Showing posts with label Marvel Comics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Marvel Comics. Show all posts

Sunday, February 3, 2013

The Super-Skrull Joins The Superman Family




The Superman titles of my youth may seem kind of hokey by today's standards, but they were endlessly creative.  This was a time when you couldn't spend six months on one plotline, each issue was its own epic, so the editors and writers were constantly coming up with wild  new conflicts and concepts for our hero to face.  Add in great artwork by by the likes of Curt Swan or Jim Mooney, and you had stories that I just devoured for all the crazy ideas contained within.  Grant Morrison is about the only current writer to tap into that side of Superman for his stories, and it's no wonder his work with the character has been so well received.

Friday, February 1, 2013

Tarzan and Ka-Zar



Talk about a couple of overachievers!  As if living in the jungle and fending off attacks from lions, tigers and crocodiles in only a loincloth didn't make them tough enough, they both regularly seemed to be going toe to toe with dinosaurs as well!  It's a good thing they have their trusty knives on them at all times (how do you think that they always keep their faces so clean shaven?)

Thursday, January 31, 2013

The Flash and The Whizzer



I used this pairing as a back-up story on a previous cover, and I wanted to give them their own issue.  I really miss the classic Jay Garrick in the current DCU.  The new young version  the pages of Earth-2 just isn't the same for me.  I liked the elder statesmen role that he provided, along with Ted Grant and Alan Scott.  Plus, he's got a winged helmet, and I like winged helmets!

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Thor and Steel



John Henry Irons was my favorite thing to come out of the Death of Superman event.  Here was a character inspired by the Man of Steel without being a simple copy of him with a gender or age change.  I'm not sure what he is up to in the New 52, but I hope he finds a place to shine. It would be cool to see him compare red capes and hammers with Thor one day.  I imagine this would be one of those fake-out covers, where the story would end with Thor and Odin presenting Steel with an Uru hammer to call his own.

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Iron Fist and Robin



I was glad when I heard that Power Man and Iron Fist were going to be a part of  the Ultimate Spider-Man cartoon, but upon checking the show out, they aren't quite the characters we know from the comics.  Sure, the powers are there, but these are youthified versions of the Heroes for Hire to go along with the show's overall attempt at attracting a younger-skewing demographic.  It's a fun little show for what it is, but it really makes me hope for a more accurate depiction of Danny Rand and Luke Cage on the big or small screens.

Tim Drake has shown up in Young Justice, which has done a much better job of presenting the characters from the comics... and of course that show just got cancelled, along with Green Lantern! It's really a shame because I was enjoying both but The Cartoon Network's erratic episode scheduling never gave them a fair chance to build an audience.

Monday, January 28, 2013

Justice Society of America and Captain America



Out of all of Marvel's Characters, I think that Captain America would work the best in the DC Universe.  I don't know if it is his wartime origins or his unashamedly heroic personality, but he seems like he would be just as effective at leading the JLA or JSA as he does the Avengers or the Invaders.  It's probably his ability to see the best in others, and inspire them to bring it out. Whatever the reason, it would be interesting to see how he would interact with comicdom's first ever superhero team.

Saturday, January 26, 2013

The Huntress and Spider-Man



The Huntress has had various costumes over the years, and the one I used for this cover is my favorite.  I never understood the design she wore during her time with the Birds of Prey that for some reason had a hole cut out to expose her midriff.  I mean, maybe she wanted to show off her rock hard abs, but leaving your gut unprotected seems like an odd choice for someone who goes up against armed criminals so often.  I liked when she went with the above design, as it is functional and mixes the looks of her parents, Batman and Catwoman.

Friday, January 25, 2013

The Spectre and Doctor Who



Tom Baker is still my favorite incarnation of Doctor who, although I quite liked the Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant versions as well.  I'm not sure what it is about the latest Doctor, Matt Smith, but he just misses the mark for me.  I recently watched the newest Christmas Special, and by the end I was hoping for another regeneration, but it looks like Smith will be staying in the role a bit longer.  It's not a deal breaker for me, because the show is still filled with a ton of imagination and Dr. Who has one of the best rogues galleries outside of comics.

Has the Spectre appeared in the New 52 yet?  I don't think I have heard anything yet, but I am sure that it is only a matter of time. When he does show up, it will be interesting to see what his appearance will look like and who his host will be.  Let's hope he will be goatee-free this time around.

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Ambush Bug Vs. Deadpool



I think that both of these characters serve an important function for the DC and Marvel comics lines. More than just humorous characters, they are very meta and can comment directly on what's going on in the comic book world they operate in. The fact that they seem to know they are comic book characters allows them to react to the various fads and cliches that the genre goes through.  As seriously as we fans want our hobby to be taken, there is certainly plenty to parody, and it's good that we have guys like these to help us laugh at ourselves.

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Blue Beetle and Spider-Man in "Bugjacked!"



I teamed Spider-Man with the Dan Garrett Blue Beetle before, but this is the pairing that I would really like to see.  I still miss Ted Kord in the DCU, and I don't see any reason that he and Jaime Reyes can't operate at the same time.  Of course, even Peter Parker has been killed off and replaced these days (in two separate universes, no less!), so Ted Kord is in good company.  The clear difference is that we all know that Parker will be back one way or another by the time his next film is out, but Kord's fate seems a lot more permanent.    Hopefully, he will have a chance to return sometime down the line.

