Sunday, February 11, 2018

The Expansion Team in: "Stretching Out The Roster!"



I've gotten a kick out of having The Elongated Man join The Flash on the CW.  Hartley Sawyer does well in the role, and certainly has the looks to play Ralph Dibny (wish he had red hair though).  The stretching effects aren't used enough to my liking but have looked pretty good for the most part.  The last episode where he developed a Clayface-like ability to completely mimic anyone's appearance, including their voice was a bit much, though - he has never been able to do that in the comics.

This is the third appearance of The Expansion Team - they were last seen battling the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man in STF #1490, and first got together back in STF #934...

Saturday, February 10, 2018

Wonder Woman and Iron Man in :"Search for the Crown!"



Speculation is beginning to circulate about the villain(s) for Wonder Woman 2.  Circe is the top choice, and I already know the perfect casting.  Charlize Theron won an Oscar working with director Patty Jenkins before, and mentioned that she had wanted to be in the first film, but could not due to scheduling conflicts.  I think she would be great in the role.  Best of all, Circe is known to transform humans into animals, opening the door for Cheetah to join in on the action as well.

Wonder Woman and Iron Man first appeared together in STF #1886...

Friday, February 9, 2018

Jonah Hex and Quick Draw McGraw



When I was a kid, I loved to get up early on a Saturday to watch cartoons, and liked all of the Hanna-Barbera characters.  Disney was not represented in the mornings and while I loved Warner Bros. Looney Toons, they seemed to show the same episodes over and over - but H-B seemed to have a lot of different shows to offer, from Super-heroic Action to Funny Animals.  Every once in a while I will watch an old episode on YouTube and it brings me right back to those days.

Thursday, February 8, 2018

Black Panther and Black Lightning (Vs. the Hate Monger!)



After four episodes, Black Lightning has quickly jumped to the top of the CW DC Comics based series for me.  The cast is very engaging and the writing has not fallen into the same romantic melodrama that sometimes takes over the other shows.  I might tweak Black Lightning's mask a little, but so far that's the only nitpick that I have.  Black Panther is about to be a big success on the big screen, if the very positive advance reviews are any indication.  It's taken a while, but finally these heroes are getting the wider recognition that they have always deserved.

These two first joined forces in STF #1274...

Wednesday, February 7, 2018

Ghost Rider and Judge Dredd


While Dredd was not a huge financial success, the film was well regarded among fans and has become somewhat of a cult hit.  Every once in a while I will read something about a sequel or perhaps even a TV series to follow it up.  I think that factors like what size budget to use and Karl Urban's availability for the title role must be playing heavily into the decision whether to proceed or not.  Hopefully something will be ironed out, because I would enjoy seeing the further adventures of a live action Judge Dredd.

Tuesday, February 6, 2018

Eternity and The Justice Society of America



There have been lots of big big moves from DC lately, with the return of properties like Neil Gaiman's Sandman, Alan Moore's Watchmen characters and the heroes from his ABC Comics line... but still no sign of the classic JSA.  Their reintegration into the DCU has been teased for a while, but I am still waiting for the announcement of a new series with a top-notch creative team.

Monday, February 5, 2018

Man-Thing Vs. The Demon


This might be a fun match up.  Two incredibly powered creatures that nevertheless have strong ties to humanity despite their outward appearances, one silent and passive and the other eloquent and aggressive. 

Sunday, February 4, 2018

Captain Hero and Super Dagwood (Vs. Wimpy!)



I have been wondering whether to check out Riverdale.  I enjoy the CW superhero shows, but I am not crazy about a lot of the romance subplots they include.  I figured Riverdale would focus mostly on that aspect what with the classic Archie/Betty/Veronica love triangle, so I didn't bother to watch.  I've heard some good things though.

Captain Hero and Super-Dagwood first joined forces in STF #1494...

Saturday, February 3, 2018

Green Lantern Corps Vs. The X-Men




For the planned Green Lantern Corps movie, I'd definitely want the three GL's above to appear, along with John Stewart, Tomar Re and Katma Tui.  If there's room for another human GL, let's bring in Guy Gardner - I can imagine an actor like Sean William Scott really having fun with the role.

Hal Jordan and the Corps have been holding a grudge against Wolverine for a long time - since STF #209, in fact...

Friday, February 2, 2018

Mera and Namorita in: "Exiled... From Atlantis!"



