Wednesday, March 9, 2016

JLA Vs. The Squadron Supreme in: "Last Team Standing!" Part Two



I was very sad to hear about the passing of artist Paul Ryan this week.  Like many, I first took notice of his work on the Squadron Supreme 12-Issue Maxi-Series.  I thought he did a great job illustrating Fantastic Four as well, even if some of the stories he worked on had some 90's indulgences.  Like Perez, he had an ability to work with large casts of characters without making the artwork seem too crowded. He was a gifted illustrator and he will be missed.

Tuesday, March 8, 2016

JLA Vs. The Squadron Supreme in "Last Team Standing!" Part One




Back in the days before intercompany crossovers became a reality, the only way fans could get an idea of what a DC/Marvel match up might be like was through analog characters.  The Squadron was always the best example of that in my opinion... maybe I just liked the fact that their Superman counterpart was a redhead like me.

The JLA first encountered the Squadron back in STF #205... and Superman faced off against Hyperion back in STF #144... Plus, who can forget when Dr. Spectrum joined the Green Lantern Corps...

This is only Part One of this Story - Make sure you return for Part Two tomorrow!

Monday, March 7, 2016

Nightshade and Dagger



I have been meaning to feature Nightshade on a cover ever since I began this blog, and I am just now getting around to it.  I have always been fond of the Charlton/DC character as she was the very first superhero that my favorite artist, Jim Aparo, ever worked on (if I am not mistaken). She didn't sport the above look very long - in fact she seems to get a whole costume overhaul every time she is reintroduced.

Sunday, March 6, 2016

Doctor Fate Vs. Doctor Doom



This is a match up that I could definitely see happening.  Doom is always searching for new sources of power, and I am sure he would want to make an attempt at harnessing the magic of Nabu.  Fate would not go down willingly of course.  I see the battle to be pretty evenly matched, especially if Doom has home turf advantage.

Saturday, March 5, 2016

The Atom Vs. Bullseye



I am glad that The Atom is now appearing on a regular TV series, but I wish the execution was a lot better.  Brandon Routh does a fine job in his performance as Ray Palmer, but the character still doesn't seem much like the Atom from the comics.  The costume is way too bulky and the helmet with the clear face shield especially does not work for me.  He took his time developing shrinking abilities - and he still barely uses them!  Basically, he comes off as Iron Man lite instead.  I hope the producers and writers on DC's Legends of Tomorrow will steer him closer to his comic roots.

Friday, March 4, 2016

Jonny Quest and Wolverine



I was happy to see that DC is Planning on bringing back Jonny Quest and the rest of the classic Hanna-Barbera action stars in a bunch of new titles.  The one that has me most intrigued is Future Quest, by Jeff Parker and Evan Shaner, which will feature Jonny and his crew alongside the likes of Space Ghost, The Herculoids and Mightor.  Cartoon stars of my youth in a team-up title?  Sign me up!

Thursday, March 3, 2016

Captain Carrot & The Zoo Crew and Marvel Tails




I wasn't a huge reader of funny animal comics growing up, but I would usually give them a look when they were superhero-related.  Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew was always a fun read, and I also liked it when Spider-Ham expanded his world.  My only regret on this cover is that I had no room to include Goose Rider - I love that name!

Wednesday, March 2, 2016

The Punisher Vs. Changeling



Continued from yesterday's cover, we see that Frank Castle may have underestimated the Titans' youngest member.  I always liked Changeling (a name I far prefer to Beast Boy) even though his origin and how his powers work don't make a lot of sense to me.  These days it seems like every super-team has a character with a Garfield Logan-type of personality, but back when New Teen Titans first hit, he had a pretty unique voice.

Tuesday, March 1, 2016

The Punisher Vs. The New Teen Titans



I have read that Deathstroke has been reserved by DC for their cinematic universe, and I hope that means that he will be the main antagonist in the rumored Titans movie.  I'd love to see The Judas Contract as the basis for the film's plot.

The Punisher takes Slade Wilson's spot on today's cover... Frank Castle mixed it up with an earlier incarnation of The Teen Titans back in STF #237...

This is only the first part of this story, make sure you come back tomorrow for the exciting conclusion!

Monday, February 29, 2016

Wonder Woman and The X-Men



Colossus is featured in the current superhero blockbuster Deadpool and Wonder Woman will be making her long awaited movie debut very soon in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.  Cyclops, Storm and Nightcrawler will all see new actors taking on their roles in this Summer's X-Men: Apocalypse.  It's a good time to be a comic book movie fan.  When I was a kid I knew it would be decades before special effects ever got to the point where superhero films would be an accepted genre and the idea of waiting so long bummed me out because I figured that I would be too old to enjoy them.  I am happy to say that not only has that day finally arrived, but I still get the same kick out of seeing my favorite characters on the big screen that I did watching Christopher Reeve back in my youth.

