Showing posts with label Team Up. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Team Up. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Batman and Blade



I never paid much attention to Blade until the first Wesley Snipes film, which I quite liked. It's a great example of how a minor character can really break out if given the right script, director and actor. The Sequel was fun too, although I felt the third one lost a step. The success in films hasn't translated to more popularity in comics, however - perhaps this is a character that is better suited to live action, or maybe it is a matter of just not finding the creative team that clicks yet.

The B&B cover I used as a template here is by Nick Cardy, who for my money was the best DC cover artist in the Silver/Bronze Age (Gil Kane holds that honor for Marvel). Cardy, along with John Romita Sr. also drew some of the most beautiful women in comics.

Monday, May 31, 2010

Batman and Mephisto



One thing I like about Marvel's stable of villains is that they have a lot that are considered line-wide villains. At DC, once you get past Darkseid, there aren't too many villains that can make that claim. Dr. Doom started with the FF, but he has had major story lines with many other big guns (and not so big guns) of the Marvel Universe. Thanos, Kingpin and the Wrecking Crew will pop up in a wide variety of titles. Mephisto is in this group as well. I have read cool stories pitting him against the Silver Surfer, Dr. Strange, The Fantastic Four, even Daredevil. And of course one very notorious story with Spider-Man that is still quite controversial. So it was only a matter of time before he vexed Batman...

The Mephisto on this cover is by Marvel legend John Buscema - probably the artist I most relate to the company because of the How To Draw Comics The Marvel Way! book that I spent many many hours of my youth studying.

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Batman and Lost



This one is truly a Lost issue! It was another request that I didn't think I could fulfill, but then inspiration hit. One of my more complicated covers as there are 19 separate images that went into it.

I know some people were disappointed with the finale of Lost but I found it to be very satisfying. I was more into the character arcs in the show than the scientific reasons for everything so the fact that every question was not answered did not bother me. It was enough for me to know that the island was the source for good and evil in the world, I did not need to know exactly why or how it was created. Kind of the way The Force was used in Star Wars, where I knew basically what it was and what it can do without knowing its origins - and once they tried to explain it with "midichlorians" in the prequels, almost nobody was satisfied anyway.

I look forward to future work by most of the cast of Lost, they have proven themselves to be talented and engaging actors. I am sure it will be some time before we see a series quite as engrossing.

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Batman and Marvel Zombies



When I first heard of the Marvel Zombies mini-series, it sounded like a silly concept and I didn't bother to pick up the issues. I then read a bunch of positive reviews as well as some of Robert Kirkman's other comics work and decided to give it a shot. I am glad I did because I really got a kick out of it, as well as the sequel. It has a nice gallows humor to it and Sean Phillips knows how to draw gore without it having too much of a gross out factor. I haven't tried the later series with different creative teams, hopefully Marvel isn't stretching the concept too thin.

Batman and G.I. Joe



I did not follow the G.I. Joe comics or the cartoon, but I have a fond memory of the action figures from my childhood. The real ones from the 70's, not those tiny ones that came out later on. I liked all the cool accessories like scuba gear and of course was a fan of the kung-fu grip!

Not having followed the newer version I don't know how faithful the movie last summer was. It kind of surprised me. I guess I went in with low expectations because even though the acting was pretty weak and the plot preposterous, I found the film to be big dumb fun. I think I could go along with is because it didn't seem to take itself very seriously. Sometimes its OK to just turn your brain off and watch things go splodey.

Friday, May 28, 2010

Batman and Mary Marvel



A pretty simple one this time out, but I love both of the images so much that I didn't want to mess with this cover too much. I believe they are both originally from covers to Amazing Heroes, one of the earlier comic-themed magazines.

Mary Marvel, along with the rest of the Marvel Family has seen better days. For some reason DC seems intent on corrupting her and frankly that is a plot element that I am quite tired of. Currently, Shazam has taken away Mary and Billy's powers and the characters are getting a bit of a rest. When they do return, I hope it will be in their more traditional appearances and personalities.

Mary in this cover was illustrated by the late, great Don Newton - a stellar artist taken far too young. I loved his work on the Shazam characters in World's Finest. He was also known for his rendition of Batman.

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Batman and Mar-Vell



Captain Marvel was a character that I discovered in a somewhat backwards manner. The first story of his that I read was The Death of Captain Marvel Graphic Novel. I then sought out his solo series as well as his guest appearances. I always liked his look, he has one of those simple silver age style costumes that really appeal to me.

Marvel recently brought the character back, only to later reveal that it was a Skrull impostor, which is just as well since the stories he was given were less than memorable. Mar-Vell had one of the great send-offs in comics, and a full return would probably dilute that. Still, it would be nice to see him return in some "untold stories".

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Batman and Man-Thing



Man-Thing actually gave me the chills as a kid. First of all, the fact that he looked so darn freaky! Sure, he had "Man" on his name, but of all the various swamp monsters in comicdom, Ted Sallis' alter ego looked the most inhuman. Also his hook - whosoever knows fear will burn at his touch - was a great one in that it affected the good guys just as much as the bad guys.

