Friday, July 5, 2013
The Atom and Machine Man
The first Machine Man mini-series that came out during the 80's was a revelation for me. Mini-Series were still relatively new at that point , so it was cool to see one of my favorite lower tier characters get a chance to shine. It was a fun, inventive story as well - set in the future with appearances by Iron Man 2020. What stood out the most for me though was the artwork of Barry Windsor-Smith. It was the first time I had seen BWS' pencils and inks, and I was blown away. Then there were those covers - the 4-issue format gave him the opportunity to do something really neat. Each cover featured a close-up of Machine Man's head, being assembled more and more with each issue. They were so eye-catching and unlike any covers I had seen before, they really made the comic stand out on the racks. It was a great design choice that I remember fondly to this day.
Thursday, July 4, 2013
Captain America and The Shield
I hope everyone is having a happy 4th of July today (regardless of where you come from). The town I live in has fireworks just a few blocks away, so all I needed to do was pull up a chair to my window and watch them go off last night, it was a blast (in more ways than one)! Anyway, I thought today would be a good time to feature a double dose of Jack Kirby flag-bearing heroes.
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
It Girl and Power Girl
I have written before about how much I love Mike Allred's artwork. His clean, expressive style is always filled with interesting designs and body types. I can tell he really has fun with the breakout star of The Atomics, It Girl. Her ability to mimic the properties of anything she touches really allows Allred to get visually creative. Ramona Fradon is one of the greatest underestimated artists that the industry has seen, in my eyes. Take a look at her work on Aquaman or Metamorpho and you will see that she has many of the same artistic sensibilities that make modern illustrators like Allred so appealing. It's even more impressive when you consider how male dominated the industry was back when she broke into the scene.
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Sub-Mariner and The Demon
These are two characters that are just as likely to work against the heroes of their respective universes as they are to work with them, and that's one thing that makes them interesting to me. I think they work best when they are depicted as loose cannons, and not too chummy with the rest of the superheroic community - that tension makes for good drama and a more unpredictable story. I can imagine that they would really butt heads if they shared a tale together, and that would be fun to read about.
Labels:
DC Comics,
John Byrne,
Marvel Comics,
Namor,
Sub-Mariner,
Super-Team Family,
Team Up,
The Demon
Monday, July 1, 2013
The Tick Vs. Doctor Doom
Nobody wants to squash villainy more than the Tick, and nobody has less patience for shenanigans than Victor Von Doom, so I think this would make for an interesting match up. I don't know who I would give the edge to in this battle, but it would be fun watching Doom's nerves getting increasingly frayed.
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Black Canary and Mockingbird
These two characters are so close to one another, it's almost like an Earth One-Earth Two situation. They've got similar tastes in hairstyles, fighting disciplines, outfits and men. I'm sure they would have plenty to talk about while kicking butt and taking names.
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Blue Beetle and Hawkeye
Hawkeye's first mini-series back in 1983 was a great read. It was the first time I had ever seen the Avenging Archer in his own title and I wondered what took so long for him to get his shot. It was a fun story with real repercussions and beautiful Brett Breeding artwork. I thought it would be cool to see Hawkeye team up with Ted Kord - they are both non powered heroes who can nevertheless fit in with the big guys due to their skills and tenacity.
Friday, June 28, 2013
Animal Man and The Pet Avengers
With so much teeth-clenching, grim and gritty comics out there, it's nice to have concepts on the fun side like The Pet Avengers to lighten things up from time to time. I think vast universes like Marvel and DC have built can support characters and titles of all kinds and there is room for whimsy along with the angst. Given Buddy Baker's power to mimic the abilities of any animal in his vicinity, I think this would make for a formidable partnership.
Labels:
Andy Smith,
Animal Man,
DC Comics,
Ig Guara,
Lockjaw,
Marvel Comics,
Pet Avengers,
Super-Team Family,
Team Up
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Man-Bat Vs. Man-Wolf
When it came to cover artists, there were two that always stood above the pack for me in their ability to sell a story with a single image. To me, Gil Kane was the Marvel cover artist, and Nick Cardy was easily my favorite from DC. Their talents were clearly recognized because they were used on covers spanning all types of genres, from superhero to western to horror and more. I was glad to be able to use both of these legendary artists for today's entry.
Labels:
DC Comics,
Gil Kane,
Man-Bat,
Man-Wolf,
Marvel Comics,
Nick Cardy,
Super-Team Family,
Team Up
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Batman and Lobster Johnson
I really like the extended world that has sprung out of Mike Mignola's Hellboy series. Abe Sapien and the rest of the B.P.R.D. are cool and fun characters, and I love the addition of 30's pulp hero Lobster Johnson to the mix. It would be cool to see him share an adventure with Batman, be it in a period piece or taking place in the current day.
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Wonder Woman and The Wasp
I first took notice of Cliff Chiang's artwork in the Josie Mac backups he did for Detective Comics, and I became an instant fan. He has a great, clean design sense and he has the ability to depict characters with realistic proportions who nonetheless come off as heroic. His work on DC's Dr. Thirteen really let him show his versatility, with so many disparate characters. Chiang also draws some of the best looking women in comics currently, I love his takes on Wonder Woman, Zatanna and the Black Canary especially.
