Superheroes

Cord Jefferson wrote the episode of the HBO superhero series in which the main character goes back in time and to relive the trauma of the 1921 Tulsa Massacre. Originally broadcast Aug. 13, 2020.

The HBO show uses sci-fi and superheroes to examine American racism. Cord Jefferson wrote the episode in which the main character goes back in time and to relive the trauma of the 1921 Tulsa Massacre.

With The Old Guard, Prince-Bythewood becomes the first Black woman to direct an adaptation of a comic book.

The Netflix streaming service is presenting the first season of its newest collaboration with the Marvel comics group. It's called The Defenders and it's a small-screen teaming of superheroes that has been part of Netflix's programming plans since 2015.

Marvel returns to its Guardians superheroes in this sequel, but the resulting film is lacking. Critic David Edelstein calls Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 "a big mess — with dumb jokes."

TV critic David Bianculli points to Brooklyn Nine-Nine, starring Andy Samberg, and The Blacklist, starring James Spader, as shows to watch this season. Other debuts, like The Michael J. Fox Show and The Crazy Ones, show plenty of potential.

Fresh Air film critic David Edelstein reviews Iron Man, based on the Marvel comics hero. The film, directed by Jon Favreau, stars Robert Downey Jr. as a billionaire weapons inventor, alongside Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeff Bridges and Terrence Howard.

In his autobiography, Batman and Me, Kane tells how he came up with the idea for the caped crusader, and what influence he had on the TV series and previous Batman movies. Kane drew Batman from its inception in 1939 to the late 60s. DC Comic still publishes Batman. The new movie Batman Begins has just hit theaters nationwide. This interview was originally broadcast on March 23, 1990.

Film critic David Edelstein has a review of the Batman installment, starring Christian Bale, Katie Holmes and Michael Caine. Is there room for one more film about the Caped Crusader? As the title suggests, this one goes back to the origins of a classic American character.

We talk with Brad Bird, who wrote and directed the Academy Award-winning film The Incredibles, about a suburban family with superpowers. The mix of average characters and extraordinary abilities has turned the animated characters into celebrities.