The state of the superhero

My latest Critical Distance essay is now up over at The House Next Door. It is an extended reflection on The Avengers and the decade's worth of superhero films that made way for it. In retrospect, I wish I had focused more on the film's critical reception and how critics seemed to praise the film while distancing themselves from it. Nevertheless, given how some critics have admitted to running out of things to say about the superhero film circuit, I thought it was worthwhile to dive into the aesthetics and thematic backbone of The Avengers. As I noted in my initial reflections, the film is an impressive, even layered work. In fact, I argue that it likely constitutes the maximal creative expression of the format. Have a read and let me know what you think. Now, I'm looking forward to diving into non-blockbuster fare, at least until Prometheus.