Doctor Strange Vs. Lex Luthor

 

Like many, I was entertained but slightly disappointed with Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness.  There were some fun action scenes but I didn't care for the cannon fodder cameos and wanted much more madness out of the multiverse than we got.  I think Marvel is waiting for Avengers: Secret Wars before they go really crazy with the multiverse stunt casting stuff.  For a much better movie about variants and multiple realities, I highly recommend Everything Everywhere All At Once. That was incredibly creative and interesting, not to mention touching and funny on a much smaller budget.  It's starting to get noticed now that awards season is rolling around, so I am hopeful that more people will discover it.

Green Lantern and The Vision in: "The Mad March of Mister Universe!"

 

The last I read about the ever-changing Green Lantern show on HBO Max is that is was being retooled into a John Stewart focused series.  I don't know if that is still the case now that James Gunn and Peter Safran have been tasked with charting out a 10-year interconnected plan for the DCU.  Hopefully when everything shakes out, John, Hal and the rest of the Corps will have places of prominence.

The Vision met up with Hal Jordan in STF #607, and then with a couple of co-stars in STF #3019...

Ka-Zar and Starfire

 

This is another unlikely combo, but when I think about it, Koriand'r might like visiting The Savage Land.  She's right at home in brutal, unforgiving environments but would also have an appreciation for all the beauty that is there as well.  She would have not a problem finding sparring partners to hone her warrior skills. Plus, the folks that live there dress in even skimpier outfits than she does.

The Rocketeer and Hawkman

 

There's been talk of sequels or reboots of The Rocketeer for years now, but nothing has seemed to really come of them.  Maybe it's for the  best - the original film is a classic and would be pretty hard to improve upon, in my opinion.  I'd prefer to see that version get a polish though - a nice high quality transfer with maybe some tweaks to the few flying sequences that don't quite hold up to today's visual effects standards.

Vigilante and Nova

 

This is the kind of oddball team up that I really liked to see as a kid. These are two heroes that I would have never put together, but upon seeing them in an action scene, I'd simply have to find out just what was going on.  

Time for another behind the scenes peek.  Vigilante's original partner in this scene had to be removed and replaced - not to mention his lasso... here's a look at the process:

Hyperion and The Atom Vs. Brainiac

 

There have been reports of Marvel looking for a leading man type to play the antagonist in the upcoming Thunderbolts movie, an extremely powerful character that they are reportedly considering Ryan Gosling (or someone like him) to portray.  Some have speculated that this is Hyperion, while others think it will be The Sentry.  I think The Sentry is more likely as well.  I'd love to see Hyperion join the MCU - but he would ideally have the rest of the Squadron Supreme with him so that a full on slugfest with The Avengers can go down.

Doctor Doom Vs. The Demon in "Hell Hunt!"

 

The strongest character designs are those that even look impressive from the back.  Jack Kirby was such a master at creating costumes and armor that his creations looked great at any angle.  

Doctor Doom and The Demon first crossed paths way back in STF #739...

Spider-Woman and Batgirl

 

I spider-Woman the first Super-Heroine to ever get her own animated TV series?  I think she just may be, and it's more impressive that it came out only a couple of years after her comic book debut.  It's still odd to me that Wonder Woman has never had her own cartoon.

These two may have to do a little more than search the city.  Regular visitors to this blog know that Jim Gordon was called to the planet Mongo in STF #2535... 

The Hulk and The Six Million Dollar Man

 

Now if this was a movie of the week when I was growing up, there would have been nothing to stop me from watching it.  There were very few live action super-heroes to be found, so even though he wasn't from the comics, I counted Steve Austin as one of them.  Pair him up with and actual Marvel hero, throw in some guest stars and that would have been a true recipe for action in my young eyes.

Zatanna and Agatha Harkness

 

We are starting to hear some news about the upcoming Disney+ series Agatha: House of Harkness with the casting of Aubrey Plaza in a thus far unnamed role.  I have no idea what the plat of the show will be, but I enjoyed Kathryn Hahn quite a bit in Wanda/Vision, so I am looking forward to seeing what trouble she gets into.  Will Wanda herself make an appearance after the events of Multiverse of Madness?  I haven't heard that yet, but she's sure to be a presence story-wise at least, I'm betting.

