Man-Thing Vs. Jonah Hex in: "Bayou Rematch!"

 

Man-Thing has clearly held that grudge for a while - These two first clashed way back in STF #394, over a decade ago. I've been meaning to get them back together for a while, I think if they learned to work together, they could be a decent team.

Bender and Iron Man

 

Futurama is back after several years with brand new episodes on Hulu.  I am looking forward to checking them out.  The original series run is one of the best cartoons ever made and I hope that they can maintain the high standard that was set.  The entire voice cast has returned, which is a big plus.

Robin and Mockingbird

 

Bobbi Morse had such success recruiting Nightwing into  S.H.I.E. L.D. in STF #4088, that it looks like she decided to also bring in the original Dick Grayson as a well! It's probably for the best, he's been looking for a new purpose after finding himself unstuck in the Multiverse as a result of battling Kang in STF #1744.

The Spectre and X-Factor

 

Jean Grey went from an innocent young mutant to arguably the X-Men's most powerful member.  She committed some terrible acts while under the influence of the Phoenix Force, however. Would the spirit of vengeance find her responsible for those deeds?  Finding out might make for an interesting issue.

Green Arrow & Black Canary Meet Archie and Betty & Veronica

 

Archie, Betty and Veronica were the original "guy checking out a cute girl walking by, thus upsetting the girl he's with" meme.  Archie didn't know how good he had it - no matter which of the two was on a date with him, he always thought the grass was greener elsewhere and his eyes and attention would wander.  Adding a Blonde Bombshell like Black Canary to the mix would be sure to complicate matters further.

Captain America and Karate Kid

 Concluding this three-part epic, we now see why Cap had to seek out the LSH's greatest combatant.  I remember as a kid thinking it was odd that out of all the Legionnaires, Karate Kid was the first to have his own solo title.  I guess DC was trying to cash in on the martial arts craze in the 70's and just used whoever they had that fit the bill.

Legion of Super-Heroes and Captain America (Part Two)

 

Presenting the middle chapter of a three-part epic!  We are starting to get an idea of what Captain America's secret mission entails - but just what is he drafting Val Armorr to do?  You'll have to make sure to come back tomorrow for the thrilling conclusion to find out!

Legion of Super-Heroes and Captain America (Part One)

 

Gil Kane is my favorite Marvel cover artist and he has worked with many talented inkers over the years, often to great effect.  Still, I always enjoyed seeing work that he inked himself,  There seemed to be an extra bit of raw power in the images when he did so.  

This is only Part One of a Three-Part tale - so make sure you come back tomorrow for the next exciting chapter!

Blue Beetle Vs. The Beetle in: "Beetle Battle Two!"

 

Every box office forecast I have seen for Blue Beetle indicates that it expected to be another DC movie dud.  The trailers look ok, I'm not sure why the movie isn't clicking with people.  Perhaps Warner Bros should not have announced a whole rebooted DCU before they were done releasing all the movies from the previous iteration.  James Gunn has indicated that Blue Beetle will be showing up in the new DCU even though his movie is not necessarily connected.  Yeah, I don't really get that either, maybe that's why it hasn't moved the needle.

The Beetle tangled with the Ted Kord Blue Beetle back in STF #2611...

Silver Surfer Vs. The Anti-Monitor

 

After I had The Anti-Monitor and Galactus battle in STF #1845, I thought it would only be natural for Norrin Radd to get into the fray. Would the promise of his home planet's survival be enough to turn the Surfer to his side?  The answer is just 60 cents away!

Wonder Woman Vs. Aliens

 

Diana and her fellow Amazonians are a formidable force that never shy away from battle, but a Xenomorph infestation of Paradise Island might really put them to the test.  Frankly, I'm surprised that DC and Dark Horse didn't produce this story for real when they were crossing Aliens over with Batman and Superman.

