Martian Manhunter and Captain America

 

I think that these two buccaneer booted battlers would work well together.  They are both considered to be the heart of soul of their respective teams and are each adept field commanders.  One is a man out of time and the other is a man torn from his world so they could bond in that way as well.

Green Lantern and Big Guy & Rusty the Boy Robot

 

Hopefully the failure of The Flash won't slow down DCU properties in development like the MAX Lanterns series, but I suspect it will.  DC's already had one unsuccessful attempt to get the world of Green Lantern into live action so they really have to get it right when they try again.  Announcements on that show have gone quite, however. I'm thinking that James Gunn probably wants to make  sure that Superman: Legacy is as good as it can be before concentration on expanding the universe outward from there, which is as it should be.

Metal Men and Big Guy & Rusty (And More!)

 

For this Anniversary Issue, I thought I would go for an all-robotic theme. Looking at all of these match-ups, I'm not sure which one I would want to read first. Probably the lead feature, especially if it sported George Perez or Geoff Darrow art like the cover image. But, any story with a robot in it is entertaining to me, as they often offer some keen insights into the human condition.

Let the march to STF #4000 begin!

Stars & S.T.R.I.P.E. and Big Guy & Rusty the Boy Robot

 

It sounds like the Arrowverse on the CW is coming to an end.  Batwoman and Legends of Tomorrow have already been cancelled, with Naomi expected to follow and The Flash will conclude after a shortened final season.  Superman and Lois is safe for now and Stargirl's fate has not been mentioned.  I believe the third season has been filming though, so hopefully we will get a solid conclusion to the series.

I am happy to use the art of the incredibly detailed Geoff Darrow here.  I was lucky enough to pick up a matching pair of sketches by him several years back:  

Astro Boy and Big Guy & Rusty the Boy Robot

Geoff Darrow always amazes me with his ultra-detailed artwork.  There is so much to see in his illustrations, which makes the comics he's done art for a joy to revisit.  I'd be interested to see what kind of paper he does his original artwork on - I imagine it's got to be huge, much larger than the standard size for producing comics, just to fit all of the detail in.

The BIG League

It was cool seeing both Ant-Man and The Atom grow to giant-size and battle in Captain America: Civil War and DC's Legends of Tomorrow respectively, but I have to admit that I had the same issue with both action sequences.  I'm not sure why when they size up, they suddenly start moving in slow motion.  It seems to undermine any advantage they get from being huge.  Wouldn't they still move around at a normal rate?

Batman & Robin and Big Guy & Rusty the Boy Robot

One thing I used to love about the classic Batman comics was the use of oversized props.  Whether it was the dinosaur or giant penny in his Bat-Cave or some diabolical death-trap set up by one of his villains, it always made for an interesting visual.  The Batman TV show took note of the trend and featured some live action giant-sized items of its own from time to time.  Unfortunately, now that Batman is portrayed as a far grimmer character, such things are largely part of his past.

Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot Join The Avengers

The first Avengers film was all about assembling the team and this summer's Avengers: The Age of Ultron is rumored to end with the team being broken up.  I hope we at least get a few scenes of the team working together effectively before they are torn apart.  Comic movies seem to be obsessed with the beginnings or endings of heroic careers. I'd like to see more superhero films where the protagonists are operating in their prime.

Big Guy & Rusty the Boy Robot and Scooby Doo

Scooby and the gang have stood the test of time, while many other cartoon characters have come and gone. I think one reason for their longevity is the fact that they have been very open to guest stars in many of their incarnations.  I used to love when they would meet up with Batman or the Harlem Globetrotters and it's cool that they are still appearing in team ups like their recent meeting with Dynomutt and the Blue Falcon.  A Geoff Darrow inspired meeting with Big Guy & Rusty?  That could be the coolest episode yet!

The Joker and Godzilla

I'm still waiting for a great Godzilla movie.  I can watch all the classic man-in-suit Toho films for their kitsch factor, but they are hardly very convincing.  I remember being very excited when I heard the folks behind Independence Day would be updating the franchise, but then the design of the monster, cartoonish characters and silly Godzilla-babies side plot ultimately undermined it for me.  Really, the closest I have seen to cool Godzilla action is the film Cloverfield.  Reading reports of the latest Comicon, it seems like the teaser for the new Godzilla film took everyone by surprise and was one of the big hits of the convention.  This has me cautiously optimistic, and I hope that footage is available on the web soon, because I am dying to see it.

The Thing and Big Guy & Rusty, The Boy Robot

I think that Geoff Darrow is one of the most amazing artists ever to work in comics. It's a shame that he doesn't do more work, but maybe not all that surprising since the art he provides is so incredibly meticulous and detailed. I could stare at his pages from Big Guy or Hard Boiled for hours. There was a short lived cartoon series featuring Big Guy and Rusty several years back. I was very cool to see Darrow's creations in motion, even in simplified form. I know that Darrow does a lot of film concept work, but I hope he returns with a new comic book project one of these days - I know I would definitely be first in line for it!