Monday, January 21, 2013

Animal Man and Ant-Man



Of all of the Marvel films on the horizon, the one I am most curious about is Edgar Wright's Ant-Man film.  Wright is mostly known for his comedies, but he insists this film will not be a parody.  I hear there was some impressive test footage shot as a proof of concept and I hope that is released on the web soon so that we could get an idea of what Wright has in mind.  Will frequent collaborator Simon Pegg be playing Hank Pym?  Will The Wasp be involved? Hopefully we will learn some of these answers soon.

Sunday, January 20, 2013

The Watcher and Star Wars



It's going to be very interesting to see what happens with the Star Wars franchise now that it is under Disney's management.  I have heard talk of new comics. cartoons and TV shows, but what I am really looking forward to is Episode VII.  Mark Hamill is a well known comic book fan and has contributed to the genre over the years through his work as the voice of The Joker and other characters as well as comic book based appearances on shows like The Flash and a great episode of Amazing Stories.  Hamill even Directed and starred in 2004's mockumentary Comic Book: The Movie.  It will be great to see him involved in such a high profile project again when the new film comes out.

Saturday, January 19, 2013

FX and The Thing



The Mini-Series FX was a very cool achievement.  John Byrne mentioned that he was willing to create full-comic commissions, and Wayne Osborne went ahead and collaborated with him for a full six issue mini-series.  It's a great read that combines modern sensibilities with a Bronze Age comic vibe, and I highly recommend checking it out.  I have had some interaction with Wayne, and he is one of the nicest guys around and a big time comics fan. It's great to see a fellow enthusiast able to follow through on his dream the way he did.   There was a follow up graphic novel, FX: The Lost Land with art by Uko Smith.  Hopefully we will see more in the future.

Friday, January 18, 2013

Wonder Woman and She-Hulk



I was worried that She-Hulk would get lost in the shuffle of the multiple Hulks running around Marvel these days, so it is good to see that she has found a new home in the revamped FF series.  With Ant-Man Scott Lang and Medusa on the team as well and Mike Allred on art chores, I am very curious to check the title out.  Wonder Woman appears to be one of the success stories of the New 52, and I have been impressed with what I have seen so far.  Cliff Chiang is really making an impression on the character and in my opinion she is looking better than she has in years.

And now for a Special Announcement:  Beginning immediately, Super-Team Family: The Lost Issues will be updated on weekends as well as on weekdays!  That's a new cover seven days a week until further notice, so make sure you stop by every day for the latest lost issue!

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Killer Croc Vs. The Lizard



The Amazing Spider-Man had a few moments, but for the most part it was a big miss for me.  The origin stuff   felt redundant, but I knew that would be the case going in.  I was really looking forward to seeing the Lizard, and unfortunately that's where the movie really falls apart.  The  look just did not work for me, I really wish they had stuck to the lab coat and jeans from the comics.  Rhys Ifans is a fine actor, but his voice in Lizard form was completely off for the character... he could have at least emphasized the "S" sounds!  And don't get me started on the Lizard's master plan... he wants to transform other people into lizards - and then what?  I can't say I have much confidence that Electro with be any more faithful to the comics in the sequel.

Stay tuned tomorrow for a special announcement from Super-Team Family: The Lost Issues!

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Superman and The Human Torch



I appreciated the nod to the original Human Torch in Captain America: The First Avenger - you can see his robotic body encased in glass at the World's Fair - but it might have made for a cool moment to have him actually show up.  The producers teased an Invaders appearance but that was not to be.  Maybe a newspaper headline featuring Cap and two "mysterious allies" could have been featured during one of the montage sequences.  It might be that the Namor and Torch movie rights are tied up with the Fantastic Four though, and the one second glimpse of Jim Hammond was all they could get away with.

Friday, January 11, 2013

Rorschach and The Avengers




When the Before Watchmen titles were announced by DC, I was as wary as most fans were.  Watchmen is a modern classic, and nobody wanted to see it tarnished for a quick cash grabbing event.  I decided to trade/digital wait on these and see what the reviews and previews were like before determining which of the titles to pick up.  DC fortunately stacked the deck with many of my favorite creators currently working in comics like Darwyn Cooke, Amanda Conner and the Kuberts.  Everything I have seen and read looks to be very well done, and I will definitely be checking out most if not all of the titles.

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Cloak & Dagger and Boba Fett



I have wanted to feature the very cool artwork of Skottie Young on here for some time, but he has such a signature style that it is hard to mesh it with the work of other illustrators.  I have admired his work for quite some time, his scratchy style gives everything a sense of life and movement.  He seems to be at home with a wide range of subject types, be they magical, horrific or whimsical.  Hopefully we will see a lot more from him in the future.

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Justice Society of America and The Invaders




This team up is one of the most frequent requests that I have received, and one that I have personally wanted to see since I was a kid.   I love the World War II setting for comics because it recalls the early formative days of the genre.  All-Star Comics and then All-Star Squadron  were favorites of mine and the yearly JLA/JSA team-ups were awesome to me in a time where huge gatherings of superheroes were still few and far between.  The Invaders had such a great core line-up with Captain America, Namor and the Human Torch, that I was always drawn to their appearances.  Having Roy Thomas as a prominent writer of both teams gave me hope that we would maybe one day see an actual crossover between the two, but sadly it just wasn't to be.

Monday, January 7, 2013

Batman Beyond and Spider-Man 2099



As crazy as some of the match ups on this blog are, I do try to maintain some kind of internal continuity.  This cover is actually a sequel to one of my lost Brave and the Bold covers, which I posted way back on October 3, 2011.  That issue had Spider-Man 2099 warning the present day Batman of a corrupt Terry McGinnis.  For some reason, that set up always rattled around in my head and I wanted to make a follow-up.

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