Intervention

Most of what we do here in The Middle Room tends to be light in tone and nature. In this way we think of ourselves as optimists. But there are times we are tested, when we find ourselves faced with something devastating. In these situations, we need to come together and confront the situation head on.

It has come to our attention that a friend, who will remain nameless here, has not yet seen some of the most significant superhero movies of the last decade.

Now, we know that there are many people who have this problem: that millions of people haven't been rushing to the theaters like they should, and that some, we've heard, might even avoid these films entirely (though we find such rumors hard to believe).

But this is a special case. The individual in question is a fan of the genre, someone who understands its importance, and appreciates its power. He is the kind of person these movies were created for.

We are not discussing trivial examples. The Incredibles. Hellboy. And Batman Begins. We understand that time can be in short supply, and that some things slip through the cracks. But not these.

Now, we appreciate the irony, since some of us have been remiss in our duties, as well. True, none of us are perfect, but these are important films. Two of them - Hellboy and Batman Begins - have sequels about to be released. The third, The Incredibles, is perhaps the best superhero movie since the original Superman.

These are movies that every geek needs to see. These are movies we know every geek will enjoy. If you, like our friend, have missed any of these movies, you owe it to yourself to seek them out.

And if you find that someone you know has yet to see films of such significance, then you owe it to them to bring this to their attention.