Batgirl and The Rocketeer

Lots of rumors are swirling as to what it will mean if Michael Keaton does indeed return to the role of Bruce Wayne/Batman for a The Flash and more DC movies.  Reports that he will be taking on a mentor role has folks (myself included) hoping to see a Batman Beyond film.  Then there's the rumor that he will be a guiding hand in a Batgirl movie.  I think that could kind of work, it will be interesting to see what kind of direction is taken with it.

Hellboy and The Rocketeer

To make an effective face concealing helmet, you want an interesting design that looks interesting from every angle, and The Rocketeer is one of the best examples.  Doctor Fate has another great design - it is much simpler, but its reflective quality keeps it an interesting visual.  Darth Vader has another great design... I'd have to say that Kylo Ren missed the mark, though.

Sgt. Rock and The Rocketeer (Part One)

Sgt, Rock is among the DC Heroes rumored to be making an appearance in upcoming episodes of DC's Legends of Tomorrow series, which has me intrigued.  I wasn't sure of what I thought of the time travel premise of the show at first, but if it means that we will be able to see DC characters from different eras that are unlikely to show up anywhere else, then I am all for it!  Bring on Scalphunter, The Demon and Brainiac 5!

Make sure you stop by tomorrow for part two of this thrilling tale!

Catwoman and The Cat

Dave Stevens and John Romita Sr. are remembered for for the heroic exploits of The Rocketeer and Spider-Man (among other heroes), and for good reason.  But when I think of these legends, my mind immediately goes to their gorgeous depictions of the supporting female players in the comics they illustrated.  For my money, it's hard to top these two as far as beautifully drawn women in comics go.  Many other artists have concentrated on the sex appeal aspect, and while that was present in their work, Stevens' and Romita's ladies had a personality and inner beauty that always seemed to shine through even in static comic images.

Catwoman would cross paths again with Greer Grant in her later career as Tigra...

Enemy Ace Vs. The Rocketeer

I recently rewatched The Rocketeer and it is amazing how well the film hold up after 20 years.  A couple of the flight scenes have slightly dodgy special effects, but other than that I would put ir right alongside any of today's superhero blockbusters.  I was thumbing through my Dave Stevens Rocketeer hardcover as I watched it and it really is the comic coming right to life - the characters and designs in the movie are all spot on.  Between it and Captain America: The First Avenger, Joe Johnston has made two of my all time favorite comic flicks ever.

Storytellers

I have recently listening to old radio broadcasts of Mystery Theater, a program I loved as a kid.  In addition to the eerie morality tales presented was the moody narration by E.G. Marshall.  He was but one example of the horror hosts that entertained me in my youth, and inspired this latest STF team.

Xena and Trinity

Here are two of may favorite butt-kicking heroines.  I am hoping that Gal Gadot will take inspiration from both of the when considering her performance as Wonder Woman.  Xena's self titled TV series is what convinced me that a Wonder Woman film could work, and I will never forget Trinity's introduction in The Matrix.  I had never seen fight choreography depicted like that on film.

The Rocketeer and Airboy

Airboy is a classic character that I think would fit right into an adventure will Cliff Secord.  They are both pilots who use their tools and skills for fighting crime.  Airboy even had some beautiful covers illustrated by Dave Stevens when he was revived by Eclipse Comics.  I wonder if Stevens was inspired by the original Airboy tales when he came up with The Rocketeer?

Adam Strange and The Rocketeer

I am a fan of  movie serials from the 40's and 50's.  The budgets on these cliffhangers may have been low but there was never any shortage of action, plot twists, and daring escapes.  I of course gravitated towards the comic character starring serials, and it's a kick to see such early incarnations of Captain Marvel, Captain America or Batman and Robin in glorious black and white.  Probably my favorite serial is King of the Rocket Men, which was not based on a comic book hero - but certainly inspired a few.  The flying scenes are quite cool for the time and it must have been great to be a kid back then and see all of the great aerial action.  The Rocketeer would have been right at home in one of those old cliffhangers.  Adam Strange would have been another good choice, combining elements of King of the Rocket Men and Flash Gordon in one package.

The Thing and The Rocketeer

I felt like doing a cover that was an unofficial crossover to Crisis on Infinite Earths, a series that blew my mind back in high school (note the red sky). Company wide crossovers have become all too commonplace since the original Crisis, but at the time it was so new and exciting to me, I literally couldn't wait for the next issue.

I still love the movie adaptation of The Rocketeer and Joe Johnston did such a good job with that period piece superhero movie, that I have high hopes for his take on Captain America.

The Thing and Jonny Quest

This is one of those covers where I got lucky and the images really fit well together. Even so, it was kind of a shame that I had to remove Jonny and Hadji's lady friend to make room for Bashful Benjy. Dave Stevens really did draw some of the most beautiful women in comics (not that his talents were limited to females). When he passed, comicdom truly lost one of the all time great artists.

I'd still love to see a live action Jonny Quest feature someday. It's a property that has all the elements to make an exciting tale full of mystery, action and cliffhangers. Maybe some day...