Wildcat and The Beast in: "Lair of the Un-Men!"

 

These two first started working together in STF #3954...

This cover required some background removal, replacement and extension before I could add Hank McCoy in.  Here's a look at the behind the scenes progress:

Nova and Stargirl

 

The Stargirl series was a lot of fun.  I'm not holding my breath waiting for the character to show up in the DCU, though.  I assume that it will take a few years to establish a Justice League, let alone introduce the JSA and their spin-off characters.  As for Nova, Frankie Raye will probably be considered too close to Shalla Bal to be a candidate for entry into the MCU any time soon.

Coming tomorrow:  STF #4900!

Darkwolf and Conan

 

The painted covers by Earl Norem and Joe Jusko never fail to impress, an I was glad to combine the two legendary artists here. Have either of them done interior work or did they just stick to pasters ands covers?

Batman Vs. Apocalypse

 

They say Batman can defeat anyone if he has enough prep time.  Apocalypse has had centuries to prepare himself, though.  It would be an interesting meeting!

The Punisher Vs. Nexus

 

This is another cover that looks relatively simple, but required a bit of prep work.  I had to remove and replace Nexus's targets prior to adding Frank Castle in.  Here is a look at the behind the scenes progress:

Coming Tomorrow:  STF #4600!

Galactus Vs. The Seven Soldiers of Victory

 

Yeah, I don't know how this group is expected to be able to take on the World Devourer either.  It would be fun to watch them try, though!  Let's hope that one of them has an ace up their sleeve.

The Punisher and The Authority

 Probably the most surprising announcement in James Gunn's DCU line up was an Authority movie.  I think Gunn may want to juxtapose their style of crimefighting against that of Superman's.  Superman Legacy promises to present the kinder, more optimistic and inspiring Man of Steel that's been missing from the movies for too long.  I expect that a follow up movie will see Superman clashing with The Authority like he did with The Elite in the comics and on video.  

Supergirl and Medusa

 I name dropped Jimmy The Hutt back on the cover of STF #3134, and for some reason the concept stuck with me.  It was just so ridiculous of an idea and yet a transformation that I could imagine the Silver Age Jimmy Olsen getting himself into, that I just had to see if I could make it a reality. So, this is me finally getting around to that.

The Phantom and Fin Fang Foom

 

I thought that it might be interesting to have these two as allies rather than combatants.  The phantom mantle has been passed down as long or longer as Foom has been in operation, so they may even have some shared history together.  I'd like to see the threat that requires their cooperation.

Rocket Raccoon and Chewbacca

I 'm betting that no invitations to join Chewbacca and the Fur Force will be forthcoming after this little stunt.  In past adventures, Rocket got along better with Chewie's partner - he met Han Solo in STF #1488 and again in STF #1859, and Chewie got along better with Rocket's Partner - he met Groot in STF #1860...

Black Lightning Vs. Doctor Doom

 

Doctor Doom is going to be a tough role to fill effectively for the MCU.  He's sure to be a major player, and is a monarch as well as a brilliant scientist, so a commanding presence is necessary.  Then again, they'll need an actor that doesn't mind having their face obscured for most if not all of his screen time.  Between the armor, the outfit and the attitude, Doom is one of the trickier villains to bring to live action, but I have faith the next version will be an improvement upon what has come before.

He-Man and Tarzan

 

This cover serves as a prequel to STF #528...

I remember getting a kick out of the Johnny Weissmuller Tarzan movies that would sometimes play on TV after school when I was a kid.  I'm still a sucker for movies that feature lots of animals.  We even named one of our many cats Tantor after Tarzan's trusty Elephant - I'm betting we aren't the only ones who did that.

Iron Man Meets R2D2 and C3PO

 

We finally see the reason Shellhead has been spending some time in the Star Wars era.  Iron Man previously met Han Solo, and later on, Chewbacca, but that was with his original armor.  We see him here in my personal favorite suit - one can only imagine what kind of tech Tony Stark would come up with after having some time to examine droids!

Daredevil and The Huntress

 

I imagine these two working well together.  They are two no-nonsense heroes that have been personally wronged by organized crime.  I can see them joining forces to try and take down Black Mask or The Kingpin's operations once and for all.  It would be cool to see them in action side by side. 

Batman Vs. The Red Skull

 

While I wasn't a big fan of either of the sequels, like most I feel that Batman: The Dark Knight Returns is a masterpiece.  I remember  the year it came out, even from the ads promoting it I knew that it was going to be something special.  It was right before I got my drivers license, and there were no comic shops near me, so I had trouble tracking down a copy.  I think I wound up having to borrow a copy of the first issue from a friend, and I was so blown away that I made a point of not missing the next three when they came out, not matter how I had to get them.  It was years before I picked up my own copy of issue #1, but at least it was still a first edition!

Huntress and Hawkeye in: "Sister... Hacked!"

This is the sixth appearance on the blog featuring these heroic siblings.

They first appeared together in STF #505...

Next, they had a twisted family reunion in STF #1387... 

which continued into the next issue, STF #1388...

Then they visited their parents in STF #1877...

And the last time, they ran afoul of gangs in STF #2625...

In fact, I think it's time they get their own label:  Hawkeye/Huntress...

The Punisher Joins Star Wars

Star Wars: The Force Awakens wasn't perfect, but for the most part I thoroughly enjoyed it.  Star Wars: Rogue One, I felt was great - so I was very excited to see Star Wars: The Last Jedi, which promised to finally give audiences Luke Skywalker back in action.  Unfortunately that film and it's many missteps have dampened a lot of my enthusiasm for seeing future installments.  I was really disappointed with what was done with Luke (as apparently was Mark Hamill), and with Admiral Ackbar unceremoniously dispatched and Carrie Fisher gone, there isn't a whole lot for fans of the original trilogy to look forward to.  I was enjoying the new characters, but not how they were portrayed in Last Jedi - Poe is suddenly a reckless jerk who gets scores of his allies killed by his actions, Finn is a coward just trying to escape and getting caught up in the cringe-worthy casino subplot with Rose Tico.  Rey comes out relatively unscathed, but she seems to instinctively do everything so well, it's hard to get concerned about the stakes for her character.  Solo: A Star Wars Story may be a decent palette cleanser, but reports from the set and the lead's ability to portray a young Harrison Ford do not fill me with confidence.  Let's hope Episode IX can end the saga on a proper note.

Johnny Thunder Dreams of Jeannie!

I liked watching reruns of I Dream of Jeannue! when I was a kid.  The comedy was corny in a Gilligan's Island kind of way but the main character had super powers, something that always interested me.  Plus Barbara Eden was easy on the eyes!

Moon Knight Vs. Two-Face

This is a match up I would love to see.  It's always interesting to see Two-Face up against someone other than Batman and I can imagine a cool story could be woven around the fractured psyches of both characters and how they interact with one another.

The Damned in : "Satan's Retribution!"

I read with interest that Hellboy is getting a cinematic reboot.  I had kept reading about how the Gulllermo Del Toro-directed films didn't make enough to warrant a third film, so I was surprised by this development.  Ron Perlman really made the role his own, so David Harbour has big shoes (nd a right hand) to fill.  This new take will supposedly be a darker version of the character, so perhaps the new take will strike a stronger chord with audiences.

The Damned made their first appearance way back in STF #176...