"Magellan" by Stephen Crowley may be my favorite superhero comic on the web. The art seems to owe more to Tintin than Marvel or DC. The dialogue and plots are fun. The cast is huge, but the characters are distinctive, and generally charming. If you like Paul Grist's Jack Staff, give this a try. To start at the beginning: here.
posted by shetterly on Oct 8, 2009 - 11 comments

They've been rumoured to be an item for some time, but in X-Factor #45 Rictor and Shatterstar, formerly of X-Force (the most 90s comic of all time), finally kissed - giving the comics world two more confirmed gay superheroes and making the X-Men Universe Relationship Map out of date (Shatterstar creator Rob Liefeld has however vowed to undo it). Meanwhile over at DC flagship title Detective Comics is now fronted by the new lesbian Batwoman - ironically a character who was introduced to make Batman seem more hetro.
posted by Artw on Jul 4, 2009 - 107 comments

Batman Logo Evolution
posted by Artw on Mar 21, 2009 - 37 comments

With all the excitement in the air about Watchmen, let's take time to celebrate another team of heroes, a band of outcasts with unusual powers, brought together by a man in a wheelchair. Yes, of course, I'm talking about the Doom Patrol. [more inside]
posted by jbickers on Feb 19, 2009 - 64 comments

In an attempt (flash) to provide Muslim and Arab youth with homegrown heroes, The 99 puts out comics and builds theme parks with a twist. [more inside]
posted by gman on Feb 16, 2009 - 12 comments

The Top 25 Comic Book Battles, as voted on by the readers of Comic Book Resources. [more inside]
posted by Artw on Nov 23, 2008 - 142 comments

Superman rebooted! - The next Superman movie will be ignoring 2006’s Superman Returns, something that has been suggested by comic book writers when asked how to save the franchise. Mark Millar has his own idea of what Superman needs: Mark Millar.
posted by Artw on Sep 23, 2008 - 131 comments

Who watches The Watchmen? Kevin Smith has, Dave Gibbons has, Alan Moore won't (Gibbons hopes he'll watch the DVD), and if Fox has its way maybe YOU won't either.
posted by Artw on Aug 20, 2008 - 109 comments

The 50 top comicbook characters, according to Empire.
posted by Artw on Jul 11, 2008 - 153 comments

The Daily [Batman / Superman / Wolverine] [more inside]
posted by brownpau on Apr 11, 2008 - 34 comments

Unintentionally Sexual Comics Covers and Panels. Utterly insane.
posted by Tim McDonough on Jul 11, 2007 - 61 comments

"I like to think that there'll always be a place in our universe where a kid can look and see reflected in the mirror an idealized form of themselves." Hero Deficit: Comics Books In Decline is an article, by freelance journalist Brad Mackay, exploring the challenges of superhero relevancy in a diverse society. Previous comic book and superhero-related posts on Metafilter. Wikipedia also has a very informative superhero page.
posted by amyms on Apr 23, 2007 - 48 comments

"And on the rare occasion when nonwhite heroes were included, names like Black Panther and Black Lightning telegraphed the difference" (NYT). Nonwhite and non-traditional superheroes aren't new, but a "lesbian socialite" Batwoman is. How about "The Great Ten," a "Chinese government controlled superteam" also to be featured in the ongoing "52" Series from DC comics (an alternate superverse bereft of A-league stars like Batman and Superman)? When I was a kid, it was pretty shocking to know of at least one gay superhero (and a Canadian to boot), but I wasn't aware that there were actually so many. Of course, the irrepressible Stan Lee claims he created the first gay superhero in the persona of Pvt. Percival Pinkerton. (Previous mefi discussion of Pavitr Prabhakar, the "Indian Spiderman" here.)
posted by bardic on Jun 1, 2006 - 41 comments

Spider-man , for many of us, has been a tried and true character which many of us have grown up with. For my fellow comic geeks, I'm sure many of you will agree at having enjoyed the stories for many years. However, the recent "The Other" storyline has harped on a series of evolutions(literally, not figuratively) that our webslinger has undergone of late. Of which an upcoming costume change is the least.
posted by Doorstop on Jan 31, 2006 - 65 comments

Of Superheroes, Product Placements, and PSAs. A nostagia-filled gallery of comic book covers with all your favourite (and no so favourite) spandex-clad superheroes shilling everything from Hostess cream-filled Twinkies to saying no to crack.
posted by Sully on Mar 16, 2005 - 12 comments