Sunday, February 28, 2016

Cobra Crew




I'm not sure what it is about cobras that make them so desirable to furnish a villainous theme around, but it sure seems to happen a lot. I can't imagine a group like this would last for very long before their egos got in the way and they started turning on each other.

Saturday, February 27, 2016

Amazing Man Vs. Absorbing Man



I loved when Amazing Man was introduced in the pages of All-Star Squadron. I always thought that The Absorbing Man had one of the coolest power sets and it was great to see a hero with similar abilities.  There have been a couple of attempts to revive the character in modern times with new versions, but they haven't really stuck.  Hopefully that won't dissuade writers from trying again because I think that Will Everett still has a lot of untapped potential.

Friday, February 26, 2016

Supergirl and Ms. Marvel in "D-Day for the Danvers Duo!"



Supergirl is a mixed bag as a TV series.  The teenage angst and romantic subplots do nothing for me and come off a bit formulaic.  They have a guy who acts and looks like Jimmy Olsen who is actually the son of the Toyman, and a hunky confident heartthrob that is named Jimmy Olsen and sometimes has a camera but is otherwise nothing like the comic character, which makes no sense to me. Still, when I want to give up on the show, they give me some cool Martian Manhunter action, or feature a DCU character like Red Tornado or Reactron to keep my interested.  The effects on the show are respectable for a TV budget, and the Melissa Benoist does a fine job with the title role. I will say I am definitely looking forward to the crossover with The Flash.

The Danvers Twins have shared a few adventures together before on the blog:

The were at odds in Issue #763...

They played a trick on the world in Issue #520...

...and they were first revealed to be sisters way back in Issue #152

Thursday, February 25, 2016

Sgt. Rock and The Rocketeer (Part Two)



I was always disappointed that The Rocketeer was not a hit upon its original theatrical release.  Not only is it still one of the best comic adaptations which still holds up decades later, it had one of the greatest movie posters out there.  The art deco style image that they used was very striking and I thought it served as a great introduction to the characters for mainstream audiences unaware of Dave Stevens' amazing comics. I remember looking around for a poster version at the time.

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Sgt. Rock and The Rocketeer (Part One)



Sgt, Rock is among the DC Heroes rumored to be making an appearance in upcoming episodes of DC's Legends of Tomorrow series, which has me intrigued.  I wasn't sure of what I thought of the time travel premise of the show at first, but if it means that we will be able to see DC characters from different eras that are unlikely to show up anywhere else, then I am all for it!  Bring on Scalphunter, The Demon and Brainiac 5!

Make sure you stop by tomorrow for part two of this thrilling tale!

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Admiral Ackbar and Doctor Who



I was so looking forward to seeing Luke, Han and Leia return in Star Wars: The Force Awakens that I didn't even think about some of the more minor characters from the original trilogy that might make an appearance.  When Admiral Ackbar showed up, so did a huge smile across my face.  Who didn't love this guy?  I've always wondered how many of those bug-eyed fish sold at pet shops during Star Wars' heydey because of their resemblance to the good Admiral.

Monday, February 22, 2016

Wildcat and The Fox



It sounds like DC has listened to some of it's older fans and certain elements of the DCU will be returning with the upcoming Rebirth event, including the classic Justice Society members.  The new title is still going to be called Earth 2 though, so I have a feeling the original JSA'ers are going to somehow be woven in with the New 52 versions, rather than getting a spotlight all to themselves.  Whatever happens, it will be good to see characters like Ted Grant have a place to call home once again.

Sunday, February 21, 2016

Richie Rich and Uncle Scrooge



I get suggestions for team ups all the time, from the obvious to the obscure.  That said, I am amazed that nobody ever suggested this one to me though, it seems like a natural.  When looking for images to create a cover with, I came up with a few options and couldn't decide which I liked best - so I used them all!

Saturday, February 20, 2016

Johnny Quick and Quicksilver



The Flash TV show isn't shy about bringing in new speedsters and this whole season revolves around Earth-2, so I am holding out hope for a Johnny Quick appearance one of these days.  Even Jesse Chambers has been a character on the show recently, so the groundwork has already been laid.  I was a fan of Johnny's even before All-Star Squadron due to the reprints I read - I always thought his costume was cool, loved the short sleeves.

Friday, February 19, 2016

Metamorpho Vs. Thor in: "If I Had a Hammer!"



This is a follow up story to a tale I presented way back in an earlier MS Paint cover...

I am happy to see that Metamorpho is making a return to the DCU.  The new anthology comic, Legends of Tomorrow will be featuring everybody's favorite freak of 1000 forms as well as stories starring Firestorm, The Metal Men and Sugar and Spike. Aaron Lopresti is writing and illustrating Rex's new adventures, and I really like how he tweaked his appearance to make it a bit more modern while still very much based on Ramona Fradon's original design.

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