Plastic Man and Shang-Chi: Master of Kung Fu

 

When we last saw Plastic Man on this blog, he was  training Ms. Marvel in STF #4598.  I thought that he might go for a little training himself.  Who better to teach him than the Master of Kung Fu himself.

Plastic Man and Shang-Chi first met in STF #4062...

The Spectre and Sub-Mariner

 

You rarely see Namor intimidated by heroes of the surface world, but I think that working alongside The Spectre might just be an exception to that rule.  It would be interesting to see how these big personalities clash.

Changeling Vs. Sasquatch

 

Continued from yesterday's cover, we now see that it was Gar Logan who switched teams from the New Teen Titans to Alpha Flight.  But who from AF has taken his place?  You can safely rule out anyone on this cover, of course.  Find out tomorrow in the exciting conclusion!

Thor and The Atom

 

Al Pratt was a short redhead that was pretty much the least powerful member of the group he was associated with... it's no wonder that I identified with him!  He may not have had a great rogues gallery or the greatest costumes, but I could never help rooting for the guy.

Miss America and Miss America

 

This is a pairing that I have been meaning to get to for years, and what better day to do so than today? I hope all of my USA visitors have a great holiday today, enjoying time with family and friends! For those outside the USA, I hope you have an awesome day too!

Liberty Belle and Miss America

 

I was looking into images for this cover and was pleasantly reminded that issue #2 of Miss America from 1944 featured a photo cover of  the title character.  I believe it actually may even be Venus Ramey, the real life Miss America from that year, in the costume.  Very cool to see golden age cosplaying done so well!

Lieutenant Sulu and Karate Kid

Like many fans, my favorite Star Trek movie is Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, but I will always have a soft spot for IV: The Voyage Home.  One reason it stood out for me was obviously the humor, but I also really enjoyed that the whole cast was given a lot to do, rather than Kirk, Spock and Bones having all the fun.  It was nice to see Sulu, Uhura, Scotty and Chekov going off on missions of their own. 

Machine Man and The Original Robotman

I always thought it was cool that Machine Man was a spin-off character from Marvel's 2001 series. I was a huge fan of Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, and I loved the idea that it could be connected to the Marvel heroes that I read about.  I have been a fan of X-51 ever since.

Hourman Vs. The Hulk

I can't wait to see Hourman in action as a regular cast member of DC's Legends of Justice.  I always though that his gimmick - super abilities for only an hour at a time - was perfect for a TV series.  I was thinking more along the lines of a solo show, but this will be cool too - especially as it has been hinted that he will be introducing more members of the JSA during the upcoming season.

All-Star Squadron and The Sub-Mariner

I was looking over some issues of All-Star Squadron the other day and it struck me what a value each issue was.  Not only did you get lot's of heroes for your money, and great artwork by the likes of Jerry Ordway, Adrian Gonzales and Joe Kubert, the stories themselves were very dense.  Roy Thomas's love and knowledge of comics' golden age was clear with his very detailed scripts.  The artist were up to the task of interpreting his tales, and it was not uncommon to find 6 or more panels per page.  These comics felt like a full meal, not just a snack like too many of today's series with decompressed writing and large paneled pages that seem more concerned about original art resale than storytelling.