Labels:
Cliff Chiang,
DC Comics,
Marvel Comics,
Super-Team Family,
Team Up,
Wasp,
Wonder Woman
Monday, June 24, 2013
Changeling and Wolverine
I always liked the moment in X-Men and The New Teen Titans where these two characters meet and Changeling comments on their shared name. At that point, Wolverine's origins were still shrouded in mystery, and that quick exchange sent my mind wandering - there's gotta be a story there, right?
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Conan Vs. He-Man in: "The Mountains of Madness!"
Now that Arnold Schwarzenegger is out of politics and back in the movies, I keep hearing news of him returning to some of his most famous roles. He is slated to appear in the next Terminator installment and will reteam with Danny DeVito for Triplets, a sequel to Twins. The project that piques my interest the most, though, is the next Conan film. At first I thought it sounded crazy that he would return to the role after all these years, but the more that I think about it, the more it seems to me that it might be very cool to see a tale of an older, battle weary barbarian. I hope that the script lives up to the story potential.
Saturday, June 22, 2013
Conan and He-Man in "Crom and Punishment!"
I have heard rumors of a return to the big screen for the Masters of The Universe franchise, and it will be interesting to see what comes of it. The first film was the embodiment of 80's cheese, but I think that there's a cool movie possible if the property is handled in the right way. With the right director and design team, it could be a great fantasy epic.
In the meantime, I thought it would be fun to pair Prince Adam up with the greatest barbarian of all. Of course, this much testosterone cannot be contained to a single issue, so the story will continue tomorrow!
Labels:
Conan,
Earl Norem,
He-Man,
Joe Jusko,
Masters of the Universe,
Super-Team Family,
Team Up
Friday, June 21, 2013
Dick Tracy Vs. Solomon Grundy
Dick Tracy already has a great line up of enemies, featuring all sorts of misshapen and disfigured criminals. Is it much of a stretch that he begin to run into the superhuman variety of outlaw? Would his years battling the denizens of the underworld prepare him to tackle a supernatural foe? I don't know, but it might be fun to read about!
Labels:
Chester Gould,
DC Comics,
Dick Tracy,
Mikke Gallardo,
Solomon Grundy,
Team Up
Thursday, June 20, 2013
The Hulk Vs. Sinestro
The biggest disappointment about the tepid reception to the Green Lantern film is that it now looks to be highly unlikely that we will ever get to see Mark Strong really get to cut loose as Sinestro. Strong was one of the best parts about the movie, but the filmmakers were clearly holding back with him, leaving his story to be resolved in a sequel that will probably never come. The producers should have jettisoned the whole Hector Hammond sub plot and went with a straight up Hal vs. Sinestro story line. Who knows - the Hulk found a new lease on life after two so-so film outings, maybe there's a glimmer of hope for GL and Sinestro to shine again on the big screen.
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Red Tornado and ROM
This is the kind of offbeat pairing that might not set the sales charts on fire, but I would be all over. Has The Red Tornado appeared in the new 52 yet? I've always liked the character and it would be cool to see him again. I've given up on seeing ROM again due to some kind of rights issues. I'm not sure how keeping a property out of the public eye for decades benefits any company. A new ROM comic could mean a new toy line, right? Hopefully those with the rights will realize there is a profit to be made and allow ROM to star in comics again.
Labels:
DC Comics,
Dick Dillin,
Marvel Comics,
Red Tornado,
ROM,
Super-Team Family,
Team Up
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Nightwing and Daredevil
Batman and Daredevil have actually crossed paths, and it was definitely cool... but this is a pairing that might actually work even better. While Daredevil has had his share of grim and gloomy stories, I like him best when he still has some of that original lighthearted attitude from his earlier adventures. That disposition would make him a good fit with Dick Grayson, who has the skills of Batman without quite as much angst. I can see them getting the job done effectively while still appreciating how cool it is to be a superhero, making for a fun story.
Monday, June 17, 2013
Justice Society of America and The Avengers
Both The Avengers and Man of Steel have had city destroying alien invasion final acts, and with Pacific Rim around the corner, I'm betting we haven't seen the last of those during this summer movie season. I hope that going forward there will be different types of action featured because even these giant battles can get a little boring if movie makers keep going to the same well. The inclusion of Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch in the Avengers sequel will provide the opportunity to present a wider array of powers on screen, and that ought to give audiences some new types of spectacle to gawk at. It's all in the choreography of the fights, and that's something that Joss Whedon handled well the first time around, so I am confident that he will give us some great moments again.
Sunday, June 16, 2013
The Metal Men Vs. Battlestar Galactica
I was late to the party when it came to the new Battlestar Galactica TV series. I had heard good things but missed too many episodes and never gave it a chance. Finally, I was able to catch up on Netflix, and I was hooked. When the series ended, I wanted more, so I tried out the prequel series Caprica. It was OK, but didn't grab me the same way as BSG and at any rate it only lasted a single season. Finally, another pilot was produced that was much more like what I was hoping for - Battlestar Galactica: Blood and Chrome. It featured a young Adama learning his way and used a lot of CGI imagery. The pilot was first shown in installments online and then as a special on the SyFy Network. For reasons I cannot fathom, it was not picked up to become a full series, which is a real shame because I thought that everyone involved did a great job with it. If you are a BSG fan and have not seen it, it is well worth seeking out.
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