Bugs Bunny Vs. Doctor Doom

 

I'm not sure why I've been receiving requests for a Doom/Bugs match up, but here you go!  I'd love to see this tale animated.  Doom does play a great straight man, so it might be amusing watching him navigate the hijinks that would come his way.

I wanted Bugs in a suit of armor for this cover, so I used a still from the 1949 short Knights Must Fall, directed by Friz Freleng.  I was lucky enough to pick up a sketch by the legendary animator several years back:

Sgt. Rock and The Avengers

 

I was watching some of the new DC Documentary on Max last night and Andy Kubert mentioned that his father Joe was a lot like one of the characters he was most famous for working on - Sgt. Rock.  I can belive it, as Rock is know for being a leader who never gives up, leads through example and inspires those around him.  Kubert not only worked as an artist for almost 70 years, he began a school that ushered in a new age of artists to follow his lead.  That's just one more reason that I consider him to be the greatest comic book artist ever.

Daredevil and The Riddler

 

I'm still waiting to see a proper live action Riddler.  The Frank Gorshin/John Astin versions were perfect for the campy TV version of Batman, but I was disappointed to see a pink haired Jim Carrey hammily channeling those performances in Batman Forever rather than something closer to the comics. I liked Paul Dano in The Batman, but there they went way too far in the other direction.  Yes, there were clues and a question mark or two, but the villain seemed more like something from a Saw movie than any Riddler story I've ever read.  Cory Michael Smith in Gotham had his moments, but the villain never felt fully formed to me. Let's hope we eventually see a version that strikes the right balance between intellect, criminality, obsession and showmanship.

Static and Spider-Man in: "Along Came Reptilon!"

 

I quite enjoyed Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.  The animation was just as impressive as it was in the first installment, and even pushed the boundaries a bit more.  The new Spider-Men that were introduced were all entertaining, especially Spider-Punk.  If I have one complaint it is that the film ends abruptly on a cliffhanger - and it will be years before we see it resolved.  Still, well worth checking out.

Static met Peter Parker Spicer-Man in STF #3516...

Adam Strange and Ant-Man

 

Writers from Rick & Morty were hired to pen Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania, and... well, it felt like a Rick & Morty episode.  I kept thinking that if I saw some of the ideas and concepts on the Adult Swim cartoon, I probably would have enjoyed them a lot more.  In the movie, something didn't quite gel for me and it all came off a bit goofy and forgettable.  The talented cast that was assembled for the film deserved better.

The Atom Vs. The Kingpin

 

An oddball match up this time around to be sure, but I don't think that Wilson Fisk is the type to back down from any hero.  Ray Palmer's may have incredible abilities, but the Kingpin's resources are vast, there might be a fun battle to witness here.

Justice Society of America and Captain Britain (Part 2)

 

Continued from yesterday's cover, we are getting an idea of what Captain Britain's mission for the JSA entails.  I always enjoyed JSA or All-Star Squadron tales that included Batman, Wonder Woman and Superman.  The original trinity would often take a back seat to the other heroes, even in the Golden Age tales, so you really knew it was a major event when the whole crew showed up.

Justice Society of America and Captain Britain (Part One)

Frim the casting of Superman: Legacy, it appears the first official movie in James Gunn and Peter Safran's new DCU will present a world that is already filled with superheroes.  What does that mean for the JSA?  Will they have existed in this timeline?  Ideally I'd love to see a proper World War Two era JSA movie at some point.  Throw in  some kind of suspended animation at the end and you they can bring whatever JSA'ers they want into present day adventures as well.

This is only Part One of a Two-Part Epic, so make sure you come back here tomorrow for the thrilling conclusion!

 

Star Trek: The Next Generation Vs. Galactus

 

Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the Enterprise have successfuly dealt with a lot of powerful entities through diplomacy and strategy.  Still, I think that Galactus would give them a run for their money.  It would be fun to see what negotiations between them and the World Devourer would look like - especially when those talks break down.