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

Friday, July 5, 2013

The Atom and Machine Man



The first Machine Man mini-series that came out during the 80's was a revelation for me.  Mini-Series were still relatively new at that point , so it was cool to see one of my favorite lower tier characters get a chance to shine.  It was a fun, inventive story as well - set in the future with appearances by Iron Man 2020.  What stood out the most for me though was the artwork of Barry Windsor-Smith.  It was the first time I had seen BWS' pencils and inks, and I was blown away.  Then there were those covers - the 4-issue format gave him the opportunity to do something really neat.  Each cover featured a close-up of Machine Man's head, being assembled more and more with each issue.  They were so eye-catching and unlike any covers I had seen before, they really made the comic stand out on the racks.  It was a great design choice that I remember fondly to this day.

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

It Girl and Power Girl



I have written before about how much I love Mike Allred's artwork.  His clean, expressive style is always filled with interesting designs and body types.  I can tell he really has fun with the breakout star of The Atomics, It Girl.  Her ability to mimic the properties of anything she touches really allows Allred to get visually creative.  Ramona Fradon is one of the greatest underestimated artists that the industry has seen, in my eyes.  Take a look at her work on Aquaman or Metamorpho and you will see that she has many of the same artistic sensibilities that make modern illustrators like Allred so appealing.  It's even more impressive when you consider how male dominated the industry was back when she broke into the scene.

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Sub-Mariner and The Demon



These are two characters that are just as likely to work against the heroes of their respective universes as they are to work with them, and that's one thing that makes them interesting to me.  I think they work best when they are depicted as loose cannons, and not too chummy with the rest of the superheroic community - that tension makes for good drama and a more unpredictable story.  I can imagine that they would really butt heads if they shared a tale together, and that would be fun to read about.

Sunday, June 30, 2013

Black Canary and Mockingbird



These two characters are so close to one another, it's almost like an Earth One-Earth Two situation.  They've got similar tastes in hairstyles, fighting disciplines, outfits and men.  I'm sure they would have plenty to talk about while kicking butt and taking names.

Saturday, June 29, 2013

Blue Beetle and Hawkeye



Hawkeye's first mini-series back in 1983 was a great read.  It was the first time I had ever seen the Avenging Archer in his own title and  I wondered what took so long for him to get his shot. It was a fun story with real repercussions and beautiful Brett Breeding artwork.  I thought it would be cool to see Hawkeye team up with Ted Kord - they are both non powered heroes who can nevertheless fit in with the big guys due to their skills and tenacity.

Friday, June 28, 2013

Animal Man and The Pet Avengers



With so much teeth-clenching, grim and gritty comics out there, it's nice to have concepts on the fun side like The Pet Avengers to lighten things up from time to time.  I think vast universes like Marvel and DC have built can support characters and titles of all kinds and there is room for whimsy along with the angst. Given Buddy Baker's power to mimic the abilities of any animal in his vicinity, I think this would make for a formidable partnership.

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Man-Bat Vs. Man-Wolf



When it came to cover artists, there were two that always stood above the pack for me in their ability to sell a story with a single image.   To me, Gil Kane was the Marvel cover artist, and Nick Cardy was easily my favorite from DC.  Their talents were clearly recognized because they were used on covers spanning all types of genres, from superhero to western to horror and more.  I was glad to be able to use both of these legendary artists for today's entry.

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Batman and Lobster Johnson



I really like the extended world that has sprung out of Mike Mignola's Hellboy series.  Abe Sapien and the rest of the B.P.R.D. are cool and fun characters, and I love the addition of 30's pulp hero Lobster Johnson to the mix.  It would be cool to see him share an adventure with Batman, be it in a period piece or taking place in the current day.

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Wonder Woman and The Wasp



I first took notice of Cliff Chiang's artwork in the Josie Mac backups he did for Detective Comics, and I became an instant fan.  He has a great, clean design sense and he has the ability to depict characters with realistic proportions who nonetheless come off as heroic.  His work on DC's Dr. Thirteen really let him show his versatility, with so many disparate characters.  Chiang also draws some of the best looking women in comics currently, I love his takes on Wonder Woman, Zatanna and the Black Canary especially.

Monday, June 24, 2013

Changeling and Wolverine



I always liked the moment in X-Men and The New Teen Titans where these two characters meet and Changeling comments on their shared name.  At that point, Wolverine's origins were still shrouded in mystery, and that quick exchange sent my mind wandering - there's gotta be a story there, right?

Friday, June 21, 2013

Dick Tracy Vs. Solomon Grundy



Dick Tracy already has a great line up of enemies, featuring all sorts of misshapen and disfigured criminals.  Is it much of a stretch that he begin to run into the superhuman variety of outlaw?   Would his years battling the denizens of the underworld prepare him to tackle a supernatural foe?  I don't know, but it might be fun to read about!

Thursday, June 20, 2013

The Hulk Vs. Sinestro



The biggest disappointment about the tepid reception to the Green Lantern film is that it now looks to be highly unlikely that we will ever get to see Mark Strong really get to cut loose as Sinestro.  Strong was one of the best parts about the movie, but the filmmakers were clearly holding back with him, leaving his story to be resolved in a sequel that will probably never come.  The producers should have jettisoned the whole Hector Hammond sub plot and went with a straight up Hal vs. Sinestro story line.  Who knows - the Hulk found a new lease on life after two so-so film outings, maybe there's a glimmer of hope for GL and Sinestro to shine again on the big screen.

