Showing posts with label Marvel Comics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Marvel Comics. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Batman and Iron Man 2020
The Machine Man mini-series that introduced the Iron Man of 2020 is one of my all time favorite titles from the Bronze Age. I loved the Barry Windsor-Smith highly detailed artwork (including the awesome covers that featured Machine Man being built from the circuits up) and his design for Arno Stark's suit of armor was incredibly cool. I must not be the only one to hold that opinion, because Iron Man 2020 seems to keep popping up in various titles every few years. Now there's another suit of armor that I'd love to see show up in the Iron Man movies, even as an Easter egg in the background!
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Batman and Iron Man (Retro)
I like the bulky armor that Iron Man wore for his first few adventures. Not only does it look cool, but it is more close to reality as far as what a suit of iron would probably look like. For that reason I was happy to see it in live action when the first Iron Man movie was released. It looks like Tony Stark's armor will get another slight makeover for the upcoming Avengers film. It's nice to see the suit evolving, but I have to admit I am a little disappointed that we never got to see the classic red and gold armor with the widow's peak helmet which he wore for the bulk of the Silver and Bronze Age on the big screen. Oh well, Iron Man 3 will have a new director, so maybe he will be more of an old school comics fan and we still have a chance.
Labels:
Batman,
Brave and the Bold,
DC Comics,
Iron Man,
Jack Kirby,
Marvel Comics,
Robin,
Team Up
Monday, August 29, 2011
Batman and Iron Fist
For a character that was created to cash in on the Kung-Fu craze of the 1970's, Iron Fist certainly has had a lot of staying power. It's been interesting to watch his various incarnations through his partnership with Luke Cage and his solo series, especially the way his back story was fleshed out by Matt Fraction in The Immortal Iron Fist. I've read that Iron Fist is among the second-tier Marvel characters being considered for a feature film. His origin is filled with action, redemption and exotic locales so I think it could make for a fun movie. Heck, since Marvel is so into franchise building these days, they should release a Like Cage fill the same year and then follow it up the next summer with a big-scree Power Man and Iron Fist flick!
Friday, August 26, 2011
Batman and Iceman (Retro)
There's something about the original team of X-Men that just works. I think it's that they each had a simple easily definable power. I did have one question when it came to Iceman, though. I loved the visual of him zipping around on his ice slides but I always wondered what happened when those things began to melt. Did they just start falling apart and come crashing to the ground? I imagine that would cause a lot of collateral damage! Perhaps they changed to the consistency of snow before breaking apart, that would avoid most of the problems, I guess.
Labels:
Batman,
Brave and the Bold,
DC Comics,
Iceman,
Jack Kirby,
Marvel Comics,
Team Up
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Batman and Hellcat
I always found Hellcat to be an interesting character due to her transition from a Katy Keene type comic book model to a full fledged superheroine. I enjoyed her bubbly personality and the way she would play off of rougher characters like Valkyrie and The Hulk in the pages of The Defenders. Because of that, I wasn't a huge fan of attempts to darken the character through her relationship to Daimon Hellstrom, the Son of Satan. That eventually led to her death, but fortunately this is comics and she got better. I really liked the costume redesign that I used for this cover which she was given by the very talented Norm Breyfogle. Unfortunately, she did not use it for long - I wonder if that was because the powers that be thought it was too close to Batgirl?
Labels:
Batman,
Brave and the Bold,
DC Comics,
Hellcat,
Marvel Comics,
Norm Breyfogle,
Team Up
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Batman and Hawkeye (Retro)
I like the casting choice of Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye in the upcoming Avengers movie (he also made a blink-and-you-miss-it cameo in Thor. He is a great actor and has the ability to portray that rebellious streak that is so important to the character. My one reservation is the fact that they decided to go with his Ultimate costume rather than the one he wears in the mainstream Marvel universe. I realize the classic purple togs and mask might be more difficult to translate into live action, but the ultimate look is just so boring and generic. I would have liked for them to at least try to find some sort of happy medium between the two. Oh well, it's a small complaint and I am sure that it won't be enough to dampen my enjoyment of the film, which is looking epic so far from the filming footage that has been released.
Labels:
Batman,
Brave and the Bold,
DC Comics,
Hawkeye,
Marvel Comics,
Mike Allred,
Team Up
Friday, August 19, 2011
Batman and Giant Man (Retro)
I really got a kick out of the Essential Giant Man volume that Marvel released a few years back. I had read most of the early adventures of Spider-Man, The Hulk, the FF, X-Men and Avengers but these were some classic stories that I had never gotten around to checking out. It was fun seeing Pym go from scientist to Ant-Man to Giant Man and be joined by his sweetheart, Janet Van Dyne. The stories are fast paced and the Kirby artwork of course is great. Marvel has done some work rehabilitating Hank Pym's image in recent years, unfortunately they felt they had to kill of Janet for his character growth. I am hoping that they will both be part of an Avengers movie sequel so if that happens, maybe Marvel will be encouraged to find a way to bring her back and finally let that couple have some happiness.
