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

Thursday, September 12, 2013

Batman and Ghost



Erik Luke's creation, Ghost, is an interesting concept that has clearly struck a chord with other creators.  Looking over the issues she has appeared in, the artist line up is filled with some of the best in the business today.  Talents like Adam Hughes, Lee Moder, Dave Bullock, John Cassiday, Ivan Reis, Goug Braithwaite and Terry Dodson have all graced the pages of Ghost.  I can't blame them either, she has one of the cooler designs that I have seen for a comics character and it's cool to see so many top illustrators depictions of her.

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Green Lantern and Captain Marvel



I have to believe that if these two shared a common universe, they would be crossing paths all the time.  That is of course, if they were both alive - as each has had a prominent death depicted in the comics.  Hal Jordan was eventually revived and given a second chance.  He went on to gain more popularity than ever, and I still hold out hope that Mar-Vell will be given a similar opportunity to shine again one of these days.

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Tom Strong and Nexus



Tom Strong was my favorite among Alan Moore's ABC Comics line, as it was chock full of imagination and nods to great comic adventurers of the pst, so I am glad it has found continued life beyond Moore's departure.  I was worried that when he left, that was the last we would see of hs various ABC creations (although I'm still hoping for the return of Jack B. Quick).  Nexus similarly is a character that just can't be kept down.  He seems to reappear every few years, sometimes switching comic companies. I love that Steve Rude design and it's a good thing to see him in continuing adventures.

Monday, September 9, 2013

John Constantine: Hellblazer and Doctor Strange



I remember being amused that Sting from the band The Police was suddenly a supporting character in during Alan Moore's now classic Swamp Thing run.  Well, not really, but John Constantine was certainly illustrated to look like the famous rocker. I was surprised at how quickly the character became a fan favorite, soon getting his own series and helping to define the whole Vertigo imprint.  Constantine is back to being immersed in the mainstream DCU, which is probably a turnoff to some, but I have to admit I like how he interacts with some of the more mainstream heroes.

Sunday, September 8, 2013

Superman and Ego: The Living Planet



The stories from Superman's Silver Age could sometimes be a bit hokey, but they were filled with such creativity and high concept ideas I couldn't help but get a kick out of them.  I get that writers want to modernize Superman and give him a more serious edge these days, but I hope they don't completely get rid of the whimsy or "anything can happen" attitude of some of his earlier adventures.  Writers like Grant Morrison and Alan Moore have done a good job showcasing both sides of the character, and I think that's one reason why their interpretations have been so popular.

Saturday, September 7, 2013

Metamorpho and Warlock



I wanted to include a couple more of my favorite ugly characters, so I made this adventure a two parter.  I could have extended it even more though, because the list of hideous yet heroic characters is quite long,  I have always liked the concept, I think it speaks to the outcast in all of us - that outward appearances matter only so much, it's what's in your heart and your actions that truly make up who you are. Plus, most of them just look so darn cool!  Of course, Rex is a victim of the New 52, and hasn't appeared since the reboot.  Not in the comics anyway, he did appear on an episode of "Beware the Batman", which gave me a spark of hope that DC is not done with "the freak who never fails" yet...

Friday, September 6, 2013

Kilowog and Wonder Wart-Hog



I remember seeing Wonder Wart-Hog for the first time and not being sure what to make of it.  I had seen some underground comics before but they usually stayed away from superhero fare.  Here was a cross between the traditional stories that I was used to, and the strange world of the black and white independent comix scene.  That's a line that would get more and more blurred as my comic reading went on, and it was cool to see that there could be such a different take on the superhero genre.

Thursday, September 5, 2013

Shinku Vs. Vampirella



Today's cover features a relative newcomer that has been slicing her way through the comics scene.  Shinku is a samurai that hunts down vampires from the creative mind of Ron Marz and the talented pen of Lee Moder.  Her adults only Image comics mini-series was a sell out, and hopefully that means there is more to come.  I imagine that even veteran horror star Vampirella would think twice before crossing Shinku's path!

