The Atom Vs. The Lizard

 

There was a bunch of clutter removal and background rebuilding required on this cover before I could add The Atom in.  Here's a look at the behind the scenes progress:

Swamp Thing and The Lizard

 

I can see Dr. Curt Connors building a base of operations smack dab in the middle of Swamp Thing's stomping grounds, and that would be enough of a set up to get a fun story rolling.  

Batgirl & Robin Vs. The Sinister Six

 

With Kraven about to make his cinematic debut, we will finally have seen live action versions of all of the Sinister Six.  Spider-Man: No Way Home came kind of close, but it's too bad we never got a proper Spidey Vs. The Sinister Six Movie.

Dick Grayson will face off against a slightly different Six lineup once he transitions into Nightwing, as seen in STF #3738...

Blue Beetle Vs. The Lizard

 

I finally checked out the Blue Beetle movie, and I thought it was OK.  I probably would have been more impressed with it 10-15 years ago, but at this point I felt like I had seen most of the story beats done before in other superhero flicks.  The very generic villains did not help.  I did like Jaime and his family though, and some of the effects were fun to watch, especially with the Bug ship.  I liked the nods to Ted Kord, but wonder if the mid-credits scene concerning him will ever be followed up on.  Blue Beetle is supposed to be one of the few characters that well be crossing over into James Gunn's new DCU though, so I suppose there is a chance.  Maybe in the proposed Booster Gold series?

Mary Marvel and Spider-Man

 

I used to like how in Marvel Team-Up, Spider-Man would often be put off and unnerved by some of his more dark co-stars, like Ghost Rider.  I think the opposite would be true with someone like Mary Marvel.  Something tells me that Spidey would appreciate her wholesomeness and treat her like a super powered kid sister.

The Sinister Six Vs. Nightwing

 

There was talk of a Nightwing movie in the works for a while, but I don't know if that project is alive anymore.  Perhaps if Batgirl is a hit with audiences, Warner Bros will take another look at the property.  Will there be a mention of Dick Grayson in that movie?  With Michael Keaton's Batman due to show up there, we might get a clue as to what the boy wonder's cinematic future holds.

Man-Bat Vs. The Lizard (Round Two!)

 

When Bob Greenwade, a patron of this blog, suggested this battle, I figured it was a strong enough match up to demand  a second appearance - so here it is! Thanks, Bob!  They first tangled in STF #2606.  I have to say that I'd be rooting for Man-Bat in this fight.  While both character started out as respected scientists that were altered by self administered experimentation, Kirk Langstrom  always seemed like the more redeemable of the two to me.

Animal Man Vs. The Lizard

I wasn't crazy about Andrew Garfield's take on Peter Parker and I wish that the Lizard had retained his lab coat look from the comics, but I have to admit that The Amazing Spider-Man had some of the bet fight sequences of all the Wall-Crawler's movies.  One of those battles that took place in the high school also included my favorite Stan Lee cameo.  I loved when he was cleaning up, wearing headphones, oblivious to the chaos unfolding directly behind him.

Man-Bat Vs. The Lizard

Man-Bat remains for me the Batman family character that I most want to show up in the new Robert Pattinson led movie.  With five rumored villains, surely there is room for him.  If he can't be included in the mix, then maybe he could be included as part of the roster for the long in development Justice League Dark movie, as he has been a member of that team in the comics.  Special effects technology is finally at a place where Kirk Langstrom's bestial alter ego can finally be done justice, so I hope he finds a live action home soon.

The Lizard and Killer Croc in "Rise of the Reptiles!"

I featured these two together before in a more modern cover, and I wanted to try for a more Bronze Age vibe this time out.  Rumors are that The Lizard will make a return to the Amazing Spider-Man franchise as a member of the Sinister Six.  Here's hoping they go for the creature in human clothing look rather than the giant gila monster that we saw in his first appearance.  The Ditko design is just so much cooler.  Killer Croc may not be able to anchor a Batman film as the primary villain, but I think that he could still be successfully translated to screen as a partner/pawn of someone like Hugo Strange.

Killer Croc Vs. The Lizard

The Amazing Spider-Man had a few moments, but for the most part it was a big miss for me.  The origin stuff   felt redundant, but I knew that would be the case going in.  I was really looking forward to seeing the Lizard, and unfortunately that's where the movie really falls apart.  The  look just did not work for me, I really wish they had stuck to the lab coat and jeans from the comics.  Rhys Ifans is a fine actor, but his voice in Lizard form was completely off for the character... he could have at least emphasized the "S" sounds!  And don't get me started on the Lizard's master plan... he wants to transform other people into lizards - and then what?  I can't say I have much confidence that Electro with be any more faithful to the comics in the sequel.

Stay tuned tomorrow for a special announcement from Super-Team Family: The Lost Issues!