My dad would sometimes play cassette tapes of old radio dramas on camping trips and that was my first exposure to The Shadow. I later saw a comic that had him appear with Batman and thought it was great... one of the first times I began to think about unlikely team ups and how fun they can be. The Alec Baldwin Shadow movie is a guilty pleasure for me, I like to pop it in every couple of years. I must say that even though I get a kick out of the film it doesn't really seem like The Shadow to me, save for an early scene where he confronts gangsters on a bridge. I am glad the kept with the appropriate time period, but I would still like to see an adaptation that really digs into the noir roots of the character. I have heard rumblings of a new cinematic version of The Shadow and it will be interesting to see what kind of take a new interpretation will have.
Friday, June 24, 2011
The Thing and the Shadow
My dad would sometimes play cassette tapes of old radio dramas on camping trips and that was my first exposure to The Shadow. I later saw a comic that had him appear with Batman and thought it was great... one of the first times I began to think about unlikely team ups and how fun they can be. The Alec Baldwin Shadow movie is a guilty pleasure for me, I like to pop it in every couple of years. I must say that even though I get a kick out of the film it doesn't really seem like The Shadow to me, save for an early scene where he confronts gangsters on a bridge. I am glad the kept with the appropriate time period, but I would still like to see an adaptation that really digs into the noir roots of the character. I have heard rumblings of a new cinematic version of The Shadow and it will be interesting to see what kind of take a new interpretation will have.
Labels:
Marvel Comics,
Marvel Two-In-One,
Team Up,
The Shadow,
The Thing
Thursday, June 23, 2011
The Thing and The Seven Soldiers of Victory
I first discovered the Seven Soldiers of Victory with their Silver Age reintroduction in the Pages of Justice League of America. I fondly remember that storyline because it also featured the JSA who and Metamorpho helping the JLA to find the time-lost SSOV. I had never seen so many characters together in one story, it really blew my young mind. As with the JSA, I would love to see some new stories featuring tales of the Seven Soldiers of Victory while they were still in their prime. The last time I saw them in action was the pages of All-Star Squadron, and that was decades ago. Grant Morrison recently revamped the Seven Soldiers concept, and that had some nice moments - but give me the original crew any day!
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
The Thing and The Secret Six
Secret Six is one of those fun books to come out of the last decade that will unfortunately be a victim of the DCU reboot, and that's too bad. I really liked what Gail Simone did to flesh out characters like Bane, Deadshot and Catman and the book had a wickedly fun dark sense of humor to it. Of course, there is some solace in the fact that there is a new Suicide Squad book amongst the reboot titles, and hopefully that will strike some of the same notes that Secret Six was popular for. Other than Deadshot, I don't know if any of the other characters from SS will apear in it.
Labels:
Cat-Man,
DC Comics,
Deadshot,
Marvel Comics,
Marvel Two-In-One,
Secret Six,
Team Up,
The Thing
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
The Thing and The Savage Dragon
This one was a request from Savage Dragon creator Erik Larsen, so how could I refuse? The Dragon would be another character that would fit in on a Ben Grimm poker night. I wonder if Larsen knew that his creation would endure for so long when he started drawing pictures of The Dragon as a young kid? I had a whole stable of heroes myself: Alastor the Avenger, Sonic Man, The Gimmick, Clay, and Machine Man (I was crushed when I found out there was already a character with that name!) Alas, they never made it past my grade school years, so I have to hand it to Larsen for keeping his childhood character alive and thriving.
Monday, June 20, 2011
The Thing and The Sandman
As a big fan of the suit and gas mask outfit that Wesley Dodds is most well known for, I always favored it over the far more traditional superhero outfit that he wore for a time when he took on a sidekick, Sandy. That said, those tales feature some great early Jack Kirby artwork, so there is still certainly a lot to appreciate there. Sandman, along with the rest of the JSA is apparently being given a rest for a while while the DC Reboot launches. I hope it isn't too long before they see action again - they are great characters still with a lot of story potential.
Friday, June 17, 2011
The Thing and The Rocketeer
I felt like doing a cover that was an unofficial crossover to Crisis on Infinite Earths, a series that blew my mind back in high school (note the red sky). Company wide crossovers have become all too commonplace since the original Crisis, but at the time it was so new and exciting to me, I literally couldn't wait for the next issue.
