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

Sunday, July 28, 2013

Aquaman and Iron Man



Iron Man's future on the big screen seems to be in good hands, with slated appearances in at least two more Avengers films.  There aren't any more solo films planned, but that probably isn't a bad thing, for now.  I'd rather have fewer appearances by the character rather than Iron Man be over saturated with a bored Robert Downey Jr. phoning in the role.

With a Batman/Superman film announced, it seems like DC is finally on the road to a Justice League movie - but will it include founding member Aquaman?  He seems like a harder character to introduce within a JLA movie, but would DC/Warner brothers really take a chance on a solo film that is bound to be very expensive to make, given the largely underwater locales?  I think the only way it could work is if they got a major star for the lead role and a top director behind the camera.  The Favreau/Downey Jr. combo took everyone by surprise with a previously B-list character and we need the same kind of collaboration with Aquaman.  It's a tall order, but I think it could be done well, and look unlike any superhero that audiences have seen before.

Saturday, July 27, 2013

The Watcher Watches The Watchmen




I originally put this cover together as kind of a goof because I liked how the names went together, but now that I think about it, there could be a fun story to be told.  The Watcher is no stranger to divergent timelines, so I can see him peeking into The Watchmen's world and wanting to see if events would have unfolded differently in another reality.  Sure, he's got a vow of non-interference, but when has that ever stopped Uatu?

Friday, July 26, 2013

Atari Force and The Micronauts



Comics based on toys usually held only marginal interest for me, but there were a couple of exceptions.  The Micronauts was based on some of my favorite toys of my youth, and featured the gorgeous art of Michael Golden.  The fact that Marvel had the characters firmly rooted in the Marvel universe, with plenty of guest appearances, made it even better.  I didn't really pay much attention to the video game tie-in aspect to Atari Force, it was the amazing artwork of Jose Luis Garcia Lopez that drew me in.  I'd love to see either of these teams return, but with tangled rights situations, I am not holding my breath.

Thursday, July 25, 2013

The Green Hornet and Nightwing



The Green Hornet film was an insult to the classic character, in my opinion.  I was worried that it would tarnish the property, but I am glad to see that in the comics, The Green Hornet is forging right ahead.  He has attracted some amazing talent and I think that the character on the printed page is looking better than ever.  Here's hoping that a live action reboot will take its cues from the comic books next time around.

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

The X-Men Vs. Lex Luthor




I thought that Luthor's power-suit was a bit much when I first saw it, but it has since grown on me, mainly from its use in the Justice League cartoons.  They did a good job of reconciling the various types of Luthors that we had seen over the decades in the comics, from corrupt executive to ringleader of fellow villains and even to his Presidential aspirations. The writers, along with Clancy Brown's excellent vocal work, always kept Luthor fresh and exciting throughout the various animated shows that he starred in.

Monday, July 22, 2013

Nemesis and Nick Fury



I remember when I first saw the Nemesis 8-page backup stories that ran after the main feature in Brave and the Bold.  I was much more interested in the batman team ups and only glossed over them.  A few years later, I decided to give these stories a fair shake and read them all back to back.  I was very glad I did, because writer Cary Burkett and Artist Dan Spiegle wove a great tale featuring deceptions, disguises and daring escapes.  They really knew how to take advantage to the format and really kept the pace of the saga pumping along.  I don't think that these stories have ever been collected, and that's a shame because they deserve to find a wider audience.  Nemesis floated around the DCU for years, with notable appearances in Suicide Squad and Wonder Woman before the New 52 hit.  Time will tell if he appears again - I certainly hope so.

Sunday, July 21, 2013

Firestorm and The Vision



A coldly logical synthezoid with a desire to be more human and a headstrong rookie hero eager to be taken more seriously... this is a combination that would make for some interesting conflict.  Then again, I remember Ronnie Raymond having a good relationship with The Red Tornado, so maybe he and The Vision could find some common ground.  Whichever direction the writer chose to go, it would be fun to read about!

Saturday, July 20, 2013

Elongated Man and Quicksilver



In an interesting turn of events, Quicksilver is slated to appear in both X-Men: Days of Future Past and Avengers 2.  He is one of the few characters shared between 20th Century Fox  and Marvel and thus there will be two different live action interpretations to compare.  It seems that he will have a more substantial role in Avengers, given the glut of characters in X-Men... but then again, his father is Magneto, so how small could his role be there?

Ralph Dibny is still MIA at DC... along with Wally West and Alex Luthor.  Jimmy Olsen was turned into a brunette girl for the movies and Richard Dragon has been remade as a bald guy.  I'm not sure why DC is suddenly so anti-ginger, but I can't say it sits well with me!

Thursday, July 18, 2013

The Decoders



I had fun assembling this team.  I tried to select members based on the function they could serve.  Max Headroom would be the conduit to all media, C3PO would handle communications with any type of language or code, Tron is the ultimate inside man with his ability to enter the computer grid, Arno Stark is the high-tech muscle, and Oracle runs the show and coordinates the operatives.  I almost included Cypher from the New Mutants but C3PO covered his skill set.  Looking at the team, I think their varied personalities would make for some fun interaction as they worked together.

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

The Creeper and Daredevil in "Media Blitz!"



