Holy Sculpted Rubber Suits, Batman!
Mood:  energetic
Now Playing: John Ottman's score for "X-Men 2"
sign it's gonna be a good day #1: you walk into work and your boss apologizes for biting your head off yesterday for a mistake you didn't make, he made and he's now realized it was his mistake and is taking responsibility. -sniff, sniff- they grow up so fast . . .

sign it's gonna be a good day #2: a Christopher Nolan film starring Christian Bale, Gary Oldman, Liam Neeson, Morgan Freeman, Cillian Murphy, Katie Holmes, and Michael Caine opens that also just so happens to be an adaptation of one of the best comic book heroes of all time.

to mark the Batman resurrection (after Schumacher killed it and continued to beat the poor dead horse -- seriously, have you seen Batman & Robin? i know it's easy to make fun of it, but my goodness that movie is bad! and i love Schumacher's work! Phantom of the Opera? Phonebooth? what happened man?) , i have decided to write a mini-column on everything superheroes have ever taught me.

Batman

we'll start with Bats because it's his big day. the message that Batman brings to us is a very simple one, in my opinion. because he has no superpowers, Batman really comes to represent who you or i could become. maybe we don't have Wayne manor or Wayne Enterprises and the millions of dollars it brings Bruce, but the point is Bruce uses what natural resources he has to be the best he can be. the Bible would call him a good steward. me and you, we have things at our disposal that we can use to better the lives of those around us. that's what the caped and cowled crusader taught me.

Superman

might as well talk about the other DC character i know and love before i move back to my home territory of Marvel characters. Superman has a special place in my heart because his was the first movie i remember seeing and the first movie i watched so many times i wore out the VHS tape and could quote the entire movie (soon to be followed by Return of the Jedi). the cynic in me looks at Superman and scoffs that he's just the commercialization of Jesus Christ, but there's something to the "Boy Scout" that i still love and admire, and if nothing else, it's his convictions. different writers have done different things to him, sometimes poking fun of his "truth, justice, and the American way" of doing things, some have really painted him hokey. but here is what is basically a demigod who refuses to kill. who refuses to use his powers for his own personal gain. the man in practically invincible, but does he have plans for world domination? nope. he just wants to be himself, live a life with Lois, and help those in need. that's who he has always been and who he continues to this day. sticking to what you believe in, while still allowing room for growth, is something we could all use a little more of.

X-Men

here's a book i have to admit i've always loved but never read. i've been reading the Ultimate book and loving it and i've recently begun reading the Astonishing line (yay Joss Whedon!) and i absolutely loved the movies. that being said, there's also so many muties running around the X-Men universe that it is absolutely impossible to count them all. out of any comic book series, the X-books are probably the most convoluted and hardest series to break into. you practically have to know their entire history to understand any one of their stories. very frustrating. that being said, what i dig about the X-books is the team unity, how they all work together, how they each have such diverse powers but combine them to work together for good. we (like the X-Men) are born with unique abilities (maybe you can't shoot an optic beam out of your eyes or maybe you can, i don't know) that we can use anyway we want. how will you use the abilities God has given you? selfish gain, for His kingdom or for the betterment of man? it's your choice.

Spider-Man

Superman might have captured my imagination but Spider-Man sculpted it. if Superman is a Greek god, Spider-Man is a Greek tragedy. it would be easy for me to simply quote "with great power comes great responsibility," as that is the main theme of both the books and and the movies, but there's something else in the Spider-books that keeps me coming back (for those of you only vaguely aware of my life, Spider-Man is my all time favorite). i love his sense of humour. i love that's he's just a regular shmoe. but as a character, what i love about him most is his perseverance. even when his Uncle Ben is killed or Gwen Stacy is killed, he perseveres. he keeps fighting the good fight, because he has been given these powers, and he has a responsibility that he must uphold.

then, of course, are the little side lessons: blondes are cool but will sleep with your arch-nemesis, spawning super-powered children who will try to kill you and/or have sex with you. redheads are infinitely cooler (or hotter, depending on your personal jargon) than blondes. if your best friend's father tries to kill you, chances are, your best friend will end up wanting to kill you too.

All The Others . . .

i could go on and talk about the folks of Sin City, talk about Daredevil, DangerGirl, Wonder Woman, the Crow, Captain America, the Hulk, Darkhawk, the Fantastic Four, the Avengers, and the new superheroes on the the block (or are they just rip-offs?), The Incredibles, but you get the idea. i've always believed you can learn something from anything, and there is much to learn in this world.

but i should go now. i think my boss is going to start wondering why so little is getting done in my office this morning.

Excelsior!