X-Men and The Justice League of America in "Crisis on Battleworld!"

 

Now we found out where the missing heroes from yesterday's cover have been.  This marks the third clash between these two teams.  They first met in STF #700, and then again in STF #2259...

Here's a larger look at today's individual stories: 

The Fantastic Four and The Phantom Stranger

 

Haunted houses are bad enough, but a haunted Baxter Building, including Reed's Lab? That's a whole new level of trouble to deal with.

Tarzan and The Phantom in: "The Nature of Evil!"

 

Tarzan and The Phantom first met on this blog back in 2012, on a very early MS Paint cover... I figured it was high time that I put them together again - especially if it means that I get to combine my two favorite comic book artists - Jim Aparo and Joe Kubert.

Green Arrow and Captain Britain

 

I love that, even in a life and death struggle, Ollie still uses a suction cup arrow.  Maybe is also has an electrical charge or something.  Hey, whatever it takes to get the job done!

Hawkeye Vs. Batman's Villains

 

Who has the best rogues gallery?  I've seen the villains of Batman, Spider-Man and The Flash mentioned most often in this discussion.  Personally, I'd give Batman's foes the edge - they may not be as powerful as the others, but their personalities make for interesting stories.

Green Lantern and Galactus in: "A Deal With The Devourer!"

 

Hal Jordan first encountered Galactus way back in STF #254 from 2012, and it was time that they share a cover again.  This time around, it looks like they may be working together though - and that would make me curious enough to pick up this issue.

Black Panther and Sgt. Rock

 

I liked the brief flashback scene we got of T'Chaka fully suited up in the first Black Panther movie, and it would have been cool to see more of him in action.  Something tells me that he and Sgt. Rock would have a grudging respect for one another.

Starhawk and Green Lantern

I never quite understood Starhawks's costume.  I mean, It looked cool, but I didn't get how that odd cape/wing hybrid design was supposed to work, it seemed awkward that it was connected to the boots.  That headpiece must have made it tough going through doorways as well. 

Power Man and Deadman

 

Maybe Boston Brand would have found his killer sooner if he had consulted with a Hero for Hire like Luke Cage.  It would certainly be entertaining to read about.

The Defenders and The Spectre

 

These guys are all heroes, but they've all done some shady stuff as well.  Not many heroes would give them pause, but being stared down by the Spectre has got to be an exception!

Black Manta Vs. Attuma

 

Say what you want about the DCEU Aquaman movies, they had some great action sequences and Black Manta was visualized very well.  James Wan definitely remembered what made the villain so cool to all of us kids reading of his exploits or watching Super Friends back in the day.

Metamorpho and The Falcon in: "Showdown With The Secret Empire!"

 

It's pretty cool that Metamorpho is now a much more recognized character to the general public, thanks to his inclusion in Superman.  I hope we get to see him onscreen again soon, and I wonder which lesser known DC character might show up next.  Bring on The Creeper, Space Cabbie and Skyrocket!

The Falcon and Metamorpho fought the Trojan Horde in STF #3054... and they first met in STF #2641...

Green Arrow and The Phantom

 

I had to de-clutter the original Phantom cover before I could add in Green Arrow to the mix.  Here's a look at the behind the scenes progress:

Katana and Valkyrie

 

Katana is better at wielding a sword, but Valkyrie has Asgardian strength to back her up.  This would be an interesting match up.  But just why would Brunnhilde want The Soultaker in the first place?

Werewolf by Night and Black Lightning

 

This cover required a bit of background extension for it to work.  Here is a peek at the behind the scenes progress:

Black Panther and The Flash

 

I always like team ups in which the heroes would swap villains.  I thought it was time to present another one of those here.  Something tells me that Kraven and The Trickster have bitten off a bit more than they can chew here, however!

X-Factor Vs. The Outsiders

 

This is the First time that The Outsiders have met X-Factor, but as the X-Men, these groups have a bit of history on the blog - The Outsiders first tried to tame The Phoenix in STF #3454 and first met her in STF #112, and the one hero able to withstand The Phoenix Force was revealed in STF #2526... The X-Men came to The Outsiders assistance in STF #2595... and both teams had an adventure at The Statue of Liberty in STF #2675...

The Unknown Soldier and The Human Torch in: "The Informant and the Automaton!"

 

The Unknown Soldier was a great concept for a war comic.  There are so many real life heroes from wartime that the general public will never know of.  For me, this fictional soldier's anonymity seemed to pay tribute to all the sacrifices made by those whose deeds will never get the proper credit that they deserve.

These two heroes first met in STF #3404...

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. 

Aquaman and The Silver Surfer

 

Making this cover, it dawned on me - I don't believe that I have ever seen The Silver Surfer using his board to actually surf on ocean waves.  I mean, I know it's designed for spanning the spaceways, but I'm sure it would be operational for traditional surf board use as well.  Has such a scene ever been depicted in the comics?