Iron Man Wrought of Risk

Critics love Downey as avenger in superhero turn

(NEWSER) - Iron Man rockets into theaters tomorrow, and it’s so good it “practically dares the competition to measure up,” Peter Travers writes in Rolling Stone. Critics are nearly unanimous in praising the latest superhero flick, admiring its “raw vitality” and “pitch-perfect casting.” Robert Downey Jr., in particular, “brings so much creative juice to the party that Iron Man achieves instant liftoff.” More»

Robert Downey Jr. saves flashy sequel, say critics

(NEWSER) - Iron Man 2 is clunkier than its predecessor and its self-destructive hero has succumbed to boozy overconfidence, but Robert Downey Jr. saves the film, not to speak of the world, say critics.

• This movie is "bigger, louder and dumber than its predecessor" but still plenty of fun, writes Bill Goodykoontz at the Arizona Republic , praising Downey's "enormously entertaining" performance as the Marvel Comics superhero.

'Twilight' vampire tops Forbes list; cartoon superheroes fare well

(NEWSER) - Upheaval in the financial sector has widespread implications—it even affects the annual Forbes rankings of the wealthiest fictional characters. Entering the list at No. 1 is Carlisle Cullen, the Twilight vampire patriarch, who has a serious advantage in that he's undead and has had 370 years to accumulate his $34.1 billion fortune. The full list is here ; the rest of the top five are: More»

(NEWSER) - Comics fans are just a little miffed by Marvel’s $4 billion acquisition by Disney: “SOOOO NOT HAPPY! Spider-man should not be co-mingling with Goofy,” reads one blog post. The problem, Linda Holmes writes for NPR, is “one of perception: Put simply, Marvel has a cool factor and Disney doesn't.” Marvel devotees don’t “see themselves as close cousins of people who love Donald Duck just because there's drawing involved.” More»

Big screen adaptations bring fame to writers

(NEWSER) - Comic books—trendy? All of a sudden they are, the Los Angeles Times reports. “The geeks have won,” says Ed Brubaker, one of the many comic-book creators who now finds himself a celebrity. Brubaker’s Angel of Death premieres online today as a live-action series, but he’s not the only one signing autographs—the popularity of films like The Dark Knight pushed comics into the mainstream. More»