Friday, December 10, 2010

The Thing and Deathstroke, The Terminator



Deathstroke is one of the cooler villains in the DCU. I really loved his original appearances in New Teen Titans especially the whole Judas Contract saga. I must say that I wasn't crazy about him becoming somewhat of an anti-hero in his own title though. That's a trend that never seems to work with me in comics, whether its with Deathstroke, Magneto, Venom and so forth. Sometimes a villain's reformation can be handled well, but it never rings true with the really despicable types. Fortunately, Deathstroke seems to have returned to his throughly villainous roots, and that's just how I prefer him.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

The Thing and Death



I remember discussing how Death and the rest of the Sandman related characters had fallen off of the map since the flagship title ended when I posted my Batman/Death cover. Well since then, Death has finally made another appearance - in Action Comics of all places! I for one am glad that the embargo on Vertigo characters crossing over into the standard DCU has finally been lifted after so many years. I think that restriction just limited the characters as a whole. Swamp Thing especially has never appealed to me in his Vertigo titles nearly as much as when he was firmly rooted (rooted - heh) in the mainstream DC continuity. I am hoping he returns in an ongoing series soon, and I hope that Death and company will make appearances a bit more often in the coming years.

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

The Thing and Deadman



Deadman is one of those characters that I will pretty much follow through any title he appears in. I have always loved his look and his unique perspective on things. I am very happy that his profile has risen so much in recent years, with his apperances on the animated JLU and Batman: The Brave and Bold shows and a prominent role in the Blackest Night and Brightest Day series. Another reason to love Deadman is the great artists that have illustradted his adventures - Adams, Aparo, Garcia-Lopez... he really brought out the best in them. I wasn't crazy about the Kelley Jones emaciated version, but I have to admit it was an interesting spin on the look.

Deadman is another property that I feel could be easily developed for television. It's tailor made for a Quantum Leap-type show. They would probably discard his trapeze uniform and mask though, which would be too bad, because it looks so cool!

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

The Thing and Darkseid



Darkseid is arguably the premier villain of the DCU. While characters like Luthor or the Joker have more popularity and mainstream recognition, Darkseid serves more as a line-wide threat than they do. He can back up that reputation, too - Kirby went beyond even Dr. Doom and Darkseid not only has a country under his dominion, but an entire planet! His great setting and menacing visual make him ideal for animation, and indeed he has shown up on many of DC's animated series and direct to video movies. He is also the main villain behind the final season of Smallville. Thus far they have only shown him in a quick effects shot at the end of the premier episode. Hopefully when he is revealed in full, he will maintain his impressive appearance from the comics..

Monday, December 6, 2010

The Thing and Cyborg



I was interested to hear of a potential Raven series in the works for the CW Network. I am sure this is yet another attempt to cash in on the Twilight audience, but it is nice to see DC thinking about using it's characters in different iterations. Of the New Teen Titans, I think Cyborg could make for a cool solo TV series. The effects shouldn't be too tough to pull off and it could be kept relatively street level for a TV budget. Who knows, if Raven gets off the ground and is a hit they will pull in related guest stars from the comics like Smallville has and they will fin a place for Vic Stone. I haven't heard if he will appear on the new Young Justice animated series or not, but I hope so, as I really like the look of that show.

Friday, December 3, 2010

The Thing and Concrete



As soon as I decided to do some MTIO covers, this team-up was a no-brainer. It would make a fun story too, because the two characters could not be more different beyond the initial visual impression.

I had heard good thing's about Paul Chadwick's Concrete for a long time, so I picked up a copy of Concrete: The Complete Short Stories, and was absolutely floored. The artwork was beautiful, especially when depicting what Concrete sees with his enhanced vision. The stories were all very thought provoking, too. I must have read that whole TPB in one sitting, and I soon acquired all of Concrete's other appearances. I haven't seen a new mini-series in a couple of years though - I really hope that another is forthcoming soon. Concrete is one of those comics that I like to give to my non-comic reading friends to try.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

The Thing and Booster Gold



Booster Gold is a character that has really been reinvented well in the past several years. I didn't really pay much attention to him when his self titled series first hit, other than guest appearances here and there. When he joined the JLA and formed a friendship with Blue Beetle, his personality really started to come through. Still he was often seen as a buffoon or a lightweight. I am so glad that Geoff Johns, Dan Jurgens and others chose to not just have him settle for that status, ad gave him the great new role of protecting the timeline. It opens up so many story possibilities and gives him a crucial part in the DCU. Best of all, since he has to do his work in relative secret, most other characters still see him as the "old" Booster - which means we don't have to stop seeing his more humorous side. His current series is lots of fun and serves as an example of how all most b-list heroes need is a coat of polish and a new spin every now and then.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

The Thing and Blue Devil



I was a fan of the Blue Devil series when it first hit. It was the type of title that we don't see enough of these days - a character that existed within regular continuity that didn't take itself quite as seriously as the rest of the line. Blue Devil's stories were about action, magic, and most of all, fun! I thought the slick art of Paris Cullins set the perfect tone for the title.

