Monday, June 9, 2014

Iron Man and James Bond in "From HYDRA With Love"



Marvel has done a great job of using Hydra as a great connective thread throughout their cinematic universe.  I loved the revelation of certain evil double agents in Captain America: The Winter Soldier that make me look at scenes from earlier films in an entirely different light now.  The use of the criminal organization and its far reaching implications also gave a much needed boost in the arm to Agents of Shield, I felt that the episodes following the big Hydra revelation were the strongest of the series so far.

Sunday, June 8, 2014

Captain America and Wildcat



I love that Ted Grant had found a new purpose in the DCU as a trainer of heroes.  It's a unique part of the character that was successfully carried over into his animated appearances on Justice League Unlimited and Batman: The Brave and the Bold.  I don't know what Wildcat's status is in the New 52 line of comics, but I hope that if and when he does return, his coaching side is still emphasized.

Saturday, June 7, 2014

Swamp Thing and Daredevil



Charlie Cox has been named as the new Daredevil for the upcoming Netflix series.  I must confess that I am not familiar with this actor, so I don't know what to make of this development.  Apparently he has made an impression from his performance on Boardwalk Empire, a show I have yet to sample.  He looks like he could make for a convincing Matt Murdock at least. Marvel's casting decisions have been pretty smart so far, and I am going to trust them on this one.

Friday, June 6, 2014

Batman Vs. Dexter



Netflix finally added the remaining seasons of Dexter so I was at last able to watch the entire series.  I would have to say that the show lost its way a bit in the last couple of seasons, but I still enjoyed the series as a whole.  A couple of seasons are standouts due to the guest stars that appeared.  John Lithgow was great and creepy and Jimmy Smits makes any series better - and this was no exception.  The season featuring Smits is easily the high point of the show for me.


Thursday, June 5, 2014

Robotman & Red Tornado Vs. Ultron



There are few villains that I have wanted to see on the big screen more than Ultron, so I was very happy when I heard them name of the Avengers sequel.  The casting of James Spader was inspired, and the behind-the-scenes footage revealing at least part of his robotic design has me feeling optimistic.  Still, I will have to be patient, knowing that his scenes will likely include a lot of CGI, It will probably still be quite a while before we see any actual footage of Ultron in action.


Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Dick Tracy and Rorschach



I can't imagine that a by-the-books cop like Dick Tracy would have much patience for the likes of Rorschach, but that's just the kind of conflict that would make for an enjoyable tale.  Even if the were forced to work together, I am guessing that the story would not end with them gaining a grudging respect for one another.

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

She-Hulk and Doctor Light



The new Doctor Light, who first appeared in Crisis on Infinite Earths has never been given a proper chance, in my opinion.  Her appearances since her debut have been sporadic at best, and when she has appeared, she hasn't stuck around for very long.  I think that the character has a ton of potential, and I hope she finds a regular home in the DCU sometime soon.

Monday, June 2, 2014

Xena and Buffy



By the time I had heard all the good reviews for Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the series was well into its run, so I never bothered to start watching, figuring I had missed too much to appreciate it.  I finally got the chance to watch the full run of the show on Netflix, and I am glad that I waited for the chance to see it from the beginning.  the strength of the show for me was how the characters were allowed to change and grow in different directions, and even when it ended, I still wanted to know what would happen next.

Sunday, June 1, 2014

Superman and Power Pack



Power Pack was unique in a couple of ways that has always made them interesting to me.  First, that it was a team of kids - I had of course seen teen teams, but this one featured heroes even younger, and that lent an interesting perspective.  Then there was the fact that they were all members of the same family.  I have four brothers and two sisters of my own, so I always liked stories that dealt with the relationships between siblings.  I could definitely see Power Pack being successfully translated to live action if they paid attention to these aspects when adapting the property..

Saturday, May 31, 2014

Scalphunter and Warpath



I enjoyed Warpath's brief scenes in X-Men: Days of Future Past.  He was cool to watch in action even if there was no room for character development in such an overstuffed film.  I liked the movie as a whole quite a bit, especially the last several scenes.  I had one major nitpick though - and it has to do with the scene everyone seems to be talking about as the highlight of the film.  (Spoilers ahead) The Quicksilver scene where he saves Wolverine, Beast and Magneto from the authorities' bullets was indeed very cool and a blast to watch, but I feel that it just made the character way too powerful - if he had that kind of control over his speed why on Earth didn't Wolverine and friends take him with them to stop Mystique?  He could have solved all of their problems in a split second, and it made no sense to me that they said goodbye to him after the Magneto breakout.

