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

Sunday, August 25, 2013

The Crimson Avenger and Daredevil



I was aware of the Crimson Avenger from his appearances as part of The Seven Soldiers of Victory, but I really became a fan when I read the back-up story in DC Comics Presents #38, "Whatever Happened to the Crimson Avenger?", by Len Wein.  It's a great tale about heroism and self sacrifice, and it made me want to seek out other stories starring the red-suited hero. I must not have been the only reader to feel that way, because DC put together a 4-issue Crimson Avenger mini-series not too long afterwards, something I never thought that I would see.

Saturday, August 24, 2013

Wonder Woman and Red Sonja



DC/Warner Brothers seem to be setting the stage for a Justice League movie by introducing Batman to the Man of Steel franchise and bringing The Flash back to television.  Still the glaring omission has to be Wonder Woman.  She is just too important a part of the team not to be introduced beforehand.  I can see The Martian Manhunter being woven into the JLA movie, but WW's backstory would just overwhelm the rest of the film.  Come on, DC a Wonder Woman film can't be that hard of a nut to crack could it?  She has a huge built in fan base, far exceeding those who have read her in comic form.  Let's hear some news on a solo movie before we dive head first into the Justice League.

Friday, August 23, 2013

The New Teen Titans and Nova



Stan Lee expertly blended the trials and tribulations of teenage life with slam bang superhero action in his groundbreaking work on The Amazing Spider-Man and that has been a recipe for successful comics ever since.  Marvel has used it well in titles like Nova, New Mutants, and New Warriors.  DC's New Teen Titans by Marv Wolfman and George Perez was one of the best examples of the formula.  The first 50 issues of that title have stood the test of time, and are still fondly remembered today.

Thursday, August 22, 2013

The Hotheads



It was quickly apparent when assembling this team that writers like to give fire-based characters pretty combustible attitudes as well - it seemed to be a common trait.  I figure the more of these guys that you put in a story together, the more chance for conflict there would be, and that could make fore quite an interesting adventure, despite their similar power sets.

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Batman and Sgt. Fury & His Howling Commandos



Now this is how Dark Knight Rises should have ended!  There have been reports that Warner Brothers is trying to woo Christian Bale back to play Batman in the Man of Steel sequel with ungodly amounts of money.  While it would be cool to see Bale and Henry Cavill together at the World's Finest heroes, tying Man of Steel into the Dark Knight trilogy will raise a lot of questions.  For instance, where was Clark when Gotham City was held under siege for months on end? Not to mention how Wayne is even back when he gave his fortune and mantle to another. It's probably best to begin anew with a fresh Gotham and a younger Batman.

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Captain Marvel and Captain America



When you count all of the Lost B&B and Lost MTIO covers, this marks my 1,000th cover on the blog.  Yikes, when I began fiddling with paint a few years ago to make a Batman and Martian Manhunter team-up, in never expected it to snowball into this!  Well, hopefully I haven't worn out my welcome, because I still have some lost adventures that I want to share...

I have been meaning to do a golden-age meeting of the Captains for a while and I am glad that I finally got to it.  On the surface, these characters may not have a ton in common, but I think that Captain America would appreciate the earnestness of Billy Batson and they could make for an effective fighting pair.  Plus, who wouldn't want to see the Big  Red Cheese lay the smack down on The Red Skull, or Cap knock his shield upside Sivana's bulbous head?

Monday, August 19, 2013

Zatanna and Harry Potter



The Harry Potter films were fun, and I found that I enjoyed the later installments more than the earlier ones, as the kids grew older and the stakes got higher.  Now that the series is finally over though, there is a big hole in Warner Brother's event film schedule and plenty of money must be freed up as well.  I say now is the time for them to dive head forward into their DC Comics archives.  No more of this slow roll out, lets see some of those movies in development hell - Shazam, The Metal Men, JLA Dark - finally get rolling in addition to the build up to a Justice League film!

Sunday, August 18, 2013

Justice League of America and Rocket Raccoon



Today's cover image is fitting if you consider the fact that Rocket Raccoon is going to be appearing on the big screen before the JLA get their chance - now, who ever expected that to happen?  I have only seen a bootleg snippet of footage from Guardians of the Galaxy so far, and I still don't know if Marvel will have another hit on their hands yet - but I have to admit that the characters I am most interested in - Rocket and Groot - both look very cool from a design standpoint at least.  The key will be getting the right actor to provide Rocket's voice.  My favorite suggestions so far have been Liam Neeson or Jason Statham - he needs a real tough guy sound to offset his height.

Saturday, August 17, 2013

Lex Luthor and Dr. Doom



It seems that the role of Lex Luthor will be a key one in the upcoming Superman/Batman movie, as casting possibilities are already starting to surface.  The two names at the top of the pack both sound very interesting to me:  Mark Strong and Bryan Cranston.  Strong definitely looks the part, and is known for playing arch villains in movies like Kick-AssSherlock Holmes... and Green Lantern.  That last film is a sticking point - will DC want the same actor as Sinestro to play Luthor?  Even though the GL movie was not the success they had hoped,  Strong was one of the best parts of it and it would be a shame to completely close the door on seeing a full-fledged Sinestro return some day.  At 57, some may think Cranston to be a bit old to play Lex Luthor, but I think he is such a great actor that I could overlook that.  Breaking Bad has shown us that he truly knows how to convey intellectual menace and ambition-driven men, so I think he would be amazing in the role.

