Showing posts with label Super-Team Family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Super-Team Family. Show all posts

Monday, March 12, 2012

Supergirl and The New Mutants



I was a big fan of New Mutants during its first few years.  First of all, it was just cool to have a spin-off book from Uncanny X-Men... which seems like a crazy thing to say today given the gigantic amount of X-related comic books out there!  At the time though, it was a very new thing and a cool way to expand the world set forth in the original title.  Wolfsbane was having teenage werewolf angst decades before those Twilight kids became all the rage!  Those early Supergirl stories also focused just as much on teen drama as they did with superheroic activity.  The tales would often be more about getting asked to the dance than defeating the villain of the month.  Still, I always checked them out, if only to enjoy the great artwork. Jim Mooney could draw some pretty girls
!

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Tarzan and the Black Panther



This would be a fun pairing as we have two characters that can be simultaneously savage and regal.  I gotta say though, if they are going out looking like that, someone is either going to be too warm or too cold! I've spoken before about how we are due for a new Tarzan in the theatres.  I've heard talk of a Black Panther film for over a decade now, but nothing ever seems to come of it.  I hope that changes soon though, because the character has everything necessary for a successful transition to the big screen.

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

The Demon and The Gargoyle



I always thought that these two characters were visually quite similar.  Their personalities are quite different however, and a tale featuring them both could be very interesting.  Etrigan is once again appearing monthly in the pages of Demon Knights, but I have lost track of The Gargoyle in recent years. I hope Marvel finds a place for him because I have a soft spot for the character.

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Superman and Spider-Man



Ah, the Super-Mobile and the Spider-Mobile... never were there two more unnecessary superhero vehicles!  I have to admit, though - despite the fact that their respective heroes didn't really need them, I found them both to be kind of cool.  Those big telescoping hands on Superman's ride were funny and awesome at the same time. Spider-Man's car kind of resembled a dune buggy that my father had when I was growing up, so I thought that was cool too.  I remember there was a cool toy version of the Super-Mobile (probably one of the key reasons for its existence), but I'm not sure if the Spider-Mobile ever had one.  

Monday, March 5, 2012

Wildcat and Wolverine



I like that Ted Grant became a mentor to so many heroes in the DCU.  It gave an added depth to a character that I had always enjoyed anyway. It makes sense that there would be a go to guy for up and coming mystery men in training.  With Wolverine's spotty memory and world travels over the decades, who's to say he never spent some time at Ted Grant's gym?  I think there could be a fun story there!

Friday, March 2, 2012

The Justice Society of America Vs. Galactus



While I am glad that DC is bringing back Earth Two, the solicits are a little different from what I was hoping for.  The emphasis on the big three (Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman) actually has me interested, as they have been out of JSA continuity since the 80's.   I suspect it will only be for the introductory story and will, through sacrifice or otherwise, lead into the team of Wildcat, Green Lantern, Flash and the others.  The Writer, James Robinson, has an impressive JSA resume already and I would be surprised if he stayed away from the larger team for too long.  Still, I would love to see another series set during World War II, when the JSAers were all still new and in their prime.  Hopefully there will be some flashbacks or mini-series with that treatment down the road.

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Mr. T and The Defenders



Well, the new Avengers trailer has been released and we finally got a good look at The Hulk in action.  That shot of him catching Iron Man in mid-air looked awesome! This is going to be a fun summer for movies!

While doing this cover I wondered whether Lou Ferrigno and Mr. T were ever featured together in anything.  They used to make those Incredible Hulk TV movies after the series had ended - how fun would it have been if  Mr. T had appeared in one of them and gone toe to toe with The Hulk?  They really missed a golden opportunity there!

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Adam Strange and The Silver Surfer



This cover features two of my favorite artists.  Jose Luis Garcia Lopez has  been my favorite Superman artist since I first saw him take on the character in the early issues of DC Comics Presents (which is where I got the main image for this cover from).  He isn't just great on Superman, though.  It's no wonder that DC used his work for their style guides and so much advertising.  John Buscema was a god to me once I got a copy of How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way.  I absolutely loved that book. It was my introduction to the mechanics of producing comics, which made me only enjoy the hobby more.

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Black Canary and Elektra



Here are two great characters that have gotten the short end of the stick when it comes to live action adaptations.  The original Elektra storyline in Daredevil was epic which is why it was such a frustration to see the very watered down version we got in the theaters.  The solo Elektra film just expanded on the character they already got wrong so it was an even bigger failure.  Yes, Daredevil is being rebooted, but I can imagine they will ant to set it apart from the earlier film, so it may be a while before we see a live action Elektra done right.  An almost unrecognizable Black Canary showed up in the ill-fated Birds of Prey TV series, and the less said about that, the better.  She also appeared in a handful of Smallville episodes and was closer to the comics version - but her appearance was still kind of off with the close cut hair and "makeup mask".  I hear the role of Dinah Lance has been cast in the upcoming Green Arrow pilot, Arrow... hopefully this will be the most successfully realized version yet, time will tell.

Monday, February 27, 2012

Blue Devil and Doctor Strange



Blue Devil is yet another fun character that is nowhere to be found in the New DCU.  He is also one character that I am surprised never made an appearance on the excellent Batman: The Brave and the Bold cartoon series.  He would have fit right in there!  Doctor Strange is back in a new Defenders series, and I have to say I like the new look he is sporting there.  It looks like another costume that is meant to be more live action friendly, but this one works better than most.

