Spider-Man and Blue Devil

 

There's been a lot of talk about Secret Wars being the next huge crossover event that the MCU is building towards.  The Russo Brothers have even indicated interest in directing such an epic.  But which Secret Wars story will be adapted?  The original series that I remember from my youth had The Beyonder summoning a bunch of heroes and villains to Battleworld where they duked it out.  Then there's the newer Secret Wars series that was hitting just when I stopped regularly buying comics, so I don't know too much about it - just that it seemed to involve the multiverse, with lots of different versions of Marvel heroes running around.  That seems in line with what the MCU has been doing lateley, but then again the Russo Brothers seem to lean into the more classic tales from 30 years ago or more, so who knows what's  in store?  Perhaps it will be something with elements of both events.  I'm sure we'll have several more years to speculate.

Darth Vader Vs. The Hulk

 

Obi-Wan Kenobi fell into the same pattern that a lot of Disney+ shows seem to - strong first episode, three episodes of filler, an improvement in the fifth episode and then a great finale.  Hopefully future series will work on these common pacing issues.  Still, there was a lot to enjoy.  For me, that was anytime Darth Vader was onscreen.  He had some excellent standout moments, his voice was spot on, and the final Vader/Kenobi confrontation was everything I was hoping for.

Vixen Marries Hercules

 

I've put this couple through enough - for the lucky seventh appearance of the Herc/Vixen romance, I've decided to give them a happy ending and finally have them tie the knot. Wonder Woman marrying Captain America has proved to be one of my most popular covers, so I felt this blog could use another wedding, even if the path there may not have been a completely smooth one for Herc and Mari.  Will it be smooth sailing for the happy couple from here on out?  Only future covers will tell that tale.

Harley Quinn and Ghost Rider

 

The Joker: Folie a Deux has been announced as an upcoming sequel to the Joaquin Phoenix film starring the Clown Prince of Crime.  The title refers to two people suffering from mental conditions, and rumors of Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn have made the rounds.  That part has been denied - but not necessarily that Harley won't be in the movie, just that Gaga would not be in the role.  I have my reservations about whether such a perfect first film even needs a sequel, but that one was much better than I had expected it to be, so I will withhold judgment until I learn more or see some footage.

Snowbird and Firehawk

 

We saw Shaman on the blog yesterday, now we see what his teammate Snowbird is up to.  All of the Members of Alpha Flight are interesting characters, and I'd love to see them utilized more.  Even in animation, they have only made a couple of appearances.  Who knows how far down the list they are on Marvel properties to bring to the MCU, but I hope the wait isn't too long.

Shaman and Dawnstar

 

For those of you who were wondering why Dawnstar was not a member of Wing Command, well, she's from a different century - but that doesn't mean that she can't visit!  

I used an image of her by the incredibly talented Gary Frank.  I was lucky enough to pick up an original page of his many years back:

The Avengers and The Crime Syndicate

 

The Avengers first crossed The Crime Syndicate's path in STF #738,  and I thought for this reunion it might be interesting to watch the two teams have to work together.  Just how long will their fragile truce last and what crisis would require such a partnership?  The answer is only 60 cents away!

Power Girl and She-Hulk (Vs. The Psycho Pirate)

 

I'm looking forward to She-Hulk: Attorney at Law on Disney+.  There were some complaints about dodgy CGI in the trailer, but I've seen updated footage that allays those fears, I think it will look fine.  Still, I do wonder why they couldn't just paint Tatiana Maslany green and give her a wig and some small props at least for the close up shots.  It seems that would be cheaper and simpler, but perhaps it would be too hard to match it up to the CGI shots they do use if they went that way.

Power Girl and She-Hulk first met in STF #1482...

Commissioner Gordon and J. Jonah Jameson

 

I thought that it was time that two of comics' most enduring supporting characters shared a cover.  I like in comics when we are reminded that it's not always up to the heroes to come to the rescue - sometimes the non-powered, un-costumed folks have to jump into the fray as well.  As Aunt May said in Spider-Man 2, "I believe there's a hero in all of us."

Batman and Quicksilver in "A Split-Second Miscalculation!"

