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

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Mister Miracle and Thor



There's a lot to love about the artwork of Jack Kirby - his action packed storytelling, his unending array of monstrous creatures, his mastery of the splash page - but for me the first thing that comes to mind when I think of his comic art is his machinery design.  Whether an object was man-made, mystical or alien, Kirby could make it look awesome and formidable through his imaginative illustrations.  His gadgets, weapons and vehicles were always larger than life and many are as fondly remembered as the characters themselves.

Sunday, December 1, 2013

The Emerald Elite



I've had a few request for a color-themed team, and I felt that green was the best way to go.  There are a lot of green-skinned heroes out there, and I think the reason for that probably comes down to aesthetics - they just looks so cool!  At any rate, I'd love to see how the above group of heroes would interact with one another, given their varied personalities.  They certainly would not be lacking in power, that's for sure.

Friday, November 29, 2013

Wolverine Vs. Snake Eyes



I saw a recent unused scene that was featured as an extra on the Blu-Ray release of The Wolverine.  It showed Logan being given a box to open up, and inside is the classic Wolverine costume from the comics.  Now, I am not sure how that would look with someone wearing it, but it definitely looks cool right there.  Sadly, it seems that this was just included as a nod to the fans, and we shouldn't expect to see Logan suiting up any time soon.  I'd love to see them try to give it a shot, though.

Thursday, November 28, 2013

The Lizard and Killer Croc in "Rise of the Reptiles!"



I featured these two together before in a more modern cover, and I wanted to try for a more Bronze Age vibe this time out.  Rumors are that The Lizard will make a return to the Amazing Spider-Man franchise as a member of the Sinister Six.  Here's hoping they go for the creature in human clothing look rather than the giant gila monster that we saw in his first appearance.  The Ditko design is just so much cooler.  Killer Croc may not be able to anchor a Batman film as the primary villain, but I think that he could still be successfully translated to screen as a partner/pawn of someone like Hugo Strange.

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Captain America and Batman in "The Hills Have Eyes!"



It has been reported that Director Kevin Smith has seen an image of Ben Affleck in the new Batman outfit for the 2015 summer blockbuster and was very impressed, saying it is something that fans will love and has never been seen on film before.  Given his friendship with Affleck, I take his enthusiasm with a grain of salt, but I do have hope that Zach Snyder will give us something closer to the comics than the all-black body armor look that we have seen for so long now.  My real hope is that we will see some way to include the white eyes look from comics and animation, I loved it when Bale's Batman had the sonar lenses to briefly achieve that appearance.  Rumors are that the costume will look somewhat like Lee Bermejo's take on it in Batman: Noel, so I don't think I am going to get my wish there.

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Catwoman and The Black Widow



I'm looking forward to Black Widow's role in next summers' Captain America: The Winter Soldier.  Even though this will be Scarlett Johansson's third film outing as the super spy, I have a feeling it will be the first time the character will really have a chance to shine.  I liked her in Iron Man 2, but she didn't have much screen time.  She was utilized much better in The Avengers, but was still overshadowed by so many heavy hitters.  The next Captain America film promises to follow the excellent Ed Brubaker comics, with a more down to Earth feel than The Avengers had.  I liked how the Black Widow was handled in those stories, so I am optimistic about the film adaptation.

Sunday, November 24, 2013

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.

Friday, November 22, 2013

Morbius Vs. Man-Bat in "Blood of the Bride!"



I have been a fan of Man-Bat for years, but I never know quite what I am going to get when he makes a new appearance.  I prefer him as a misunderstood hero, but he is just as likely to be used as the antagonist in a story.  All too often I find him to be treated as little more than a mindless animal, or being used as a pawn in some other villain's plot.  I wish poor old Kirk Langstrom would get a little more respect.

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Green Lantern and The Jack of Hearts



I can't believe that it has taken me so long to feature Jack of hearts on a cover.  I've been a fan of this B-list (C-list?) Marvel character ever since his first appearances.  I still fondly remember his self-titled Mini-Series back in 1984 with the great George Freeman artwork.  His costume is crazy and busy, but I have always liked it.  I'll bet it is a pain to draw and maybe that has been a factor in how infrequently he has been used over the years. I know he was killed off when Brian Michael Bendis first took over the Avengers, but I lost track of if his story continued after that.  I think he got better eventually?

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Firestorm and The Human Torch



Flaming hair, puffy sleeves, pointed shoulders and an asymmetrical symbol - Firestorm's look is crazy but for some reason it always worked for me.  He definitely stood out among the other DC heroes back in the 80's.  The Original Human Torch and Toro, on the other hand, have incredibly simple looks that are equally as effective.  The flamed human appearance is so cool that they don't even need facial features!  Toro does look a little goofy when flamed off, though - I'm not sure why Jim Hammond gets to wear a full red suit but he is stuck with boots and a pair of shorts.

Monday, November 18, 2013

Boba Fett Vs. Captain America



There has apparently been some changes behind the scenes  in regard to the scripting duties for Star Wars Episode 7.  While sometimes that can be a worrying sign, maybe here that will not be the case.  Lawrnece Kasdan has been brought in to work with JJ Abrams on the story, and it is hard to argue about his credentials.  Kasdan was co-screenwriter for The Empire Strikes Back, so he knows his way around an entertaining Star Wars tale.  Here's hoping he can recapture some of the magic from what many consider to be the best sequel ever made.