I still love the movie adaptation of The Rocketeer and Joe Johnston did such a good job with that period piece superhero movie, that I have high hopes for his take on Captain America.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
The Thing and the Question
I never really followed The Question that closely, only picking up a couple of issues of his series. it wasn't until his appearances on Justice League Unlimited that I really started to take notice. I really liked his characterization on that show. Unfortunately that was right about the time that DC decided to kill him off and replace him with Renee Montoya. I think this was a double mistake because not only did we lose Vic Sage, but Montoya was dramatically altered. I liked her much better as a supporting character in the Batman Universe.
Labels:
DC Comics,
Marvel Comics,
Marvel Two-In-One,
Team Up,
The Question,
The Thing,
Vic Sage
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
The Thing and The Phantom
Well, it looks like SYFY's Phantom pilot did not get picked up to be an ongoing series, and perhaps that's for the best. I had no problem with the current day setting given that the Phantom mantle is passed down from generation to generation, but the lead actor and especially the costume really needed some work. I still think it is a strong concept and hope that this less than successful attempt will deter others from taking a crack at adapting the character.
Labels:
Marvel Comics,
Marvel Two-In-One,
Team Up,
The Phantom,
The Thing
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
The Thing and The Phantom Stranger
The Phantom Stranger is another character that I was drawn to due to the incredible artwork of Jim Aparo. I liked how he seemed to keep one foot in the mystery/suspense genre and the other in the more traditional superhero world. Another cool thing was how his role in each story changed from tale to tale. Sometimes he would be the main driving protagonist, and other times he was more of an observer, doling out a few key pieces of advice. His back story has always been shrouded in mystery, and I think that is very fitting for the character. He hasn't had a very high profile lately, but with the Vertigo characters being woven back into the DCU and some of the new titles that have been announced I think the time is right for The Phantom Stranger to make a return.
Monday, June 13, 2011
The Thing and The New Teen Titans
Marv Wolfman and George Perez run on The New Teen Titans is comics at their best. It really set the standard for DC titles at the time. I remember being disappointed when Perez was taken off of JLA after only a handful of issues because that I think he is the perfect match for that title, but NTT was so good, I was quickly won over. It is too bad that the Teen Titans were never quite able to reach the same critical heights after Wolfman and Perez left though. The core team from their run has been scattered around, and I really like them best when they are featured together. I checked out the promotional images from the latest Teen Titans reboot and while I was hoping for a return of a more traditional team, it seems that DC is going in a different direction. Oh well, at least I have the long-awaited Wolfman/Perez NTT graphic novel, Games, to look forward to.
Friday, June 10, 2011
The Thing and The Metal Men
Out of all of DC's properties, I think that The Metal Men have the best potential for translation to children's animation. A team of brightly colored robots that can transform into anything, each with their own distinct personalities? Sounds like the perfect recipe to me. Their stories are exciting but light hearted and best of all educational... I really think DC is missing a sure thing by not pitching a series to Nickelodeon or The Cartoon Network. I was beyond thrilled to see The Metal Men make a few appearances on Batman: The Brave and the Bold, and those episodes only confirmed my opinion on this. So, if anyone from DC reads this blog, get this in motion!
Thursday, June 9, 2011
The Thing and The Marvel Family
Hmmmm... it looks as though DC's previews for the upcoming rebooted universe titles are just about complete, and yet there is no sign of The Marvel Family. I'm hoping they are part of one of the few titles left to announce, but if that is not the case I wonder how long it will be before we see them in action once again? After years of darkening Mary Marvel, depowering Billy Batson, and turning Freddie Freeman into Shazam, it feels like forever since we have seen a straightforward tale of the Marvel Family. It's too bad, because I think they have a lot to offer in their more traditional forms. The wish fulfillment aspect of a young boy who can transform into an adult hero is still unique in comics and DC should be capitalizing on that... especially if they want to spin Captain Marvel off into the world of film. Hopefully DC has something up their sleeve that we just haven't seen yet.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
The Thing and The Martian Manhunter
Well, checking out the promos for the newly revamped DCU, I am sorry that thus far I do not see J'onn J'onzz anywhere, even on the Justice League. I hope he wasn't resurrected just to be shuffled off into comic book limbo for another decade. Apparently the promo image for the JLA only shows about half of the final team roster, so hopefully J'onn will still play an active role there. It really would be a shame not to include him as he is one of the few characters on the team not tied to a solo title and writers are free to do a lot more with him than the others within the book.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
The Thing and The Legion of Super-Pets
One of the reasons the The Thing is such a great character is the fact that you can insert him into any type of story. One issue can be full of dark, psychological topics and serious business, ans then the next issue he's dealing with a team of talking animals. I've always gotten a kick out of animal sidekicks to superheroes, being a pet lover myself. It's kind of cool to see things like the Krypto animated series and Marvel's Pet Avengers... these concepts can seem hokey but I think they serve as a great entry point for younger readers to the world of comics.
