Showing posts with label DC Comics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label DC Comics. Show all posts

Monday, April 22, 2013

Captain Marvel and Marvelman



I'm still waiting to see what Marvel is going to do now that they have the rights to Marvelman/Miracleman.  I have still never read the acclaimed Alan Moore issues and hopefully reasonably priced reprints will be available soon.  Will the character be integrated into the Marvel Universe?  There was some speculation that that would happen at the end of the current Age of Ultron series, but that has been since denied (although Angela, formerly of Image's Spawn, will be making her Marvel debut there).  Whatever they decide, it is going to be a big event, and I can't wait to see what creators will be involved.

Sunday, April 21, 2013

Firestorm and Iron Man



Well, Summer is almost upon us and that means that it's time for all the big splashy blockbuster movies to start coming out.  At one point in my life I would be most looking forward to the latest project by Arnold Schwarzenegger or Stephen Spielberg to get the most band for my movie buck.  These days, it's all about the Superheroes.  Kick-Ass, Thor, Wolverine, Superman and the Star Trek gang are all back for another outing and it looks to be an interesting movie season.  Of  course Iron Man 3 will be kicking off the whole shebang and that looks to be one of the more guaranteed hits.  I had my reservations about the second installment, but part 3 looks to me like the franchise is back on track!  Now let's get Tony in the suit depicted above for Iron Man 4!

Saturday, April 20, 2013

Green Lantern and Captain America



A lot has been reported abut diversity or lack thereof in comic characters for companies in the past few years.  Publishers have made an attempt to broaden their lines by adding characters of different races, religions and sexual preferences and that's a good thing.  I think that there has been a step backwards in other aspects, though.  With Amanda Waller being made over to be fit and athletic, we have less of a diversity in body types.  Then there's heroes like Alan Scott, Jay Garrick, and the rest of the JSA - They have all been re-imagined as characters in their 20's-30's.  The fact that DC had a crew of older heroes to serve as mentors and elder statesmen was one thing that made them unique, and now the diversity in age has almost all been washed away.  I guess they thought that de-aging would make the characters more relatable, but I never had a problem reading and enjoying their tales, even when I was a little kid.

Friday, April 19, 2013

Superman and Dr. Manhattan



Just as with some of my Marvel/Star Wars covers, this is a pairing that does not seem as far fetched as it once would have.  DC countered the criticism of creating prequels for Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' Watchmen by wisely stacking the deck with some of the very best creators working in comics today. If you are going to attempt such a controversial product, that's the way to do it.

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Adam Strange and Doctor Strange



One of the cool things for me on this project is to present undiscovered family relations.  Maybe it's because I come from a big family with lots of siblings. I know I have always liked movies and shows that focus on relationships between brothers and sisters.  Whatever the reason, I think that the concept lends itself to interesting story ideas, and here is another fraternal pairing that I think could be a lot of fun.

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Plastic Man and The Irredeemable Ant-Man



Stories of redemption can be very powerful, and it's always interesting when a character tries to make the transition from bad to good.  Eel O'Brien and Eric O'Grady are two such characters.  They also both have an offbeat sense of humor that give their adventures a fun spin.  It would be cool to see these two interact, given their similarities.

Sunday, April 14, 2013

Animal Man Vs. Kraven The Hunter



It's good to see that Animal Man finding an audience again in the New 52.  I loved the earlier series as written  by Grant Morrison, but after he left the title, DC didn't seem to know what to do with Buddy Baker.  I can't say that I am a huge fan of Animal Man's new costume design, but I am glad he is back in his own comic.

Saturday, April 13, 2013

Challengers of the Unknown Vs. Fin Fang Foom



The Challengers were known to go up against lots of giant creatures, so it's only fitting that they should cross paths with comicdom's greatest dragon!  Dragons wearing speedos are just the kind of unknown that the team would be drawn to, and you know the ensuing battle would be epic.

Friday, April 12, 2013

Amethyst and Xena



It's cool to see that DC is giving Amethyst another shot these days, between her appearances in the comics and as part of the DCU animated Shorts. She is just the type of character that has been sitting around for years with unfulfilled potential.  Hopefully she can strike a chord with audiences and continue to build her fan base.

Whenever I read an article about how hard it is to come up with a movie or TV show based on Wonder Woman, I have to scratch my head.  Didn't these people ever watch Xena: Warrior Princess?  With a few adjustments, that showed that a live action WW could easily work!

Thursday, April 11, 2013

The Demon and The X-Men



The X-Men as a franchise has grown more and more convoluted over the years. It was really a revelation for me to go back and read the original run again.  Those stories are a blast to read since they lack the weight of decades of continuity.  Stan Lee and Jack Kirby laid down a great foundation that is still being built upon today.  I haven't read any of the latest X-Men series, where they original first class members have been brought to the present day, but it sounds like a cool idea.  Hopefully, writer Brian Michael Bendis is able to capture some of the magic from the early days of the title.