Sunday, November 17, 2013

Deadpool Vs. Deathstroke



While I have always regarded Deathstroke to be a Teen Titans villain first and foremost, I don't mind how he has been worked into Oliver Queen's back story on Arrow. His mask looks pretty cool on the show as well, hopefully we will see more of him as the series progresses.

There have  been talks of a Ryan Reynolds-starring Deadpool movie for years, but nothing ever seems to come of it.  I do think that Reynolds is a better fit for Deadpool than Green Lantern, so I wouldn't mind seeing that project finally get off the ground.


Friday, November 15, 2013

Superman and Iron Man (The Movie!)



Rumors about Batman Vs. Superman are swirling, and that's not surprising with such a long-awaited screen pairing.  But what if Superman had been allowed to team up with another hero when he first appeared in the movies?  If I was an producer with unlimited resources back in the day, it might look something like this.

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Nightcrawler and Hellboy



I first became a fan of John Cassiday's art with his work on The Authority.  That series showcased his ability to depict photo-realistic wide scale scenes of action and destruction and characters that are at once grounded and heroic looking.  I have enjoyed his work on various Characters like Batman, Captain America and The X-Men, and it's always a treat to see him tackle a new project.

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Amanda Waller and The Hulk



DC's New 52 reboot made a lot of changes to their long standing characters. One of the more puzzling decisions to me was to transform Amanda Waller into a hard-bodied action hero with supermodel good looks.  Was anyone complaining that Waller didn't fit the standard comic heroine mold?  I thought her appearance, along with her personalitry and position of power in the DCU were what made her a unique and interesting character.  That version worked well on Justice League Unlimited, after all.  I think that changing her physique just makes her a little more generic.

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Hourman and Spider-Man



There has been a lot of comic-related movie and TV announcements lately, and the one that surprised me most was that Hourman would be getting his own TV series.  I hadn't heard that this was even being discussed, but given the character's ability to gain super powers for 60 minutes at a time, he is kind of perfect for an hour-long show.  Unfortunately nothing I have read mentions his original power set, only the "time vision", where he can see an hour into the future, which was grafted onto later versions of the character.  No mention of a costume either, and I doubt that he will wind up looking like any incarnation of Hourman from the comics.  I hope to be pleasantly surprised, but I have a feeling that this will be one of those adaptations that keeps the name, a few trappings and little else from the source material.

Saturday, November 9, 2013

Black Orchid and Daredevil



It wasn't long ago that I was writing on this blog that I thought Daredevil would make for a great TV series.  Now it seems I am going to get my wish - and then some!  Marvel and Netflix have reached an agreement to present five 13-episode series featuring Daredevil, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Jessica Jones and The Defenders (which will combine all the characters).  I could quibble about them using The Defenders for what is clearly a Heroes for Hire concept, but I don't care right now because I am so happy with the format that has been chosen.  Having these as Netflix Original Series, they will be commercial free and not bound by the restrictions of network TV.  Plus, we'll get the entire seasons at once!  I have been impressed by House of Cards and Orange is the New Black, so I hope that Netflix will maintain the high standard that they have set for themselves. Now lets get Joel Edgerton cast as Matt Murdock!

Friday, November 8, 2013

Amethyst and Beta Ray Bill



When you want to read a comic that features plenty of large scale battle scenes, you're really in luck if it is illustrated by Walt Simonson.  He's been impressing me for decades with his ability to make comic panels burst with movement and energy through his signature style.  I am glad that his current work as well as the renewed interest in Thor is bringing his talents to a whole new generation of fans.

Thursday, November 7, 2013

The Flash Enters The Marvel Universe



Company-wide crossovers are so commonplace today that it is easy to forget how fun it was when Crisis on Infinite Earths and Secret Wars first hit the stands.  In retrospect, the convoluted plots and aftermaths of these series can be debated, but there's no denying the cool factor of having so many characters together in one big sprawling epic, illustrated by masters like Mike Zeck and George Perez.  In the pre-internet age, the tie-ins that promoted each series were much more effective than they would in these spoiler filled days.  DC's comics featured mysterious red skies and  a shadowed figure working with the villains of Earth.  Marvel had their heroes enter a strange stadium, disappear, and return with the changes that would happen within the upcoming mini-series.  Both of these build ups had me eagerly anticipating the crossovers, and I could not read each issue that came out fast enough.

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Wonder Woman and Spider-Man



The latest rumor for the role of Wonder Woman on the big screen is Jaimie Alexander, currently starring as Sif in Thor: The Dark World.  Apparently she is in talks with the folks making Batman Vs. Superman. While I think that she would be a great choice for the role, I don't think that they are going to have WW in that movie.  It's more likely that she is being considered as a love interest for Bruce Wayne.  I have been watching and enjoying the new James Spader drama, The Black List this season, and the female lead Megan Boone is someone that I think could make for a great Wonder Woman.  She definitely has the looks, can do fight choreography and has the acting chops as well.

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