Dial H for Hanna-Barbera

 

At a time when all I knew where heroes from Marvel and DC comics, I was happy to find Hanna-Barbera's World of Super-Adventure with it's impressive line up of cartoon stars. Space Ghost and The Herculoids were my favorites, but I liked all of the features.  Alex Toth certainly knew how to design a show!

Spy Smasher and The Black Widow

 

This is a pairing that I have meant to get to for a while.  There was a bit of prep work required before I could add in Spy Smasher, though - here's a look at the behind the scenes progress: 

The Rogues Vs. The Wrecking Crew

 

This would be an interesting free for all to watch play out.  The Rogues have the numbers and the gadgets, while the Crew has Asgardian magic to back them up.  Who wins?

The Punisher Vs. The Partridge Family

 

It will be interesting to see Jon Bernthal return as The Punisher in the upcoming Disney+ Daredevil: Born Again series.  He was great in the role on the Netflix shows, but those were a lot more violent than anything I expect to see on this new family friendly service, even if it is in their "adult" section.  Let's hope he isn't watered down too much.

Black Widow and Nemesis

 

I doubt I would ever read any Nemesis growing up if he wasn't the star of the back up feature in my favorite comic - The Brave and the Bold.  I'm glad I did though, It's a crackling spy adventure featuring a master of disguise, deftly illustrated by Dan Spiegel.  I've always wanted to see those back-ups collected into a TPB, but I don't know if the demand will ever be there for such a project.

Wonder Woman and Nighthawk

 

Falling for the villain never quite works out in comics,  Batman and Catwoman have never seemed to reconcile their romance. Roy Harper had a child with Cheshire, but that ended in tragedy.  Alan Scott and Harlequin were happily married with two kids until DC decided that she was just his beard for all of these decades.  It doesn't look like Nighthawk is going to break the trend.

The Roustabouts in: "Satan at the Circus!"

 

For this, the fourth appearance of The Roustabouts, I thought I would raise the stakes a little.  Let's see how the Brawlers Under the Big Top fare against Mephistopheles himself!  It's a good thing that half of their members have extensive experience battling demonic entities.

Supergirl and Ms. Marvel in: "My Twisted Twin!"

 

This marks the 14th appearance of The Danvers Twins on this blog, and if there's any villain that can keep these loving sisters at each other's throats, it has to be the malicious Hate Monger.  Pity the pour soul that gets in the middle of these sparring siblings!

Green Arrow and The Black Widow in: "From Star City to Stalingrad!"

I thought that it would be fun to present a Silver Age adventure featuring these two heroes.  Green Arrow and Black Widow shared a Bronze Age adventure in STF #2722 and first met (with Daredevil) in STF #1935...

Brother Voodoo and The Flash

Joe Giella, whose inks are featured in the cover above, passed away last week, and he leaves behind a storied career. I remember seeing his name on the credits of so many of the Marvel and DC tales in my youth, stories that went on to be the building blocks for their entire respective universes. May he rest in peace and with the knowledge that he helped bring so much enjoyment to the fans over the years.

 

Cloak & Dagger and The Demon

 

Was Alan Moore the first writer to present Etrigan speaking in rhyme?  I'm not sure I remember any other writer doing that with the character before seeing it in the pages of Swamp Thing.  Whoever came up with it, it's a brilliant technique to make The Demon unique, even among occult characters. It makes him a little trickier to write for, but the storytelling effects are worth the extra effort.

Cheetah Vs. Black Cat

 

Here's another match up that's been long overdue on this blog.  It's also another opportunity to present another behind the scenes peek at the process.  In this case, there was a little background rebuilding to be done before Barbara Minerva could be added in: 

The Champions Vs. The Justice League of America

 

For this Anniversary Issue, I thought I would go for a full length free for all featuring two of my favorite teams.  I'm surely not alone in my love for the JLA.  The Champions, in this their first incarnation, never quite hit it big, but I always got a kick out of the oddball line up that they had.  A super-spy, a Demigod, a possessed stuntman and a trio of mutants filled out their ranks, and I enjoyed seeing these disparate heroes find a way to work together. 

Captain America & The Falcon and The Doom Patrol

 

I always liked the connection to The Doom Patrol that Gar Logan provided for the New Teen Titans.  The issue where they run into Robotman still remains one of my favorites, with the cover being among the best in the series.  Changeling/Beast Boy may have one of the least convincing origins in comics, but I can forgive that given his cool power set.  

Batman & Robin and The Avengers

 

Set photos from the upcoming Batgirl movie seem to indicate that there is a Robin active in that version of Gotham City.  It's still uncertain as to how Batman will even be handled in that movie - Commissioner Gordon will be played by The Snyderverse's  J.K. Simmons, but Ben Affleck will have already retired from Playing the Dark Knight following the events of The Flash - a film which will also bring back Michael Keaton's Bruce Wayne, setting him up to appear in Batgirl.  Maybe all of this will make more sense once we se a trailer, but it seems a bit crazy right now.

Batman met with The Avengers a few times way back in my Brave and the Bold: The Lost Issues! days - First when he tried to rewrite the team's roster, then when he was a part of the the original line-up and finally with Cap's Kooky Quartet...

Black Goliath and Elasti-Girl

 

I am glad to use a Black Goliath image here that was penciled by Sal Buscema and Inked by Jim Mooney.  Sal Buscema was the undisputed master of illustrating characters delivering or receiving a powerful punch, and Jim Mooney drew some of the prettiest girls in comics.  I was lucky enough to pick up original pieces by both of them several years back: 

Don't let the Larry Lieber signature fool you.  The back of this strip indicates that it was penciled by Sal Buscema and inked by the legendary Joe Sinnott:

The Hulk Vs. Mr. Terrific

 

This is a combination that might be fun to see,  I like the juxtaposition of characters with brains and those that possess raw strength, whether they be at odds or trying to work together.  Since this is a comic, you know you can expect a little bit of both!

Justice League of America and The Falcon

 

Now that Sam Wilson is the official Captain America of the MCU, it has been announced that his story will continue in a new movie.  Marvel seems to have a lot on their plate and are only just now getting to some of the movies and shows that were pushed back by the pandemic, so it's probably going to be a while before we hear anything more about that project, though.  If the action is as good as in the final episode of Falcon and the Winter Soldier, it should be a fun movie whenever it comes out.

Supergirl and Ms. Marvel in: "Parental Advisory!"

 

The Lost Issues' most famous sister act has returned! This marks the 9th appearance of The Danvers Twins on this blog.

They incurred the Wrath of Lex Luthor in STF #2925...

They faced off with an angry pet in STF #2144...

They battled The Gladiatrix in issue #1872...

They faced a stone centurion in Issue #1808...

They had more robot problems in Issue #1414

They were at odds with one another  in Issue #763...

They played a trick on the world in Issue #520...

...and they were first revealed to be sisters way back in Issue #152

Catwoman and The Prowler

 

Rumor has it that not only is Michael Keaton expected to reprise his role as Batman in the upcoming Flash movie and beyond, but that Warner Bros is trying to get Michelle Pfeiffer to return as Selina Kyle as well.  Batman Returns may have had some major script issues, but there is no denying the chemistry the two actors had  together (indeed, they had been in a real life relationship at some point before filming).  I hope this casting pans out, I would love to see them side by side on the big screen again.