Blue Devil has maintained a presence in the DCU through his memberships in JLA and Shadowpact. While I am glad he is still out there, I do feel that something has been lost along the way. He has been made a lot edgier in appearance and personality, and most of the whimsy of the character is gone. While he is still interesting to read about, I feel that this tonal shift makes him a little less unique - there are plenty of big strong tough guys around already.

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

The Thing and Blue Beetle



Here's another guy who would fit right in at Ben's poker table. Ted is still deceased in the comics but is one of the harder working dead guys in the business what with flashbacks, time travel stories and his appearance on Batman: The Brave and the Bold. It's nice to see him getting some post-death visibility, but hopefully DC will bring him back for real one of these days.

Apparently, the new Blue Beetle (Jaime Reyes) will be making an upcoming appearance on Smallville this season. That will be interesting to see, I hope it is handled well. I did see some supposed test footage that was floating around, but that may be from a separately proposed project.

Monday, November 29, 2010

The Thing and Blackhawk



I was aware of Blackhawk from their guest appearances in more superhero themed magazines, but it wasn't until the co-feature in Action Comics Weekly that I began to follow the characters. I liked the personality that Howard Chaykin gave to Janos Prohaska and really enjoyed the sleek art of Rick Burchett on that series.

With its international flavor and wartime action, this is another property that could find success on the big screen, if handled cleverly enough. I could see it working as a period piece or even updated for the present day.

Friday, November 26, 2010

The Thing and Black Lightning



I still think it is a crime that Black Lightning was not used on The Super Friends and they instead decided to feature the copycat Black Vulcan. I think that if they had gone with the real deal then Jefferson Pierce could have really hit the big time as far as public awareness goes. I have enjoyed this character throughout the years, beginning with his original series by Tony Isabella. I also quite liked Isabella's second run on the character with the great moody pencils by Eddie Newell. Black Lightning was utilized well in the Outsiders and even though it was cool that he finally got his shot as a member of the JLA, I am glad to see him back with his first team. I encourage fans of the character to seek out the recent mini-series Black Lightning: Year One, by Jen Van Mateer and Cully Hamner. It was my favorite of the recent "Year One" titles and Hamner really knocked it our of the park with the art. I'd love to see him work on the character again.

Thursday, November 25, 2010

The Thing and Birds of Prey



I think it's only fitting that Ben meets the Birds on Thanksgiving! I hope you all have had a wonderful day filled with turkey, family and football!

I think The Birds of Prey is one of the best concepts that DC has come up with in years. I have truly enjoyed their adventures, which have had solid tales by Gail Simone and Chuck Dixon that strike a great balance between action and characterization. It's another team book that serves as a worthy home for characters that might not be able to generate the sales for a solo title. I love the fact that Lady Blackhawk has found a new lease on life there, for instance. The addition of Hawk and Dove in the most recent series is a very welcome one, as well. The art can be a bit too cheesecake for my taste at times, but don't let that put you off the title - it's always been very dependable.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

The Thing and Big Guy & Rusty, The Boy Robot



I think that Geoff Darrow is one of the most amazing artists ever to work in comics. It's a shame that he doesn't do more work, but maybe not all that surprising since the art he provides is so incredibly meticulous and detailed. I could stare at his pages from Big Guy or Hard Boiled for hours. There was a short lived cartoon series featuring Big Guy and Rusty several years back. I was very cool to see Darrow's creations in motion, even in simplified form. I know that Darrow does a lot of film concept work, but I hope he returns with a new comic book project one of these days - I know I would definitely be first in line for it!

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

The Thing and Big Barda



One of the reasons that I wanted to use Thing as the new host of this cover project was that I wanted to see if I could do some Kirby/Kirby mash-ups using some of his creations from his time at DC. Here is the first one, I have a few more all-Kirby covers waiting in the wings as well.

