Showing posts with label DC Comics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label DC Comics. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Batman and Man-Thing
Man-Thing actually gave me the chills as a kid. First of all, the fact that he looked so darn freaky! Sure, he had "Man" on his name, but of all the various swamp monsters in comicdom, Ted Sallis' alter ego looked the most inhuman. Also his hook - whosoever knows fear will burn at his touch - was a great one in that it affected the good guys just as much as the bad guys.
Labels:
Barker,
Batman,
Brave and the Bold,
DC Comics,
Jim Aparo,
Man Thing,
Mark Farmer,
Marvel Comics,
Neal Adams,
Team Up
Monday, May 24, 2010
Batman and Magnus: Robot Fighter
Another old-school cover here. Magnus is a character that has seen many different iterations over the years. I went with his more classic look because those old covers of his with their pulpy look made a real impression on me. Magnus, Like Doctor Doom, is so cool that even the fact that he wears a skirt does not diminish his awesomeness.
Batman and Bucky
You have to admit, Bucky is better protected than Robin, at least. Bucky is of course back now and in the role of Captain America. Steve Rogers has also returned and while he hasn't taken his mantle back yet, with a movie on the horizon it is only a matter of time. Hopefully Marvel will find a purpose for Bucky Barnes that will allow him to continue to flourish.
Labels:
Batman,
Bob Kane,
Brave and the Bold,
Bucky,
Captain America,
DC Comics,
Marvel Comics,
Team Up
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Batman and Aunt May
This was a relatively simple one. I didn't even need to change the word balloons, just adding in the figure of May gave the cover scene a whole new meaning. I have to admit that I was in kind of a cruel mood when I created this.
Aunt May really is one of the most enduring and unique supporting characters. She always made such a nice juxtaposition with the nasty antagonists in Spider-Man's stories. I quite enjoyed all that Rosemary Harris brought to the role in the movies, hopefully the rebooted franchise will find someone equally skilled at the role.
Labels:
Aunt May,
Batman,
Brave and the Bold,
DC Comics,
Marvel Comics,
Spider-Man,
Team Up
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Batman and Green Lantern (Alan Scott)
I always thought that it was a neat fact that the original Green Lantern also had Gotham City as his base of operations. I wished that there would have been a golden age story building upon that concept. Alan Scott has one of those costumes that shouldn't work, but somehow does. The other reason I always like this character is that because of where he wears his ring, I know he is a fellow southpaw - not too many confirmed left handed superheroes out there!
Labels:
Alan Scott,
Batman,
Brave and the Bold,
DC Comics,
Dick Dillin,
Green Lantern
Friday, May 21, 2010
Batman and Madman
I am a huge Mike Allred fan, his art style is at once modern and retro. I knew that any cover with his most popular creation would have to be reflective of the innovation that he brings to his stories. This was one of the most fun times I have had making one of these.
Labels:
Batman,
Brave and the Bold,
Dark Horse Comics,
DC Comics,
Jim Aparo,
Madman,
Mike Allred,
Team Up
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Batman and Machine Man
This was an early cover, and I think it is pretty rough around the edges. I really like the guest star though - Machine Man is one of my favorite C-List Marvel characters. His self titled series may not have lasted long but at least through his guest appearances with Spider-Man, the Hulk and The Thing, he maintained a presence through the bronze age, and I always sought out his appearances. His 4-Issue mini series is a gem, and my first introduction to the work of Barry Windsor Smith. I haven't followed any of his recent adventures since Warren Ellis got his hands on him in Nextwave, but from what I have seen he doesn't even seem like the same character I loved back in the day.
Labels:
Batman,
Brave and the Bold,
DC Comics,
Jack Kirby,
Jim Aparo,
Machine Man,
Marvel Comics,
Team Up
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Batman and Kitty Pryde
Kitty Pryde has always been an interesting character in that she was always depicted as a "regular girl" in the midst of so many statuesque glamor gal superheroes. We met her as an insecure kid in the pages of Uncanny X-Men and have been able to watch her mature in her emotions and abilities over the years.
Labels:
Batman,
Brave and the Bold,
DC Comics,
Jim Aparo,
Kitty Pryde,
Marvel Comics,
Paul Smith,
Team Up
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Batman and KISS
This was another request that was well off of the beaten path, but when I remembered the great tabloid cover featuring Batman and his four greatest villains, I figured I would give it a shot. It's a simple cover, but the oddity of the team up makes up for that hopefully.
I remember being entranced by Kiss as a kid - they seemed kind of like superheroes to me with their makeup, outfits, and over the top attitude. I was at the perfect age for all of that stuff to really resonate. It didn't hurt that they had a bunch of catchy hits as well.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Batman and Kid Flash
This one is admittedly a less than successful attempt, It was an early try and in retrospect, I should have looked for better source material. Still, I do like the concept of the team up and it would have been fun to see for real.
DC has been all about legacy characters and passing iconic names from one character to another. I usually prefer the guys I grew up with to retain their titles, but with The Flash it was a different story - instead of a new character, only recently introduced for the purpose of taking on the mantle, we had in Wally West a - sidekick who had been there all along with the same powers and ready to step in. It felt a lot more natural.
Now, in this post-CSI world, Barry Allen is relevant again and back to life, so where does that leave Wally? I hate to see him treated as a lame duck after so many years of great chracter growth, even though I am a big Barry Allen fan as well.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Batman and Ka-Zar
Ka-Zar was basically a Tarzan Knock of at first glance, but the twist of his locale, the Savage Land - set in the present day with Dinosaurs alongside the usual jungle denizens - was enough to make him stand out. I liked that he could appear alongside all of the more traditional Marvel heroes one minute, and have a lone jungle story in the next. His guest appearances were my main exposure to his adventures, I loved his tales with the X-Men and Spider-Man.
