Arnim Zola and The Penguin

If you told me a year ago that these two villains would each make memorable live action appearances I would not have believed it, and yet that has come to pass.  Arnim Zola's unexpected involvement in Captain America: The Winter Soldier was the highlight of the film for me, and that's saying a lot.  Robin Lord Taylor's performance as a young Penguin beginning his criminal empire on Gotham has been entertaining as well, and I look forward to seeing where he winds up by the end of the season.

The Creeper and Moon Knight

You have to be at least a little nuts to dress in a costume and go out to fight crime, so it's always appealing to me when a hero is at home with that aspect of their personalities.  The Creeper is one such character, and I got a kick out of the joy with which he approached his dual life.

B'Wana Beast and Conan

OK, nobody really demanded this one but I thought it would be fun to give B'wana Beast a cover appearance.  Like many, I always thought he was goofy even by comic book standards with his crazy costume and weird power to combine animals.  The folks behind Batman: The Brave and the Bold clearly had a soft spot for the character, and gave him a cool arc that continued throughout the series, which made me appreciate him - once again proving that all any character needs is a polish and a fresh take every now and then.

Black Canary and The Fantastic Four

I have been wondering if the new Black Canary on Arrow would possess the famous canary cry and I got my answer, sort of, on the most recent episode.  Her debut was a very brief one, but it began with a bunch of thugs being rocked by a high pitched sonic attack.  Granted, it seemed like an electronic equivalent to the super-power, but it was a nice nod to the comics.  Hopefully she will gain the actual ability somewhere down the line.

The Tarantula Vs. The Tarantula

Even though it never got to see a lot of action, I always liked the updated costume that Jerry Ordway gave The Tarantula when he appeared in All-Star Squadron.  It's not easy to come up with a cool spider related design that does not remind the viewer of Spider-Man, but Ordway succeeded .

Creature Crew

For this team I wanted to assemble a bunch of characters that would have no problem confronting the type of menaces that are just too spooky or creepy-crawly for the rest of us. After what all of these guys have been through, I don't see them flinching at much.  Any conflict the team might have would probably come from Mulder, who would want to understand  the menaces they face rather than just kick their butts like the rest of his teammates.

The Hulk and Elfquest

Even though it preceded a very cool moment, I was a little confused at Bruce Banner's "I'm always angry" comment at the end of The Avengers.  Does he now have the ability to switch to the Hulk at will if that's the case? Does he no longer have to be in a state of extreme emotion?  Hopefully this will be expanded upon in the upcoming sequel, where The Hulk is said to have a larger role.

Sandman Vs. Freddy Krueger

I'm not a huge fan of slasher films, but the Nightmare on Elm Street series was fun for me to watch with my friends as a teen.  I liked that Freddy Krueger had a twisted sense of humor that set him apart from other horror villains.  There was some interesting art design in the dream sequences as well.  I don't remember much about Freddy's victims, except that I think one was Johnny Depp and there was a kid named Kincaid that showed up in a few of the films and had some funny lines.

The Watcher and Charlie Brown

I have been wanting to use this title for a long time, I just had to find a concept that went with it.  It really bothered me that Marvel decided to kill off the Watcher in one of their recent events.  It looks like the Marvel Universe will be changing soon though, when it gets smooshed with the Ultimate Marvel Universe.  Maybe Uatu will get another chance at life when all is said and done.

Batman and Spider-Man in "Larceny At Ladies' Night!"

I remember being excited at the prospect of a live action Spider-Man back in the 70's, but when I finally saw the Nicholas Hammond-starring TV-movies I was a bit underwhelmed.  The suit was OK even with the clunky web-shooter, and it was cool to see Peter Parker interacting with J. Jonah Jameson, but it still didn't feel very much like the Spidey I knew from the comics.  The lack of any super-villains hurt it for me and the many re-used shots made the shows feel cheap even for the standards of the day to me.  Why they never crossed him over with The Hulk I will never know.

Batman and Spider-Man have a bit of history on STF: The Lost Issues...

Spidey and JJJ joined forces against Batman in Issue #937...
They were joined by some Amazing Friends in back in October 2011...
The shared a Golden Age adventure in September 2011...
Spidey wore his black outfit for their  July 2010 meeting...
And here is where they first crossed paths.

