Superhero Academy 101

We geeks are a unique bunch. If you’ve ever sat down and binged on our subject matter you can see we have willingly partitioned a section of our brains to all things geek. When you come here, you don’t have to go far into our library to find good articles on zombies, video games, Star Trek, Star Wars, Aliens, the latest movies, and things that go bump in the night.

We have a great time at our virtual meetings discussing the cool stuff about the next great thing we’ve gotten wind of. When true geeks start a good thread in a chatroom, I’m sure ISPs across the nation go on alert to see if any of the networks burning up with unfiltered awesomeness.

These guys are really amazing.

One of the things we’ve recognized is that the superhero universes published within Marvel and DC comics are a huge element of geek culture. These universes individually are larger than anything put together within modern literature. This includes the aforementioned Star Wars and Star Trek mythos as well as TWD and Tolkien universes. When we look at either Marvel or DC, there’s over 80 years of contributed writing to consider. It’s one of the reasons why the movies and television shows are never quite the same as the graphic novels that spawned them.

There is a lot to go through and a lot of things to factor.

As part of our continuing fascination with superheroes and all things comic book-y, I am offering my reading community what can only be described as a curriculum in our Superhero Academy. We see that there’s a definite need for people to know more about superheroes, villains, and everything in their worlds.

Consider these articles part of 101 and 201 courses in things that go on within Marvel and DC.

We will be featuring course articles on stuff within the comics. Here are some items on our syllabus:

• Superhero Academy 101: Physical Education – Why Heroes Need to be in Shape (Not Just to Fit into their Spandex)
• Superhero Academy 101: Metallurgy – Adamantium and Vibranium (And Other Alloys)
• Superhero Academy 201: Xeno-History – The Kree/Skrull War
• Superhero Academy 101: Artifacts – The Nine Power Rings And Their Colors
• Superhero Academy 101: Temporal Physics – The Consequences of Time Travel
• Superhero Academy 201: Metaphysics – Astral Projection and Combat
• Superhero Academy 201: Physical Education – Escape Artists and Basic Tactics
• Superhero Academy 101: Drivers’ Education – Basic Travel and How to Get About
• Superhero Academy 101: Fashion Police – How to Change Costumes Discretely
• Superhero Academy 101: Inventions – What You Need to Know about Unstable Molecules
• Superhero Academy 201: History – The Legacy of the Wayne Family

I plan on taking a simplistic approach. I don’t want to confuse you. What I really want is to give you a strong primer on characters, concepts, history, places, and objects. There’s loads of stuff and I think that if we did nothing but write articles on this stuff, we’d never be finished.

I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking, “Why should I listen to THIS GUY? WHAT DOES HE KNOW?!!”

In part, you’re perfectly justified in having your doubts. After all, I’ve never fought crime. I am not a dark avenger of the night. I have no secret alter ego outside of my guise of “Whiney Man, Ranter for Justice”. There is little practical knowledge I can impart upon you on being an actual superhero. My shabby well-fed exterior is far from ready to battle villains like Thanos or Darkseid.

You want to know what my qualifications are?

First, there's my vast comic book knowledge. It is my mission to educate you in all things to better appreciate Marvel and DC’s superhero genre.

For example, when you hear that evil forces against Supergirl have found a rock of gold kryptonite, I want you to know it’s serious business. When Thanos, the mad Titan, gets his hands on all six infinity gems and put them on his gauntlet, you need to know everyone is screwed. When Darkseid manages to get his head around the last component of the anti-life equation, you should see a lot of people around him get really depressed. Also, when Spider-man thinks he sees one of his dead girlfriends walking around the college campus near his biology class, it’s cause for concern.

All of these things matter when you see them in movies or on television shows. I want you to know what the limits are to Wolverine’s claws and Captain America’s shield. I want you to understand that boom tubes are a quick way to get around the DCU. I want you to understand that when Lex Luthor throws his hat into the political ring for president, he has a high probability of winning.

I want you to enjoy comic books as much as I do.

These articles will be here to help you. Plus, you’ll be happy to know these classes are available for the low, low price of just your time and clicks. Plus, if you really enjoy them, let others know how awesome we are in the comments.

Classes will start soon. Keep your eyes peeled for our first 101 class. You’ll be glad you did.