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Red Tornado and ROM



This is the kind of offbeat pairing that might not set the sales charts on fire, but I would be all over.  Has The Red Tornado appeared in the new 52 yet?  I've always liked the character and it would be cool to see him again.  I've given up on seeing ROM again due to some kind of rights issues.  I'm not sure how keeping a property out of the public eye for decades benefits any company.  A new ROM comic could mean a new toy line, right?  Hopefully those with the rights will realize there is a profit to be made and  allow ROM to star in comics again.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Nightwing and Daredevil



Batman and Daredevil have actually crossed paths, and it was definitely cool... but this is a pairing that might actually work even better.  While Daredevil has had his share of grim and gloomy stories, I like him best when he still has some of that original lighthearted attitude from his earlier adventures.  That disposition would make him a good fit with Dick Grayson, who has the skills of Batman without quite as much angst.  I can see them getting the job done effectively while still appreciating how cool it is to be a superhero, making for a fun story.

Monday, June 17, 2013

Justice Society of America and The Avengers



Both The Avengers and Man of Steel have had city destroying alien invasion final acts, and with Pacific Rim around the corner, I'm betting we haven't seen the last of those during this summer movie season.  I hope that going forward there will be different types of action featured because even these giant battles can get a little boring if movie makers keep going to the same well.  The inclusion of Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch in the Avengers sequel will provide the opportunity to present a wider array of powers on screen, and that ought to give audiences some new types of spectacle to gawk at.  It's all in the choreography of the fights, and that's something that Joss Whedon handled well the first time around, so I am confident that he will give us some great moments again.

Sunday, June 16, 2013

The Metal Men Vs. Battlestar Galactica



I was late to the party when it came to the new Battlestar Galactica TV series.  I had heard good things but missed too many episodes and never gave it a chance.  Finally, I was able to catch up on Netflix, and I was hooked.  When the series ended, I wanted more, so I tried out the prequel series Caprica.  It was OK, but didn't grab me the same way as BSG and at any rate it only lasted a single season.  Finally, another pilot was produced that was much more like what I was hoping for - Battlestar Galactica: Blood and Chrome.  It featured a young Adama learning his way and used a lot of CGI imagery.  The pilot was first shown in installments online and then as a special on the SyFy Network.  For reasons I cannot fathom, it was not picked up to become a full series, which is a real shame because I thought that everyone involved did a great job with it.  If you are a BSG fan and have not seen it, it is well worth seeking out.

Saturday, June 15, 2013

Superman Vs. Galactus



I saw Man of Steel last night and I was thoroughly entertained.  The cast was top notch and Henry Cavill I felt was perfect in the lead role. Michael Shannon made for a great Zod as well. The Superman/Lois relationship is handled quite differently here, but I didn't mind this slight change to the mythos.  The Krypton scenes were amazing and I loved that they borrowed elements from artists like John Byrne for the set and costume design.    Superman's two fathers as played by Russell Crowe and Kevin Costner both put their hearts into their roles, and it showed.  The effects were amazing, especially the flying scenes.  Fans complained that Superman did not actually fight anybody in his last theatrical outing and that certainly is not the case here.  If I have a complaint, it's about the scale of destruction in the final hour of the film.  Metropolis seems to be pretty much leveled and the death toll must be in the millions, but nobody seems to notice.  Clark Kent shows up for work a couple of days later and it's like nothing happened.  How is there even a Daily Planet to go to at that point?  I'd like to have seen either more evacuation scenes earlier on (so when giant buildings topple it doesn't mean the deaths of thousands) or some scenes of Superman helping with the rebuilding.  Still, all in all, I thought it was a blast of a film and if this is truly the kick off to a larger DC movie universe, they are on the right track.

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Hit Girl Joins The Teen Titans



I had mixed feelings about the first Kick-Ass film.  I liked that it was showing what would really happen if someone actually decided to put on a costume and fight crime... but then the movie seemed to break its own rules when Hit Girl showed up.  The sight of a little kid beating up grown men, doing back flips and reloading her guns in mid-air was anything but realistic and did not jibe with the vibe that had been set up.  I have since watched the movie again and since I was ready for this, I wound up enjoying it a lot more the second time around.  I'm not sure what to expect from the sequel, as I did not read the comics adaptation (a bit on the violent side for my tastes), but the brief footage I have seen so far looks interesting - even if they have left reality completely behind at this point.

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Katana and Nightcrawler



I have always been a fan of Katana and I am glad that DC is finally giving her the increased exposure that she has always deserved.  Once a C-List character, she is now being featured in her own self titled series, as a member of The Justice League of America, and will be appearing alongside Batman in the upcoming Beware the Batman CGI TV series.  I used to enjoy the relationship that she had with Halo in Batman and the Outsiders, and I hope that she will be brought back as well, perhaps in the pages of Katana's series?

Katana has gone through a few looks over the years, and I do like her most recent one.  Of course, my favorite will always be her original, as designed by the legendary Jim Aparo.

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

The Black Cat and Catwoman (Part Two)



I wrote a few days back about how Ed McGuinness' style translated well to animation.  Amanda Conner is another amazing artist with a style that I think would be perfect to animate.  It's been a while since DC has announced any of their animated shorts featuring b-listers to go with their full length features, but if they begin that practice again I'd love to see a Power Girl short with Conner-inspired character design.

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