Kid Flash and The Young Allies

 

It looks like Wally West got his hands on the Cosmic Treadmill and found himself in a golden age adventure with wartime's greatest superhero sidekicks.  I'd read it!

Captain Marvel Jr. and Bucky in: "Bunker Busters!"

 Freddy Freeman previously met Bucky Barnes in STF #2934, and I thought that I would revisit this pairing.  This time out, they have the despicable Red Skull to contend with.

All-Star Squadron and The Invaders (And more!)

When I was a kid, the 100-Page comics and Annuals that featured classic reprints were my introduction to the characters and creators of the Golden Age. It was cool to see the building blocks of the heroes and stories that I had been currently enjoying.  I thought that I would pay homage to those specials for this Anniversary Issue.

Here are the full sized images of each story: 

Captain America and The Flash in: "20-Foot Temper Tantrum!"

 

I've had these two share adventures in team ups featuring the Invaders or the JSA, but never the two of them together.  That surprised me and I decided it's time I remedied that.

Captain America shared adventures with the Barry Allen Flash in STF #3273 and STF #726...

The Human Bomb joins The Invaders

 The Human Bomb had a simple concept and even simpler costume, but I always got a kick out of him as a kid.  I just liked the idea of a guy that could make his body combustible and survive to do it again.  Lots of heroes and villains could cause explosive destruction through weapons or energy beams from their eyes or hands, but this guy was the explosion!  I though it was cool then, and I think it's cool now!

Mary Marvel and Captain America

 

The Shazam! sequel should start production soon and, like most comic book movies these days, it looks to be a jam packed affair.  Besides Billy, there is now a whole family of super-powered heroes to deal with and there has been talk of more villains in addition to the Sivana/Mr. Mind team.  Rumors persist of Superman making a proper appearance this time around as well.  With all of that going on, will there be room for The Shazam character that I really want to show up - Mr. Tawky Tawny?

Plastic Man and Captain America (Vs. The Red Skull!)

I was recently looking at an image from 1945 of the comic section of a general store, and it really is amazing to see how much was available.  Yes, folks back then didn't have all the entertainment options that we have today, but I'm still impressed.  It's a shame that comic companies and shops have fallen on such hard times these days, especially given the popularity of the characters and stories from comics in the movies and TV.  Hopefully the shops and industry will find a way to survive through the ongoing pandemic and shut down.

Plastic Man and Cap shared a more modern age adventure in STF #2542...

Captain Marvel Jr. and Bucky

I am looking forward to Falcon and The Winter Soldier on Disney+, but the title begs one big question.  Why would Bucky Barnes want to continue going by the Winter Soldier code name?  Wasn't that given to him by the people who manipulated him into being a mindless mercenary for years?  I'd think he would never want to be called that again.  We'll see if that point is addressed in the new show.

Wonder Girl and Bucky

I featured these two together as a back-up tale in STF #1149, which was part of the ongoing Wonder Woman / Captain America saga on this blog, but I felt they deserved a cover all their own.  I used to be amused at how each male member of the original Teen Titans seemed to have a crush on Donna Troy, and I imagine that Bucky Barnes would have been similarly smitten.

Bucky and Robin in: "What's Cooking in Dr. Moreau's Basement?"

Robin and Bucky have a bit of history on STF: The Lost Issues:

Once, Robin considered taking over for Bucky...

There was the time they tackled zombies together...

They met later in their careers as Nightwing and The Winter Soldier...

They met when their teams shared an adventure...

Bucky has even tried to take over for Robin, once solo, and once with The Young Allies.

Sgt. Rock and The Invaders

Years ago, there was talk of a Sgt. Rock film being planned, but nothing ever came of it. Names like Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger were mentioned for the lead role.  While I enjoy both actors, it's hard seeing either of them truly embodying the character.  In fact, I don't know who could really bring Frank Rock to life... maybe John Wayne in his prime?

