Katana and Shang-Chi: Master of Kung Fu

Well, it has been announced that DC is cancelling Katana. I'm glad that they took a chance with her but maybe the timing was just off.  Perhaps if DC had given Katana more time to shine in the pages of Justice League of America and in the Beware the Batman TV series, interest in a solo series would have been greater.

I wasn't a huge fan of martial arts comics growing up, but I did like Shang-Chi because he was rooted in the Marvel Universe and could interact with their heroes and villains.  The great artwork didn't hurt either.  Artists like Gil Kane, Mike Zeck and Paul Gulacy produced some very memorable covers for the character
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Batman and The Thing in "Sacrifice Play!"

Here are two guys about to be reinterpreted for the big screen, and I hope that the filmmakers will have learned from previous attempts.  While I can't fault Michael Chiklis' performance, the bodysuit that he wore in the previous Fantastic Four films never worked for me.  It's time for a fully realized CGI Thing. And Christian Bale did Batman proud, but I am ready for a more detective-based caped crusader with a somewhat less distracting voice, so I hope the Ben Affleck version moves in that direction.

Death and Hela

Forget the grim reaper - when it comes to the living embodiment of death in comic books, the depiction is sometimes a bit more attractive than a skeleton wearing a cloak.  I guess it only makes sense to soften the image of death in comics, as it is not nearly as final a state of being  that it is on the real world.  If you are a comic character who passes on, usually you just have to bide your time until you are resurrected in one manner or another.  In the meantime, you get to hang out with a cute goth chick or a leather clad temptress - doesn't sound so bad to me.

Plastic Man and Deadpool

These two wise guys may have been created a generation apart, but I think they would work perfectly well in a story together.  They both see their respective worlds differently from any other hero and neither ever seems to take things too seriously, no matter how dire they situation they find themselves in. Whether they would get along or be at odds, it would be a fun story to read!

Robin and Kitty Pryde

When I first heard that DC was going to be giving their continuity a reboot, I thought that it would be the perfect chance to simplify the history of the multiple Robins.  Instead, it just made matters more complicated, keeping all the Robins around and condensing the timeline.  While I do like all the characters that have taken on the title, I still believe that so many Robins just serves to dilute the concept.  Now they have even thrown Carrie Kelley into the present day mix!  This is definitely a job for a time-travelling Kitty Pryde!

Legion of Super-Heroes and The X-Men

The All-New X-Men and Legion of Super-Heroes had a secret weapon in common:  Dave Cockrum.  Not only was he a dynamic artist that flourished in team environments, giving each character in a large cast their own distinct traits - his amazing knack for costume design  made for some of the best looking teams in comics.  How cool would a crossover between these two groups have been with Cockrum on art, depicting so many of his cool designs at once?

Doctor Strange and Doctor Fate in "...And the Rat Shall Inherit!"

I featured a more Golden Age style cover that paired these two mystics in an early issue of my STF run, and I thought I would go for a Bronze Age vibe this time.  And if you think that a giant rodent isn't enough of a challenge for these powerful mages, well you've obviously never been in the New York City subway system!  They grow 'em big down there!

Quantum Leap and Sliders

This cover came from an idea that one of this blog's regular followers posted in a recent comment section (Mr. Acer, I believe).  I got a kick out of both of these shows, and I thought that given the concepts of their series, it was only natural that they would eventually bump into each other.  Throw in a cameo by DC's alternate timeline cop, and you would have a story that would've had my VCR primed and ready to record!

Swamp Thing and Concrete

I'd love to see a story that unites these two characters.  Once human, each was transferred into an incredibly powerful new body and status quo.  Despite the extreme change in their outward appearance and altered perceptions, their intellect and thoughtful natures are constant reminders of the men that they once were.  Their stories are filled with beautiful artwork and mind bending ideas, and it would be a treat to see them cross paths some day.

Star Trek and Duck Dodgers

I recently checked out the animated Star Trek series on Netflix.  I had only seen one episode decades ago and I only had dim memories of it.  The animation is very limited with a lot of re-used footage and static poses, but I must say that it was fun to have the original cast providing the voices.  I also liked the addition of truly alien looking crew members years before such a thing would happen in live action.  It's a fun glimpse into the past, but I would only recommend it for die-hard Trek fans.  The Looney Tunes cartoons are a different story altogether.  While they predate the Trek series, they hardly seem dated to me at all.  I can pop in one of the collections and they impress and amuse me as much as the first time I watched them.

