Scalphunter and Warpath

I enjoyed Warpath's brief scenes in X-Men: Days of Future Past.  He was cool to watch in action even if there was no room for character development in such an overstuffed film.  I liked the movie as a whole quite a bit, especially the last several scenes.  I had one major nitpick though - and it has to do with the scene everyone seems to be talking about as the highlight of the film.  (Spoilers ahead) The Quicksilver scene where he saves Wolverine, Beast and Magneto from the authorities' bullets was indeed very cool and a blast to watch, but I feel that it just made the character way too powerful - if he had that kind of control over his speed why on Earth didn't Wolverine and friends take him with them to stop Mystique?  He could have solved all of their problems in a split second, and it made no sense to me that they said goodbye to him after the Magneto breakout.

Spider-Man and The Six Million Dollar Man

I have really been enjoying the artwork of Earl Norem lately.  He matches lush painting with a comic book sensibility of staging and action that I find to be incredibly appealing.  His art looks great in any genre, too - whether it's superheroes, horror, sword & sorcery, even the Planet of the Apes, he always composes a memorable image that presents its characters in the best way possible.

Wonder Woman and Miss America

There's a station where I live that carries the original Wonder Woman TV series, and I have been catching a few episodes lately.  I was just a bit too young when the show first aired, so I don't recall watching very much of it back in the 70's.  I have to admit it is cheesy fun to see it now.  Lynda Carter is very easy on the eyes and she played the character with charming sincerity and strength.  In a time when other superhero shows were laughing at their characters, she did comicdom's premiere super-heroine proud.

Justice Society of America and The Invaders in "Executive Action!"

There was something very cool about discovering Marvel and DC's golden age characters through the reprints that were presented as back-up stories in the comics of my youth.  I was intrigued that they were familiar yet different from the heroes I knew and I thought that it was amazing that there was a whole generation of adventures that I was unaware of.

This cover leads into tomorrow's, so stay tuned!

Bone and Winnie the Pooh

Winnie the Pooh will always be a fond memory for me.  Not only did I love all of the character deigns by A.A. Milne, but it was also my entry into the world of theater.  My grade school put on a Winnie the Pooh play, and they cast me as Tigger, fitting for a hyperactive redhead.  I loved being on stage and the attention I got, and I stayed active in the theater arts for decades afterwards.  Bone is one of those comics that captures the magical, whimsical feel of Pooh and his forest friends.

Power Man and Power Girl in: "Power Pact!"

I thought is was time for STF's resident Power Couple to make a return visit.  Hopefully we will hear some casting new soon for Neflix' upcoming Luke Cage series.  Hmm, now which actor would look good in a chain link belt?

Green Arrow and Green Hornet

Arrow ended it second season with a great finale this year.  It was the conclusion of a story line featuring lots of DC characters - Black Canary, Speedy, Nyssa Al Ghul, Amanda Waller, Deadshot , and Deathstroke were all part of the action, and it felt like a great issue of a comic book.  As an extra treat, there was an extra scene with Green Arrow welcoming The Flash to the superhero club, fun stuff.

Captain Atom and The Silver Surfer

With Fox making news about expanding its Amazing Spider-Man franchise into films starring Venom and The Sinister Six, I wonder if the Fantastic Four reboot will pave the way for characters like the Silver Surfer to star in movies of their own.  The Surfer's scenes in the second FF film were effective, even if the movie as a whole was a disappointment, so maybe there is some potential there.  Let's not make Galactus a cloud the next time out, though...

Superman and Machine Man

I love that Machine Man originally started out as a character in Marvel's adaptation of 2000: A Space Odyssey (in a series that used characters and concepts from the ground breaking science fiction film), and then was able to join the mainstream Marvel Universe.  I don't know if there are any other characters that have had that sort of trajectory.  I just love his look as well, those telescoping arms and legs are too cool.

Jimmy Olsen and Werewolf By Night

This pairing was the suggestion of Michael Eury, Editor-in-Chief of the always awesome Back Issue magazine (subscribe at http://twomorrows.com/), and I had to give it a shot.  Jimmy may have been written out of Superman's movie adventures, but I still have fond memories about that goofball always getting in over his head.  This is just the kind of predicament I would imagine him finding himself in if he ever ventured into the Marvel Universe.

The Atom and The Wasp in "Inch-High Insurgency!"

Evangeline Lilly has been cast as the female lead in the Ant-Man movie, but her exact role has not been announced yet.  I would have to believe she is playing Janet Van Dyne, but with the strange timeline of the movie that is not a certainty.  Paul Rudd is starring as Scott Lang, while Michael Douglas will appear as Hank Pym.  Given Douglas' age, I am guessing that if he is even shown as Ant-Man at all, it will be during flashbacks - and I don't know what that means for Jan.  If Lilly is indeed starring as the to-be Wasp, It seems like her back story will be quite a bit altered from the comics.

