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Usually the final step in creating these covers is for me to step back, look at the image and then try to come up with some captions, dialogue or a title that will give an idea as to what the story inside might be about. Every once in a while, I feel that the image alone is enough to suggest the contents without any other additional information. This is one of those cases - I couldn't think of anything that I would add to this cover that would do anything besides clutter it up.
Continued from yesterday's cover, we see Adam has found Tatooine's most famous resident along with his friends. Jabba's not going to know what hit him! I quite liked this Adam Strange costume redesign by Pasquale Ferry. It looks a bit more modern while still maintaining the aesthetic of his classic uniform.
It looks like Adam and Bill have resolved whatever conflict The Grandmaster was trying to engineer in STF #3194... and this is not the end of this adventure - so make sure to come back tomorrow for the exciting conclusion!
I was glad to use an Ivan Reis Adam Strange image for this cover. Here's an original Superman/Batman page by Reis that I picked up many years ago:
Daredevil works best as a street level hero, but it's fun to see him way over his head with more larger than life challenges from time to time. Whether it's battling The Sub-Mariner, tangling with Ultron or getting caught in the path of Mephisto, it's been interesting to see how Matt Murdock deals with the situations that he finds himself in.
I have been rereading the entire run of Calvin and Hobbes and I am about half way through. It amazes me how Bill Watterson really hit the ground running with the comic strip. Often you'll see a progression in the first few years of a strip, but he had the character designs, personalities and comedic style pretty much fully formed right from the beginning. On the other end, he never let the quality wane, either. If anything, he stayed at top form right until the final installment. This is my third or fourth time reading these and I am still enjoying them as much as the first time around.
When I watched the theatrical release of Justice League, I was very unimpressed with what I saw. So, I was not sure what to expect with the 4-hour Snyder Cut on HBO Max. Wow, what a difference! It is really a crime what was done with the movie. This version had a much better story that really held together, with an overall epic feel and much improved action and effects sequences. Cyborg finally had a proper role and was great to watch. Steppenwolf looked miles better and his interactions with Darkseid were a highlight. I'm still not crazy about Ezra Miller as The Flash, but he was far more tolerable here, with a couple of really great action beats. It's not perfect - it's at least a half hour too long (I would not have included the future stuff at the end) and Mera's British accent was not convincing. Still, I've watched it twice now and quite enjoyed it both times. What an example of ow studio interference can torpedo a movie!
Hawkman is one of the toughest looks to get right in live action. Previous attempts have always made the wings look too small to my eyes. The helmet is iconic, but tricky to get to look good from multiple angles. Plus, you need an actor with an incredible build to pull off the shirtless version. Aldis Hodge seems to have been working out, though (he would have to to be able to go up against The Rock!). Hopefully the costume designers for Black Adam will give him a suit and wings that finally do the character justice.
The Question was utilized so well in the Justice league Unlimited that I am still surprised that we have never seen a live action version of the character. He does seem like a great candidate for an HBO Max series. I can see his investigations taking viewers into some interesting and less often seen corners of the DCU.
We finally see the reason Shellhead has been spending some time in the Star Wars era. Iron Man previously met Han Solo, and later on, Chewbacca, but that was with his original armor. We see him here in my personal favorite suit - one can only imagine what kind of tech Tony Stark would come up with after having some time to examine droids!
Shazam: Fury of the Gods has finally begun production. As I suspected, the cast of kids already looks a lot older than in the first film, hopefully that will not be too much of an issue, but it certainly complicates things if they decide to go for a trilogy. Still no word on a new Deadpool movie, but Marvel and Ryan Reynolds promise it's coming.
I was glad to use a Jeff Smith Captain Marvel here. Smith is most well known for his amazing Bone series. I was able to pick up a quick sketch by him many years back:
I think before I ever had a superhero action figure, I had a couple of Planet of the Apes action figures to play with. I recall having some Planet of the Apes trading cards and a lunchbox too. They were a pretty big deal at the time, I think this was around the time when there was a TV series in addition to the movies. Ape mania had swept the country - or at least my household!
I remember thinking when a live action Powerpuff Girls series was announced that I didn't know how that was possible without losing most of what made the cartoon so cool. It would seem like I was not the only one to have doubts, because apparently feedback on the pilot they filmed was so bad that they have decided to scrap it and start over, albeit with the same cast. According to script leaks, what was presented had oversexualized versions of Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup and test audiences weren't having it. Imagine that! I still don't have very high hopes for the retooled version, this whole fiasco sounds like a diabolical Mojo Jojo plot.
This cover serves as a sequel to STF #1774, when these two first crossed paths. I can imagine Jim Corrigan finding a kinship with the savage yet heroic Logan. It's a little harder to imagine what Wolverine actually as the Spectre would be like, but it would be fun to find out!
I am always happy to include the artwork of the amazing Art Adams. I was able to purchase this cool Dr. Doom sketch of his many years ago:
I am always happy to feature the artwork of Sergio Aragones, one of the greatest and funniest cartoonists ever. I was very lucky to pick up an original Groo sketch by him many years ago:
Ever since Poison Ivy mentioned that she was building an Ivy League in STF #2714, I've been meaning to actually put that team together on a cover. I've also been meaning to use Audrey II for a while. I still remember going to see a live production of Little Shop of Horrors in Boston when I was in my teens, and loving it. I still listen to the soundtrack, so many fun songs.
I enjoyed Secret Wars and the concept of The Beyonder, but I always wonder about the decisions behind his appearance. He's a nigh-omnipotent being and the visual we readers got was of a guy with a jheri curl in a bright white disco suit. I mean, that look was already dated in 1984, when he was first introduced. He was a little hard to take seriously, despite his nearly infinite powers.
Spider-Man: No Way Home is another upcoming movie that I am trying not to have spoiled, and it's tough. There has been so much speculation about how the multiverse is involved and what part Spider-Man and Spidey villains from the previous two movie iterations will play in the proceedings. Even though I try to avoid reading those types of articles, I already feel like too much has been revealed or at least hinted at. I hope that at least some secrets will be kept under wraps until the film is released.
I am glad to use the artwork of the often underappreciated Dick Dillin here. I was very lucky many years back to get a couple of pages by him and inker Joe Giella from one of the early JLA/JSA team ups:
I think Starfire would be right at home with the Guardians of the Galaxy. A princess bred for battle and at odds with her own people? Sounds a bit like another character that will join a later iteration of the team. Koriand'r really shines and gets to cut loose in an outer space environment, and we didn't get to see enough of that when she was with the Titans.
Bernie Wrightson was a perfect artist to bring Swamp Thing to life. He was a master of the human form, as well as light and shadow, and was also quite adept at creating cool creature designs. That was a perfect set of skills to give readers an iconic muck encrusted mockery of a man that they would still root for, as well as a roster of creepy villains. I know it worked on me!
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