Stripesy and Bucky

I always thought that Pat Dugan was a cool character, and was glad that Geoff Johns brought him back to the DCU with his Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. series.  Lately, DC has had a bad record with its red-headed male characters though - they seem to be either forgotten, killed off, or changed into a non-redhead.  What's with the anti-ginger stance, DC?

Wonder Woman and Captain America in "Love at First Newsreel!"

I figured that for this latest installment in the ongoing romance between Wonder Woman and Captain America, I would go back to the beginning where they originally met.  It's always fun looking at old covers from Captain America's original series or Sensation Comics.  There was always so much going on, I can imagine they leaped right off the magazine racks back when they were originally on sale.

Superman and The Invaders

I have been enjoying reading Superman's very first adventures in the collected Superman Chronicles series of TPB's lately.  There's an energy to those early adventures, from a time before superheroes were even a genre, that just cannot be replicated today.  I can only imagine what it was like for a young kid to have been reading those ground-breaking tales right off the newsstands.

Robin and Bucky in "The Legend Must Live!"

TNT's upcoming Titans series has announced its cast (Nightwing, Barbara Gordon, Hawk & Dove, Starfire, Raven), and it has me interested in the series, as I am a fan of all of the characters.  Most interesting to me was the  revelation that Dick Grayson will begin the series as Robin and viewers will get to see his transition to Nightwing.  I am looking forward to this classic character finally getting his due in live action - the Chris O'Donnell and Joseph Gordon-Levitt versions didn't really do him justice.

Robin and Bucky have a bit of history on STF: The Lost Issues:

There was the time they tackled zombies together...

They met later in their careers as Nightwing and The Winter Soldier...

They met when their teams shared an adventure...

Bucky has even tried to take over for Robin, once solo, and once with The Young Allies.

Robin and Bucky

It really is crazy how writer  Ed Brubaker took what could have been seen as just a huge gimmick - reviving Bucky Barnes, one of the few Marvel characters allowed to "stay" dead - and turned it into one of the greatest Captain America story lines ever.  Just a few years later, we get to see a movie based on those comics, and it is one of the best superhero films to date.  I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next with The Winter Soldier in his print and film incarnations.

Nightwing and The Winter Soldier

It's going to be very interesting to see how Captain America: The Winter Soldier turns out.  On the one hand, it looks to be a crowded film with the title characters interacting with The Falcon, The Black Widow, Arnim Zola and more, and the directing team is an unknown quantity to me.  But then, the movie is said to be following the excellent Ed Brubaker-penned comics, some of the best Captain America issues ever.  I have high hopes and look forward to seeing a trailer soon.

Doc Savage and the Winter Soldier

What a crazy five years or so it has been for Bucky Barnes.  He went from being one of the few Marvel Characters to stay dead, to being found alive as The Winter Soldier.  Shortly after, Captain America was killed off and he assumed the title.  When Cap returned (he got better), Bucky was killed again at the climax of a line-wide event (he got better, too).  Now he is in his own self-titled series and his saga will be the basis for the next Captain America film, which just began shooting.  Not bad for a character that was pushing daisies just a few years back!

The Teen Titans and The Young Allies

The Teen Titans in their original form are still one of my favorite teams ever.  These days, the Titans are one of the biggest victims of DC's multiple continuity and timeline reboots.  Multiple versions of the same character, team members seemingly aging at different rates and confusion over who was actually a member and when have turned what was once a simple concept (superhero side-kicks form a team) into a muddled mess.  I was hoping the DC reboot would streamline things, but it has only exacerbated the problem.  Maybe for the next reboot they should just de-age all the original Titans and start from scratch!

The Freedom Fighters and The Invaders

You have to love a big sprawling superhero wartime story.  Unfortunately, judging by the solicitations,  it looks like the new Earth Two series from DC will be taking place during current times, severing the JSA from the backdrop of World War II once and for all.  While I can understand the desire to modernize their line, I think they are letting go of a big part of the appeal of the Goden Age characters.  I always enjoy seeing superhero period pieces and even when those characters are brought into present day, it's cool to see how they interact with others, given their sensibilities from a bygone era.