As the home of such icons as Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman, you'd think DC Comics would rule the superhero universe. But no. In fact, rival Marvel Comics is kicking DC's butt. How can this be?
Movies are where the real superhero action is these days, and Marvel, having scored major hits with the current "Iron Man" and "Hulk" films (and with "Thor," "Captain America" and the all-star team-up "Avengers" already in the pipeline), is cleaning up at the box office. Meanwhile, DC and its corporate parent, Warner Bros., haven't quite exploited their own stable of stars -- not just Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, but also the Justice League of which all three of those characters are a part, along with Flash and Green Lantern. Turning these revered comics properties into money-minting movie franchises should have been a no-brainer. If the process has been mishandled, DC's numbers are down, and fanboys are in revolt, what can be done about it? Plenty.
-- Observe Neil Gaiman's "Law of Superhero Movies," which is that "the closer the film is to the look and feel of what people like about the comic, the more successful it is." This, Gaiman says, is "something that Warners tends singularly to miss, and Marvel tends singularly to get right." Warners may prove Gaiman wrong here with the forthcoming "Watchmen." Read More...
As appointed protectors of Earth by the wizard Shazam, Captain Marvel has the wisdom of Solomon, the strength of Hercules, Black Adam the swiftness of Heru, the courage of Mehen.
Captain Marvel may be charged with protecting mankind, but that's nothing compared to being charged with finding the right actor to fill his heroic tights.
It was Voltaire who once said that if God didn't exist, it would be necessary to invent him. It was screenwriter John August who said the same thing about Captain Marvel.
Comic-Con might not start until tomorrow, but comics once again dominate our links of the day, with news on "Captain Marvel," "Jonah Hex," and "Y: The Last Man." Meanwhile, a "Heroes" star might be getting Vulcan-ized. 
In DC's "Infinite Crisis" series, Captain Marvel is charged with rebuilding the Rock of Eternity. It seems only fitting then that the real-life Rock (Dwayne Johnson) should return the favor and help revive "The World's Mightiest Mortal" in next year's big-screen adaptation of "Shazam!"
Everything old is new again today, with some news on beloved characters from TV, film, and comics making a comeback. And what's with the sass from those old farts in the corner? (And may we not rot in movie hell for calling the man who directed "The Godfather" an old fart.)
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