X-O Manowar Vs. Iron Man

This is another team up that I am surprised has never happened (unless I missed it).  Not only do they have the suits of armor in common, master of metallic heroes Bob Layton is closely connected to each hero.  If they ever really do cross over, Layton should definitely be at the top of the list to be involved.

Nightwing and The Winter Soldier

It's going to be very interesting to see how Captain America: The Winter Soldier turns out.  On the one hand, it looks to be a crowded film with the title characters interacting with The Falcon, The Black Widow, Arnim Zola and more, and the directing team is an unknown quantity to me.  But then, the movie is said to be following the excellent Ed Brubaker-penned comics, some of the best Captain America issues ever.  I have high hopes and look forward to seeing a trailer soon.

Black Lightning Vs. Electro / Superman Vs. Thanos

Usually I want film versions of comic characters to look as close to the source material as possible, but in the case of Electro for The Amazing Spider-Man 2, I can understand the need for a change.  I like the old lightning bolt mask on a nostalgic level, but there's no way that would work in live action.  The pictures released of a blue, glowing with energy Jamie Foxx look pretty cool to me. Spider-Man's costume is a huge improvement over the one he wore in the first film, hopefully the script to the sequel will be an improvement as well.

Batman and Richie Rich

When it came to Harvey Comics, I was more of a Ghostly Trio fan, but I did read plenty of Richie Rich.  I remember getting a kick out of the high-priced hi-jinks, but thinking that Richie was a bit of a show off.  We get it, you're loaded, you don't have to shape your hedges into dollar signs!  Would Bruce Wayne  have grown to be so frivolous with his money had his parents never died in Crime Alley?  We'll probably never know.

Django and John Wayne

Ever since I saw John Wayne smack George Kennedy upside the head with an ax handle in The Sons of Katie Elder, I have been a fan of a good revenge fueled western tale.  It's been nice to see that genre upheld over the years.  Wayne's films were followed up by the great contributions by Clint Eastwood, and today Django Unchained carries on the tradition in Oscar winning fashion.  I think a tale that got all these guys together could be pretty awesome.

Captain Canuck and The Guardian

I'm a little surprised that these two have not met already, it seems like a natural pairing.  I've always loved Guardian's costume, it's definitely one of the best flag-based outfits in comics.  His death was a shock back in those pre-internet spoiler days - but like so many other heroes, he got better.

Booster Gold and the Champions

I love the idea of Booster Gold as a guardian of the timeline.  It gives him the chance to have adventures anywhere and anytime and explore all the corners of the DCU.  Hopefully Booster will be brought back in that capacity soon.  The only thing better would be if he could investigate timeline disruptions for other universes in addition to his own...

Iron Man and The Rocketeer Vs. Godzilla

This cover is inspired by my admiration for the classic serials from cinema's early days. None of these characters starred in those great black & white cliffhangers, but I think they would have fit right into that genre.  Start out with concept art and storyboards by the amazing Art Adams and you would have had a continuing adventure sure to thrill young and old!

Aquaman and The Human Torch

Aside from the obvious differences in their power sets and preferred locales, these two are quite opposite when it comes to personalities.  Aquaman is a serious authority figure with the weight of an entire kingdom on his mind, while Johnny Storm is an impetuous maverick, full of youthful angst.  It would be interesting to see the two try to operate effectively together.

Captain Carrot & His Amazing Zoo Crew and Mighty Mouse

 There have been a bunch of super-powered funny animal characters over the years, but I think the first that made an impression on me was Mighty Mouse.  As I kid I loved watching Warner Brothers and Disney cartoons, and here was a cartoon who was also a superhero!  Sure, Daffy, Bugs and Donald had all put on a super suit for an episode, but Mighty Mouse was a hero full-time, not for just a single short.  They didn't play a lot of MM cartoons in my area when I was growing up, so it was always a treat to get to see one.