Doctor Fate and Doctor Who

Tom Baker has always been my favorite Doctor, as he was the one I was first introduced to.  I have watched the current Doctor Who series and I really liked the performances that Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant gave in the role as well.  Matt Smith is enjoyable, but what really piqued my interest was the climax of this past season which featured (don't read further if you want to avoid spoilers)... the introduction of a new Doctor played by John Hurt!  Now I don't know if this will be for a one-off story or the new status quo, but it definitely has me looking forward to the next season.

Beta Ray Bill Vs. Boba Fett

One of the most interesting pieces of information to come out of Disney's acquisition of the Star Wars franchise is the plans for a solo Boba Fett film.  I wonder what kind of direction they will go for, and how much earlier in his career the story will take place in?  Or will they explain that he somehow survived the Sarlaac Pit and present his continuing adventures? One thing I can probably guarantee - whoever plays hims is going to keep finding reasons to take the helmet off!

Doctor Spectrum Joins The Green Lantern Corps

Geoff Johns is about to wrap up his time as writer of Green Lantern after several years, and it is pretty impressive to look back and see what he has done with the franchise during his tenure.  Among the highlights of his run were the revival and redemption of Hal Jordan, the revitalization of most of the GL rogues gallery, two of DC's best crossovers ever (Sinestro Corps War and Blackest Night) and the introduction of dozens of new characters from Simon Baz to the Red, Blue, Orange and White Lanterns.  Sure, some of the rainbow-lantern corps shenanigans got a little repetitive and the movie adaptation wasn't the home run I was hoping for, but for the most part Johns was the best thing to happen to the Green Lantern franchise in decades.  I look forward to his future endeavors and  hope that the new creative teams will be able to keep the Corps flying high!

Thanos and Death

Well, Thanos has made the leap to the big screen with the teaser during the end credits of The Avengers, and we know now that it is only a matter of time before he returns to appear in a full feature.  But what of Death?  I had been hearing of a film project starring the DC/Vertigo star for years with names like Winona Ryder for the lead role, but those plans seem to have gone away.  I still think there is a very cool film to be made there - possibly an adaptation of the excellent Death: The High Cost of Living mini-series.  Hopefully, that's a project that will find its way beck to the forefront one of these days.

The Shadow and The Spirit

Here are a couple of pulp characters that have not had an easy time making the transition to live action.  The Spirit was an artistic triumph on the printed page by Will Eisner, but trying to recapture the inventive visuals on the big screen resulted in a campy bomb.  The Shadow was not nearly as big a misstep, but it certainly had it's cheesy moments and could have done the character a lot more justice.  I would have preferred something a little more moody, as my introduction to Lamont Cranston's alter ego was from listening to the classic radio dramas that he was featured in.

Batman and the Outsiders Join The Secret Wars

I had some hope that an ongoing Katana series was going to lead to the introduction of The Outsiders into the New 52, but it doesn't look like that is in the cards just yet.  I really loved the original line up of the team as presented by co-creators Mike W. Barr and Jim Aparo and it would be great to see them all together again.

Marvel's Secret Wars was a cool comic to read, as we were seeing all of Marvel's biog characters in one sweeping story.  These days, Marvel has so many team books and the lines between Avenger, X-Man and solo hero have been blurred so much that seeing all their characters interacting is hardly unique any more.  It's going to be hard to recapture some of that earlier magic.

Superboy and Iceman

I was glad to see Shawn Ashmore  added to the list of returning actors for X-Men: Days of Future Past.  I liked his performance as Iceman in the original trilogy, but by the end of the third film, we only got to see him fully "ice up" for a few seconds.  Let's hope that we see a lot more of him in complete head to toe ice action this time around!

JLA and The Champions / Superman and the FF / JSA and The Hulk

Another hundred milestone deserves another 100-Page Giant! Nick Cardy was far and away my favorite DC cover artist and he really got a chance to show his skills on the various over-sized comics.  Cardy would present multiple adventures on a single cover, sometimes having to sell a story with a two-square inch image... and he always pulled it off!  I remember seeing ads for some of those comics and promising myself I would track them down.  It was always a great feeling when I finally got hold of one of those issues and discovered the stories within.

Sgt. Rock and Sgt. Fury

I already had Sgt. Rock pair up with Nick Fury from his S.H.I.E.L.D. era, but this is the meeting that I would really like to see.  I can imagine them freeing their respective companies and the final act being a huge free for all against the forces of H.Y.D.R.A. and The Iron Major... all culminating in an arm wrestling match between  Bulldozer and Dum Dum Dugan. Now that's a comic that will put hair on your chest!

Silver Surfer Vs. Darth Vader

Continuing from yesterday's tale, we have a story that also hearkens back to STF #40, in which Vader met Galactus.  Who says this isn't the swingin' Super-Team age of cohesive continuity?

