Sunday, June 20, 2021

The Wonder Woman & Captain America Action Hour!

 


This marks the 25th appearance of the WW/Cap romance... I figured it was time they get their own cartoon.  Speaking of which, I think that Warner Bros and HBO Max should at long last give us Wonder Woman: The Animated series.  She's certainly a strong enough character to headline a show of her own.  With new animated adventures of Batman and Superman on the way, there's no reason to keep ignoring the final member of DC's Trinity.

Saturday, June 19, 2021

Katana and Blade

 


I realize that pretty much every Marvel movie has been pushed back a year, but its still strange that we have not heard anything about where or when Blade will appear it the MCU.  It seems like the announcement of Mahershala Ali in the role was made ages ago.  No sign of the character appearing in any of the Movies or Disney+ series for the next couple of years, though.  He's too cool of a character to keep under wraps, hopefully we will hear more about Marvel's plans for him soon.

Friday, June 18, 2021

He-Man and Tarzan

 



This cover serves as a prequel to STF #528...

I remember getting a kick out of the Johnny Weissmuller Tarzan movies that would sometimes play on TV after school when I was a kid.  I'm still a sucker for movies that feature lots of animals.  We even named one of our many cats Tantor after Tarzan's trusty Elephant - I'm betting we aren't the only ones who did that.

Thursday, June 17, 2021

Sgt. Rock and The Black Knight

 


I am very curious to see how Dane Whitman, The Black Knight, is used in The Eternals.  The teaser trailer didn't give much of a hint - he was shown only briefly, wearing contemporary clothing.  The movie is expected to span many years, so perhaps there will be at least one scene set in the last with him fully suited up with winged steed and mystical sword in hand.  Or maybe that's something we will have to wait to see in a future film.

Wednesday, June 16, 2021

Apocalypse Vs. Darkseid

 


Both of these guys deserve another shot at the big screen.  X-Men: Apocalypse did not really do the villain justice.  I don't fault Oscar Isaac's performance, but the visuals weren't quite there to bring the oversized X-Villain to life.  I did enjoy Darkseid's brief moments in Zack Snyder's Justice League, but he deserves more of a spotlight and besides, Warner Bros has decided the this movie doesn't "count".  It'll probably be a bunch of years, but I bet we'll see both of them on the silver screen again.

Tuesday, June 15, 2021

The Metal Men meet Giant Man & The Wasp

 


I was happy to see Michelle Pfeiffer posting a workout video in preparation for return as Janet Van Dyne in Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania.  I was hoping that the original Wasp would see some more action this time around and it looks like I may get my wish.  If Pfeiffer also returns as Selina Kyle in The Flash, it will be even better!

Monday, June 14, 2021

Huntress and Hawkeye in "Sibling Revelry!"

 


This is the seventh appearance of the Hawkeye/Huntress brother/sister team...

They first appeared together in STF #505...

Next, they had a twisted family reunion in STF #1387... 

which continued into the next issue, STF #1388...

Then they visited their parents in STF #1877...

They ran afoul of gangs in STF #2625...

And the last time, they were manipulated by Mesmero in STF #2972...


Sunday, June 13, 2021

Man-Bat, Man-Thing and Yoda

 


I'm looking forward to the Obi Wan Kenobi series on Disney+.  Will Yoda show up at some point?  I haven't heard anything about that but of all the announced series, that seems to be the most likely place for him to make an appearance.  I won't be holding my breath for a scene like the one above, though - but it would be very cool!

Man-Thing first traveled to Dagobah in STF #303, and he previously met Man-Bat in STF #333...

Saturday, June 12, 2021

Roger Rabbit and Dick Tracy

 


As a big fan of crossovers, I was of course a huge fan of Who Framed Roger Rabbit? Not only was the combination of live action and animation done amazingly well (it still holds up today), the film was full of characters sharing the screen that I never expected to see.  Seeing Mickey Mouse and Bugs Bunny interact was cool, and watching ducks Daffy and Donald in a dueling piano battle was pure bliss.  I wonder if there will ever be a sequel.

Friday, June 11, 2021

Batman and Brother Voodoo in: "The Zombies of Blackgate!"

 

 

So many rumors are swirling around the production on The Batman.  Robert Pattinson refused to get in shape and is hated by Director Matt Reeves?  Pattinson and Zoe Kravitz hooking up in real life and getting intimate on the Batmobile?  Warner Bros execs feel the movie is far too dark and are demanding reshoots?  Frankly most of this doesn't pass the smell test for me.  Since most of the rumors I hear are from anonymous sources, I'm guessing fans who don't want Ben Affleck replaced in the role are trying to sow discord.  Everything official that I have seen so far has looked pretty good to me.

Batman and Brother Voodoo first met in one of my earliest entries, an MS Paint cover from 2010...

Thursday, June 10, 2021

Drax the Destroyer and Superman

 

One adjustment that I hope is made for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is Drax' personality.  In the first movie, he was presented as a noble, fierce warrior whose literal interpretations led to some humorous moments.  In the second movie and his appearances with the Avengers, Drax pretty much became a completely humorous character and came off as somewhat of a buffoon.  Let's hope his emotional balance is restored for his next cinematic outing.

Wednesday, June 9, 2021

Galactus and Eclipso

 


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.

Tuesday, June 8, 2021

Adam Strange Joins Star Wars

 

 

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.

Monday, June 7, 2021

Beta Ray Bill and Adam Strange in: "Jabba's Ransom!"

 


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:



Sunday, June 6, 2021

Daredevil in The House of Mystery

 


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.   

Saturday, June 5, 2021

X-Men and Spaceman Spiff

 


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. 

Friday, June 4, 2021

Justice League of America and Photon

 

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! 

Thursday, June 3, 2021

Daredevil and Hawkman

 

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.

Wednesday, June 2, 2021

Doc Savage and The Question

 


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.

Tuesday, June 1, 2021

Iron Man Meets R2D2 and C3PO

 


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!

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