Katana and The Swordsman

 The  Swordsman was introduced in the Disney+ Hawkeye series, and I hope it isn't the last that we will see of him in the MCU. We saw Katana in the DCEU, but she was very underutilized.  Let's hope the character gets more of a chance to shine down the road in the DCU. 

Doctor Fate Vs. Dormammu

 

This cover required a bit of background extension and repair before I could add in Dr. Fate and the JLA Satellite.  Here's a look at the behind the scenes progress:

Captains Marvel (Vs. Thanos & Mr. Mind!)

 

I thought it was time for this assemblage of heroes that have held the Captain Marvel title to return.  Of course, a team this powerful requires some formidable opponents.  Who better than two of their greatest adversaries, putting their evil mind and might together?

Captains Marvel first appeared in STF #1610...

Chewbacca and The Fur Force in: "Trial by Fur!"

 

It looks like the third appearance of this team will truly put its leader to the test.  Let's hope this hairy rebel has what it takes to see it through.  Chewbacca and The Fur Force last appeared as an animated series in STF #3920, and made their debut in STF #1258.

Captain Marvel and She-Hulk

 

I loved the era when Worlds' Finest became a dollar book with a bunch of rotating back up features to go with the regular Superman/Batman team ups.  Probably my favorite was the Shazam back-ups that featured artwork by the great Don Newton.  I've seen the Shazam characters depicted in a very cartoony style as well as realistic and gritty - but in these tales I think that Newton really struck the perfect balance.  Captain Marvel and his supporting cast and villains all looked great. 

Captain Marvel Jr. and Spider-Man

 

I never really understood those weird helmets that the A.I.M. henchmen would wear.  They looked like evil beekeepers and I can't imagine they had great peripheral vision.

Spidey and Freddy first met in STF #1358

I was glad to use an image by Stan lee's brother, Larry Lieber here.  I remember seeking out his few daily panels for the Spider-Man newspaper strip.  Many years back, I picked up an original strip by him:

Doctor Strange and Adam Strange in: "Strange New World!"

 

This marks the sixth appearance of The Strange Brothers.  They were last seen escaping Hell in STF #3163, they faced their wicked uncle in STF #2801, They were forced to do penance in STF #2649, they were trying to escape from Limbo in STF #2146, and they were first revealed to be brothers in STF #370...

Captain Marvel and Darth Vader

 

Shazam: Fury of the Gods has been delayed yet again.  While Warner Bros/Discovery seems to have finally found their version of Kevin Feige in Dan Lin, they don't seem to know what to do with the DC films already in development under the previous leadership.  I say stop dragging things out and release them already, using the end of The Flash as a hard reboot - then just start over from scratch.

Man-Bat and Daredevil

 

Every movie version of Batman that we get seems to be darker and more grounded than the last.  While that has made for some tense, dramatic films, it still leaves some of the cooler elements of the Batman mythos off the table.  The more you strip down his vehicles and gadgets, the less cool and unique he begins to feel.  Yes, it was interesting to see a reality based glider suit in The Batman, but I have to admit, the scene in The Dark Knight with the "memory fabric" of Batman's cape becoming a glider in Japan was a much cooler moment.  Then there are the villains.  with this ultra realistic route, it seems as if we'll never see any of Batman's more fantastical villains like Man-Bat or Clayface on the big screen.  Hopefully for the next Batman installment, Director Matt Reeves can find the right balance.

Man-Bat Joins The Sinister Six

 

Spider-Man: No Way Home kind of gave us a Sinister Six story but not really.  I guess if you count the mid-credit scene there were six Spidey villains in the mix - or if you count J. Jonah Jameson as a villain.  Still, hopefully one day down the line we'll see a true sinister six adventure on the big screen.  

I was happy to use a Don Newton image of Man-Bat here.  I was lucky enough to pick up an original  Don Newton page many years back:

Man-Bat, Man-Thing and Yoda

 

I'm looking forward to the Obi Wan Kenobi series on Disney+.  Will Yoda show up at some point?  I haven't heard anything about that but of all the announced series, that seems to be the most likely place for him to make an appearance.  I won't be holding my breath for a scene like the one above, though - but it would be very cool!