I was happy to see Big Barda get a lot of screen time in the recent Superman/Batman: Apocalypse animated feature. Smallville is having a Darkseid-centric season this year, so maybe she will pop up there too. The Fourth World characters seem to still be in limbo at DC for the time being, but it's only a matter of time before they are dusted off and utilized again. Hopefully when that happens, Barda and Scott Free will be front and center.

Monday, November 22, 2010

The Thing and Back to the Future



The caption I used on the Batman Beyond cover got me thinking of whether I could make a cover utilizing BTTF and this is what I came up with. I loved the film when it was first released, I still remember my brother driving me and my friends to go see it. I am even a fan of the sequels (although they missed reaching the heights of the first installment by not including Crispin Glover's character). I'm thinking Ben could introduce Doc Brown to Reed Richards and by combining Doom's time platform with the DeLorean, epic adventures would ensue!

Friday, November 19, 2010

The Thing and Batman Beyond



I would really love to see a Batman Beyond feature film. I have a feeling that Christopher Nolan is going to be saying goodbye to Batman after The Dark Knight Rises, so BB would be a good film to follow it up with. I already have the perfect casting in mind for Bruce Wayne: Clint Eastwood. All they would have to do is adapt the first few episodes of the animated series and you have cinema gold, right there.

It's nice to see the world of Batman Beyond enduring through the character's new ongoing self titled solo series. DC has been smart about taking what works well in their properties' TV and film efforts and weaving them into the comic continuity. Terry McGuiness, Harley Quinn and most recently Chloe Sullivan have all made the leap, and I am sure we will see more in the future.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

The Thing and The Outsiders



Well, it looks like Ben settled into his new role! As I wrote yesterday, I am glad to see the the full team is finally back in action in the current Outsiders title. This is especially true for Halo and Katana. There are still far too few women heroes that aren't simply female versions of pre-existing male characters. It was a shame that Gabrielle and Tatsu were neglected for so many years. I hope their stock continues to rise. It was very fun to see the Outsiders team in action on a recent episode of Batman: The Brave and the Bold. Toobad it was just for the opening pre-credits segment, it really made me want more!

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

The Thing and Batman and The Outsiders



I remember being very disappointed when I first found out that The Brave and the Bold was being cancelled with issue #200 and creators Mike W. Barr and Jim Aparo would be moving on to a new team series. B&B was my favorite series ever and it should be clear by now that it was quite missed once it was gone. I still loved Aparo though and would follow him anywhere, so after reading the preview story from the final issue of B&B, I gladly began to follow the new series. I loved it, first of all, it included Metamorpho and Black Lightning, two of my favorite DC characters that I felt had been woefully under-used up to that point. I also liked all three new characters, Geo-Force, Katana and especially Halo. Barr infused them all with interesting personalities that bounced off of Batman in different ways.

The Outsiders I don't think ever really fully rebounded since Batman first left the team. There have been a few re-imaginings, but I am glad that the most recent version is very close to the original team. I quite like the addition of The Creeper, I think he fits right in. Hopefully, now that Batman is back and more opening to work with partners, he will fight alongside his former allies once again.

By the way, this story is continued... Part Two is coming tomorrow!

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

The Thing and Batgirl



When people talk about which comic costumes have been best translated to screen, they always seem to overlook Yvonne Craig's excellent Batgirl outfit from the 60's Batman series. Not only did it look exactly like the comic version, I don't think anyone has looked as good in a superhero costume since.

I am torn on the whole Barbara Gordon issue. I really don't like what Alan Moore did to the character in The Killing Joke, but I must say that her re-emergence as Oracle has been one of the coolest character arcs in all of comics and makes for a very unique hero. There are so few superheroes with disabilities that it would be a shame now to magically heal her, which DC has resisted thus far. That said, the Batgirls that have replaced her haven't really captured my attention. I really liked the idea of Commissioner Gordon's daughter as Batman's partner. I'm not sure there's any way to have it both ways other than feature Babs Batgirl in "untold stories" from time to time.

Monday, November 15, 2010

The Thing and Army of Darkness



I've never been a huge fan of gory horror films, so I never sought out the Evil Dead films when they were first released. Finally, a friend sat me down and had me watch Evil Dead 2. It was absolutely nothing like I had expected it to be. I thought it was great! I loved the inventiveness of the action and crazy camera shots. It made me a true Sam Raimi fan. Plus, Bruce Campbell as Ash really put 150% into his performance and earned his coolness pedigree right there.

I think Ben Grimm would enjoy battling the undead with Ash. They are both unimpressed and unafraid when faced with creatures that would make most of us head for the hills, and they both like to get off a few choice one-liners as they kick butt.

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