Green Lantern Vs. Groot

Groot was understandably the breakout star of Guardians of the Galaxy.  I was very happy with how well realized the character was, from his appearance, to his personality and varied use of his abilities.  I don't know anyone who can watch the final 30 seconds of the film for the first time without smiling.  Even his limited dialogue was used wisely.  I figured that Groot would really give the original Green Lantern a run for his money, given his ring's inability to affect wood.

Superman and Ka-Zar & Shanna

I like that Marvel could have their cake and eat it too when it came to Ka-Zar and Shanna.  With the Savage Land setting, they could tell Tarzan-type tales away from civilization, and then they could also have their jungle characters interacting with their more mainstream roster of super heroes.  The story possibilities

Elasti-Girl and Elastigirl

The Incredibles is one of my favorite Pixar films, and that is saying a lot because I pretty much like them all.  A sequel has finally been announced. and I hope that they can meet the high standards of the first installment.  Pixar has a decent track record for sequels - Sure, Cars 2 was not as great as their usual fare, but I thoroughly enjoyed the follow ups to Toy Story and Monsters, Inc.  I am curious as to how much further down the road the Incredibles sequel will pick the story up.  Will they consider the real world time that has passed, or tell a tale that takes place only a short time after the events of the first film?

Man-Bat and Tigra

It's high time comic fans got to see both of these heroes in live action.  Now that Batman will be mixing it up with super powered allies on the big screen, there's no reason Man-Bat shouldn't make an appearance in his inevitable next solo film.  Tigra could be a good fit for either The Avengers or Agents of SHIELD on TV.  Special effects technology is finally at a place where these characters would look great onscreen.  I wonder which one will make it there first?

Doctor Doom and Darth Vader

I always felt that Darth Vader had to be inspired at least a little bit by Doctor Doom.  The mask hiding a scarred face, the cape, the power and attitude... there is definitely a connection between these two.  It's too bad that we can't seem to get a proper Doctor Doom on the big screen.

Batman and The Partridge Family

The cover is the result of a request/challenge from Michael Eury, Editor of the always awesome Back Issue Magazine.  I only have vague memories of The Partridge Family - it didn't make much of an impression on me other than liking some of the music and the fact that I kind of looked like a young Danny Bonaduce (we have since gone in different directions).  Still, this idea was too weird not to try.  Thanks for the suggestion, Michael!

Storm Vs. The Weather Wizard

It's been fun watching Barry Allen's rogues gallery growing on The Flash.  The announcement that Mark Hamill will be reprising his role as The Trickster was a pleasant surprise.  The first episode featured The Weather Wizard, who has a brother waiting to take up the mantle in a future installment.  Now that Captain Cold and others have been introduced as well, I look forward to them joining forces with one another to give The Flash a tough time, just as they have in the comics.

Solomon Grundy Vs. Man-Thing

Both of these characters are known to hang out in swamp lands, so you know it was just a matter of time before the crossed paths.  Man-Thing is a tough customer, but I think that Grundy would give him more of a challenge than most of his opponents do.  Whatever knows fear burns at the man-Thing's touch, but Solomon Grundy does not strike me as one who succumbs to fear very often.  The fact that he is continually reborn means he probably does not even fear death and would fight to the very end.

Robocop Vs. Judge Dredd

When STF Patron Tom Zilla suggested this pairing, I was kind of surprised I hadn't featured it yet.  Dredd and Robocop do seem to be a natural team-up.  A pretty close battle as well - I'm really not sure who would come out on top if these two were at odds.  I would be a blast to read anout, tnough!  Thanks for the inspiration, Tom!

Iron Man Vs. Lex Luthor in "It's Just Business!" (Part 2)

Continued from yesterday's cover, it never pays to ignore Superman's advice.

Jess Eisenberg as Lex Luthor in the upcoming Batman V Superman is the one casting choice that I am still a little nervous about.  I know that Eisenberg does well at playing intellectual, calculating characters, but will he be imposing enough to stand up to Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill in full costume?  I'm not even sure which Lex we are going to get - Will it be the billionaire business mogul pulling the strings, or will we see him don a power suit to enter the action himself?  Whatever they do with the character, let's hope they stay away from shady land deals for once.