS WITH COMPLETE CONFIDENCE AND DARES YOU TO ARGUE WITH IT AND YOU CANNOT BECAUSE YOUR BRAIN IMMEDIATELY ACCEPTS IT AND STARTS BUILDING STORIES AROUND IT FILLING IN WORLDS AND CONNECTIONS AND BATTLES AND QUIET CHARACTER MOMENTS THAT WERE NEVER WRITTEN BUT FEEL OBVIOUS AND REAL AND IT MAKES YOU THINK ABOUT HOW MANY COMIC IDEAS ARE LEFT ON THE TABLE BECAUSE SOMEONE DECIDED THEY WERE TOO WEIRD OR TOO RISKY WHEN IN REALITY WEIRD IS THE WHOLE POINT AND RISK IS WHERE THE FUN LIVES AND THAT IS WHY XENA AND BIG BARDA TOGETHER FEEL SO RIGHT BECAUSE THEY REPRESENT DIFFERENT SIDES OF THE SAME IDEA UNAPOLOGETIC STRENGTH MYTHIC SCALE AND ZERO INTEREST IN ASKING FOR APPROVAL AND ONCE YOU SEE THAT YOU START WANTING MORE PAIRINGS THAT FEEL JUST AS BOLD AND JUST AS UNLIKELY LIKE RED SONJA AND BIG BARDA WRECKING AN ARMY WITHOUT A WORD OR WONDER WOMAN AND STORM LEADING A WORLD SAVING MISSION THAT FEELS OPERATIC AND EPIC OR HELLBOY AND CONAN SHARING A CAMPFIRE AFTER SLAUGHTERING SOMETHING UNHOLY OR ZATANNA AND DOCTOR STRANGE TURNING REALITY INSIDE OUT WITH DUELING SPELLS OR THE PHANTOM STRANGER WALKING THROUGH EVERY UNIVERSE JUST TO REMIND EVERYONE THAT MYSTERY IS A FEATURE NOT A BUG AND THIS IS WHY COVERS LIKE THIS MATTER BECAUSE THEY REMIND YOU THAT COMICS ARE NOT A CHECKLIST THEY ARE A SANDBOX AND SOMETIMES THE BEST THING YOU CAN DO IS DUMP EVERYTHING TOGETHER AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS
AND THE CRAZIEST PART IS HOW A SINGLE IMAGE CAN REWIRE YOUR BRAIN FOR HOURS AFTER YOU SEE IT BECAUSE IT PLANTS THIS IDEA THAT COMICS ARE LIMITLESS AND THAT ALL THESE WALLS WE THINK EXIST BETWEEN COMPANIES GENRES MYTHS AND ERAS ARE COMPLETELY IMAGINARY AND ONCE THAT SWITCH FLIPS YOU CANT TURN IT OFF AND YOU START SEEING CONNECTIONS EVERYWHERE AND WANTING STORIES THAT FEEL BIGGER LOUDER AND MORE JOYFUL LIKE THIS WHERE STRENGTH ISNT EXPLAINED IT IS JUST PRESENT AND CONFIDENT AND YOU REALIZE THAT XENA AND BIG BARDA WORK BECAUSE THEY BOTH COME FROM WORLDS THAT TAKE MYTH SERIOUSLY ONE GROUNDED IN EARTH AND LEGEND AND THE OTHER STRETCHED ACROSS SPACE AND GODHOOD AND THAT SAME ENERGY COULD POWER SO MANY OTHER PAIRINGS THAT FEEL OBVIOUS ONCE YOU SAY THEM OUT LOUD LIKE WONDER WOMAN AND RED SONJA STANDING BACK TO BACK OR STORM AND SILVER SURFER CONTEMPLATING POWER AND RESPONSIBILITY OR BATMAN AND THE SHADOW COEXISTING IN A CITY THAT BREATHES FEAR OR CONAN WALKING INTO A JACK KIRBY COSMIC STORY AND