Friday, May 30, 2014

Spider-Man and The Six Million Dollar Man



I have really been enjoying the artwork of Earl Norem lately.  He matches lush painting with a comic book sensibility of staging and action that I find to be incredibly appealing.  His art looks great in any genre, too - whether it's superheroes, horror, sword & sorcery, even the Planet of the Apes, he always composes a memorable image that presents its characters in the best way possible.

Thursday, May 29, 2014

Wonder Woman and Miss America



There's a station where I live that carries the original Wonder Woman TV series, and I have been catching a few episodes lately.  I was just a bit too young when the show first aired, so I don't recall watching very much of it back in the 70's.  I have to admit it is cheesy fun to see it now.  Lynda Carter is very easy on the eyes and she played the character with charming sincerity and strength.  In a time when other superhero shows were laughing at their characters, she did comicdom's premiere super-heroine proud.

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Justice Society of America and The Invaders in "Executive Action!"



There was something very cool about discovering Marvel and DC's golden age characters through the reprints that were presented as back-up stories in the comics of my youth.  I was intrigued that they were familiar yet different from the heroes I knew and I thought that it was amazing that there was a whole generation of adventures that I was unaware of.

This cover leads into tomorrow's, so stay tuned!


Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Bone and Winnie the Pooh



Winnie the Pooh will always be a fond memory for me.  Not only did I love all of the character deigns by A.A. Milne, but it was also my entry into the world of theater.  My grade school put on a Winnie the Pooh play, and they cast me as Tigger, fitting for a hyperactive redhead.  I loved being on stage and the attention I got, and I stayed active in the theater arts for decades afterwards.  Bone is one of those comics that captures the magical, whimsical feel of Pooh and his forest friends.

Monday, May 26, 2014

Power Man and Power Girl in: "Power Pact!"



I thought is was time for STF's resident Power Couple to make a return visit.  Hopefully we will hear some casting new soon for Neflix' upcoming Luke Cage series.  Hmm, now which actor would look good in a chain link belt?

Sunday, May 25, 2014

Green Arrow and Green Hornet



Arrow ended it second season with a great finale this year.  It was the conclusion of a story line featuring lots of DC characters - Black Canary, Speedy, Nyssa Al Ghul, Amanda Waller, Deadshot , and Deathstroke were all part of the action, and it felt like a great issue of a comic book.  As an extra treat, there was an extra scene with Green Arrow welcoming The Flash to the superhero club, fun stuff.


Saturday, May 24, 2014

Captain Atom and The Silver Surfer



With Fox making news about expanding its Amazing Spider-Man franchise into films starring Venom and The Sinister Six, I wonder if the Fantastic Four reboot will pave the way for characters like the Silver Surfer to star in movies of their own.  The Surfer's scenes in the second FF film were effective, even if the movie as a whole was a disappointment, so maybe there is some potential there.  Let's not make Galactus a cloud the next time out, though...

Friday, May 23, 2014

Superman and Machine Man



I love that Machine Man originally started out as a character in Marvel's adaptation of 2000: A Space Odyssey (in a series that used characters and concepts from the ground breaking science fiction film), and then was able to join the mainstream Marvel Universe.  I don't know if there are any other characters that have had that sort of trajectory.  I just love his look as well, those telescoping arms and legs are too cool.

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Jimmy Olsen and Werewolf By Night



This pairing was the suggestion of Michael Eury, Editor-in-Chief of the always awesome Back Issue magazine (subscribe at http://twomorrows.com/), and I had to give it a shot.  Jimmy may have been written out of Superman's movie adventures, but I still have fond memories about that goofball always getting in over his head.  This is just the kind of predicament I would imagine him finding himself in if he ever ventured into the Marvel Universe.

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

The Atom and The Wasp in "Inch-High Insurgency!"



Evangeline Lilly has been cast as the female lead in the Ant-Man movie, but her exact role has not been announced yet.  I would have to believe she is playing Janet Van Dyne, but with the strange timeline of the movie that is not a certainty.  Paul Rudd is starring as Scott Lang, while Michael Douglas will appear as Hank Pym.  Given Douglas' age, I am guessing that if he is even shown as Ant-Man at all, it will be during flashbacks - and I don't know what that means for Jan.  If Lilly is indeed starring as the to-be Wasp, It seems like her back story will be quite a bit altered from the comics.

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