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Rorschach and The Spirit



These two guys may not have any fancy powers, but they would still be a formidable team.  Their tenacity and knowledge of the city's dark secrets make them a constant thorn in the side for the underworld or anyone who would prey on the innocent.  And they would look damned good dealing out their punishment - the trench coat and fedora motif might not be that practical for crime fighting, but it almost always works very well visually.

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Captain Atom and The Human Torch



There are a lot of cool headquarters in comics  Batman has his cave, Superman has his fortress and Doctor Strange has his Sanctum Sanctorum.  Still there was always something I really liked about the Fantastic Four's Baxter Building, mainly because it has been effectively used as a plot point in some of the FF's best stories.  Whether it was launched into outer space, used as a gateway to the negative zone, or being crashed by super villains, it has always been like another character.  I think my favorite tale was during John Byrne's run, where The Trapster is thwarted in his invasion attempt solely by the Building's security system - great stuff!

Monday, August 12, 2013

Superman and The Sub-Mariner



I think that a battle between Superman and Prince Namor could be epic.  Sure, I would give Superman the edge... unless Namor was somehow able to lure him into the ocean.  There, he is even more powerful and has all the resources of Atlantis and the undersea world at his command, and Superman could be in for the fight of his life.  Making it a period piece would be even mor fun for me, as I love the golden age versions of these pioneering comicds charaters.

Friday, August 9, 2013

Vixen and The Black Panther



I've always liked Vixen, from way back to the days where she was a Superman supporting character with an ugly costume.  She's had to work hard to gain prominence, first as a member of the ill-fated Detroit era Justice League and then of Suicide Squad.  It was with the squad that she really began to flourish, under the pen of John Ostrander, who gave her a bit more depth.  I enjoyed her appearances on Justice League Unlimited as well, they really demonstrated how cool her abilities can be.  I think she was with Justice League International in the New 52, but since that title's cancellation, I am not sure where she's ended up.  Hopefully DC will find a home for her,  she's earned her place alongside the A-listers by now.

Thursday, August 8, 2013

Metamorpho and Iron Man



I think that the differences between these characters' power sets would make for an interesting match up. I'm not really sure who I would give the edge to if they went to battle, although I would be rooting for Rex.  I have always had a soft spot for hard-luck heroes, and he is one of the best.

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Robin and Ultimate Spider-Man



Little did I know when I made this cover that Damian Wayne would be killed off before I even had a chance to post it.  While I do think that it has been problematic that Batman has had so many sidekicks, I have to admit that I was just warming up to the kid before Grant Morrison decided to permanently close out his story arc... or did he?  Morrison's time on Batman has apparently ended with the revelation of numerous Damian clones, leaving the door for a return quite open, it would seem.

Marvel's Age of Ultron event ended with Galactus showing up in the Ultimate Universe, and some are already suspecting that this will indeed signal the end to that line of comics.  I can see that happening, but if it does I am sure there will be some elements that carry over to the mainstream Marvel Universe.  The top of that list is Miles Morales, I just can't see that character going away no matter what happens to the Ultimate line.

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

The Tick Vs. Ambush Bug



These guys seem like they were made to appear together. Aside from the similarity in appearance, the stories that they star in are always chock full of commentary and humor regarding the state of the comics industry.  I can imagine that any tale that featured them side by side would just be a ton of fun.  Heck, call in Patrick Warburton and Henry Winkler to reprise the voices and animate the story!  Now that would be a blast!

Monday, August 5, 2013

Hawk & Dove and Cloak & Dagger



I think that these two pairs of street level crime fighters would be fun to toss in a story together.  Dove and Dagger seem to spend as much time battling alongside their partners as they do trying to keep them in check, and that would make for an interesting dynamic.  It would also be a cool looking issue - the costume designs on these teams are both very visually appealing, it's no wonder to me that they have remained relatively the same since the characters were introduced (even though one of the genders may have changed).


Thursday, August 1, 2013

The Flash and Iceman / Dr. Fate Vs. The Red Skull



Another two-fer today.  The Flash has gotten a lot of press lately, with reports of a potential movie on the horizon, not to mention an appearance on the WB's Arrow, that is said to be leading to a new Flash TV Show.  I'm not sure whether the television news means that the movie is no longer happening or not, but it would surprise me if Warner Brothers went ahead with two versions.  One good bit of news on the TV front is that the producers are promising a proper costume and they will actually call the character by his name, which is a departure for their superhero adaptations.  I still fondly remember the 90's series and hope that the new iteration does Barry Allen justice.

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Justice Society of America and The Avengers: In Memoriam




Nobody has ever been better at illustrating team comics than George Perez.  His ability to give each character distinct body and facial types is put to great effect, as is his talent at creating densely paneled pages and detailed backgrounds.  These skills allow each member of a large cast to shine and give the whole comic a more cinematic feel.  Could any other artist have pulled off Crisis on Infinite Earths nearly as well as he did, with its cast of hundreds? I think not!

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Spider-Man and Halo



As a fan  of Mike W.Barr and Jim Aparo's Batman and the Outsiders, I am glad to see Katana finally getting some increased exposure with her self-titled series, membership in the JLA, and appearances on the Beware the Batman CGI series.  Now it's time for DC to take another look at her teammate, Halo.  Here is a great character that they have all but ignored for decades.  She has it all, a unique look, power set and back story.  Best of all, she is a truly original creation, and not just a female version of  an already existing male hero.  It's beyond me why DC decides to keep her on the shelf and out of the comic pages.  If nothing else, she should show up in the pages of Katana, those two always had an interesting relationship.

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