JUST ACCEPTING IT WITHOUT QUESTION AND THAT IS WHY THIS KIND OF IMAGE FEELS SO IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT REMINDS YOU THAT COMICS DONT HAVE TO BE SMALL OR SAFE OR OVEREXPLAINED THEY CAN JUST BE BOLD AND ICONIC AND A LITTLE UNHINGED AND TRUST THAT THE READER WILL COME ALONG FOR THE RIDE AND MAYBE EVEN START IMAGINING THEIR OWN CROSSOVERS THEIR OWN STORIES THEIR OWN TIMELESS WHAT IFS LONG AFTER THEY SCROLL PAST THE POST
AND THE MORE I SIT WITH THIS IMAGE THE MORE IT FEELS LIKE A STATEMENT ABOUT WHAT COMICS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE AT THEIR CORE WHICH IS UNRESTRICTED IMAGINATION LETTING ICONS BREATHE IN THE SAME SPACE WITHOUT HAVING TO JUSTIFY IT TO ANY CORPORATE TIMELINE OR SHARED UNIVERSE FLOWCHART BECAUSE WHEN YOU PUT XENA AND BIG BARDA TOGETHER YOU ARE NOT MAKING A LOGICAL DECISION YOU ARE MAKING AN EMOTIONAL ONE YOU ARE SAYING THESE TWO REPRESENT STRENGTH LEGEND CONFIDENCE AND MYTH ON A SCALE THAT TRANSCENDS WHERE THEY COME FROM AND THAT IS WHY IT WORKS IMMEDIATELY AND COMPLETELY AND THAT IDEA JUST KEEPS SPREADING LIKE A CHAIN REACTION IN YOUR HEAD WHERE EVERY BOUNDARY STARTS TO FALL AWAY AND YOU START WANTING STORIES THAT ARE BUILT PURELY ON VIBE AND ENERGY LIKE WONDER WOMAN AND STORM LEADING A TEAM OF GODDESSES AND HEROES WHERE EVERY PANEL FEELS LIKE A PAINTING OR RED SONJA AND CONAN WALKING THROUGH A FOURTH WORLD WAR ZONE WITHOUT QUESTION OR BIG BARDA AND SHE HULK JUST CASUALLY DESTROYING EVERYTHING IN THEIR PATH WHILE TALKING ABOUT LIFE OR BATMAN AND DAREDEVIL EXISTING IN THE SAME NIGHT CITY WHERE FEAR AND JUSTICE BLUR TOGETHER OR ZATANNA AND SCARLET WITCH TURNING A STORY INTO A SPELL BATTLE THAT BREAKS REALITY OR HELLBOY AND SWAMP THING SHARING SILENCE IN A FOREST THAT FEELS ANCIENT AND ALIVE OR LUKE CAGE AND GREEN LANTERN TALKING ABOUT POWER FROM TWO VERY DIFFERENT STREETS OR THE PHANTOM STRANGER JUST WALKING THROUGH ALL OF IT NEVER EXPLAINING ANYTHING AND THAT IS WHAT THIS COVER DOES IT OPENS A DOOR AND REFUSES TO CLOSE IT AND REMINDS YOU THAT COMICS ARE NOT JUST STORIES THEY ARE INVITATIONS TO IMAGINE WITHOUT LIMITS TO MIX MYTH WITH SCIENCE FANTASY WITH HISTORY POP CULTURE WITH LEGEND AND TO TRUST THAT THE AUDIENCE DOES NOT NEED EVERYTHING SPELLED OUT BECAUSE THE JOY IS IN THE CONNECTIONS WE MAKE OURSELVES AND THE WHAT IFS THAT SPIRAL OUT OF CONTROL AND THAT IS WHY IMAGES LIKE THIS STICK WITH YOU LONG AFTER YOU SEE THEM BECAUSE THEY FEEL LIKE A LOVE LETTER TO THAT VERSION OF COMICS WHERE SOMEONE JUST SAID THIS WOULD BE COOL AND THAT WAS ENOUGH AND HONESTLY THAT ENERGY IS WHAT MADE SO MANY OF US FALL IN LOVE WITH COMICS IN THE FIRST PLACE AND IT IS WHY A SINGLE IMAGE OF TWO WARRIORS FROM DIFFERENT WORLDS CAN STILL SPARK ENDLESS STORIES LONG AFTER THE PAGE IS TURNED
