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

Friday, December 26, 2014

Justice Society of America Vs. The Red Skull



It looks like readers clamoring for the classic Justice Society of America will finally be able to see them in a new adventure as part of DC's upcoming Convergence event.  Whether this is a one time visit for the sake of nostalgia or it leads to something more remains to be seen - but it is nice to see that DC has not completely forgotten about the fans of the true JSA.

Thursday, December 25, 2014

Christmas With The Super-Heroes 2014



The cover with far and away the most page views on this blog is STF #57, in which Spider-Man is rejected for Justice League membership.  I'm not sure why that particular cover gained such a life of its own, but I felt it was high time the Leaguers let poor Peter Parker into their team.

It's been another great year for STF: The Lost Issues.  The readership has grown and I've been honored to have made appearances on Compton After Dark and the Clobberin' Time Podcast as well as receiving a mention in the great Back Issue magazine.  I would like to take this time to say thank you to everyone who has paid a visit to this blog over the past year.  I truly appreciate the support from folks who regularly visit here and especially those who take the time to comment and let me know how they feel about my covers.  Thanks for the cool suggestions as well!  A special thank you goes to the folks who have shown their support by making a one-time contribution or becoming a patron of the blog.  Every little bit helps, and your continued support makes a big difference!

Merry Christmas and happy holidays!  May today be spent in the company of the ones you love! Coming soon: The STF 1000th Issue Spectacular!

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Red Tornado and Machine Man



I hope that the classic Red Tornado makes a return To the DCU after all of this Convergence business is done.  I understand that there is a Red Tornado in the New 52, as part of the Earth 2 series - but from what I have seen, it's some kind of alternate Lois Lane or something. I admit I haven't read anything with this new character, but it doesn't sound much like the robotic JLA member that I loved as a kid.

By the way, Red Tornado and Machine Man have a history in the pages of STF, as they are both members of Robo Force.

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Bizarro and The Impossible Man



Today's comic book villains are generally very serious and even more deadly.  While there is certainly a place for that, from time to time I kind of miss the antagonists that were more of the pest variety.  Being a mischief maker rather than a homicidal maniac did not have to mean that the stories featuring them would be missing any tension or action... especially when they were as powerful as these two.

Sunday, December 21, 2014

Green Arrow Vs. The Hulk



The CW's Arrow is an entertaining take on the Emerald Archer.  While is it not a direct adaptation - characters have been added to the mythos and others altered quite a bit - it still remembers its comic book roots and each episode gives us plenty of Easter eggs and nods to the DC Universe.  One such moment was in a recent episode where the (Green) Arrow was battling Ted (Wildcat) Grant in his gym. At one point, in an attempt to keep things non-lethal, Oliver sticks an arrow into a boxing glove and shoots it at Grant.  That's right, a boxing glove arrow!  It looked just as cool as when I first saw one when I was a kid!

This is the second beat-down The Hulk has given Green Arrow recently (the first one was with Green Lantern in STF #919), and it will have repercussions - on tomorrow's cover, so stay tuned!

Friday, December 19, 2014

Batman & Robin Vs. Galactus



Batman '66, a series that tells adventures set in the world of the classic Batman TV series is such a good idea that I wonder what took so long for DC to try such a title.  They must be pleased with the reaction, because they have announced a series based on the Lynda Carter Wonder Woman TV show as well.  I like this trend, and I hope that Marvel follows suit by bringing us a series featuring the Bill Bixby/Lou Ferrigno Incredible Hulk one of these days.

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Superman and The Spirit



The Spirit had his chance at live action, and given the lackluster response, it will probably be some time before he is given that opportunity again.  I think an animated series might be a better way to go, since his stories were so informed by Will Eisner's visual experimentation.  I'd love to see something in the vein of the classic Fleischer Superman cartoons, with their stylish art deco look.

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Aztek: The Ultimate Man and Iron Man



Aztek: The Ultimate Man was a hidden gem during the 1990's.  Grant Morrison and Mark Millar presented quirky stories featuring the hero of Vanity City, set in the mainstream DCU but unlike any other title they were currently publishing.  While it was well received by critics, it was not a big seller and only last 10 issues.  Morrison did bring the character back in during his JLA run - only to then kill him off.  It's too bad that Aztek seemingly was a victim of the glut of new superheroes being introduced during the 90's and got lost among the crowd - I thought he had a lot of potential and would have liked to have seen more of him.

Monday, December 15, 2014

Firestorm and Hawkeye



It's been fun watching the emergence of Firestorm on The Flash.  He is still in bad shape, recovering from the accident responsible for his powers.  We have seen Ronnie Raymond in action, throwing power blasts and flying away with his flaming head, but I'm guessing it will take the addition of Victor Garber as Martin Stein before we see the character fully formed. Robbie Amell has tweeted a pic teasing the Firestorm costume and Jason Rusch has also been cast, so it sounds like we will see plenty more of the JLA's hothead in upcoming episodes.