Friday, February 24, 2012

Dynomutt & The Blue Falcon and Spider-Man



Who wouldn't have wanted to tune in and see this pairing together on TV in the early 80's?  I used to love seeing cartoon crossovers back in the day.  Birdman showing up on Space Ghost, Batman meeting Shaggy and Scoobie, The Laff-A-Lympics, even Fred and Barney meeting The Thing... they were all so cool to me!  Those offbeat and sometimes cross-company team ups were right up my alley and fueled my imagination.  They were definitely a big influence on this blog.

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Red Tornado and The Vision



I've always liked these red-faced automatons and would love to see them return to prominence in their respective universes.  For me, The Vision has never quite recovered from the end of his relationship with The Scarlet Witch and being rebuilt in the pages of West Coast Avengers.  I have to admit that I haven't checked in on him since he got a new "teenage" synthezoid form so I don't know what his status is these days.  Red Tornado might not even have a status currently because I haven't seen a hint of him in the new DCU yet.  I have enjoyed solo adventures with these heroes, but I think they both worok the best in a team setting, so hopefully soon they will become active members of the Justice League and The Avengers.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Plastic Man and Mister Fantastic



What can I say, I was in a goofy mood the day I made this one. I always thought it was interesting that the two most popular stretching heroes in comics were so different from each other, apart from their power set.  Reed Richards was a brilliant inventor and family man who had science based adventures while Eel O'Brien  was a wise cracking lowlife trying to make up for a past criminal history whose adventures often veered into the surreal.  And while I really dig both characters, my favorite stretchy guy was always Ralph Dibny - The Elongated Man, who was kind of between their two extremes.

Reed Richards will eventually be seen on film again in the Fantastic Four reboot movie and I hope we will have much better stretching effects this time around!  I have heard talk of a Plastic Man movie for years, but nothing solid ever seems to come of it.  It's looking like we are going to see a Stretch Armstrong film first, which just doesn't seem right!

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Sgt. Rock Vs. The Red Skull



I was pleasantly surprised with how well the Red Skull was realized on film this past summer.  The combination of Hugo Weaving's performance, along with the make-up and CGI effects made what could have been an overly cartoonish character into a formidable villain.  I think that the filmmakers made right decision to separate Hydra from Hiler and Nazi's so as not to diminish the bravery and sacrifices of actual WWII soldiers.

I have heard rumors of a Sgt. Rock movie over the hears, with names like Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger attached.  I just don't know if there is any actor out there who could effectively embody the  iconic role of Frank Rock.  As much as I love the stories, maybe Sgt. Rock is a property best left in print.  I'd love to be proven wrong about that, though!

Monday, February 20, 2012

Hawkman and The Falcon



I have always loved the Falcon's classic look.  His very first costume was all right, but when he added the wings and changed the color scheme to red and white, he became one of the coolest looking superheroes around.  I remember I used to have a Falcon Mego action figure and the costume looked really cool there, too (unlike the Human Torch for instance, who had red long johns with flames printed on them).  I don't think Mego ever made a Hawkman figure - the bulky wings were probably an issue I guess.  It would have been cool to see how they would have done the helmet.

Friday, February 17, 2012

Galactus and Darth Vader



Besides The Emperor, there aren't many characters out there that Darth Vader would willingly be a subordinate to.  I think Galactus might be an exception, though.  The lure of the power cosmic could be just enough to convince him to form an alliance.  It would be fun to watch the universe tremble at the coming of this tag-team!

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Batgirl and Peter Parker



As soon as I saw this Phil Noto Batgirl image, I knew just the cover I wanted to create with it.  It was just a matter of finding the right stand-in for Dustin Hoffman.  It's interesting to watch The Graduate now... it turns out that Mrs. Robinson isn't quite as old as I once used to think.  Or maybe, I just got a lot older!  That film is always worth watching for the soundtrack alone.  Simon and Garfunkle were really in the zone then.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Martian Manhunter and John Carter, Warlord of Mars



I am very curious to see how the upcoming John Carter film does at the box office.  The trailers seem cool enough, but I haven't heard much buzz about this movie, so I don't know how much interest there is.  Then again, with popular shows like Spartacus and Game of Thrones currently airing, maybe audiences are ready for a big screen sword-and-sandals type epic.  I am not as familiar with John Carter as I am with Tarzan so I don't expect to be put off by minor changes in characters or story if there are any.  I would like a better look at the Tharks - it seems like the design is right, but they move so quickly in the trailers I've seen that it is hard to judge the CGI.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Tarzan and Conan



I have no idea who would win a battle between these two, but it would be epic to behold, I'm sure.  I never got around to catching the new Conan film that recently was released.  From what I saw from commercials and read in reviews, it didn't offer much that the Schwarzenegger original did better.  Tarzan is a much revisited franchise, but frankly, I don't think any live action version has gotten the character just right yet.  I'd still like to see a film that stylishly adheres to his earliest adventures.  It wouldn't be easy to pull off, but if handled properly it could be incredibly cool.

Monday, February 13, 2012

Wonder Woman and Wonder Man



Despite the similarity in their superhero names, this is a relationship that I don't think would go very far.  Simon's love for the celebrity lifestyle would probably clash with Diana's personality.  Still, it would be fun to watch, especially if there was a big bad guy who decided to interrupt things (as often will happen at a comic book social event)!  I was happy that this pairing allowed me to do an all-George Perez cover.  He continues to amaze in the way that he just seems to keep getting better and better - I'm looking forward to his work on the new World's Finest series.

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