I always thought that the Creeper was cool. I really liked that his alter ego, Jack Ryder, was a TV tabloid journalist - that seemed like a great springboard for story ideas.  The Creeper was one of  the characters missing from DC's New 52 that I had been hoping to see reappear.  It seems he has now, in name at least, in the pages of Katana.  I've seen some pages featuring a Creeper that looks more like a parade dragon than the Ditko designed hero of the previous continuity.  I haven't read the stories though, so I don't know if that will be the final form of the character.  Can anyone tell me what's up?

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Green Arrow & Black Canary and The Man-Thing



Justice League of America #200 has one of the most amazing artistic line-ups of any single issue that I have ever read.  I remember loving seeing so many of my favorite artists - Jim Aparo, Joe Kubert, Gil Kane, George Perez, Dick Giordano, and so on together in one big story... and then there was the amazing chapter featuring Green Arrow and Black Canary versus Batman by an artist that was completely new to me at the time.  I'm sure I had seen some Brian Bolland covers at that point, but this was the first time I had seen his interiors, and they blew me away.  His characters maintained realistic proportions but were still larger than life and his detailed artwork was done with a meticulous precision unlike any I had seen before.  I had a similar experience with Art Adams - as great as his covers were, I really began to appreciate him when I saw his interiors on Longshot and his various Marvel Annuals, where he really got to show off his storytelling abilities in addition to his character design.

Monday, July 15, 2013

The Spectre and Doctor Strange Vs. Nightmare!



Of all of Marvel's second phase movie plans, what has me the most intrigued is Doctor Strange. Some vague plot points and characters have been released and so far it sounds like they are on the right track.  Still, what I really need to hear is who is going to star as Strange and who will direct.  It's one of the tougher properties to pull off and  hopefully Marvel will make the right decisions.

Sunday, July 14, 2013

The New Mutants and Jor-El.



One of the surprises for me in watching Man of Steel was Russel Crowe's performance as Jor-El.  I came in with lowered expectations because I had just seen the man almost single-handedly destroy the film adaptation of Les Miserables (he is a talented actor, but his singing voice leaves much to be desired).  I thought he handled the role of Superman's birth father well, and I was not expecting him to have so much screen time.  I especially liked the extended opening sequence on Krypton, it was cool to see Crowe in full action hero mode again.  I wouldn't have minded a whole film set on Krypton from what I saw there, it was a visual feast.

Saturday, July 13, 2013

Galactus and Mr. Mind



Villains come in all sizes in the world of comics, and these two are clear reminders of that.  One of the scariest things about Galactus was that, due to his extreme size and power, he generally considered humans to be less than insects and beneath his notice.  Mr. Mind, on the other hand, would often go unnoticed and underestimated by mankind - much to its regret!  I can only imagine a union of these two would be bad news for Earth.

Friday, July 12, 2013

Angel and Hawkgirl



There is something very iconic about winged characters that has always appealed to me.  They look great on the page, even in silhouette.  The ability to fly seems to be the most common choice when people are asked what power they would like to have, and that is certainly part of the attraction.  Depending on the design, wings can make your character appear more angelic, demonic or avian, so there's a broad range of stories that can be told with them.  This cover features two of my favorite heroes to sport this look.

Thursday, July 11, 2013

Sandman And Rorschach



These guys have the right idea.  If you want to put together a cool crime fighting costume, most heroes opt to look like circus performers.  Sure, it may allow for freedom of movement, but there's a big risk of being a fashion disaster.  These guys  simply grabbed a hat, trench coat and face-concealing mask for their ensemble, and it works!  They are two of the cooler looking street level characters in comics.

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

The Vigilante and John Wayne



Well it looks like the latest incarnation of The Lone Ranger was a bit of a dud critically and commercially. It's too bad because I think there is a great movie to be had with the character if handled properly.  It'll probably be another 20 years before he gets a theatrical chance again, so maybe it's time to give The Vigilante a shot at the big screen!  Country singer by day, masked hero by night, maybe some cameos from his teammates in the Seven Soldiers of Victory... I know I would buy a ticket!

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Green Lantern and She-Hulk



You can't really blame She-Hulk for being fed up here.  The Guardians of the Universe have a long history of manipulating the heroes they work with for their own mysterious ends.  Apparently this has come to a head in the Green Lantern titles, and Hal Jordan has taken over leadership of the Corps. It will be interesting to see where this change in status will take that corner of the DCU.

Monday, July 8, 2013

Robotman and Robocop



Marvel just wrapped up another Ultron epic and it is good to see him and Hank Pym in the spotlight again.  Ultron is easily my favorite Avengers villain and I really want to see him adapted to the big screen - hopefully this new focus is the first indication of that becoming a reality.

Robocop will be heading back into theaters with a rebooted version soon.  There is some impressive talent involved, but I can't help but worry that this will be another Total Recall type unnecessary redo.  I hope I will be proven wrong, and I will try to keep an open mind until I see some actual footage.

Sunday, July 7, 2013

The JSA and The Avengers in "Cruel Intentions in Dual Dimensions!"



I featured a these two teams together in their more modern incarnations a few weeks back, and I thought I would try my hand at a more retro cover.  I used to love checking out the All-Star Comics reprints that would show up in 100-Page JLA issues.  As cool as it was for me to see all those heroes together at once, I can only imagine how it must have felt for a young fan seeing the original issues on the newsstand back in the 40's.

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