Me and Mr. B

For as long as I can remember I have always loved super heroes.

Growing up, my little sister and I were tomboys, hanging out with the other kids in the neighborhood. We'd play with their Star Wars action figures, burying them in mud and having battles. Eventually we were given Barbies, the boys were given GI Joe, and somehow we convinced them to play with us. Barbie was taller, but GI Joe was stronger than Ken. It worked.

But we never messed with super heroes.

I remember getting up early on Saturdays, when their were REAL cartoons, to watch Scooby Doo and then the Super Friends. The twins and their monkey, Wonder Woman, Superman, and even Aquaman were always there. Always making things right.

Wonder Woman was also on TV as something other than a cartoon. I loved watching her, but not as much as the old Spiderman TV movies, and the ones made for Captain America as well. Those two were it for me. If the movies came on, no would could move me. These were normal guys, out there making a difference, and they were cute.

Hey, I am a girl!

I still remember those movies. My husband seems to vaguely remember them, but to me that was it. Later on, Batman came on the scene. And who couldn't feel for him? Seriously. And while Michael Keaton and Christian Bale have managed to real nail him on screen, I loved going back to the TV to watch Batman: The Animated Series.

Something you should know: Batman and Superman = DC Comics while Spiderman and Captain America = Marvel Comics. While Marvel will always be my favorite in terms of overall story and characters, I will never ignore Batman. My husband has his own set of issues with Superman, but some other time when I have the energy to describe the actual discussions (yes, plural) we have had will I let you know about it. Suffice to say that Marvel reigns overall supreme here, and mentioning and DC heroes gets weird looks. Meh.

Lucky for me, the husband feels the same. So we currently own all the seasons of Batman: The Animated Series, and it's something we watch each night before bed. Through it all, he has his favorite villains, I am happy to watch Batman get them all, we are in awe that Luke Skywalker is the Joker, and that Harley Quinn puts up with it all.

If there is any doubt about my devotion, this is the lunch box I take to work with me everyday:




Did you notice the cape? Because, I have to tell you, the cape is what does it for me. I cannot help but show it to everyone who has noticed the lunch box. That and the fact that the utility belt's buckle unzips to be a small storage compartment.

Yes, I have issues. Are you new here?

All this is basically to set the foundation for what is currently on the dining room table, awaiting a shelf.

You see, there is a new Batman game. Arkham Asylum. Which, to be honest, I want to try out, but the gaming is normally left to my husband and our roommate. When the game was announced, there was also the announcement of the collector's edition, which was going to be a pretty penny, but then that's the problem with being a collector, right? My husband was excited to learn there was going to be a journal with the notes and profiles on the inmates of Gotham's loony bin. I was drawn in as soon as I read about this:



Yes, that is a Batarang. A 14" Batarang on a display stand. No, that isn't the one here. Mainly because I am too lazy to get the camera. But that is what it looks like.

There has been griping because, to be honest, it's really a badly made, cheap plastic, ugly thing. There could have been more quality there, maybe make it of something other than vacuumed plastic. But I'm not griping because I realize the best part:

It's a Batarang.

And it's mine!