Sunday, December 14, 2014

Hawkman and Darkhawk



Hawkman has to be one of the most difficult characters to pull off in live action.  The helmet is tough to get to sit right on the head and look good from all angles, bare arms on a costume tend to appear scrawny unless the actor has a huge build, and wings often come off as too CGI-looking.  Still, films like Malificent show that it is possible to have a great looking winged character.  If done with care, Hawkman could be very impressive on the big screen, and I hope we get the chance to see that one day.

Monday, December 8, 2014

Iron Man enters The House of Mystery



Comic books have had a lot of horror hosts, and Cain was always my favorite.  I loved his look as well as the dark humor with which he would present his twisted morality tales and monster stories.  It was also fun to see him interact with fellow host Abel.  He never passed up the opportunity to play the older brother role and give the House of Secrets host a hard time.

Sunday, December 7, 2014

Moon Knight and Man-Bat



Now that Batman will be mixing it up with Superman and eventually the other JLAers in the movies, I think that it is high time some of the super-powered members of his rogues gallery get their chance to shine on the big screen.  I'd love to see Man-Bat in live action, it could be very cool.  I've often thought a film featuring Batman vs. Hugo Strange would be a good way to introduce some of the more grotesque characters like Man-Bat and Killer Croc, as Strange has been known to dabble in "monster men".

Saturday, December 6, 2014

Batman and The Wasp



Although she guest starred in a couple of issues, I never did a Batman/Wasp team-up back in my original Brave and the Bold: The Lost Issues days, and I have been meaning to remedy that.  One thing I always liked about Janet Van Dyne was that she was a clothes hound, and never liked to settle on one outfit for too long before switching to the latest fashion.  I can understand the importance of branding and creating an iconic look, but I have to believe her approach is closer to what would take place if one had to create a costumed persona.

Thursday, December 4, 2014

Doctor Who Vs. Doctor Doom



Plot details of the upcoming Fantastic Four reboot have been released, describing Doctor Doom as a disgruntled computer programmer.  Why is it so hard to get this character correctly portrayed on the big screen?  A megalomaniacal dictator who deals in sorcery and super science is what comic fans want to see, but we seem to keep getting these watered down versions.  At least Roger Corman tried to get it right!

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Justice League of America and Ant-Man




Who would have thought that Ant-Man would beat the JLA to the movies by a year?  One is a movie I never expected to see, and now that it's happening, I am dying to find out how it is pulled off.  The other is something I have been waiting for since watching Super Friends and eating a bowl of cereal, as a kid.  I am glad we have finally reached a point where special effects technology makes a movie of this scale possible.  I am looking forward to both, it's a great time to be a comics fan, cinema-wise.

Saturday, November 29, 2014

OMAC and The Fantastic Four



I'm a little surprised at how little we have actually seen of the upcoming Fantastic Four reboot.  I know that principal filming wrapped a while ago and they are in the process of creating the special effects, but I figured we would has seen some kind of footage by now.  Perhaps they are waiting until everything is perfect before they present it and silence the naysayers.  Or maybe it's the turkey many hardcore fans fear it will be and they will quietly release it without previews from the critics.  I must admit that I haven't read much that gives me a lot of hope for the film, but I still have to see a trailer or teaser before I can make a truly informed judgment.


Thursday, November 27, 2014

Wildcat and Wolverine in: "The Coach"



I established the relationship between Ted Grant and Logan way back in issue #51 (which can be seen here), and I thought it would be fun to expand upon that.  It has been cool to see Wildcat show up on recent episodes of Arrow, even if he is out of costume.  They have made reference to a previous heroic career for him, but the actor portraying him is considerably younger than the Grant from the comics.  Maybe they will explain that with some sort of nine lives effect.

Monday, November 24, 2014

Bouncing Boy and Speedball



I remember Bouncing Boy standing out to me among his many Legion of Super-Heroes teammates,  Even when he was not using his bouncing powers, he was illustrated as not having the typical super-heroic physique.  Indeed, he looked like he could stand to lose a few pounds!  It was nice to be reminded that heroes came in all shapes and sizes.


Sunday, November 23, 2014

Abe Sapien and Triton



I have written before about how well realized Abe Sapien was in live action form for the Hellboy movies, and now with the announcement of an Inhumans film, I am looking forward to see Triton on the big screen.  His appearance has varied quite a bit from artist to artist over the years, so there is a lot to choose from when designing his look for film.  Hopefully, the filmmakers will stick closely to the Kirby design, you can't beat the original!

Saturday, November 22, 2014

Wonder Woman and Elektra



As soon as news of the Netflix Daredevil series was released, there has been much speculation as to who would be playing Elektra.  Some assumed it would be Rosario Dawson, but her role has been revealed as Night Nurse.  With production well underway, and no new announcements, I wonder if Elektra will even be a part of the show.  It is understandable that the show runners do not want to follow the same path as the movie, and maybe they are going to concentrate more on Karen Page as a romantic interest.  Oh, well - they have to same some stuff for season 2!

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