Mera may have only made a brief appearance in Justice League, but she had the best and most comics accurate looking costume in the film. I look forward to seeing her really get a chance to shine once Aquaman's solo movie hits the theaters.  Her water based abilities looked cool onscreen and I am sure that director James Wan will present some amazing visuals with them.

Mera and Namorita first crossed paths in STF #1264...

Thursday, February 1, 2018

She-Hulk and The Flash


I know the Movie rights to the Hulk are a bit muddled - Marvel can use him but not in a solo film, I think - but does that extend to Hulk-related characters like Jennifer Walters?  I think she would be a great addition to the live action heroes.  It would be cool to see her in The Avengers, but my preference would be a TV show.  There's enough super powers, humor, heart and legal action to fill a series with.

Wednesday, January 31, 2018

The Thing and Hourman


This was a pairing that I had always meant to get to in my MTIO: The Lost Issues days, but never got around to.  I still think that a hero that has powers, but only for an hour at a time could make for a great series - it's too bad that Hourman was completely wasted on DC's Legends of Tomorrow, and we never even got to see that aspect of his abilities.

Tuesday, January 30, 2018

Batman and The Defenders (The Movie!)



This cover comes about as the result of a conversation in the comments section.  I liked the idea of a live-action Defenders team, but I still wanted to honor the cross-company aspect f this blog.  With that in mind, I added in Batman - because Batman goes with everybody!  Justice League may have missed the mark, but I'm thinking this could be a true blockbuster!

Batman and The Defenders met in a more traditional comic way back in my B&B: The Lost Issues days...

Monday, January 29, 2018

Batgirl and Hellcat in: "Criss-Crossed Crusaders!"



Patsy Walker is expected to return for the second season of Netflix' Jessica Jones.  Marvel fans of course know her as Hellcat - but will she ever suit up in the show?  Given its gritty nature and Jessica's attitude towards Daredevil's costume  in The Defenders, it seems unlikely that the blue and gold suit makes an appearance..  Still, Patsy did seem inspired by all the new protectors showing up in Manhattan, so that may be leading somewhere.

Batgirl and Hellcat first crossed paths way back in STF #89...

Sunday, January 28, 2018

The Avengers meet Orion and Lightray



Avengers: Infinity War was originally supposed to have "Part I" in the title, but they decided not to go that route, and will give the 4th film in the franchise its own (for now, mysterious) title.  Does this mean that the new film will be self-contained, without feeling like half of a story?  I can't imagine there won't be at least a couple of cliffhangers. 

Long-time STF visitors know that Darkseid enslaved The Avengers way back in issue #377...


Saturday, January 27, 2018

Flash Gordon and Superman


Because of the 80's camp classic film (and that film's role in the movie Ted), Flash Gordon is often considered a cheesy character.  For me, my first thoughts go to the amazing comic strips he appeared in.  The artwork is beautifully detailed, well ahead of its time when compared to most comics of the era.  I'd love to see a more serious take on the sci-fi hero one of these days.

Friday, January 26, 2018

Madman and Daredevil


Mike Allred recently posted a quick animation that he made of Madman on his Twitter feed, and it looked great.  Allred's style lends itself perfectly to cartoon form.  I've been waiting for the character to make the jump to other media for years now, and I'd love to see him on the big or little screen.

Thursday, January 25, 2018

The Spirit and The Spectre


There are some comic pages that stay with you forever.  One of the most powerful for me wast the final page of The Spectre #9 by John Ostrander and Tom Mandrake.  Ostrander had been writing a brilliant story in the series thus far with Jim Corrigan/The Spectre coming to terms with his misdeeds in the past and vulnerabilities.  Upon realizing that a woman he cares deeply for, Amy, cannot be saved despite all of his abilities, he pulls back his hood and we see a distraught Spectre/Corrigan hybrid whispering her name in a full-page shot.  The combination of Ostrander's Story with Mandrake's masterful depiction of the moment made it the most impactful page of an amazing series.

Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Power Man and Afro Samurai


 My preference for a character's appearance is usually how I first encountered them, so I still have a great fondness for the classic chain belt and tiara look for Power Man.  That said, I can understand the need to update Luke Cage's appearance.  I'm glad Marvel at least still makes sure to usually put him in a yellow shirt, as a nod to the old days.

Tuesday, January 23, 2018

Spider-Man and Tarantula


The golden age Tarantula had a very generic looking costume until Jerry Ordway gave him a makeover in the pages of All-Star Squadron.  I loved the brown and black outfit that was spider-themed while still being a very original design.  It's too bad that the character has all but disappeared since that series ended.

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