The New Teen Titans and Spider-Man

I remember reading the classic Wolfman/Perez run of New Teen Titans and thinking how cinematic it all was, with the human drama mixed in with super-heroics and the detailed visuals.  It's too bad that now that comic book movies are all the rage, the time for a New Teen Titans movie is long past.  We will get a tease of what one may have been like with the appearance of Cyborg on film, but I'm not holding my breath for film versions of characters like Starfire or Donna Troy any time soon.

Spider-Man Vs. Batman's Villains

Whenever I consider which hero has the greatest rogues gallery, it always comes down to three characters for me" The Flash, Spider-Man and Batman.  The Flash has a closely knit group of science based villains that are always interesting to see together or apart.  Steve Ditko and Stan Lee took inspiration from the animal world and elsewhere to create a group of visually fun bad guys.  I think I would give the edge to Batman though, with his line-up of psychologically demented freaks.  His list includes Two-Face and The Joker, two of my all time favorite antagonists... still, it's a close contest.

The event's of this story will lead into tomorrow's tale, so stay tuned!

Batman and Hawkeye in "What's Lurking in Castle Wolfenstein?"

Well, the first official image of Ben Affleck as Batman, along with his Batmobile, has been released, and it seems to have been met with generally favorable reviews.  I still would like to see a more straight on full color shot, but I like what I see so far.  The bulk, bat-symbol and short ears are definitely inspired by Frank Miller's Dark Knight Returns design, and I think will help to set this movie incarnation of Batman apart from the others.  Looking closely, it seems that the eyes are the traditional holes in the mask w/eye makeup underneath look that we are used to by now, I was hoping for lenses to give the "white eyes" look from the comics and cartoons.  Perhaps he will still have both, I hope so.  The Batmobile looks pretty cool as well, can't wait to see it in action.  It does strike me as a little crazy to have the studio releasing promotional material for a movie 2 years away, but I guess they would prefer Affleck's appearance to come out on their own terms rather than some badly lit paparazzi snapshot from the filming.

The Silent Partners

The fact that all of these heroes are usually presented with little to no dialogue has lent them an air of mystery and unpredictability that make them appealing to me.  A team made up of these guys may be tough on a writer, but I think could make for some unique stories.

Supergirl And Ms. Marvel in "Duel of the Danvers Dames!"

Time for a revisit to my favorite STF siblings.  I am hoping that a future marvel film will feature Carol Danvers in a supporting role, paving her way for inclusion in the next Avengers extravaganza.  Katee Sackhoff from Battlestar Galactica and Longmire has expressed interest in joining the marvel cinematic family, and I think that Ms. Marvel would be a perfect role for her.

Mister Miracle and Mister Fantastic

I keep hearing about how the reboot of Fantastic Four is going to be a more "grounded" version of the team.  Thant's an adjective that I would never think to use for a team consisting of a guy who bursts into flames, a guy made of rocks, and especially a guy with stretchy powers.  I think that the FF are supposed to be larger and life, fully embracing all the craziness of superhero comics, while keeping things relatable with their familial relationships with one another.  I don't think it's the kind of property that would benefit from a gritty Batman Begins type of approach. Still, the jury is out until I see some actual foortage.

Archie's Super-Teens Meet Nightwing and Flamebird

Superman's Silver Age tales could be very hokey, but there is an undeniable charm to them.  I loved all of the high-concept ideas that sprung from the world of Krypton.  The Bottle City of Kandor was one such cool concept, and the idea that Superman had a second super-heroic identity there just made it more fun.

Batman and Samurai Jack

Any fan of comics should check out the animated Samurai Jack, from The Cartoon Network.  The episodes are on Netflix now, and they are a great example of how animated on a limited budget can still look very cool when the art design and direction are working together.  The battle scenes are exciting and Phil LaMarr's voice work is perfect for the character.  I'd love to see some more adventures of this time-displaced warrior.

Green Lantern Vs. The Hulk in "Mean and Green!"

A lot of people are lobbying for John Stewart to be the Green Lantern of the Justice League movie, and while I wouldn't mind that, I still think that Hal Jordan should get another chance to shine.  The Hulk's turn in The Avengers taught us that a character can still become a fan favorite even after two non-blockbuster movie attempts.  I would be fine with a recasting, though.  Bradley Cooper tried out for and lost the role of Hal Jordan the first time around - is it too late to get him back?