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

The Elongated Man and Mr. Fantastic



Stretching can often be seen as one of the goofier powers, so I am glad that emphasis was also put on the intellect of these two heroes.  Reed Richards of course is one of the most brilliant minds in the Marvel Universe.  Even without his cosmic ray induced abilities, his ability for invention would probably still keep him in the middle of plenty of super-heroic adventures.  Ralph Dibny is definitely a lighter character, but his nose for mystery and investigative skills give him a bit more of an edge.  I always liked it when he was in a JLA story without Batman and had to step up as the detective of the group.

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Bullseye Vs. Deadshot



I created a Deadshot Vs. Bullseye cover as one of my earliest "villain battle" covers, and I thought that I would revisit the pairing, this time flipping the tables and giving Bullseye the upper hand.  Deadshot has become one of DC's better defined villains through the writing of John Ostrander and Gail Simone in the pages of Suicide Squad, Secret Six and his own mini-series.  He has made a few appearances in other media (Batman: Gotham Knight and Arrow), but those appearances did not really depict the character as we know him fom the comics.  Hopefully he will get another shot to break out of the comics pages.  Bullseye was famously brought to life by Colin Ferrel, but that was more of a campy depiction than I was hoping for.   Daredevil as a film property is back in Marvel's hands, so I have confidence that we will see a more faithful portrayal should they use Bullseye again.

Monday, September 2, 2013

Spider-Man and Judge Dredd



While the new Dredd film didn't set the box office charts on fire, it was still certainly better received than the Stallone summer blockbuster attempt from 1995.  There is still a talk of a sequel, if they can get the budgeting to work and if they can get star Karl Urban to shoot it while he isn't busy with his new TV series.  I hope this comes to pass because I liked the Clint Eastwood type of attitude he brought to the role.

Sunday, September 1, 2013

The Phantom and Black Lightning



I recently purchased and thoroughly devoured a hardcover copy of The Phantom: The Complete Series - The Charlton Years: Volume One.  It was great to finally have all those Jim Aparo illustrated tales in one place, I had been wanting to track these issues down for years.  One part depressed me a little though.  As an added feature, a few black and white pages featuring Aparo's original art for the series were included.  When I compared these pages to what was actually printed, it was a crime how much loss of detail there was!  The muddy printing techniques and shoddy coloring that was used back when these comics came out did so much to obscure the fine line work of Aparo, and truly did a disservice to the artist.  I have to wonder how much better his body of work would look with today's reproduction and coloring capabilities.  It is a tribute to Aparo that his pencils and inks still looked so great despite these major obstacles that he had to contend with.

Saturday, August 31, 2013

The Huntress and Hawkeye



I was a bit disappointed in the portrayal of The Huntress on Arrow, she did not come off as very heroic to me.  Hopefully future appearances will help to redeem her character.  Hawkeye was the only hero in the Avengers movie that I felt did not get a chance to shine.  He spent the first two thirds under a spell and by the time he saw action, he kind of got lost in the midst of all the other big guns.  Joss Whedon has promised to make up for this in Avengers: The Age of Ultron, and give Clint Barton a far more active role.  It will be great to see him in the spotlight... now if we could just do something about that boring movie costume...

Friday, August 30, 2013

Magnus: Robot Fighter Vs. Magneto



It is going to be interesting to see Magneto played by both Michael Fassbender and Ian McKellan in next summer's X-Men: Days of Future Past.  McKellan was too old for the part even in the first X-Men film, but I liked his interpretation enough that I was able to overlook that.  I thought Fassbender did a great job in X-Men: First Class, and he had the physique and presence to closer emulate the character from the comics.  The sequel looks to be quite different from the DOFP comic storyline, so who knows where Magneto will wind up by the end of the time-bending tale.  Will Bryan Singer bring things around to reflect the comics more, or will the franchise continue to stake out it's own wonky continuity?  I guess we will all find out next year.