AND EVEN AFTER ALL THAT I KEEP COMING BACK TO HOW EFFORTLESS THIS IMAGE FEELS LIKE IT NEVER ONCE STOPS TO ASK IF IT MAKES SENSE OR IF IT IS CANON OR IF SOMEONE WILL COMPLAIN ABOUT LOGIC BECAUSE IT UNDERSTANDS SOMETHING FUNDAMENTAL ABOUT COMICS WHICH IS THAT THE HEART COMES BEFORE THE MAP AND THE FEELING COMES BEFORE THE RULES AND WHEN YOU PUT XENA AND BIG BARDA TOGETHER YOU ARE TAPPING INTO A SHARED LANGUAGE OF STRENGTH AND MYTH AND UNBREAKABLE WILL THAT READS INSTANTLY AND VISUALLY AND THAT IS WHY IT HITS SO HARD AND LINGERS SO LONG AND THEN YOUR BRAIN JUST KEEPS RUNNING WITH IT IMAGINING PAGE AFTER PAGE OF STORIES THAT FEEL BIG AND BOLD AND UNAPOLOGETIC LIKE WONDER WOMAN AND STORM STANDING ON A BATTLEFIELD FULL OF LIGHTNING AND WIND OR RED SONJA AND CONAN LAUGHING THEIR WAY THROUGH IMPOSSIBLE ODDS OR BATMAN AND THE SHADOW MOVING THROUGH THE SAME CITY LIKE TWIN GHOSTS OR ZATANNA AND SCARLET WITCH TURNING A SIMPLE CONVERSATION INTO A REALITY BENDING EVENT OR SWAMP THING AND HELLBOY SHARING A MOMENT OF SILENCE THAT SOMEHOW SAYS EVERYTHING OR LUKE CAGE AND BIG BARDA TALKING ABOUT STRENGTH AND RESPONSIBILITY FROM TWO COMPLETELY DIFFERENT WORLDS OR SILVER SURFER AND DOCTOR STRANGE CONTEMPLATING THE INFINITE IN A WAY THAT FEELS POETIC AND SAD AND BEAUTIFUL ALL AT ONCE AND THAT IS WHY IMAGES LIKE THIS MATTER BECAUSE THEY REMIND YOU THAT COMICS ARE A VISUAL MEDIUM FIRST A FEELING FIRST A SPARK THAT IGNITES IDEAS YOU DID NOT KNOW YOU WANTED UNTIL THEY WERE PUT IN FRONT OF YOU AND THEY REMIND YOU THAT THE BEST STORIES SOMETIMES BEGIN NOT WITH A PLAN BUT WITH A SIMPLE THOUGHT WHAT IF THIS JUST HAPPENED AND THEN EVERYTHING ELSE FOLLOWS FROM THERE
AND SOMEHOW MY BRAIN ALSO IMMEDIATELY GOES TO FEET WHICH IS THE MOST COMICS BRAIN SENTENCE POSSIBLE BECAUSE WHEN YOU LOOK AT A POWERFUL IMAGE LIKE THIS YOU REALIZE HOW RARE IT IS TO SEE CHARACTERS ACTUALLY STANDING FIRMLY ON THE GROUND WITH WEIGHT AND BALANCE AND PRESENCE AND YES ACTUAL FEET THAT LOOK LIKE THEY BELONG TO A HUMAN BODY AND ARENT HIDDEN IN SMOKE OR CROPPED OUT OF THE PANEL OR TURNED