Joss Whedon Vs. Garth Ennis, Part 1

So the summer is over, and with it the seasonal storm of super hero flicks which blew into theaters. Judging by the debris left in their wake, it's fair to say the most damage was done by "The Dark Knight," and deservingly so.

But in the minds of me and a few of my friends, one super hero project from this summer will last even longer. I'm speaking, of course, of "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog."

This 45-minute Internet-exclusive video, a musical in three parts starring Neil Patrick Harris, Nathan Fillion and Felicia Day, was the brainchild of Joss Whedon. I know Whedon from his previous projects: the TV series "Firefly," the film "Serenity," and his run on "Astonishing X-Men." He also did a show about vampires or something.

For those of you who have not seen "Dr. Horrible," here is the link. Stop reading and go watch it now. Don't forget to see all three acts.

http://www.hulu.com/watch/28327/dr-horribles-sing-along-blog-act-one

Are you back? Okay.

On the surface level, "Dr. Horrible" is obviously a parody: a love story about a low-rent, lovable loser super villain. Like if Peter Parker wanted to take over the world.

But the sour ending, which puts off everyone I've seen it with, sheds a ray of light on the possibility that there is something more to it. Instead of a cutesy love story, it becomes a villain's origin story when viewed as a whole - Doc beats the small-time hero and moves up in the world, abandoning all ties to his humanity and living with the pain of what he has wrought. Though he gets all he ever wanted, he "won't feel a thing."

The parody is more biting and wider in scope when viewed this way, and certain other plot points begin to appear as zingers Whedon and his brother Jed have injected into the piece.

And in the end, it becomes something else entirely - more than a parody, a rebuke of the super hero genre that exists today.


I'll be posting more soon. Stay tuned.