I think one of the biggest challenges for JJ Abrams' new Star Wars installment will be to find a villain as iconic as Darth Vader. It's going to be hard to top that voice, appearance and air of mystery.  Even though he wasn't a comic book character, he was pretty much like a super-villain from the comics for me - he had a costume complete with helmet, gloves and cape, powers and even a secret identity.  No wonder I was so fascinated by him as a kid.

Starfire and The Silver Surfer

The Lost Issues has already established a few romances (Wonder Woman and Captain America, Power Man and Power Girl), and I thought I would try for one more.  Starfire is passionate enough that I could see her getting through the Surfer's protective surface and into his heart, plus she could freely span the spaceways with him.  Of course this is a comic book, where marriages seldom go smoothly, so romance will be quickly replaced with action.  In fact this story leads right into tomorrows cover...

Justice League of America And D-Man

Not everyone who decides to become a superhero would really be cut out for it, so D-Man (or Demolition Man) was a nice change.  Here was a guy who clearly aspired to be part of the big leagues, but was always in their shadow.  Unfortunately, what began as a fun character eventually took a dark turn.  D-Man was shown to be more and more unstable, eventually joining the Revengers, being manipulated into become the new Scourge, and finally killed off.  Kind of a depressing end to a character that could have been enjoyable to follow.

Batman and Nite Owl

Doctor Manhattan and Rorschach may have had flashier roles, but my favorite character from Watchmen has always been Nite Owl.  Alan Moore created an everyman hero whose insecurities and past-his-prime physique made his return to crime fighting even more compelling.  I also liked the look of his lair and gadgets as designed by Dave Gibbons - his Owl Ship is very cool, inside and out.

Jonah Hex Vs. Man-Thing

There are plenty of cowboy characters in comics, but one has always risen to the top for me, and that's Jonah Hex.  Part of it was his cool disfigured look and cranky attitude that made him stand apart from more traditional western stars.  Then there was the fact that Hex fit in better with the overall DC Universe, as he was no stranger to time travel or the occasional guest appearance in a superhero title.  Finally, he is a character that seems to bring out the best in artists, and always seemed to have very exciting, eye-catching covers.  That was true back in the day with masters like Nick Cardy and JL Garcia Lopez, and today we have modern greats like Darwyn Cooke and Jordi Bernet to carry on the tradition.

Green Arrow and Han Solo

It's going to be very interesting to see what is in store for Han Solo and Chewbacca in the upcoming Star Wars Episode 7.  It should be cool to see Harrison Ford inhabit the role again, and I have confidence that Director JJ Abrams and writer Michael Arndt will do the character justice.  The producers have announced a young Han Solo spin-off film as well, and that's going to be a tough film to make.  Will they be able to find an actor who can pull off the role that Ford originated?  Comparisons will be inevitable and it's going to be tough to get audiences to accept a new face behind the character.

Scalphunter and The Lone Ranger

I was glad to hear that there was going to be a new Lone Ranger film coming out because I have fond memories of watching the TV show reruns when I was a kid, and the last film adaptation did not do the character justice, in my opinion.  I've seen the trailer for the new movie and I'm not quite sure what to make of it.  The casting of Johnny Depp as Tonto just isn't working for me and the over the top action and silly humor seemed out of place as well.  It might end up being a fun cowboy film, but I think I'll still be waiting for that perfect Lone Ranger movie.

Zatanna Vs. Wolverine

I was pretty disappointed by X-Men Origins: Wolverine it was a mess of a film with mutant guest stars thrown in at random and a pretty thin plot line.  I had high hopes when I heard that visionary director Darren Aranofsky was going to be helming the second solo Wolverine film, but he later dropped out.  James Mangold took over the reins and now I am not sure what to expect.  The good news is that The Wolverine appears to be based on the classic mini-series by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller.  The trailer didn't knock my socks off, but it didn't have anything that looked off to me either.  I'm hoping to be pleasantly surprised, and we will finally see the Wolverine film we were hoping for the last time out.

The Spectre Vs. Scooby Doo

Is there any cartoon property that has had as many incarnations as Scooby Doo?  I remember being a fan when I was a kid, I even had a Scooby Doo lunchbox.  The fact that Scooby and the gang would meet with characters like Batman or the Harlem Globetrotters added to my admiration of the show - even back then I loved crossovers.  The live action movies seemed to kick the property into high gear again, and new series and animated movies have been popping up on a regular basis. Not bad for a bunch of hippies and their dog!

Wonder Woman and The Black Cat

I've been wanting to do a retro style Wonder Woman cover for a while now and I finally settled on a suitable co-star.  DC's New 52 initiative has met with mixed reactions among fans, but one character that really seems to have benefited is Wonder Woman.  Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang have created one of the most unique superhero titles in their line-up and it is nice to see comic's premier super-heroine looking so good.

Vibe and Dazzler

I made this cover as a goof on a couple of characters that had the unfortunate timing to try and capitalize on dance crazes just as those fads were ending.  Little did I know that before I had a chance to post this, Vibe would actually be revived and given his own ongoing title!  I think that's pretty cool, because I have always been of the opinion that any character can be a success if given the right angle.  Hopefully, he will meet with more success this time out.