Richie Rich and Casper meet The Spectre

 

Uh oh, this looks like a dilemma that Richie won't be able to spend his way out of!  Let's hope Casper has some connections on the other side to help out!

Hourman and Spider-Man in: "Rex to the Rescue!"

One reason I always had a soft spot for Hourman was his somewhat baggy mask.  Most other heroes had form fitting masks that clung perfectly to their heads. Rex Tyler's looked more like something I would have come up with at home when trying to make a superhero mask out of a winter hat or something.  It made him kind of relatable.

These two heroes previously met in STF #1834, and first crossed paths back in STF #578,,,

 

The Spectre and The Hulk

 

When you have simultaneously ticked off both The Spectre and The Hulk, you know that you have really messed up.  I'd like to see just who has gotten themselves in that predicament and how the vengeance of these heroes plays out.

The Spectre and Young Hellboy

 

The adventures of Superman when he was a boy may have been retconned away, but I am glad that Hellboy's history has stayed intact at least.  It's cool to see the younger version of the BPRD's most famous member.  The Spectre was able to work well with others in his first few years as a hero, so I can see this team up happening.

Hourman meets Giant-Man and The Wasp

 

Hourman originally met this pair in a back-up tale in STF #3408, and I thought that tale deserved a full length sequel. Plus, it gave me the excuse to use an Olympics related title.

Dick Tracy and The Spectre

 

One of the best parts of John Ostrander's 90's Spectre series was the exploration of Jim Corrigan's early years.  I could see Dick Tracy fitting right in with those pre-Spectre tales, so a story like this might not be as far fetched as it might initially seem.  I'd read it, anyway.

Shining Knight and Cyclops

 

Continued From yesterday's cover, we now see which X-Man had to return back to the Seven Soldiers of Victory's era.  If there's one member of Xavier's team that deserves better treatment than was received in the Fox movies, it's Scott Summers.  Here's hoping Marvel does him justice once he joins the MCU.

Green Lantern and the Hulk / Hourman Vs. Giant-Man

 

I've always liked a good back up story in comics.  They were usually as good as the lead feature (unlike many of the "B" sides to record singles that I would pick up).  Some of my favorites were Elongated man solo adventures in Detective Comics, Whatever happened to...? in DC Comics Presents, and Green Lantern or Firestorm in The Flash.  

Captain America and Sandman in: "A Debt to Yesterday!"

I like the concept art that I am seeing for Falcon & The Winter Soldier.  The Falcon's new costume looks great, the most comic accurate so far.  It should  be even more impressive when he has the wings and shield out.  Baron Zemo apparently will be donning his famous purple head mask at some point in the series as well. 

Spider-Man and Hourman in: "Detour Into Detonation!"

The full Spider-Man: Homecoming trailer has been released, and frankly, if you haven't seen it, don't watch it.  It seemed like one of those trailers that give away far too much of the plot.  It did look cool, and the inclusion of Iron Man will keep it fresh after five previous Spidey flicks (sort of a live-action issue of Marvel Team-Up).  I like the take on The Vulture as a scavenger of tech from leftover super-battles.  I'll definitely check this out in the theater and hope there are still a few surprises left.

These two first crossed paths back in STF #578,,,

Dr. Fate and The Human Torch

The repercussions of HYDRA's activities were still being felt in Captain America: Civil War, which I watched Friday night.  The film, which is more like Avengers 3, was a ton of fun but there was so much packed into it I think it will take another viewing to absorb it all.  The opening sequence was fantastic, showing Cap's new team working together.  Newcomers Black Panther and Spider-Man (one seamlessly woven into the plot, one somewhat shoehorned in) were a blast to watch and once again The Falcon stole the show for me, now with even cooler moves and Redwing along for the ride.  I wish Ant-Man had been given more to do, but I liked his role in the airport battle.  It was nice to see Vision and Scarlet Witch sharing time together as well.  I still feel like Captain America: Winter Soldier and Guardians of the Galaxy are the Marvel movies to beat, but this one ranks high due to so many cool moments even if the story wasn't as strong.

Dr. Fate originally met the Torch in an adventure with the Invaders back in STF #1298 ...

The Invaders and Doctor Fate

The core three Invaders make up almost the perfect team for me.  They represent man, machine and mutant and can protect land, air and water with the perspectives of a soldier, rebel and outcast.  A lot of different types of stories can be told by featuring those three.

Sandman and Spider-Man in "Secrets of a Slumbering Spider"

Call me crazy, but I am really hoping to see Spider-Man's armpit webs when he makes his Marvel movie debut.  Sure, they are a little weird and don't seem to serve any useful purpose - but I always thought they were kind of cool.  Besides, they need some way to clearly differentiate int from the previous cinematic costumes.

The Spectre and Ghostbusters

With the untimely passing of Harold Ramis, I figured that the rumors of a third Ghostbusters film would finally cease, but that does not seem to be the case.  There is still chatter about a new installment, with the remaining members handing off the reigns to a younger team.  Some say the group will be filled with contemporary comedic stars, and some say an all-female group may be in the plans.  I love the first movie, and the second - while not perfect - has grown on me... but something tells me that just too much time has passed and it is time to let the sequel dream go.  I'd love to be proven wrong, but I think it will be very hard to recapture the magic.

Hourman and Spider-Man

There has been a lot of comic-related movie and TV announcements lately, and the one that surprised me most was that Hourman would be getting his own TV series.  I hadn't heard that this was even being discussed, but given the character's ability to gain super powers for 60 minutes at a time, he is kind of perfect for an hour-long show.  Unfortunately nothing I have read mentions his original power set, only the "time vision", where he can see an hour into the future, which was grafted onto later versions of the character.  No mention of a costume either, and I doubt that he will wind up looking like any incarnation of Hourman from the comics.  I hope to be pleasantly surprised, but I have a feeling that this will be one of those adaptations that keeps the name, a few trappings and little else from the source material.