Author and self-professed comics geek Michael Chabon (author of "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay," "Wonder Boys" and "The Yiddish Policeman's Union") examines superhero attire in the New Yorker:
The appearance of realism in a superhero costume made from real materials is generally recognized to be difficult to pull off, and many such costumes do not even bother to simulate the presumable effect on the eye and the spirit of the beholder were Black Bolt to stride, trailing a positronic lace of Kirby crackle, into a ballroom of the Overland Park Marriott. This disappointing air of saggy trouser seats, bunchy underarms, and wobbly shoulder vanes may be the result of imaginative indolence, the sort that would permit a grown man to tell himself he will find gratification in walking the exhibition floor wearing a pair of Dockers, a Jägermeister hoodie, and a rubber Venom mask complete with punched-out eyeholes and flopping rubber bockwurst of a tongue.
You can read the entire piece here: New Yorker -- "Reflections: Secret Skin" by Michael Chabon"
Elsewhere in super-suits, director Zach Snyder's released the character designs for the upcoming "Watchmen" film, and they're mighty nice. Check out The Comedian at right (click for larger image). It's no guarantee that movie won't be a disappointment (and we won't be the first to suggest that a two-hour movie can't possibly do justice to to the scope of Alan Moore's Watchmen), but so far the art design looks stunning.
Warners' official website is also a nice marketing touch, dangling choice bits of fanboy bait as the film continues production: One Year to Midnight (official 'Watchmen' site)
And while we're on the subject of potential disappointments, Cracked.com offers up a hilarious list of "8 Upcoming Movie Adaptations That Must Be Stopped." On the Wachowski's Speed Racer adaptation (which they readily admit looks awesome, based on the trailer):
Why shouldn’t this film be made? Let me answer that question with another question: Has there ever been a live-action film adapted from a cartoon that SHOULD HAVE been made?! Garfield, Fat Albert, Aeon Flux, Transformers, Inspector Gadget, The Flintstones… the list of turds goes on and on and on. Not that these were such hot franchises to begin with, but if the adaptations are consistently worse than the originals, then why does Hollywood continue to churn these films out year after year?
Oh yeah - because Hollywood has no original ideas and mouth-breathing idiots will pack the theaters anyway. Oops - I almost forgot!
Read and laugh: "8 Upcoming Movie Adaptations That Must be Stopped" -- Cracked.com
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