The Unknown Soldier and The Human Torch in: "The Informant and the Automaton!"

 

The Unknown Soldier was a great concept for a war comic.  There are so many real life heroes from wartime that the general public will never know of.  For me, this fictional soldier's anonymity seemed to pay tribute to all the sacrifices made by those whose deeds will never get the proper credit that they deserve.

These two heroes first met in STF #3404...

Human Torch Vs. Enemy Ace / Unknown Soldier and Miss America

 

With recent rumors of a Sgt. Rock movie featuring Daniel Craig making the rounds, I wonder what other DC Comics' war stars could be featured in such a project.  I'd love to See The Unknown Soldier or Mademoiselle Marie show up, but I'd be satisfied with the rest of Easy Company.  Let's hope this film comes to fruition rather than fade away like the Stephen Spielberg Blackhawk movie plans from a few years ago.

Sgt. Fury & His Howling Commandos and The Unknown Soldier

 

There's nothing like a good rescue mission tale, especially if it is illustrated by the likes of Dick Ayers or Joe Kubert. Those Silver and Bronze Age war comics really did attract some of the best artists.

The Unknown Soldier has met Nick Fury before on the blog - they last appeared together in STF #2578, and first crossed paths in STF #1686...

The Unknown Soldier Vs. The Red Skull

 

Ross Marquand did such a good job taking over from Hugo Weaving as The Red Skull, that I wouldn't mind seeing the villain return to the MCU.  Who knows how that can happen, but with Kang causing timeline havoc for the next few years, anything is possible.   It might be cool seeing Sam Wilson clash with The Red Skull in the recently announced Captain America: New World Order.

Human Torch and The Unknown Soldier

 

DC's Unknown Soldier is a character so ripe for adaptation that I am surprised that I have never seen him show up in other media.  I think his exploits would be perfect for a straight up war movie without any other comic book trappings, or one that included other DC war stars like Sgt. Rock, The haunted Tank, Gravedigger, Mademoiselle Marie and so on.  He never even made an animated appearance in Batman: The Brave and the Bold or Justice League Unlimited.  Hopefully some use will be found for him, it's too good of a character and concept to leave on the shelf.

The Unknown Soldier and Doctor Strange

 

Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness is still over 11 months away from being released and there's already a ton of spoilers and speculation floating around.  So far, I have ignored those headlines and have tried to stay away from anything that may ruin whatever surprises are in store.  That's going to get a lot tougher to do as the movie continues filming and the release date draws nearer.  Hopefully, Marvel will be able to keep any big revelations under wraps.

Sgt. Fury and The Unknown Soldier

When did Nick Fury lose his eye in the comics?  I'm sure the story has been told but I forget where.  What about the new comic book Fury that looks like Samuel L. Jackson?  However it happened for either version of the character, it has to be better than "a cat scratched it" like we got on the big screen.  I guess that moment was supposed to be funny, but I was just kind of annoyed that that was the best they could come up with.

Spider-Man and The Unknown Soldier

I hope that Stephen Spielberg really has fun with the Blackhawk movie, and embraces its comic book roots rather than make it a straight war film.  Wonder Woman and Captain America have proven that both genres can be successfully mixed.  is it too much to hope for cameos by other DC war heroes like The Unknown Soldier?

The Unknown Soldier and The Winter Soldier

This cover is another suggestion form comics historian and Patron of this blog, Marc Tyler Nobleman, and one that I was surprised that I had not done yet.  I expect that by the end of the upcoming Black Panther movie, Bucky Barnes will be released from his stasis tube, because I have read reports that he will be fighting alongside T'Challa to fend off the forces of Thanos and protect Wakanda during Avengers: Infinity War.  That sounds like an awesome sequence.

Nick Fury and The Unknown Soldier

Today is Thanksgiving, so what better time to thank all of the visitors to the blog.  The site continues to grow in popularity and I truly appreciate all who make the time to stop by and check out the covers.  Thanks for all the cool comments, kind words and interesting suggestions, It's always great to see what people have to say.  A very special thank you goes out to the Patrons of the blog, your support means a great deal to me!

The Unknown Soldier and Iron Man

Upon repeat viewings of Avengers: Age of Ultron, it's clear that Tony Stark's ego is the true villain of the movie.  He acts pretty reckless throughout and it will be interesting to see where the Russo Brothers take the character in Captain America: Civil War.  If they are taking sides, right now it is hard to root for Iron Man, hopefully he will be redeemed a little by the movie's end.

The Unknown Soldier and Captain America

Cap has recently been taken out of the uniform again, with Sam Wilson filling in as the shield-slinging Avenger.  Stuck in the body of a senior citizen, it's just a matter of time before Steve Rogers gets rejuvenated and assumes the mantle once again.  With Chris Evans contracted for at least three more film appearances, that's pretty much a certainty.  Once this Falcon/Cap arc is over, I hope that Marvel gives the whole recurring "Cap gets replaced" theme a rest.  It's a plot device they have gone to many times over the past few decades and I would like to see Steve Rogers get a nice uninterrupted run as Captain America for a change.

By the way today's cover  has repercussions that will be felt tomorrow, so stay tuned!

The Thing and The Unknown Soldier

The Unknown Soldier is one of those wart titles that I was immediately drawn to because of the brilliant artwork by Joe Kubert. I picked up the DC Showcase volume and enjoyed it immensely. Not only did I enjoy the illustrations, but the stories were very exciting. The concept of the Unknown Soldier is such that he could be placed in many kinds of wartime tales. Plus he was a master of disguise which gives him a bit of a traditional comic book hero vibe. Any fan of Sgt. Rock, Sgt. Fury, or just war stories in general should definitely check this out.