Martian Manhunter and My Favorite Martian

 

I vaguely remember watching reruns of My Favorite Martian when I was a kid.  Superhero and Sci-Fi shows were few and far between back then so I liked sitcoms like that or Bewitched and I Dream of Jeannie that featured characters with special powers.

X-Men Vs. The Royal Flush Gang

 They've never quote been A-list characters, but I have enjoyed the Royal Flush Gang in all of their incarnations, from the old west to present day to the future.  The family aspect of the team plus rotating roster of Aces always keep them interesting.

Elongated Man and Ant-Man & The Wasp

 

I always enjoyed the backup tales featuring Ralph and Sue Dibny involved in a quick mystery.  Clever twists and cool stretching scenes made them a delight to read.  I can definitely see Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne joining in on of their investigations.

Justice League of America and Samurai Jack (And More!)

 

For this Anniversary Issue, I thought that I would present the kind of Saturday morning line-up that would have made my head spin.  With shows line these and some Peanut Butter Cap'n Crunch, I would have been all set.  Here are some closer looks at the stories in this issue:

Batman and Wile E. Coyote

 

I'm betting that ACME and Ace Chemicals are both run by the same company.  It's about time that the Dark Knight and the Roadrunner's nemesis joined forces to put them out of business.  I know it's a tale that I would get a kick out o reading.

Daredevil Vs. Two-Face in: "The Second Signal!"

 

A lot of people mention Heart of Ice as their favorite episode of Batman: The Animated Series.  That's definitely up there for me, but it is topped by another villain origin from the first season.  The appropriately two-parted Two-Face was the perfect showcase for a character that had not even been featured in cartoons yet, and I was glued to my screen when it first aired.  

Daredevil and Two-Face first appeared together in STF #1780...

Batman and Courageous Cat & Minute Mouse

 

I thought I would Pair Batman up with another Bob Kane creation, Courageous Cat & Minute Mouse.  While Kane was famously assisted by the too long uncredited Bill Finger, this cartoon spoof of the Dynamic Duo was all his concept. Hmm - now that I think about it, Courageous Cat's costume looks a lot like the original costume Kane had planned for Batman, before Finger redesigned it to come up with the classic outfit!

Moon Knight and The Elongated Man (Vs. The Joker!)

 

This marks the 11th appearance of The MK-EM Team.  Thank you for humoring my presenting this pairing from time to time.  It's a little self indulgent but for some reason I get a kick out of seeing them together.  

We saw a few glimpses of the Moon Knight show at a recent Disney presentations, and while quick, they looked quite promising to me.  Hopefully we will get a trailer soon now that we are into 2022.  

Moon Knight and the Joker previously clashed in STF #2021...

Black Goliath and Elasti-Girl

 

I am glad to use a Black Goliath image here that was penciled by Sal Buscema and Inked by Jim Mooney.  Sal Buscema was the undisputed master of illustrating characters delivering or receiving a powerful punch, and Jim Mooney drew some of the prettiest girls in comics.  I was lucky enough to pick up original pieces by both of them several years back: 

Don't let the Larry Lieber signature fool you.  The back of this strip indicates that it was penciled by Sal Buscema and inked by the legendary Joe Sinnott:

Ant-Man and Cyborg

 

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is getting underway, so I hope we get some more information regarding it soon.  Perhaps we will see if the title characters have updated costumes, or if Hank and Jan will be suiting up either in present day or a flashback.  Can we expect to get a glimpse of how Kang will look?  Dare I hope for confirmation that events in the film will lead to the introduction of the Fantastic Four to the MCU, as has been rumored for a while now?

Rick Jones Vs. Snapper Carr

 

I'm a little surprised that we have not seen Rick Jones show up in the MCU yet.  He seemed to be such a big part of the comics when I was growing up, sharing adventures right alongside The Hulk, Mar-Vell, The Avengers and more.  Snapper Carr, on the other hand, just seemed to be there, and did not add much to the Justice League of America tales that he appeared in.  The only time he made an impression on me was when he betrayed the team.  He was ok in the robotic Hourman series, but I have lost track of the character since then.

The Phantom Stranger and The Watcher in: "Holiday Spirits!"