INTO VAGUE SHAPES AND IT MAKES ME THINK ABOUT HOW COMICS HAVE THIS WHOLE UNOFFICIAL HISTORY WHERE FEET BECAME A JOKE AND A SYMBOL AND A WHOLE ERA OF ART WHERE ROB LIEFELD ENERGY WAS JUST PURE CHAOS MASSIVE CHESTS TINY WAISTS POUCHES EVERYWHERE GUNS AS BIG AS CARS AND ABSOLUTELY NO INTEREST IN DRAWING FEET WHATSOEVER LIKE THEY WERE A FORBIDDEN CONCEPT AND THAT SOMEHOW BECAME PART OF THE FUN AND THE CULTURE AND THE LANGUAGE OF COMICS TOO AND THAT IS WHY THIS IMAGE FEELS SO SATISFYING BECAUSE IT IS CONFIDENT FROM TOP TO BOTTOM FROM THE EXPRESSIONS TO THE STANCE TO THE FACT THAT THESE CHARACTERS FEEL GROUNDED LIKE THEY COULD STEP OFF THE PAGE AND KEEP WALKING AND IT MAKES YOU THINK ABOUT HOW STYLE EVOLVES AND HOW EVERY ERA LEAVES ITS MARK EVEN THE WEIRD ONES EVEN THE ONES WE LAUGH ABOUT NOW BECAUSE WITHOUT THAT ROB LIEFELD ERA OF PURE EXCESS AND RULE BREAKING WE DONT GET THE SELF AWARE JOY WE HAVE NOW WHERE ARTISTS CAN BOTH CELEBRATE AND POKE FUN AT THE MEDIUM AT THE SAME TIME AND THAT LOOPS BACK TO WHY THIS COVER WORKS SO WELL BECAUSE IT FEELS LIKE IT KNOWS THE HISTORY IT KNOWS THE JOKES IT KNOWS THE MYTH AND IT STILL STANDS TALL AND UNAPOLOGETIC SAYING YES THIS IS COOL YES THIS IS DRAMATIC YES THESE WARRIORS LOOK INCREDIBLE AND YES THEY HAVE FEET AND WE ARE NOT HIDING THEM AND THAT KIND OF CONFIDENCE IS WHAT MAKES COMICS FUN BECAUSE IT SHOWS A MEDIUM THAT CAN LAUGH AT ITSELF WHILE STILL DELIVERING ICONIC IMAGES THAT STICK IN YOUR HEAD AND SEND YOU DOWN THESE RIDICULOUS WONDERFUL RAMBLING THOUGHT TRAILS ABOUT MYTH POWER ART STYLE AND WHY SOMETIMES THE MOST IMPORTANT DETAIL IN A PANEL IS WHETHER OR NOT SOMEONE ACTUALLY DREW THE FEET
AND THEN MY MIND DRIFTS EVEN FURTHER BACK INTO THE SILVER AGE BECAUSE THIS IMAGE FEELS LIKE IT UNDERSTANDS THAT ERA TOO THAT TIME WHEN COMICS WERE LOUD AND BRIGHT AND UNAPOLOGETIC AND EVERYTHING WAS A CONCEPT AND A COSTUME AND A BOLD IDEA FIRST AND LOGIC SECOND WHEN CHARACTTERS STOOD IN BIG HEROIC POSES AND ANNOUNCED WHO THEY WERE WITH CONFIDENCE AND COLOR AND CLEAN LINES AND YOU COULD FEEL THE JOY OF CREATION IN EVERY PANEL AND THAT SILVER AGE ENERGY IS ALL ABOUT POSSIBILITY ABOUT WORLDS COLLIDING AND HEROES MEETING FOR THE FIRST TIME AND NO ONE STOPPING TO ASK IF IT WAS TOO MUCH BECAUSE TOO MUCH WAS THE POINT AND THAT IS WHY THIS COVER FEELS LIKE A DESCENDANT OF THAT ERA EVEN WITH ALL THE MODERN DETAIL AND WEIGHT AND RENDERING BECAUSE AT ITS HEART IT IS