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

The Metal Men and Iron Man



I loved the first Iron Man film but was a bit underwhelmed by the sequel, which seemed to cover a lot of the same ground as far as character arcs and action scenes.  The trailer for Iron Man 3 looks fantastic though, and I am back on board.  I of course love the bit at the end where Tony Stark calls in his "boys" and we see multiple Iron Man suits speeding to the rescue.  I paused the screen to see which armors I could recognize and it looks to be an amazing scene.  My one quibble was the lack of any armor that resembled the classic look that Tony sported for decades - red & gold with hip-disks and a widow's peak.  For a whole generation of fans, that is the Iron Man Suit and it deserves an appearance!

Monday, April 8, 2013

Black Lightning and Storm



Cully Hamner's interpretation of Black Lightning is the best the character has ever looked, in my opinion. I was hoping they would have stayed closer to his design when Jefferson Pierce was reintroduced into the New 52, but that was not meant to be.  Still, with characters like Power Girl and Zatanna returining to more classic outfits, maybe there is hope.  Storm has recently changed back to an old style with the return of the mohawk that she first sported in the 80's.  Her appearance works for me both ways, so it's nice to have a little change of pace for a while.

Sunday, April 7, 2013

Superman and Supreme



Superman was the first hero and probably still the most recognizable, so it is no surprise that every comic company seems to want their own analogue of the Man of Steel. It's all in the execution, though, and while some Superman knock-offs come and go, others have been able to star in some memorable stories of their own.  Alan Moore's run on Supreme is a great tribute to Superman throughout the ages, just bursting with cool ideas.  I also quite liked Kurt Busiek's Samaritan tales, and I am glad that he and the rest of the Astro City gang will be returning via DC's Vertigo imprint.

Saturday, April 6, 2013

Martian Manhunter Vs. The Cookie Monster



When J.M. DeMatteis and Keith Giffen took over the reins of Justice League, they gave us a team unlike any league we had seen before.  Humor was served in equal doses with superhero action, and it was a refreshing change from the grim and gritty trend that had been dominating the comics scene at the time.  One little character bit that they added which I really liked was The Martian Manhunter's love of "Choco" cookies.  It was a fun way to inject some humor and personality into a hero that is known to be quiet and stoic.  Not everyone could be the wise crackers that Blue Beetle and Mister Miracle were, after all.

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

The Rocketeer and The Bulleteer



I enjoyed the Seven Soldiers event from DC a few years back.  Grant Morrison's series of mini-series which introduced and re-imagined several characters and was filled with interesting concepts and plot twists (and a few dashes of incomprehension - it was by Morrison, after all).  One of the titles I liked the most was The Bulleteer, which I thought was a cool update on one of the great classic super-heroes.  Some of the Seven Soldiers have found homes on the New 52 DCU, and I hope The Bulleteer will find a place to shine, figuratively and literally.  I think she has shown up in the background a couple of times, but what she really needs is a permanent home - Birds of Prey perhaps?

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Mister Miracle and The Black Panther



It looks lik DC is finally re-introducing the Fourth World characters that they had killed off a few years back.  First, Orion started showing up in Wonder Woman, and now Mister Miracle and Big Barda look to be making their return in Earth 2, of all places.  I will say that the New 52 costume for Scott Free looks great, one of the few new designs that is an improvement over the original (and I am a fan of that one as well).  It will be interesting to find out what writer James Robinson has in store for the world's greatest escape artist.

Sunday, March 31, 2013

Spider-Ham and Pig Iron



Uh oh, I just realized that I am probably going to be having some ham for Easter dinner today.  I hope posting this cover isn't bad mojo! At any rate, it would be fun to watch the funny animal heroes of Marvel and DC interact, and Peter Porker crossing paths with Peter Porkchops would be a good place to begin.

Stay tuned tomorrow for an announcement regarding changes for Super-Team: Family: The Lost Issues!

Saturday, March 30, 2013

The Scarecrow and The Scarecrow



It's not really a surprise that there's more than one villain to use the scarecrow motif.  They have always been creepy structures and the concept of fear fits right in with an evil agenda.  Plus, since they have the ability to affect the minds and perceptions of others, they are characters that really allow the artists to get visually creative, whether it be in a comic book, animation or live action.  You just know these two would take Batman and Cap through some twisted dreamscapes before they eventually got the stuffing beat out of them.

Friday, March 29, 2013

Burger Masters



I don't know what I was thinking the day I made this one. I originally was just going to do a Superman/Jughead cover and it kind of grew from there.  Hopefully we have finally had our last snowstorm here in Massachusetts and I can start grilling again, looking at this cover again is making me hungry!

Thursday, March 28, 2013

The Demon and The Legion of Monsters



There's something cool about certain demonic heroes from Marvel and DC because they can be used as protagonists or antagonists in any given story.  Though they might be labeled heroes, their individual motivations and dispositions often put them at odds with more straight laced crimefighters.  Put a few of them togeher in one story and the real fireworks begin.  Will they save the day or just turn on each other?  Either way, it's fun to read about!

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