 

I would like to take this time to say Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you all.  2020 has been trying for everyone but I hope we can all find a way to still connect with our loved ones for the Holiday Season.  I truly appreciate all who take the time to visit this blog.  Comic reading and collecting has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember, but almost always something I did on my own.  This blog has helped me reach out and share my love for the creators and characters in the world of comics with so many others, and that has been a real treat.  Thank you to those who share their comments, praise, corrections and suggestions for future covers, you help keep this a vibrant place.  A huge thank you of course goes to my Patreon Patrons - your support has helped this blog continue for over 10 years!  I can't tell you how much it means to me!

The Phantom Stranger first met The Watcher way back in STF #66...
 

Daredevil Vs. Doctor Light

Presenting Part Two of  our latest Two-Part Epic!  Did you guess correctly?  Daredevil was the only one not affected by the visuals of Doctor Light's attack on yesterday's cover (except maybe by almost being crushed by the falling bodies of his fellow heroes), let's see if the villain can adjust for this miscalculation in his plans...

Batman and Iron Man (Vs. The Mad Hatter!)

It's funny that with all of the Batmobile upgrades and redesigns over the years, that the ride from the 1966 Batman TV show is still so iconic and sits near or at the top of the lists of many comic fans' favorites.  The siren and flame spouting jet engine were very cool, but what put it over the top for me was the fire engine red pin striping, what a great touch!

Batman and Iron Man first met back in my B&B: The Lost Issues Days, first on a Bronze Age cover, and then on a Golden Age cover.... Plus, Batman also met Iron Man 2020...

Bouncing Boy and Flatman

I always got a kick out of Chuck Taine.  I liked that he was a rare hero that was not in body builder shape, and I liked even more that his size and goofy power set did not prevent him from becoming romantically involved with Triplicate Girl.  I have to imagine he and Flatman from the Great Lakes Avengers would get along well.

Deadpool Vs. The Flash

I've been getting a kick out of the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover on the CW.  My favorite part so far occurred in the last installment.  SPOILERS FOLLOW...

I loved that the solution to the problem of The Flash's destined sacrificed was resolved by having John Wesley Shipp's 90's era Flash taking the place of Grant Gustin's Flash at the last moment.  It recreated a key moment from the Crisis story, while finally giving closure to the 90's series that was abruptly cancelled.  I can't wait to see what's in store for the last two chapters.

Elongated Man and Invisible Girl

I see that The Invisible Woman is currently the star of her own self-titled mini-series.  It's amazing to me that is has taken this long for her to get a solo book.  Growing up, I always considered her to be the premiere female superhero in the Marvel Universe.  Plus, she has a great power set, arguably making her the most powerful member of the Fantastic Four.  Hopefully once the FF head back to the big screen, her profile will rise even more.

Rogue and The Flash

I was thinking that if the Gambit movie ever got off the ground, we might get a chance to see a more comics-accurate version of Rogue on the big screen.  Alas, with all the starts and stops that project has had, not to mention Disney's acquisition of 20th Century Fox' film properties, it looks like the film will never be made.  It will probably be some years before Marvel gets their own version of the X-Men up and running, and even longer before Rogue becomes part of the mix.

Elongated Man and Ms. Marvel

I was very glad that Elongated Man not only ended up surviving at the end of the last season of The Flash, but he has been announced as a regular on the show for another year.I have enjoyed Hartley Sawyer's performance in the role and the effects have been decent for a TV budget.  Here's hoping a Sue Dibny (to be) will also be added to the show, so we can see some Nick & Nora-type detective action.

The Expansion Team in: "Stretching Out The Roster!"

I've gotten a kick out of having The Elongated Man join The Flash on the CW.  Hartley Sawyer does well in the role, and certainly has the looks to play Ralph Dibny (wish he had red hair though).  The stretching effects aren't used enough to my liking but have looked pretty good for the most part.  The last episode where he developed a Clayface-like ability to completely mimic anyone's appearance, including their voice was a bit much, though - he has never been able to do that in the comics.

This is the third appearance of The Expansion Team - they were last seen battling the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man in STF #1490, and first got together back in STF #934...