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Big Guy & Rusty the Boy Robot and Scooby Doo



Scooby and the gang have stood the test of time, while many other cartoon characters have come and gone. I think one reason for their longevity is the fact that they have been very open to guest stars in many of their incarnations.  I used to love when they would meet up with Batman or the Harlem Globetrotters and it's cool that they are still appearing in team ups like their recent meeting with Dynomutt and the Blue Falcon.  A Geoff Darrow inspired meeting with Big Guy & Rusty?  That could be the coolest episode yet!


Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Justice League of America and The Silver Surfer



There aren't a lot of Marvel Heroes that could give the JLA a run for their money, but I think The Surfer has enough raw power to really do some damage.  This would especially be the case if he took them by surprise and they were not aware of his ability.  It's easy to underestimate a naked guy on a surfboard, after all. Anyway, it would be a fun battle up until the point where they realize it was all based on a crazy misunderstanding and decided to unite against the real villain.

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Captain America and Stargirl



I first became aware of Darwyn Cooke when I read that he was behind the awesome opening title sequence for the Batman Beyond cartoon.  So when I saw that he was going to be writing and illustrating some DC comics, I was very interested to see how they would look.  I was blown away with the cinematic feel of his stories - reading comics like Batman: Ego was like looking at the coolest storyboards ever.  Then of course, there's DC: The New Frontier, where he really got a chance to flex his superhero muscles.  He's great as moody noirish tales as well, as can be seen with his work on Parker for IDW.

Monday, August 26, 2013

Batman and The Thing (And More!)



For the 500th issue, I thought I would go back to my roots and feature the two original stars of this blog.  It's no secret why I focused on Batman and Thing-centric team ups  early on, as they are my favorite characters from each company.

Well, Batman has been on the news plenty this week with word that Ben Affleck would be taking over the cowl for the Man of Steel Sequel and potential other films.  I don't have the instant hate that many do for Affleck and I an cautiously optimistic to see what he will do with the role.  He is one of my favorite current directors - I love all three of his films - so the idea that he may go on to direct a solo Batman film down the road has me intrigued, I think he is a great choice for that.  He hasn't done a big effects heavy film yet though, so I don't know if he would be a perfect fit to direct the inevitable JLA film.  I actually didn't mind him as Daredevil, the problems with that film were with the rest of the casting, script and direction... and besides, that was a decade ago, his recent performances have shown him grow as an actor.  At any rate, I am ready for a new incarnation of Batman - this time with more emphasis on the detective aspects, and with a better costume (and one that doesn't retire every time he has a bad day).

The Thing is due to return in a FF reboot as well, but nothing I have heard about that film, from casting to direction, gives me much confidence yet.  Hopefully he will at least be created with CG this time around.

Sunday, August 25, 2013

The Crimson Avenger and Daredevil



I was aware of the Crimson Avenger from his appearances as part of The Seven Soldiers of Victory, but I really became a fan when I read the back-up story in DC Comics Presents #38, "Whatever Happened to the Crimson Avenger?", by Len Wein.  It's a great tale about heroism and self sacrifice, and it made me want to seek out other stories starring the red-suited hero. I must not have been the only reader to feel that way, because DC put together a 4-issue Crimson Avenger mini-series not too long afterwards, something I never thought that I would see.

Saturday, August 24, 2013

Wonder Woman and Red Sonja



DC/Warner Brothers seem to be setting the stage for a Justice League movie by introducing Batman to the Man of Steel franchise and bringing The Flash back to television.  Still the glaring omission has to be Wonder Woman.  She is just too important a part of the team not to be introduced beforehand.  I can see The Martian Manhunter being woven into the JLA movie, but WW's backstory would just overwhelm the rest of the film.  Come on, DC a Wonder Woman film can't be that hard of a nut to crack could it?  She has a huge built in fan base, far exceeding those who have read her in comic form.  Let's hear some news on a solo movie before we dive head first into the Justice League.

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