Everyone's A Hero In Their Own Way: On Joss Whedon & Superheroics

As longtime readers of the blog know, Joss Whedon is one of my favorite TV auteurs-- from Buffy to Angel to Firefly and beyond, his blend of wit, melodrama, meta-play and endless, geeky passion has made every TV project (yes, even Dollhouse!) a must-see for me. With his new Avengers film opening in just a few days, I take some time to trace and explore the ways in which the superhero and the Marvel style were present in his work from the beginning. The piece is up at RogerEbert.com, and I want to thank its marvelous editors, Matt Zoller Seitz and Brian Tallerico, for letting me go on at length about it all (and for making it look so shiny with all the great images!)