Daredevil and Blue Beetle in: "Upgrading the Underworld!"

I got a kick out of seeing Stilt-Man's stilts in The Gladiator's workshop in an episode of Netflix' Daredevil.  He's one of those great comic villains that have a cool look and gimmick, but would be very hard to pull off seriously in live action.  Still, they found a way to bring Arnim Zola to the screen, so maybe we'll get an honest to goodness Stilt Man appearance on the big screen one day.

These two had a Silver Age adventure in STF #1947...

Daredevil met the Jaime Reyes Blue Beetle (though they were in new identities) in STF #2461...

Code: Red in: "Mars Needs Gingers!"

The De-Gingering of DC continues.  Lightning Lad is the latest character to lose his red hair.  What do they have against us gingers?  They are always killing them off or changing their appearance to non-gingers.  When a ginger character makes the leap to movies or TV, the red hair seems like the first thing to go.  It's enough to make a guy feel unwanted.

Code: Red first appeared in STF #1293...

Moon Knight and Green Arrow

I was surprised to hear that Emily Bett Rickards will be leaving Arrow before they have their final 10-episode season next year.  The Felicity Smoak character has been controversial among the fan base since the early episodes, but at this point she has been such a big part of the show, it will be strange to see her gone.  Will Ollie be avenging her death?

These two heroes first met in STF #1267...

Ragman and Spider-Man

Ragman is a long-standing DC character that to the best of my knowledge has never made the leap to other media, even in shows like Justice League Unlimited and Batman: The Brave and the Bold, which featured lots of lesser known heroes and villains.  That's too bad, because I think he would look really cool in animation.  He might also fit in on Arrow if DC wanted to go the live action route.

This story continues on tomorrow's cover , so stay tuned!

Robin and Iron Fist

Netflix' Daredevil seems to be well underway. with a cast and premiere date announced, so hopefully we will start hearing some news on the rest of their upcoming Marvel series.  I'm not sure who I would pick to portray Danny Rand, Iron Fist.  I have read that Zac Ephron has been in the running for a Marvel role, but I just can't see him in the role.  Whoever they choose, I hope they have equal acting and martial arts chops.

Green Arrow and Daredevil

Both of these guys have reputations as street level heroes who will fight for the common man, but there is something else they are both known for.  Namely, a weakness for the ladies.  Whether it's Daredevil's questionable taste in girlfriends or Green Arrow's wandering eye, these two seem to get in as much trouble with the opposite sex as they do their arch enemies.  For some reason, I think there would be friction between them if they met, especially if there were beautiful women around.

Savage Dragon Vs. Daredevil

This week the news hit that Marvel has finally regained the film rights to Daredevil.  I am eager to see where they go with the property.  They could go with a cinematic reboot, or perhaps a TV series - Daredevil and most of his rogues are street level enough to pull off on a television budget.  Whatever route they choose, it will be interesting to see who lands in the role of Matt Murdock.  My choice is still Joel Edgertion from Zero Dark Thirty and Warrior.

Superman and Dr. Manhattan

Just as with some of my Marvel/Star Wars covers, this is a pairing that does not seem as far fetched as it once would have.  DC countered the criticism of creating prequels for Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' Watchmen by wisely stacking the deck with some of the very best creators working in comics today. If you are going to attempt such a controversial product, that's the way to do it.

Green Arrow Vs. The Rocketeer

When artists like Jim Lee, Todd McFarlane and others took the comic world by storm in the 90's it really changed the landscape.  Ultra-detailed artwork with lots of little sketchy lines and a larger reliance on splash page images was the new popular look and lots of artists were recruited to deliver that style - with widely varying degrees of success.  Even some veteran artists altered their existing styles to conform with the new look.  I am glad to see comics easing out of that phase in the past several years, and mainstream comics are once again presenting a wide range of artistic sensibilities.  You can now find some really great examples of clean, crisp artwork with an economy of line and a sturdy grasp of composition and panel layout. Two of my favorite artists in this category are Chris Samnee and Marcos Martin, whose images I used here. It's great to have modern day illustrators carrying on in the footsteps of legends like Alex Toth and Steve Ditko.

The Phantom Stranger and Doctor Strange

I was glad to see that The Phantom Stranger is set to receive his own ongoing series in the next phase of DC's New 52.  He has spent the last couple of decades as a guest star or cameo in other characters' titles, and I think that he has a lot more to offer.  I still fondly remember his original series, mainly due to the excellent artwork by Jim Aparo.  That series has some of my favorite covers ever.

Batgirl and Captain America

I first took notice of Marcos Martin's art in Batgirl: Year One, and was incredibly impressed by his unique style.  Martin is a master at composition and body language which gives his work an exciting, fluid look.  His covers are amazing as well, he created some true classics in his recent Daredevil run.  My favorite character to see Martin on is Spider-man, though.  He really captures Spidey's signature style of movement and his character designs hearken back to the classic Steve Ditko issues.  Any comic featuring Martin art is definitely  worth checking out.