Labels:
Batman,
Brave and the Bold,
DC Comics,
Giant Man,
Jack Kirby,
Marvel Comics
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Batman and Galactus (Retro)
When I did my more contemporary Batman/Galactus team up I commented that it was an admittedly odd pairing. If the two met in the 50's, though, I don't think this match up would seem all that out of place. Batman was always crossing paths with outlandish monsters and aliens! As much as I like the more serious Batman that preceded and followed that era, those stories were a lot of fun. I am glad that the animated Batman: The Brave and the Bold series has not shied away from portraying the more whimsical side of the character.
Labels:
Batman,
Brave and the Bold,
DC Comics,
Galactus,
Jack Kirby,
Marvel Comics,
Team Up
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Batman and Excalibur
One of the main things that makes me resist diving back into the X-Universe is how many titles it has spun off into. There are just so many variations on the theme that I feel it dilutes the brand and makes it that much harder to get into. It wasn't always this way though, and there was a time when a separate X-Men related title or mini series was something to get excited about. Excalibur was a fun title for me in that it connected the X-Men to Captain Britain, a character I had liked and hoped to see more of. Add on top of that the gorgeous artwork of Alan Davis and you had a nice package.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Batman and Doctor Strange (Retro)
Consider this story to be the secret origin of this blog!
Doctor Strange is the latest Marvel Character I hear rumored for the movie treatment. He does have an interesting origin story and there will be a magical void at the theaters now that Harry Potter has finished his film series, so it could be a good move. Still, the outfit and some of the more mystical villains might be hard to translate faithfully so it could go either way. One thing I know is I hope they go the Robert Downey Jr. route and get an age appropriate seasoned actor for the role and resist the urge to cast some young hip flavor of the moment. I've heard talk of Johnny Depp and I know Patrick Dempsey has expressed interest in the part, but neither of those choices say Stephen Strange to me.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Batman and Daredevil (Retro)
Daredevil's simple all-red costume designs is one of the most effective in comics. Even so, I still get a kick out of the yellow and red outfit that he wore for his first few adventures. It doesn't seem like it should work, but for some reason I like it.
I have read that Daredevil is another contender for a movie reboot, and it will be interesting to see how that plays out. I think a Daredevil is a character that could perhaps be best suited for an ongoing TV series. It could definitely be done on a reasonable budget and the machinations of the underworld and the legal system with Matt Murdock trying to navigate both could be the springboard for a complex, continuing story line. Maybe if Marvel has luck with their proposed Hulk series we will see something like this in the future.
Labels:
Batman,
Bob Kane,
Brave and the Bold,
Daredevil,
DC Comics,
Marvel Comics,
Team Up
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Batman and Cyclops (Retro)
I thought I would give Cyclops the retro treatment as well. I understand that the latest event in the X-Men books is some major division between Scott Summers and Wolverine, leading to two dueling X-Teams led by them. Sounds like more of the same as the X-Men seem to have been splitting up and regrouping for years. For a nice take on Cyclops, I would recommend the X-Men: Evolution animated series from a few years back. It features a slightly younger version of the character and gives him a nice arc through the run of the series.
Labels:
Batman,
Brave and the Bold,
cyclops,
DC Comics,
Jack Kirby,
Marvel Comics,
Team Up
Monday, August 8, 2011
Batman and Cyclops
Cyclops has been my favorite member of the X-Men since I was a kid. He looked cool and had a simple but unique power, which also gave him a bit of pathos. I think he is an interesting character and prefer when he is written as the solid leader that he is rather than a straight man for Wolverine or pining over lost loves. I really disliked how he was unceremoniously killed off in X-Men 3: The Last Stand and was hoping to see him given more justice in X-Men: First Class. Alas, that movie was a prequel and not a reboot as I had hoped, so no Cyclops this time around. It did well, maybe he will appear in the inevitable follow up.
Labels:
Batman,
Brave and the Bold,
cyclops,
DC Comics,
Ed McGuinness,
Gary Frank,
Marvel Comics,
Team Up
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Batman and Captain America (Retro)
This is the first of what will be many retro covers. I had fun with the handful that I did on the last go 'round with B&B so I decided to make some more. I hope you all like them.
Captain America was the best of the superhero films for me this summer. I thought that Chris Evans made a great Steve Rogers, it had a nice love story and the action scenes were right out of a comic book. The easter eggs for other Marvel films were worked in far less clumsily than they have been in past films. I loved seeing The Human Torch android make a cameo at the Stark Expo. It was acted well across the board - Tommy Lee Jones and Stanley Tucci especially seemed to be enjoying their roles. I really look forward to a sequel and, of course, The Avengers!