Labels:
Batman,
Brave and the Bold,
DC Comics,
Jim Aparo,
Ka-Zar,
Marvel Comics,
Team Up
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Batman and Jonny Quest
Jonny Quest was a pretty cool cartoon for me as a kid. Despite the presence of a cute animal sidekick, they played it pretty straight, which set it apart from most animated programs of the time. I haven't seen an episode in years, I wonder how well they hold up. I am surprised that we haven't seen a big screen adaptation of this property yet. I have read of rumors here and there over the years, so I assume it is only a matter of time.
Labels:
Batman,
Brave and the Bold,
DC Comics,
Jim Aparo,
Jonny Quest,
Team Up
Friday, May 14, 2010
Batman and Jonah Hex
Jonah Hex was always my favorite of the various western stars. I was looking forward to the upcoming film adaptation, but after watching the trailer I am not filled with confidence. They only went half way with the make-up (perhaps trying to avoid comparisons with Two-Face) and Hex seems to have the ability to speak with the dead.
I think a better bet will be the Jonah Hex short feature included as an extra on the forthcoming Batman: Under the Red Hood DVD. The Spectre short on the last JLA DVD was awesome so I have high hopes for this one.
Labels:
Batman,
Brave and the Bold,
DC Comics,
Jim Aparo,
Jonah Hex,
Marvel Comics,
Team Up
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Batman and Jimmy Olsen
Ah, the Silver Age - when even supporting characters could hold their own series. I have to admit that most of the reason I identified with Superman's Pal was that I too was a goofy freckled redheaded kid. I did like that he was an amateur master of disguises and his stories were usually more about humorous situations than any real peril.
Labels:
Batman,
Brave and the Bold,
Curt Swan,
DC Comics,
Jim Aparo,
Jimmy Olsen,
Team Up
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Batman and James Bond
This one was a request, and one that I wasn't sure I would be able to fulfill. Then I saw this picture of Sean Connery as Bond by none other than B&B master, Jim Aparo! So even though this is a pretty simple "posing for the camera" cover, I like it because I had never known such an Aparo image existed.
Labels:
Batman,
Brave and the Bold,
DC Comics,
James Bond,
Jim Aparo,
Team Up
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Batman and J. Jonah Jameson
You guessed it, I was in a goofy mood again and came up with this one. You have to admit though, if you saw this issue on the stands, you would have to pick it up and leaf through it!
J. Jonah Jameson is one of the greatest supporting characters ever in comics. While being a constant thorn in Spider-Man's side, Stan Lee also gave him an underlying decency and strong journalistic code beneath all his bombast and bluster. You never know if you are going to be rooting for him or against him when a story starts, and that makes for a great character.
J.K. Simmons portrayal of the Daily Bugle Publisher remains one of the most faithful comic characters ever brought to screen. Whoever takes on the role in the rebooted film franchise has big shoes to fill!
Monday, May 10, 2010
Batman and Iron Man
Here's a timely cover with the big sequel opening up this past weekend. I featured Iron Man wearing my all time favorite armor here, the classic red & gold with the widow's peak helmet. As much as I love the cool armor that Jon Favreau has been using for his films, I was really hoping that we would get a suit closer to this classic look for a scene or two.
I liked Iron Man 2 a lot - maybe not as much as the first one, but that was a nearly perfect superhero film so that doesn't surprise me. The acting across the board was well done and the action scenes were great. I did feel that the villains could have posed a bit more of a threat, they seemed to get dispatched relatively easily. Anyway, I can't wait for the next few Marvel movies and then the eventual ensemble piece, The Avengers!
Labels:
Batman,
Bob Layton,
Brave and the Bold,
DC Comics,
Doctor Doom,
Iron Man,
Marvel Comics,
Team Up
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Batman and Iceman
Iceman was a no brainer with all the Mr. Freeze related covers to work from. As it happens, I am a big fan of the character so I was happy to work on this one. He has such a pure and simple look and concept, it was easy for me as a kid to get into his stories and imagine myself in his adventures during some of those cold New England winter weekends.
Iceman gained a little more notoriety with his inclusion in the Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends cartoon back the early 80's. There's another reason that I was a fan of the character - that show was appointment television for me. As cheesy as it was, it was still the best you could get for animated superheroes at the time.
Labels:
Batman,
Brave and the Bold,
DC Comics,
Iceman,
Jim Aparo,
Marvel Comics,
Team Up
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Batman and Dick Tracy
I always thought that Batman and Dick Tracy had very similar rogues galleries, mostly made up of non-powered guys in suits who had some strange disfigurement or obsession. For that reason, I think they could make for an interesting pairing.
I am still annoyed at the Warren Beatty Dick Tracy film. Not only did Beatty's vanity keep him from looking anything like the main character, but they wasted the villains by using almost all of the main ones in the first film. What could have been a cool franchise was squandered away.
Maybe enough time has passed for another try. I would take a different approach, to distince itself from the earlier version. Maybe a TV series with a darker edge, slowly introducing his adversaries, one episode at a time.
Labels:
Batman,
Brave and the Bold,
Chester Gould,
DC Comics,
Dick Tracy,
Penguin,
Team Up
Friday, May 7, 2010
Batman and Doll Man
Sometimes these come out of the blue, even for me. I was looking for images of a completely different character and stumbled on a cover of Doll Man holding a key. I knew instantly of a picture it could work with, because I always thought that this Batman in cuffs cover by Brian Bolland was very eye catching.
I remember reading tales of Doll Man in a few 100-Page Spectaculars that DC used to publish. I liked his solo adventures more than his time with The Freedom Fighters, as the art on the stories was always well done.
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