Superhero Hype! Is waiting for June 17 driving you batty? Does being patient until July 1 seem less than fantastic? Have no fear. Superhero Hype! will keep you up to date on all the latest news and rumors in the exciting field of comic-book-to-movie adaptations.
posted by Faint of Butt on Nov 25, 2004 - 15 comments

Indian Superman is a movie of questionable legality released in India in the mid eighties. Perhaps it should have had a wider release since it has a great deal of humorous appeal for Western audiences. Check out this review from Stomp Tokyo. I'm looking forward to a crossover when Indian Superman meets Indian Spider-Man. via Sepia Mutiny
posted by rks404 on Aug 17, 2004 - 10 comments

Daredevil and Captain America Hang Out... at the Quickstop.
(Warning: Flash --and geekfare!-- follow.)
posted by Shane on Nov 10, 2003 - 7 comments

SUPER MARKETING: ADS FROM THE COMIC BOOKS
"A look at some of the best, most-memorable, and most-audacious ads from American comic books."
posted by crunchland on Sep 26, 2003 - 19 comments

Activate Electra-Change!! Ah yes, Electra Woman and Dyna Girl. Just one of the many sites devoted to the hallucinations of Sid and Marty Krofft, but what's important here are the quicktime clips. Oh, and the mystery 2001 pilot episode for the WB starring that chick from Night Court.
posted by Stan Chin on Aug 27, 2003 - 14 comments

Truth, Justice, and the Soviet Way What if baby Kal-El's spaceship had crashed on Earth 12 hours earlier, in the Ukraine instead of middle America? The new 3-issue comic book series Superman: Red Son envisions the Man of Steel as a good-hearted citizen of the USSR, helping to spread communism across the world. Wonder Woman is his girlfriend; Batman is an anti-Soviet terrorist; Lex Luthor becomes U.S. president. This alternate-universe jaunt is not just for fun: writer Mark Millar says it's a timely exploration of what happens when one all-powerful country anoints itself leader of the world.
posted by Artifice_Eternity on Jun 9, 2003 - 25 comments

Teaching physics with superheroes...
...and comics in general. Comics are used to teach math, in "The Mathematical Cartoons of Larry Gonick". While this flash animation addresses the physics of everyday life. Interesting ways to present basic and sometimes not so basic [~400k jpg] topics in science.
posted by talos on Nov 8, 2002 - 8 comments

My buddy and I are in a pub, and I mention this website called Gone and Forgotten, which is all about superheroes who were so ill-conceived that they were quickly abandoned. And my buddy says "What about the Metal Men -- do they talk about the Metal Men?" And I say "The Metal who?" And my buddy says "They were these robots, and they had each had the powers associated with the metal they were made of. Like, Lead could block x-rays, and Mercury could, I dunno, take your temperature or something." And I tell my buddy that, although I don't know if the Metal Men appear on the virtual pages of G.A.F., I am certain that someone out there on the Internet has created a Unofficial Metal Man Fan Page. And I am right.
posted by Shadowkeeper on Aug 23, 2002 - 26 comments

As a lifelong DC Comics fan, I think I can truly state that Dr. Fate's fabulous blue and gold costume made me the gay man that I am today. Likewise, Element Lad's admitted shyness towards women (and pretty pink outfit) helped me identify with him as a gay teen. Until now, though, I didn't know where I could find others whose gayness was so closely intertwined with a love of comic books. The Gay League changed all that. Warning, some of the fan-submitted artwork, featuring generously overendowed (even by superhero standards) men and women is probably a little risque for work. We're here, we're queer, we love the Legion!
posted by WolfDaddy on Aug 13, 2002 - 24 comments

BBC presents: The Science of Superheroes! Ever wonder how Spider-Man climbs on walls? How do lie detectors such as Wonder Woman's lasso work? What was gravity like on planet Krypton? The BBC takes a scientific look at our favorite superheroes to teach the physics behind the fantasy.
posted by phatboy on Jun 20, 2002 - 8 comments

Leaping Lizards, Batman! It's...it's...PERIODIC!
posted by plinth on May 8, 2000 - 1 comment

X-Men the Movie trailer was released recently. I didn't even realize they were working on this.
posted by TuxHeDoh on Feb 17, 2000 - 6 comments