 

Batman's Bat-Planes have had many looks in the movies.  My favorite is still The Batwing from Batman '89, jut an ingenious design.  Affleck's ride wasn't as stylized, but still pretty cool.  The Japan sequence in The Dark Knight is a favorite of mine, but I was a little let down that he just used a normal looking plane there, couldn't it at least have been black?  Still, it was better than whatever they had Christian Bale flying around in for The Dark Knight Rises - I thought that was kind of ugly and resembled an unfolded cardboard box.  Let's hope Robert Pattinson has better design sense when he decides to take to the sky.

Batman and Quicksilver first crossed paths on one of my earliest covers, an MS Paint effort from 2010...

Superman and 3-D Man

 

3-D man didn't make a lot of appearances, but I always thought he looked pretty cool and that more should be done with him.  Kurt Busiek tried a rebrand with Triathlon in his Avengers run, but that version of the hero didn't seem to catch on.  That character, Delroy Garrett, eventually took on the 3-D Man name and appearance, but hasn't appeared very much since then.  I say bring the Agents of Atlas back with him as a member, just as his predecessor was.

Wonder Woman and Xena in: "Kang's For The Memories!"

 

I still think it's crazy that we have never seen a Wonder Woman animated series yet.  She certainly has an interesting enough supporting cast and rogues gallery to pull it off.  I'd love to see a show that explores her history from her origins through the various decades to the present day.

Wonder Woman and Xena previously shared a live action adventure in STF #2527...

The Sinister Six Vs. Nightwing

 

There was talk of a Nightwing movie in the works for a while, but I don't know if that project is alive anymore.  Perhaps if Batgirl is a hit with audiences, Warner Bros will take another look at the property.  Will there be a mention of Dick Grayson in that movie?  With Michael Keaton's Batman due to show up there, we might get a clue as to what the boy wonder's cinematic future holds.

Falcon and Dove

 

For the conclusion to our Three-Part Epic, we see that thankfully, Hank Hall's injuries were not fatal - but in the meantime, there's still work to be done!  It might be interesting to see how this pairing operates together without Hawk's participation.

Hawk & Dove and The Falcon (Part Two)

 

For the second part of our Three-Part Epic, we see that despite joining forces, the battle still has taken a tragic toll.  Dark times, indeed - but where will our heroes go from here?  make sure you come back tomorrow for the thrilling conclusion!

Hawk & Dove and The Falcon (Part One)

 

Presenting Part One of a Three-Part Epic!  I felt that it was time to put the bird themed heroes together.  The Falcon possesses skills that strike a nice balance between these two.  He battles with the ferocity of Hawk and the precision of Dove. Make sure you come back tomorrow for the middle chapter!

Miss America and Miss America

 

This is a pairing that I have been meaning to get to for years, and what better day to do so than today? I hope all of my USA visitors have a great holiday today, enjoying time with family and friends! For those outside the USA, I hope you have an awesome day too!

Blue Beetle and Wolverine

 

There was a rumor about Ted Kord showing up in the upcoming Blue Beetle movie, to be played by Jason Sudekis.  Alas it was quickly debunked, but the casting seems so perfect to me that I hope maybe fans can will it into existence like happened with John Krasinski as Reed Richards. Kord Industries will be playing a big role in the film, so I suppose there is still hope that he can show up.  Maybe just a mid-credits scene where he arrives to help Jaime Reyes with some kind of tech issue.

Astro Boy and Iron Man

 

I was watching the latest season of Stranger Things, and there was something about the new cast member, Joseph Quinn.  Then it hit me - he looks and acts like a young Robert Downey Jr.  I know Marvel is all into their de-aging technology, but if they ever want to have another Tony Stark a few years down the road, this actor might be able to pull it off on his own.

Sub-Mariner Vs. The Metal Men

 

There was mention of a Metal Men movie in the works a while back, but I would be shocked if that was not one of the many DC in-development projects scrapped as a result of the change in leadership at Warner Bros./Discovery.  Still, I hope they do eventually make it to the big screen.  Perhaps a Pixar-type CGI movie would be the way to go with Doc Magnus' team of robots.