Monday, June 6, 2011
The Thing and The Legion of Superheroes
This was a tough cover to make but I think it was worth the effort. The Legion looks to be set for yet another reboot along with the rest of the DCU. Hopefully the new series will be as reader friendly as possible despite the huge cast and long history of the team. Even though it was skewed towards younger viewers, I think that the Superboy and the Legion of Superheroes animated series did an admirable job of presenting the LSH to a new audience. I also got a kick out of the Smalville appearance, complete with the Persuader! I'd like to see DC devote one of its animated films to the LSH - The Great Darkness Saga would be a great storyline to adapt.
Friday, June 3, 2011
The Thing and The Justice Society of America (Golden Age)
Rounding out my trilogy of Thing/JSA covers, I decided to present their first meeting. Still no word on what the future holds for the JSA in the revamped DCU... I have a feeling they will stay with a contemporary title, which is fine... but I would really love to see some new adventures of the team while they were in their prime. Period piece comics can be a tough sell, but I think that a retro JSA series could find a following.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
The Thing and The Justice Society of America (Silver Age)
Continuing with the JSA, I just had to include a cover featuring them as they were when I first discovered them as a kid. Plus I didn't want to pass up the opportunity to include the Earth-2 Robin in his funky Silver Age outfit, I just love that costume! Well, I have read that there will indeed be a new Justice Society of America series among the 52 rebooted DC Universe titles, but no word on the creative team just yet. Hopefully there will be top notch talent attached and the series will continue to tap into the rich history of the group.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
The Thing and The Justice Society of America (Modern Age)
I wrote yesterday of what a big fan I was of the Justice League. Well, my favorite stories were always the yearly guest appearances by the original super-team, The Justice Society. I was fascinated by this group of characters and would try and hunt down any appearances they would make. I was thrilled when they finally got their own series by Len Straczewski and Mike Parobeck, but disappointed that it lasted under a year. They finally came back again in a big way under the pen of Geoff Johns, and I have enjoyed their new adventures quite a bit for the most part. Now that the DCU is about to undergo a huge revamp, I wonder what the future will hold for them. Perhaps their own dedicated Earth-2 is in order again?
I like the JSA so much, that I couldn't just stick with one cover... more to come tomorrow!
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
The Thing and The Justice League of America
The Justice League of America has always been my favorite team in comics. So many icons on one team is hard to beat. My favorite era is the one of my youth - the Satellite years. I loved how the writers would have the League discover a threat, break into smaller groups for mini-chapters, and then converge together again for the big finale. As much as I was a fan of the Batman and Superman animated series, I was really hoping for a Justice League counterpart and Warner Brothers answered my prayers perfectly with Justice League and then Justice League Unlimited. The only thing I would have changed about that series would be to have it run longer! I am very glad that the JLA has been featured in a bunch of the direct to DVD animated films. Hopefully there will be more to come so I can get my fix. The current JLA title seems to be in a holding pattern with very few of the big members on the team... Rumor is that Geoff Johns and Jim Lee will be relaunching the title with the big guns back on the team afer the Flashpoint event ends. I hope that pans out because that would make for a memorable run indeed.
Monday, May 30, 2011
The Thing and The Joker
For my money, Batman and the Joker have the best rivalry in all of comics. The fact that they are such polar opposites always makes for a fun story. That said, the Joker can be over-used and his appearances are always more effective when he has been out of the spotlight for a while. I have enjoyed the cinematic versions of the Joker, but neither quite hit the mark perfectly. Nicholson captured the clown prince of crime aspect, but was frankly tool old and chubby for the part. Heath Ledger's performance was great and was able to help me overlook the visual which was very different from any comic book version I had ever seen. One thing that both of the movies got wrong is the Joker's trademark grin... the Joker should be smiling because he is crazy, not because his face is frozen that way!
Labels:
Dan Jurgens,
DC Comics,
Marvel Comics,
Marvel Two-In-One,
Team Up,
The Joker,
The Thing
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