John Wick and Krypto

 

The John Wick movies are entertaining in that they can usually be counted on for some very inventively staged action scenes, but I have to admit I find them a little hard to take seriously.  These "World's best assassin must come out of retirement because all the other assassins in the assassin guild are out to assassinate him, so he has to assassinate them first" type movies are usually a bit over the top, but this franchise takes it to a whole new level. In fights, Wick never seems to miss and the bad guys never seem to hit him.  Law enforcement never seems to notice the trail of bodies in his wake. Still, as long as I think of these movies as live action cartoons, I can enjoy them - I'll definitely check out the fourth installment.

Blue Devil and Banshee

 

In the comments section of a previous Blue Devil cover, Mike Shirley (a Patron of this Blog), suggested that Dan and Sean Cassidy may share a familial relation, and the idea appealed to me.  Thank you, Mike!  I've always like both characters and Banshee is that rare Ginger superhero that was actually portrayed by a Ginger in the movies.  It was a youthified version that was murdered off screen before the sequel hit, but at least they tried.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vs. Starro

 

Continued from yesterday's cover, we see just which JLA villain that the Guardians had set their sights on.  James Gunn has given us versions of all of these characters as supporting characters in his movies for Marvel and DC.  It might have been fun to see them go up against each other on the big screen.  Just as long as the conclusion to the battle isn't as disgusting as the one depicted in The Suicide Squad.  Yuck!

Justice League of America and Guardians of the Galaxy in "Cross-Time Favor!"

 

Another Two-Part Epic begins here! I have not heard any word on whether the Original Guardians of the Galaxy will show up again in James Gunn's third volume of the movie series, but since it will be his last outing for Marvel, I hope he finds a way to include them.  Now, which JLA enemy have they shown up on this cover to help defeat?  Make sure you come back tomorrow to find out!

These two teams also shared an adventure back in STF #2018...

Mephisto Vs. 4 Famous Co-Stars

 

Continued from yesterday's cover, we see that Ghost Rider has joined the fray. This crew has some history together.  Johnny Blaze first met Evel Knievel  way back in STF #74, they joined forces again to battle Mephisto in STF #376, and later both joined the team Rolling Thunder in STF #1115.  Batman and Ghost Rider confronted Mephisto back on one of my very first covers,  a lost B&B Tale from 2010.

Here's a peek behind the making of this cover, I needed a lot more flames before I could add the heroes in: 

Silver Surfer, Batman and Evel Knievel

 

Presenting Part One of a Two-Part Epic!  Will this trio of heroes be enough to take on Mephisto?   They'll need to call in another recruit for tomorrow's confrontation, and longtime STF visitors may have an idea as to who...

Batman and the Silver Surfer crossed paths on this blog a couple of times in the past over a decade ago - they first met in 2010 and then starred in a retro tale in 2011...

Make sure you come back tomorrow for the exciting conclusion!

The Graveyard Shift (In The House of Secrets!)

 

The Sandman on Netflix has been renewed for another season, and I look forward to seeing more of Neil Gaiman's tales adapted for live action.  I hope to see more of Cain & Abel and their Houses of Mystery and Secrets, I enjoyed their appearances in the first season.

This is the second appearance of The Graveyard Shift.  They first appeared in STF #3290...

The Rhino Vs. Killer Croc

 

Brutes like these two may not be the most complex villains around, but you can usually count on them to provide some good action scenes.  It might be fun to watch them go up against each other... just don't expect a lot of thought provoking dialogue.

Blue Beetle and Captain America (Vs. The Hate Monger!)

 

A Blue Beetle/Booster Gold buddy movie was one of the many ideas floated by Warner Bros in the last decade that never seemed to go anywhere.  Now that there's new leadership for DCU films and given James Gunn's fondness for everyman type heroes, maybe there's a chance that this one could get back on track. 

Cap last appeared with Ted Kord under a mountain in STF #1741 and they two first met way back in STF #234. Cap met Blue Beetle Dan Garrett in STF #1078... 

Black Panther and Mickey Mouse

 

I haven't had a chance to see Black Panther: Wakanda Forever yet, but I am looking forward to it.  I really liked Shuri and M'Baku from the first film and hope to see them both with larger roles this time around.  I'm still not sold on Namor, we'll see if the writing and performance can overcome the fact that he looks absolutely nothing like the comic book character.

I am very happy to use the work of Fred Hembeck on this cover.  Back in 2008, I commissioned him to recreate one of my all-time favorite covers, and he knocked it out of the park - he even hand drew the logo: