Friday, November 11, 2011

Batman and The Lone Ranger



I used to get a kick out of the Lone Ranger with Clayton Moore and Jay Silverheels as a kid.  When we would play cowboys, our imaginary villains would be Butch Cavendish and the Cavendish Gang, the Ranger's longtime enemies.  I was excited when I heard there was going to be a big screen Lone Ranger film, and disappointed that it turned out to be that infamous Clinton Spilsbury fiasco.  Now there is a new Lone Ranger film in Development, and I am surprised that it took so many years for Hollywood to give the property another try.  I hope it will finally do the characters justice, but I'm still unsure about Johnny Depp as Tonto.  I'll withhold my judgment until I see a trailer.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Batman and The Legion of Monsters



Now this is a cool team that I wish we could have gotten to see more of.  Like yesterdays entry with the LoEG, this is another teamed formed by pre-existing characters that share a particular genre.  it was offbeat team ups and teams like the Legion of Monsters that really fueled my imagination for what other crossovers could be possible and led to this blog.  Have they made any other appearances together as a team after their initial outing?  I have seen more modern images of them but I am not sure if they are from a full story.

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Batman and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen



Being the huge fan of team-ups that I am, I was instantly drawn to the concept of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. I love the idea of so many great fictional characters crossing over in one big story, and the creative team of Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill pulled it off incredibly well.  The stories featuring this team are dense and rewarding, chock full of literary references in the script and art, and make the reader want to seek out the tales that these characters originally starred in.  The movie version is a major departure from the comics, and people looking for a faithful adaptation will be disappointed.  I have to admit that if I disassociate it with the Moore/O'Neil stories I kind of enjoy it on a popcorn movie level,  It was nice to see Sean Connery back for one more action role.

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Batman and The Kingpin



It's interesting that the villain most closely related to Daredevil originally started out as a foil for Spider-Man.  There was something always very menacing about Wilson Fisk.  Sure, he had a lot of muscle mass and could hold his own in a brawl, but his real power was in the influence that he held over the underworld.  There had been plenty of crime bosses in comics, but The Kingpin was the first to fully tap into that Godfather type vibe which really set him apart from the average foe. Writers like Frank Miller, Brian Michael Bendis and Ed Brubaker have done a great job of exploring the complexities that make him tick, and it's always interesting to see what he will be up to next.

Monday, November 7, 2011

Batman and The Irredeemable Ant-Man



I wasn't sure what to make of the new Eric O'Grady version of Ant-Man when I first heard of him.  I usually prefer a new concept rather than another character simply taking over an existing identity.  The mini-series that he was introduced in by Robert Kirkman and Phil Hester garnered a lot of positive reviews so I decided to check it out.  It was a lot off fun and this new, more amoral Ant-Man grew on me pretty quickly. There was a lot of fun humor in the story and the original Ant-Man, Hank Pym, was a big part of it, rather than being completely cast aside to make room for the new guy.  Since that introduction, O'Grady has shared a mini-series with Pym and has even become a member of the Thunderbolts.  That's a great spot for him, as it features characters that fall between the lines of heroism and villainy, and explores which path they will ultimately take.  I like O'Grady as a reluctant hero, but I hope he doesn't completely lose some of his more questionable attributes because they keep him interesting.

Friday, November 4, 2011

Batman and The Iron Giant



I remember being early for some event and going to see The Iron Giant in the theaters to kill some time.  I was very glad that I made that decision because it turned out to be one of my favorite movies ever.  Filled with great character design, beautiful animation and a story brimming over with humor and heart, it has earned its title as a modern day classic.  This was due in no small part to the work of director Brad Bird, who went on to join Pixar and bring us such gems as Ratatouille and The Incredibles.  Bird's next project is Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, and it will be interesting to see if he can bring the same level of excellence to a live action project.

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Batman and The Inhumans (Retro)



I have heard that The Inhumans is one of the properties up for a potential film treatment.  It would be tough to pull off, but if done well it could be a very cool idea.  I think that the Inhumans and their world contain some of the very best Jack Kirby design work and any adaptation would have to embrace the unique look that he created.  The Asgard scenes in Thor showed the potential of this, but they didn't go far enough in my opinion.  None of this showing the helmet for five seconds and then never using it again business, a motion picture Inhumans must be unashamed of it's comic book roots.  A filmmaker like Peter Jackson might be able to do it justice.

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Batman and The Human Torch (Retro)



Johnny Storm was recently killed off in the pages of The Fantastic Four (It was his turn, I think every other team member had "died" and returned at least once before).  Of course, the death was off-panel, so it is almost certainly just a matter of time before hewill be resoted to life in some manner.  There has been a flurry of promotion recently for the upcoming 600th issue and I wonder if that is where Johnny will make his return.  It seems a bit obvious though, so I wouldn't e surprised if writer Jonathan Hickman throws a bit of a curve ball.  Whatever happens, I fully expect Johnny to be back by the time the Fantastic Four reboot film hits theaters, gotta keep that corporate synergy intact!

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Batman and The Hulk (Gray)



I've loved the Batman and Hulk pairing ever since that great tabloid sized adventure they shared by Len Wein and Jose Luis Garcia Lopez, so I thought I would feature an updated version of the story from my retro issue, this time starring the Gray Hulk.  I really enjoyed when Peter David brought back the Hulk in his Gray persona back during his run on the title.  The Hulk can be a tough character to write on an extended basis and this was a nice way to mix things up and avoid repetition.  While the classic green version is still my favorite, it was interesting to read the adventures of this smarter and more devious version for a while.

Monday, October 31, 2011

Batman and Tales From The Crypt



I thought I would put together a special Halloween cover.  Since the comic book Crypt Keeper looked so much less cool than the live action version (just an old dude in a fright wig and robe versus the beady eyed skeleton from the TV show), I had to come up with a suitable guest star... and who better than the one character in comicdom that has been allowed to remain dead!

I was more of a superhero fan when I was a kid, but I did like to check out horror comics like Tales From the Crypt, Unexpected and House of Mystery from time to time.  They were always filled with pleasantly gruesome morality tales and often had some amazing artwork, both on the covers and the interiors.


Friday, October 28, 2011

Batman and The Hulk (Retro)



It will be cool to see The Hulk return in next Summer's Avengers film.  Mark Ruffalo is doing the motion capture to define the CGI performance, so it will be interesting to see the final product. What has me even more interested, however, is the Hulk TV series that is on the horizon.  Not much has been said about it, but the involvement of Guillermo Del Toro has me eagerly anticipating it.  With him behind the scenes, you know that the Hulk will be going up against some fearsome adversaries instead of mobsters and rednecks like in the Bill Bixby series!

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Batman and The Green Goblin



There's a lot to admire in Sam Raimi's first Spider-Man film, but I think on major misstep was the look of the Green Goblin.  I've read comparisons to Power Ranger costumes and between the monochrome bodysuit and unmoving face, I can see where they are coming from.  The body armor type suit was fine, but if they had thrown on a tattered putple tunic over it, it would have looked cooler and closer to the comics.  for the mask, I would have tried to allow for more of Willem DaFoe's expressive performance show through.  It was hard enough with Spider-Man's face completely concealed, it gets tough for an audience to engage with the characters when both hero and villain are covered up.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Batman and The Fantastic Four (Retro)



I understand that The Fantastic Four is due for a movie reboot.  While the first two entries had some fun moments, they are largely missed opportunities.  Hopefully lesson will have been learned and we will finally see the epic FF film that I know is possible.  Ben Grimm's Thing form must be CGI, the man in suit version simply does not work. I'd love to see a take on Doctor Doom that was actually faithful to the comics, but given his large role in the first two movies, it is time to give him a rest.  A better angle would be a Negative Zone adventures, with a suitably creepy Annihilus and brutish Blastaar as the villains.  Spend a little more money this time around on shots of Reed and Johnny using their powers and play up the adventurers aspect of the team and it would be a superhero film that really stands out among the crowd.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Batman and The Ecapist



I was intrigued when I heard that the The Amazing Adventures of  Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon had won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 2001.  A book about comic creators, set against the backdrop of the Golden Age, and it was given the highest honor in writing?  This I had to check out.  I am glad that I did, because I found it to be a very engrossing read.  The main creation of the characters, The Escapist, sounded really cool and would have fit right in with Superman, Captain Marvel, The Human Torch and the rest of the first wave of costumed heroes.  The Escapist has since found a life beyonfd the pages of the novel, as some of today's top creators have crafted stories featuring him.  I have hear that a Kavalier & Clay movie has been in the works for some time.  It is an epic tale that has all the elements to make for a dramatic and visually interesting story, so I hope that some A-list talent is attached and the film version gets off the ground.

Monday, October 24, 2011

Batman and The Champions



I always loved The Champions because of their cool roster. Two X-Men, a super spy, a Greek God, and the Spirit of Vengeance... I would never have thought to put them together, but they made for one of  may favorite teams ever.  Their series didn't last long, and perhaps  part of that was due to the offbeat line-up.  I loved how they interacted with one another and would love to see them work together as a team on a regular basis again.  Marvel seems not to give up on The Defenders, giving them another relaunch every couple of years - I think it's time they gave The Champions the same chance!

Friday, October 21, 2011

Batman and The Blue Beetle (Retro)



The Blue beetle is one of those legacy characters for whom I enjoy every incarnation.  I like the new Jaime Reyes version and i am glad that he has gotten another chance at a solo title with the New 52 at DC.  I was hoping the Reboot would bring Ted Kord back in some manner - no sign of him yet but I guess there's still a chance.  I am the least familiar with the Dan Garrett original, but I have enjoyed the few Golden Age stories that I have seen him in.  Heck I even liked the live action, beer bellied Blue Beetle that used to appear on episodes of The Electric Company, that guy used to make me laugh!

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Batman and The Black Cat



At first glance, The Black Cat comes off as a Catwoman clone, but Marvel has done a good job of giving her enough of her own spin to keep the character unique.  I like that she is infatuated with Spider-Man and has little use or interest in his alter-ego, Peter Parker.  It's a nice twist on the traditional comic book relationship where the hero is usually trying to maintain a romance without letting his superheroic side intrude.  I prefer the stories where Felicia is written a bit off-balance -  not really a villain, but unhinged just enough that she makes Spidey's life a nightmare as she seeks to satisfy her adrenaline junkie driven desires.  The more complicated Spider-Man's life becomes, the more compelling his adventures are, and The Black Cat is one of the more entertaining love interests that has been introduced in the Spider-Man mythos..

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Batman and The Beast (Retro)



It was cool that X-Men: First Class featured Hank McCoy in both his human and beastly forms.  I would have like to have seen the oversized hands to go along with his big feet though.  I remember the Amazing Adventures serial that featured the Beast as he first made his transformation to the blue furry look fondly.  I finally tracked down all the issues after reading about him as an Avenger as well as a founding member of the X-Men.  It was cool to see the bridge between the two eras.  I really liked his original blue look, and the more cat-like appearance he adopted during the Grant Morrison X-Men run doesn't work nearly as well for me.  I'm kind of surprised the haven't gone back to the classic look by now,

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Batman and The Avengers - Cap's Kooky Quartet (Retro)



There are so many cool Avengers line-ups, I decided they warranted another cover.  As I mentioned yesterday, I hope for Avengers film sequels to feature more of their large roster.  Unfortunately, because of rights issues, it will be very unlikely that I will see my favorite grouping on the big screen because the era I loved the most was when The Beast was an Avenger.  I always felt that he fit in better there than with the X-Men once he evolved into his blue furry state.  Of course these days we have Wolverine and now Storm as card carrying Avengers, but that just does not work for me at all - it smacks of a decision made by corporate number crunchers rather than  driven by the plot.  Don't even get me started on Spider-Man as an Avenger!

Monday, October 17, 2011

Batman and The Avengers (Retro)



Well the teaser trailer has hit, for next summer's Avengers film and while it did not show a whole lot, just seeing the characters interacting together has me sold.  There was only a tease of The Hulk at the end, but I am sure those effects will take the longest to complete.  I have to hand it to Marvel, their plan of introducing the characters in separate movies and then bringing them together really seems to have worked.  It's an amazing feat that they were able to combine their movie franchises the way the comics share a common continuity.  I hope the Avengers is the huge hit that they are expecting to be, because I'd love to see sequels featuring Giant-Man, The Wasp, Vision, The Scarlet Witch and others in the future.

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