If I Had A Buck... Not Ready For Prime Team Players

Martinex1: There is great fanfare for superhero teams around here and seemingly continuous conversation about the big guns from DC and Marvel.  The Avengers, X-Men, and the Justice League are certainly the leaders of the pack when it comes to four-color creations, film adaptations, and their corporations' profits.  And there are other top notch teams that certainly get a lot of respect from comic enthusiasts.  The Fantastic Four, Defenders, Teen Titans, and Legion of Superheroes have avid followers.  The Guardians of the Galaxy made their way to the big screen and are now an upper tier property.  But even defunct mags like the Invaders, Champions, Inhumans, and Doom Patrol have serious defenders; their characters are fondly remembered and eke their way into television plots and other titles.

This $1 Challenge is NOT about those teams.  This game of If I Had a Buck focuses on the many teams that have graced the spinner racks of the past but did not catch on quite as dramatically as the superstars.  These are the "Other Guys, the "C-Listers," the "Also-Rans." 

Now don't get me wrong, some of these teams had long running titles.  And some of these teams may be your all-time favorites.   Some of them had all-star creative teams.  Others had lots of marketing support from their companies.   And some even had tremendous success and popularity in spurts. But let's face it, they never really made it long term.   

Part of their appeal may be in their offbeat rosters.   The teams consist of characters that are probably not household names.  There are, however, great stories in their runs.   I tend to be enthusiastic about these types of team books, because when I pick one up I typically find something new in the approach, something weird in the plotting, a costume I really like, and a personality or conflict with a different nuance. 

So as always, take your dollar and spend it on four selections from our quarter bin.  Share your thoughts, your memories, your observations and suggestions.   I am curious (as I am sure others are as well) if there was gold to be mined from these offbeat teams and their titles.

Even a Dog Food Commercial is Epic With Bohemian Rhapsody Playing Behind It

Karen: So the second trailer for DC's Suicide Squad movie came out last week and a lot of folks got very excited about it. But really, was it the movie that got them excited, or the music playing over the footage -in this case, Queen's classic "Bohemian Rhapsody"?

Karen: Seriously, they did a nice job cutting the trailer to that song. It sure felt stimulating. But I have to question whether the excitement generated was really due to the contents of the visuals, or the combination of the visuals with the soaring music. I'll admit upfront that I have pretty much no interest in seeing this film. Maybe it will surprise me and be highly entertaining. But right now, I'm thinking it would be better for me to just keep listening to the classic rock station on Sirius-XM.

That's Just Dumb - The "New Look" Joker...

Doug: Well, if you've not seen Jared Leto in character for the upcoming big-screen Suicide Squad, take a peek below. I'd offer Neal Adams's rendition of the Joker as being just a bit more in my comfort zone. Sheesh... Marilyn Manson rip-off...