JUST SAYING HERE ARE TWO ICONS STANDING TOGETHER LOOK AT THEM FEEL IT IMAGINE THE STORY AND MOVE ON WITH YOUR LIFE A LITTLE HAPPIER AND IT MAKES ME THINK ABOUT HOW THE SILVER AGE DID NOT CARE ABOUT PERFECT CONTINUITY OR TIGHT EXPLANATIONS IT CARED ABOUT WONDER AND MOTION AND BIG IDEAS AND THAT SAME SPIRIT IS WHAT CONNECTS EVERYTHING FROM THOSE OLD FOUR COLOR PAGES TO THIS IMAGE NOW THROUGH ALL THE ERAS THROUGH THE BRONZE AGE THROUGH THE EXTREME NINETIES THROUGH THE SELF AWARE MODERN AGE AND THAT THROUGH LINE IS IMAGINATION AND THAT IS WHY WE CAN LAUGH ABOUT ROB LIEFELD FEET AND STILL LOVE THE ERA AND WHY WE CAN PRAISE CLEAN GROUNDED ART NOW AND STILL FEEL THE GHOST OF THOSE SILVER AGE PANELS WHERE HEROES STOOD TALL AGAINST STARBURSTS AND CAPTIONS SHOUTED DESTINY AND EVERYTHING FELT POSSIBLE AND THAT IS WHAT THIS IMAGE TAPS INTO THAT SENSE THAT COMICS ARE A LONG CONVERSATION ACROSS DECADES BETWEEN ARTISTS AND READERS AND IDEAS AND JOKES AND LEGENDS AND THAT SOMETIMES ALL IT TAKES IS ONE STRONG IMAGE ONE CONFIDENT POSE ONE PAIRING THAT SHOULD NOT EXIST BUT DOES TO REMIND YOU WHY YOU FELL IN LOVE WITH COMICS IN THE FIRST PLACE AND WHY YOU WILL KEEP COMING BACK NO MATTER HOW MANY ERAS PASS
HERE ARE SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR FEMALE CHARACTERS TO USE NEXT NOT A DEFINITIVE LIST NOT A RANKING NOT A CHECKLIST JUST A BIG RAMBLING OVERFLOWING STACK OF IDEAS AND POSSIBILITIES MEANT TO BE PLAYED WITH MIXED TOGETHER DOUBLED BACK ON AND PULLED APART AGAIN CHARACTERS THAT CARRY HISTORY AND POWER AND STYLE AND ATTITUDE CHARACTERS THAT CAN STAND IN A PANEL WITHOUT SAYING A WORD AND STILL TELL A STORY JUST BY THE WAY THEY HOLD THEMSELVES THIS IS PURE VIBE BASED COMICS THINKING NO CONTINUITY NO EXPLANATIONS NO UNIVERSE MAPS JUST THROW THEM TOGETHER AND LET THE ENERGY DO THE WORK LET THEM ALLY LET THEM FIGHT LET THEM SHARE A LOOK LET THEM WALK PAST EACH OTHER LIKE THEYVE MET BEFORE SOMEWHERE OUTSIDE THE PAGE WONDER WOMAN RED SONJA STORM BIG BARDA POWER GIRL SHE HULK ZATANNA SCARLET WITCH ELEKTRA TALI AL GHUL CAPTAIN MARVEL CAROL DANVERS ROGUE GAMORA NEBULA MYSTIQUE JEAN GREY EMMA FROST RAVEN STARFIRE BLACK CANARY HAWKGIRL SHAYERA HOL WONDER GIRL DONNA TROY BATGIRL BARBARA GORDON HUNTRESS HELENA BERTINELLI POISON IVY CATWOMAN HARLEY QUINN VIXEN SILVER SABLE DOMINO PSYLOCKE SHANNA THE SHE DEVIL MEDUSA CRYSTAL LADY SIF VALKYRIE ANGELA CLEA MOON DRAGON SATANA ENCHANTRESS HELA