Labels:
Batman,
Bob Kane,
Brave and the Bold,
Captain America,
DC Comics,
Marvel Comics,
Team Up
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Batman and Captain America (Bucky Barnes)
I was pretty surprised when Marvel decided to bring back Bucky Barnes, I thought he was one hero that could be counted on to stay dead. I have to admit, his return was handled very well though and it was interesting to see him step into the shoes of the presumed dead Steve Rogers. Of course, Bucky has just been killed again in Marvel's Fear Itself event, so as to get the original Captain America back in his traditional fighting uniform. There are many untold stories from Bucky's time as The Winter Soldier though, so I guess we could still see tales from that era. And who knows, maybe that will be part of the inevitable Captain America movie sequel?
Labels:
Batman,
Brave and the Bold,
Bucky,
Captain America,
DC Comics,
Marvel Comics,
Team Up
Monday, August 1, 2011
Batman and Black Goliath
I always liked the character of Bill Foster from the days when he was a recurring character in Marvel-Two-In-One. His solo title was short lived, but I had always hoped he would be given another shot once he took on the Giant Man moniker. Unfortunately he was killed off unceremoniously in Marvel's Civil War event. It seems every time there is one of these big events a character I like is killed for shock value, a trend that I am not a fan of. I see lots of potential in characters like Foster, The Wasp, Elongated Man and many others who have been treated like cannon fodder. If the companies don't know what to do with these characters, fine... but I wish they would just let them lie in limbo for a while rather than taking them out of the game completely.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
The Thing and Zatanna
I was very glad to see Zatanna finally get her own ongoing series in the past couple of years, she is a character that has long since earned it... I enjoyed it quite a bit which was not a surprise with Paul Dini on writing chores. It looks like the series did not survive the DC reboot, but Zatanna will be showing up in Justice League Dark. Hopefully the writer Peter Milligan will let her shine there. I'm not so sure about the new look that she has been given. The top hat and fishnets look is a classic and I'd prefer if they had stayed closer to that style.
Labels:
Alan Davis,
Brian Bolland,
DC Comics,
Marvel Comics,
Marvel Two-In-One,
Team Up,
The Thing,
Zatanna
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
The Thing and Young Justice
I really hope that The Cartoon Network brings back Young Justice soon. I was really impressed by the writing and animation on this series, and just when it was getting really interesting, it was yanked off of the schedule. It really killed the momentum of the show. They did the same thing with Batman: The Brave and the Bold, I am still waiting for them to air the final batch of episodes there. I also think that DC is missing a bet by not having the animated series line up more with their upcoming Teen Titans ongoing comic book series. The comic looks to have a different roster, and the characters that are the same have very different looks and in Robin and Kid Flash's case different secret identities. Seems to me like a lost opportunity to create some synergy. At any rate, I truly enjoy the show and hope that it returns to have a nice long run.
Labels:
DC Comics,
Impulse,
Marvel Comics,
Marvel Two-In-One,
Robin,
Superboy,
Team Up,
The Thing,
Todd Nauck,
Wonder Girl,
Young Justice
Monday, July 25, 2011
The Thing and Wonder Woman
I just watched a bit of the Wonder Woman pilot that was recently not picked up to go to series. Woof, was that a bullet dodged! Wonder Woman is one of those properties that has had a lot of difficulty in being adapted to TV and film, and it kind of puzzles me as to what the problem is. One part Xena, one part Superman, with a dash of Captain America thrown in and there you go! Another thing about Wonder Woman that nobody seems to agree on is the outfit - long pants, short pants, skirt... eagle or double W symbol, many stars or a couple of big stars, everyone has a different opinion. I am of the mind that she is a character that should not be tied down to one look. I like the traditional garb, but feel that she should have a variety of outfits for different climates and conditions. Some should be more ceremonial in nature and some more suited for battle. Hopefully hollywood will finally work out the bugs one day and we can finally see a big screen interpretation worthy of comics most recognizable super-heroine.
Friday, July 22, 2011
The Thing and Wildcat
I enjoyed Wildcat as a member of the Justice Society, but where I really began to dig him was in the Bob Haney written issues of The Brave and the Bold. Sure, Wildcat was not supposed to exist on the same Earth as Batman, but Haney never let that kind of thing get in the way of a good story! That attitude was a big inspiration for this blog. I like the fact that Wildcat became to be known as a trainer of other heroes, with characters such as Black Canary, Catwoman, and even Batman receiving some tutelage from him. He maintained that status with the return of the JSA and it helped him to stand out among other heroes. Ted Grant is now MIA along with the rest of the JSA characters as a result of the DCU reboot, here's hoping that he won't be missing for long.
Labels:
DC Comics,
Marvel Comics,
Marvel Two-In-One,
Ron Wilson,
Team Up,
The Thing,
Wildcat
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