According to Scientific American, yes, kind of, sort of, but it’d take a lot more than a celebrity trainer. Read the whole geek-jock Q&A — with the author of Becoming Batman: The Possibility of a Superhero — here.

(Update: more here.)

Finally: Episode 1 of Joss Whedon’s (second) long-awaited supervillain musical is live today…and available for one week only! Run, don’t walk! While singing, of course.

It might be something like this.

Quoth the director in SciFi magazine: “[Episode] Five is about, obviously, zombies who eat fish. It’s about trout zombies, which is very exciting. And then the episode after that is about a group of intergalactic criminals masquerading as a boy band.” Top that!

Quoth our TV tipster: “Until another Wonderfalls or Jack of All Trades comes along, Middleman [along with my beloved Chuck! — BG] may have to occupy the ‘shamelessly embraces-its-own-dorkitude‘ slot.”)

 

I went to see Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy at the Met in New York. These pop culture exhibits can get a little bullsh*tty with their what-does-it-all-mean? blurbs, but you’ll have fun if you go in the spirit of the craven organizers (“Superhero movie costumes will bring in the kids!”) rather than that of the hapless exhibit designers (“Well, a loosely knitted shawl is kind of Spider-Man-y, right?”). A few fashion designers actually were inspired by Superman, Wonder Woman or (Tim Burton’s) Catwoman — and here the show works as intended — but the rest is a bigger stretch than Plastic Man.

My big problem with the exhibit is that while due credit is given to the amazing designers and craftspeople that realize superhero costumes on screen, NO credit is given to the original comic book illustrators or editors that created or influenced their designs. (They may be credited on the website, but not in the exhibit itself.) It’s as if superheroes just are — like the Greek gods or something — their origins too arcane to explore, or their designs such a foregone conclusion that if Steve Ditko hadn’t picked Spider-Man’s ensemble someone else would have?

Strangest of all, there is no comic book imagery accompanying the movie costumes and haute couture creations; All the backdrops are from the films, or one of Alex Ross’ (albeit thrilling) photo-realistic paintings. Only on the last wall, crowded together as a seeming afterthought before the giftshop, do we see any comics. But what comics they are! Action Comics #1, Amazing Fantasy #15, Captain America #1, Flash Comics #1, etc.! Sadly, the most valuable items in the show — both money-wise and culture-wise — have the least value to the exhibitors.

Okay, so I have watched maybe 0.75 episodes, ever, of Sex and the City. Yes, I have been living somewhere down near the earth’s core since 1998. What can I say? It just never wound up on my super-radar.

But this did!

As excited as we are about this, we may be even more excited about this. Whedon-tastic!

You’re both in the Fantastic Four. Does that mean you’ll make a Fantastic Pair? Not necessarily!

Check out the Top Five Worst Superhero Marriages and Top Five Least Romantic Comics Couples as rated by the comic sites and ComicBookResources.com and Comixology.com. In most ways, these couples’ differences are more human than super-human: their various love Kryptonites include commitment-phobia, age differences, cheating spouses, skeptical friends, the slacker/striver dynamic, manipulation (in this case, of the four elements). Let’s just hope BG and The Lone Loner never make these lists!

Us: Venerable, award-winning website about love, and/or lack thereof, geared for both men and women and combining witty advice with sophisticated comic-strip adventures. We are seeking a new sidekick for help with content on this very blog!
You: Ace reporter, crackerjack writer. Able to spot relationship-related news stories and the clever or insightful angle therein. You should have your own distinct voice and take, but should also be willing to roll with us in terms of style and philosophy. We may also want you to help track and moderate blog comments when necessary. Swinging geeky is good; affinity for superheroes a plus.
Pay: Alas, none. This is a VERY part-time (part-part-time?) pursuit in which you may engage from the privacy of your own home/cafe/McJob.
Payoff: Honing of your voice and your nose for news. Tons of [short] clips. Considerable cachet / street cred! The opportunity to become part of a tight, fun team who will give you glowing references. And, possibly, your very own cartoon alter ego.

If you are interested, please e-mail bg@breakupgirl.net with a resume and writing sample(s).

Thank you!
Team BG

Take one look at this picture and tell me that story is being covered EVERYWHERE out of serious concern for public health. Come on. It’s a CHEERLEADER who DIED during surgery for BREAST augmentation. In the meteorology of sex-and-death-sell headlines, it’s the perfect storm. It would have been enough the young woman had just been, you know, white and blond. But she is also a cheerleader. And oh, do we have a thing about cheerleaders. In high school, they stand to destroy our social lives. In Heroes, they stand to save the world. But while we’re busy thinking about cheerleaders doing everything but leading cheers, they are actually busy being insanely good athletes, performing superheroic stunts like the basket toss and — yes — the Superman. If you need reminding of that, or proof, check out this interview my alter ego did with Kate Torgovnick, author of Cheer!: Three Teams on a Quest for College Cheerleading’s Ultimate Prize. Hint:  the “ultimate prize” is not popularity.

Me? I got a Valentine from my ex, Hellboy. I’m SO happy for him and Liz. They’re moving in together in the next movie. THANKS for the update, Hel!

They make a cute couple. They really do. But I’m not sure how long it’s going to last. Could their body language be more awkward? Maybe I’m just bitter because he never brought ME back to life.