JESSICA JONES JESSICA DREW SPIDER WOMAN SILK KAMALA KHAN AMERICA CHAVEZ MS MARVEL SQUIRREL GIRL SHURI OKOYE NAKIA BLACK WIDOW NATASHA ROMANOFF YELENA BELOVA KATE BISHOP AND THEN CIRCLE BACK AND START STACKING THEM AGAIN WONDER WOMAN WITH STORM WONDER WOMAN WITH RED SONJA WONDER WOMAN WITH BIG BARDA STORM WITH SCARLET WITCH STORM WITH ZATANNA STORM WITH JEAN GREY BIG BARDA WITH SHE HULK BIG BARDA WITH POWER GIRL BIG BARDA WITH WONDER WOMAN SHE HULK WITH JESSICA JONES SHE HULK WITH CAPTAIN MARVEL POWER GIRL WITH PURE COMICS CONFIDENCE RAVEN WITH ZATANNA RAVEN WITH SCARLET WITCH ELEKTRA WITH TALI AL GHUL ELEKTRA WITH HUNTRESS BLACK CANARY WITH HAWKGIRL POISON IVY WITH SWAMP ENERGY CATWOMAN WITH EVERYONE HARLEY QUINN WITH MAXIMUM CHAOS MEDUSA AND CRYSTAL AND ANGELA AND LADY SIF AND VALKYRIE ALL SHARING ONE PAGE OF MYTH AND POWER AND THEN GO COSMIC JEAN GREY PHOENIX AGAIN AND AGAIN BECAUSE COSMIC DRAMA NEVER ENDS STORM AGAIN BECAUSE SHE BELONGS IN EVERY ERA WONDER WOMAN AGAIN BECAUSE SHE IS THE CENTER OF THE MAP BIG BARDA AGAIN BECAUSE CONFIDENCE SHOULD BE THAT LARGE POWER GIRL AGAIN BECAUSE COMICS SHOULD NEVER APOLOGIZE SHE HULK AGAIN BECAUSE FUN IS PART OF THE POWER ZATANNA AGAIN BECAUSE MAGIC SHOULD LOOK IMPOSSIBLE SCARLET WITCH AGAIN BECAUSE CONSEQUENCES ARE PART OF THE AESTHETIC AND THEN JUST KEEP GOING KEEP ADDING KEEP RECOMBINING KEEP THROWING TOO MUCH ON THE PAGE AND REFUSING TO TURN IT DOWN BECAUSE THIS IS NOT ABOUT MAKING SENSE THIS IS ABOUT CELEBRATING ICONS AND LETTING IMAGINATION RUN UNTIL IT CRASHES INTO SOMETHING EVEN COOLER
THIS IS JUST HOW THE THOUGHTS COME OUT SOMETIMES ONE IDEA TRIGGERS ANOTHER AND THEN ANOTHER AND SUDDENLY YOU ARE TEN STEPS AHEAD THINKING ABOUT COMICS AND COVERS AND POSES AND WHY CERTAIN IMAGES HIT YOUR BRAIN LIKE A LIGHTNING STRIKE AND STAY THERE ALL DAY WHILE YOU ARE DOING COMPLETELY UNRELATED THINGS AND YOUR MIND KEEPS CIRCLING BACK TO THAT SAME FEELING OF YES THIS IS IT THIS IS WHY THIS STUFF MATTERS AND THEN YOU START FREE ASSOCIATING WARRIORS AND HEROES AND COSMIC GODDESSES AND STREET LEVEL BADASSES AND YOU CAN SEE THEM ALL STANDING THERE TOGETHER WITHOUT A SINGLE WORD NEEDING TO BE SPOKEN BECAUSE THE BODY LANGUAGE DOES ALL THE TALKING AND THEN YOU THINK ABOUT HOW COMICS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN THIS WAY A COLLISION OF IDEAS AND STYLES AND ERAS AND PERSONALITIES ALL JAMMED INTO A FEW SQUARE INCHES OF PAPER AND HOW