Batman and Captain America (1996)

 

There is a plot afoot in Gotham City in early 1945.  Batman and Robin are on the trail of the Joker and after he escapes, Batman finds some disturbing clues about what the Clown Prince of Crime's plan is.  Cap helps Rock and Easy Company dispose of a War Wheel (I think that is what is is) and gets summoned back to the States.  He and Bucky run into Batman and Robin during a rescue of Robert Oppenheimer.  The big brass suspect a spy on the Manhattan Project.  They think they spy is Bruce Wayne, and Private Rogers is set to watching him.  Steve and Bruce have a quick tussle, and Bruce figures out who he is fighting.  They join forces to stop the Joker, and find out the Red Skull is behind it all.  Big surprise there, right? 

Earth X... casualties?

  In the classic JLA/JSA/Freedom Fighters first team up,  we learn from Uncle Sam that many of his comrades had perished in the ongoing battle against the feckin' Nazis.  This implies that the Blackhawks and Plastic Man had perished.  Of course, the 'hawks had been bought by DC and published through the 60s, even getting a superhero upgrade at one point, and Plastic Man had shown up here and there in various series as well.

Crisis on Earth X

It's a great time to be a superhero fan.  This four part crossover with the CW's super shows was so much fun to watch.  When I saw the promos I knew what was going to happen, what with reading the original JLA/JSA/Freedom Fighters story way back in the early 70s.  Obviously it's not the same, and I'm not even sure how many of the actual heroes (well, one for sure) actually made it from that story to this adaption, but it was just fine.

The Flash #173

"Downward Flight of the Flashes"

Script: John Broome

Pencils: Carmine Infantino

Inks: Sid Greene

I love team up stories, and I miss the multiple Earths of the DCU.  it was in the pages of the Flash comics the original heroes of the 40s were brought back to life, via Earth 2.  it wasn't too long until there were team ups with the original Green Lanterns, Atoms and some other originals, though I don't recall if the two Supermen or Batmen ever got to team up together in stories.  the Flashes did it the most, which makes a certain bit of sense, since they started the whole thing.

Space Ghost and Batman: Space Safari

here's the full five minute team up. how I wish there had been a full episode, but this is the time a normal Space Ghost episode took, so it's pretty great. all that's missing is the classic Hanna-Barbera music cues from JONNY QUEST. they adapt the Space Ghost theme, and it works really well. at least all the sound effects are there! as well as a lot of the classic monsters. there are pictures here on the blog if you want to see them.

Crossover Classics

This is the collection of the first four stories marvel and dc did together.
I covered the first (and still best) story here, but haven't read the two middle ones (Supes and Spidey vs Dr. Doom and the Parasite, Batman and the Hulk vs the Joker and the Shaper of Worlds) in ages.  the final one, Teen Titans and the X-Men sure makes me miss those teams.  even if Wolverine was turning into Batman by then.  his brown and tan costume is much better than the blue and yellow one.  these days I don't even know who is on what team.  and that's just sad.

anyway...

Superman vs Spider-man

in 1976 I was innocently reading some unremembered comic book issue (out of the hundreds I had been reading), probably enjoying the story when an ad for this comic book caught my eye.

to say nothing else mattered at that point, and is probably the reason I don't have any recollection of which book I read this in, is an understatement.  I was blown away that this would happen.

I was so excited I pre-ordered the book, by cutting out the coupon in whatever comic book I was reading.  so much for that collector's edition!  I just couldn't wait to read this book and speculation ran rampant in my superhero brain.

stuff like "what Earth will it take place on? will there be extra heroes? will there be villains? who will the villains be?" and all sorts of stuff.

when the mail finally delivered my long awaited treasure, I was not disappointed.  they didn't even bother with the whole continuity thing, which didn't bother me at all (though with the mention of the Injustice Gang there had to be other heroes around).  I don't know how many times I read it, but it was a lot.  it sure lived up to the hype on the cover!

the follow ups to this were OK, but none were as great as the first one- I only ever bought the X-Men/Teen Titans one, and can't remember anything about the others.

I still own this, and it's in decent shape.

Batman and... Space Ghost!

this is really the most awesome thing ever:

probably makes me like this Bat-show more than anything else ever made.  I'll have a review of the episode before too long, but right now I just like seeing that picture.

dream team ups

while watching the old Hulk tv show, I had a thought.  there were three main characters on the show, Banner/Hulk and Jack McGee, ably played by Jack Colvin.  while I believe a larger supporting cast could have helped the show, there's no denying it's success over 5 seasons.

but it seems to me that McGee might have eventually come across another reporter who had dealings with weird and unusual creatures and phenomena at some point.  perhaps this older reporter could have helped him out at first, trying to find the Hulk.

the older reporter would of course be Carl Kolchak, The Night Stalker.  how cool would that have been? perhaps the Hulk could have battled some supernatural menace which would have brought McGee into Kolchak's world.