Captain America Dead at 66

Joss Whedon directs Robert Downey Jr. in superhero blowout

(NEWSER) - Sure, it's an effective moneymaking scheme: release movies about individual superheroes, then one about all of them. But with Joss Whedon at the helm, The Avengers really works. What critics are saying:

• "Even if you don't particularly like comic-book adaptations, this film just might make a believer of you," writes Kenneth Turan in the Los Angeles Times . "Whedon is the key reason why this $220 million behemoth of a movie is smartly thought out and executed with verve and precision."

(AP) - The Walt Disney Co. says it is acquiring Marvel Entertainment for $4 billion in cash and stock, bringing characters like Iron Man and Spider-Man into the Disney family. Under the deal, Disney will acquire ownership of 5,000 Marvel characters. Marvel shareholders will receive $30 per share in cash plus 0.745 Disney shares for every Marvel share they own, Disney reports. More»

Character will debut in a 1-hour Showtime special

(NEWSER) - Is the world ready for the first homosexual superhero? Comic legend Stan Lee has created the character Thom Creed, a high-school basketball player who must deal with his sexual orientation as well as untrained superpowers, the Telegraph reports. The character, adapted by Lee from the novel Hero by Perry Moore, will make his first appearance in an hour-long special on Showtime. More»

Hit hard by Internet, comic business hopes fans pay to subscribe

(NEWSER) - Comic giant Marvel will soon launch a website where fans can access thousands of new and vintage titles featuring Spider Man, the X-Men, the Avengers, and other iconic superheroes. The Internet has dealt a heavy blow to newsstand comic sales, and Marvel hopes to recoup some of the loss with $4.99-$9.99 monthly online subscriptions, Reuters reports. More»

Comics company responds to mom's email

(NEWSER) - A 4-year-old boy was sick of wearing his hearing aid because, he told his mother, superheroes don't wear them. So she sent Marvel Comics an email asking about deaf characters—and the company designed a hero just for young Anthony Smith. First, Marvel sent Anthony a picture of Hawkeye, an existing hero who wears hearing aids. After that, they sent him a picture of all-new hero Blue Ear, who's based on Anthony and named after the boy's nickname for his hearing aid. Now Anthony's happy to wear it, Gizmodo reports. Click through for MyFox Boston's touching video . More»