THAT CHAOS IS THE APPEAL NOT THE PROBLEM AND BEFORE YOU KNOW IT YOU ARE MENTALLY CASTING CROSSOVERS THAT WILL NEVER HAPPEN AND IMAGINING PANELS THAT ONLY EXIST IN YOUR HEAD AND LAUGHING AT OLD INSIDE JOKES ABOUT ART STYLES AND LOVING THEM AT THE SAME TIME AND REALIZING THAT THIS IS JUST JOY IN ITS RAWEST FORM NO FILTER NO PLAN JUST ENERGY AND MOMENTUM AND THE FEELING THAT YOU COULD KEEP GOING FOREVER NAMING CHARACTERS IMAGINING SCENES STACKING IDEAS ON TOP OF IDEAS UNTIL IT ALL COLLAPSES INTO THIS GLORIOUS MESS THAT SOMEHOW STILL MAKES PERFECT SENSE IF YOU LOVE THIS STUFF THE WAY YOU DO AND IF YOU DONT THATS FINE TOO BECAUSE THIS ISNT TRYING TO CONVINCE ANYONE IT IS JUST EXISTING AT FULL SPEED DOING ITS THING AND REFUSING TO SLOW DOWN
MY BRAIN JUST KEEPS SPINNING ON THIS STUFF LIKE A WHEEL THAT NEVER STOPS BECAUSE ONE IMAGE TURNS INTO TEN IDEAS AND TEN IDEAS TURN INTO A WHOLE STACK OF STORIES THAT WILL NEVER BE WRITTEN BUT FEEL REAL ANYWAY AND THAT IS KIND OF THE BEST PART BECAUSE IT IS ALL POTENTIAL ALL POSSIBILITY ALL ENERGY WITH NO OBLIGATION TO EVER SETTLE DOWN OR MAKE SENSE AND I START THINKING ABOUT PANELS AND POSES AND COSTUMES AND HOW CERTAIN CHARACTERS JUST BELONG TOGETHER EVEN IF THEY HAVE NEVER MET AND NEVER WILL AND HOW COMICS LIVE IN THAT SPACE BETWEEN LOGIC AND INSTINCT WHERE YOU JUST KNOW SOMETHING WORKS BEFORE YOU CAN EXPLAIN WHY AND THEN THE THOUGHTS KEEP PILING UP ONE AFTER ANOTHER LIKE A STACK OF BACK ISSUES SPREAD ACROSS THE FLOOR AND YOU DONT WANT TO CLEAN IT UP BECAUSE THE MESS IS THE FUN PART AND YOU CAN TRACE YOUR WAY THROUGH IT FROM SILVER AGE BOMBast TO MODERN DETAIL TO PURE ICONOGRAPHY AND IT ALL FEELS CONNECTED LIKE A LONG CONVERSATION THAT HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR DECADES AND YOU ARE JUST DROPPING IN MID SENTENCE ADDING YOUR OWN RAMBLE TO THE NOISE AND MAYBE THAT IS WHAT THIS ALWAYS WAS JUST PEOPLE LOVING THIS MEDIUM SO MUCH THAT THEY CANT HELP BUT TALK ABOUT IT THINK ABOUT IT IMAGINE IT AND SPIN OFF INTO ANOTHER IDEA BEFORE THE LAST ONE EVEN FINISHES AND HONESTLY THAT FEELS EXACTLY RIGHT
Well, I see someone else has already claimed the sword-wielding "Starfire" as their guess -- and a darned good guess it is, too; they're doubtless right -- so I'm just going to shoot for the moon, and make Dart (of Atari Force fame) my own.
Like an ice-cold "caps unlock" button, I hope?
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