Monday, May 24, 2010

Batman and Magnus: Robot Fighter



Another old-school cover here. Magnus is a character that has seen many different iterations over the years. I went with his more classic look because those old covers of his with their pulpy look made a real impression on me. Magnus, Like Doctor Doom, is so cool that even the fact that he wears a skirt does not diminish his awesomeness.

Batman and Bucky



You have to admit, Bucky is better protected than Robin, at least. Bucky is of course back now and in the role of Captain America. Steve Rogers has also returned and while he hasn't taken his mantle back yet, with a movie on the horizon it is only a matter of time. Hopefully Marvel will find a purpose for Bucky Barnes that will allow him to continue to flourish.

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Batman and Aunt May



This was a relatively simple one. I didn't even need to change the word balloons, just adding in the figure of May gave the cover scene a whole new meaning. I have to admit that I was in kind of a cruel mood when I created this.

Aunt May really is one of the most enduring and unique supporting characters. She always made such a nice juxtaposition with the nasty antagonists in Spider-Man's stories. I quite enjoyed all that Rosemary Harris brought to the role in the movies, hopefully the rebooted franchise will find someone equally skilled at the role.

Friday, May 21, 2010

Batman and Madman



I am a huge Mike Allred fan, his art style is at once modern and retro. I knew that any cover with his most popular creation would have to be reflective of the innovation that he brings to his stories. This was one of the most fun times I have had making one of these.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Batman and Machine Man



This was an early cover, and I think it is pretty rough around the edges. I really like the guest star though - Machine Man is one of my favorite C-List Marvel characters. His self titled series may not have lasted long but at least through his guest appearances with Spider-Man, the Hulk and The Thing, he maintained a presence through the bronze age, and I always sought out his appearances. His 4-Issue mini series is a gem, and my first introduction to the work of Barry Windsor Smith. I haven't followed any of his recent adventures since Warren Ellis got his hands on him in Nextwave, but from what I have seen he doesn't even seem like the same character I loved back in the day.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Batman and Kitty Pryde



Kitty Pryde has always been an interesting character in that she was always depicted as a "regular girl" in the midst of so many statuesque glamor gal superheroes. We met her as an insecure kid in the pages of Uncanny X-Men and have been able to watch her mature in her emotions and abilities over the years.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Batman and KISS


This was another request that was well off of the beaten path, but when I remembered the great tabloid cover featuring Batman and his four greatest villains, I figured I would give it a shot. It's a simple cover, but the oddity of the team up makes up for that hopefully.

I remember being entranced by Kiss as a kid - they seemed kind of like superheroes to me with their makeup, outfits, and over the top attitude. I was at the perfect age for all of that stuff to really resonate. It didn't hurt that they had a bunch of catchy hits as well.

Monday, May 17, 2010

Batman and Kid Flash



This one is admittedly a less than successful attempt, It was an early try and in retrospect, I should have looked for better source material. Still, I do like the concept of the team up and it would have been fun to see for real.

DC has been all about legacy characters and passing iconic names from one character to another. I usually prefer the guys I grew up with to retain their titles, but with The Flash it was a different story - instead of a new character, only recently introduced for the purpose of taking on the mantle, we had in Wally West a - sidekick who had been there all along with the same powers and ready to step in. It felt a lot more natural.

Now, in this post-CSI world, Barry Allen is relevant again and back to life, so where does that leave Wally? I hate to see him treated as a lame duck after so many years of great chracter growth, even though I am a big Barry Allen fan as well.

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Batman and Ka-Zar



Ka-Zar was basically a Tarzan Knock of at first glance, but the twist of his locale, the Savage Land - set in the present day with Dinosaurs alongside the usual jungle denizens - was enough to make him stand out. I liked that he could appear alongside all of the more traditional Marvel heroes one minute, and have a lone jungle story in the next. His guest appearances were my main exposure to his adventures, I loved his tales with the X-Men and Spider-Man.

Saturday, May 15, 2010

Batman and Jonny Quest



Jonny Quest was a pretty cool cartoon for me as a kid. Despite the presence of a cute animal sidekick, they played it pretty straight, which set it apart from most animated programs of the time. I haven't seen an episode in years, I wonder how well they hold up. I am surprised that we haven't seen a big screen adaptation of this property yet. I have read of rumors here and there over the years, so I assume it is only a matter of time.

Friday, May 14, 2010

Batman and Jonah Hex



Jonah Hex was always my favorite of the various western stars. I was looking forward to the upcoming film adaptation, but after watching the trailer I am not filled with confidence. They only went half way with the make-up (perhaps trying to avoid comparisons with Two-Face) and Hex seems to have the ability to speak with the dead.

I think a better bet will be the Jonah Hex short feature included as an extra on the forthcoming Batman: Under the Red Hood DVD. The Spectre short on the last JLA DVD was awesome so I have high hopes for this one.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Batman and Jimmy Olsen



Ah, the Silver Age - when even supporting characters could hold their own series. I have to admit that most of the reason I identified with Superman's Pal was that I too was a goofy freckled redheaded kid. I did like that he was an amateur master of disguises and his stories were usually more about humorous situations than any real peril.

Support STF: The Lost Issues!