superhero news stories on Newser

Marvel Designs Deaf Hero to Inspire Boy

Matt Cantor — Thu, 24 May 2012 16:12:42 CDT

A 4-year-old boy was sick of wearing his hearing aid because, he told his mother, superheroes don't wear them. So she sent Marvel Comics an email asking about deaf characters—and the company designed a hero just for young Anthony Smith. First, Marvel sent Anthony a picture of Hawkeye, an...

Critics Agree: Avengers a Blast

Matt Cantor — Fri, 04 May 2012 07:37:45 CDT

Sure, it's an effective moneymaking scheme: release movies about individual superheroes, then one about all of them. But with Joss Whedon at the helm, The Avengers really works. What critics are saying: "Even if you don't particularly like comic-book adaptations, this film just might make a believer of you," writes...

Real-Life Batman in Traffic Stop Unveiled

John Johnson — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 14:33:05 CDT

When Maryland cops pulled over Batman on a traffic stop last week , photos of the incident quickly went viral. So who was the grown man decked out head to toe in Batman gear and driving a black Lamborghini with Batman tags instead of plates? It turns out to be a...

Ghost Rider Pretty Much a Joke

Matt Cantor — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 11:19:52 CST

Critics agree: Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance is ridiculous. But they're divided over whether the silliness of the sequel, once again starring Nicolas Cage as the devilish superhero, is funny or just bad. In the Merced Sun-Star , Roger Moore calls the movie "a profoundly silly mash-up of comic book and...

Seattle 'Superhero' Avoids Assault Charge

Matt Cantor — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 09:49:47 CST

Seattle’s “superhero”—the masked Phoenix Jones—has managed to avoid a possible assault charge after a pepper-spray showdown ; he says he was on a rescue mission. A city attorney says there wasn’t enough evidence for a jury to find him guilty, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports. But make no mistake: Jones,...

Seattle Superhero Makes Court Appearance

Matt Cantor — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 19:00:05 CDT

Even superheroes aren't above the law. Self-appointed Seattle crime-fighter Phoenix Jones was in court last week following his arrest in a pepper-spray debacle . No charges have yet been filed against Jones' mild-mannered alter-ego (read: real identity), one Benjamin Fodor; prosecutors told the judge they want more time to make a...

Critics Salute Captain America

Matt Cantor — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 13:23:17 CDT

Captain America: The First Avenger , starring Chris Evans, isn't exactly deserving of 50 stars, but as far as superhero flicks go, it's an enjoyable, if somewhat enhanced, period piece. Just don’t expect Dark Knight -quality stuff. "Captain America , like its unapologetically corny hero, is propelled by unpretentious and plucky ingenuity,...

No Shine From Green Lantern

Matt Cantor — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 12:08:05 CDT

Green Lantern is chock-full of special effects, but they’re not enough to rescue this superhero flick. Critics complain: “ Green Lantern is bad,” writes Manohla Dargis in the New York Times . It’s "impeded by lame jokes; evocations of better movies; an ugly-bruise palette of black, green, and purple; and a formulaic...

X-Men Finally Bounces Back

Matt Cantor — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 11:55:05 CDT

Critics are largely impressed with the latest installment in the X-Men series: X-Men: First Class is certainly an improvement over the last few. A sampling of reviews: “After a close call with franchise death, the X-Men film series has bounced back to life with its fifth installment, rescued with a...