Man-Thing first traveled to Dagobah in STF #303, and he previously met Man-Bat in STF #333...

Godzilla and Mr. Mind

 

Shazam! Fury of the Gods looks to be a jam-packed film.  Its got a whole extended Shazam Family to deal with, with promises of DC character Cameos, Sivana's return and presumably some Gods are going to be furious.  Still, I hope there's plenty of room left for the antagonist teased at the end of the first film - Mr. Mind!  He is one of my all-time favorite villains and I love that he is finally getting a big budget movie treatment.

Man-Bat Vs. The Lizard (Round Two!)

 

When Bob Greenwade, a patron of this blog, suggested this battle, I figured it was a strong enough match up to demand  a second appearance - so here it is! Thanks, Bob!  They first tangled in STF #2606.  I have to say that I'd be rooting for Man-Bat in this fight.  While both character started out as respected scientists that were altered by self administered experimentation, Kirk Langstrom  always seemed like the more redeemable of the two to me.

Red Tornado and Mr. Fantastic

This cover features two artists that rank high among my favorites, and who were both gone far too soon.  Mike Wieringo and Don Newton each had very distinctive and instantly recognizable styles, and it was always a treat to see which projects and characters they were working on next.  Both were also at the height of their careers during their untimely passing.  We were fortunate to have enjoyed a wealth of their talents, and I can  only imagine the further contributions to comic art they would have made if they were still with us.

Nick Fury and Aquaman

I remember watching the much-maligned Waterworld with Kevin Costner, and thinking about the possibilities.  Not about the movie itself, it made very little sense - If land and soil was such a are commodity, why was everyone so dirty all the time?  There were, however some impressive swimming sequences, especially when Costner's character would come swooping out of the water.  It was the first time that I thought perhaps a live-action Aquaman would be doable.  It took a few more decades, but Hollywood finally caught up!

Hawkman and The Phantom in: "Craven Crimes of the Crocodile Men!"

I am really curious as to how Hawkman will look when he makes his big screen debut in Black Adam.  The helmet, bare chest & arms and wings are a tough look to pull off, as we have seen in some underwhelming TV attempts.  They will need to find an actor with a big enough physique to no only pull off Hawkman's look, but also be able to not look scrawny next to Dwayne Johnson!  The wings have to be huge as well - The Maleficent movies succeeded there.  If done right, Hawkman could be one of the most visually interesting heroes on the big screen yet.

Hawkman and The Phantom first met way back in STF #122...

Jonny Quest and Robin

I watched these two boy heroes in adventures on Saturday mornings when I grew up, and always thought it would be cool if they got together.  While Robin had access to all sorts of cool gadgets and vehicles, he was still a junior partner.  Jonny may have been a bit more low tech, but he definitely seemed like the leader of his group to me.  Together, they could have taught each other a thing or two.

The Marvel Family and The Watcher

As far as I know, The Don Newton-illustrated tales of the Shazam Family that were featured in World's Finest when it was an over-sized Dollar Comic have never been collected.  That's a real shame, because I think is would be a big seller.  The stories are a ton of fun and Newton's artwork was absolutely gorgeous.  There have been many attempts to modernize the look of the world of Shazam over the years, and I feel that those stories were the most successful at that.

The Hulk Vs. The Marvel Family

I wasn't sure about the casting of Zachary Levy as Captain Marvel for the upcoming Shazam! film, but I am really on board now.  He definitely has the looks facially, and recent pictures that I have seen have shown that he is indeed bulking up for the role.  Christopher Reeve went through a similar transformation in preparing for the first Superman movie, and that turned out OK.  Acting-wise, I think Levy has the chops to portray a kid in an adult's body with the wisdom of Solomon.  I have seen Asher Angel act before, and he will make a fine Billy Batson (although maybe a year or two too old if they want to do a bunch of sequels - but first things first).

Cannonball and Bulletman

Details are emerging about the New Mutants film, with some casting choices already made.  It's described more as a horror movie than a traditional superhero flick, and there will be no costumes.  That's too bad, the black and yellow uniforms used in X-Men: First Class and Deadpool worked pretty well, and I was looking forward to seeing, Sam, Dani and the rest in their classic outfits.