New piece up at The Inclusive, in which I completely freak out about how awesome The Avengers was and completely fail at writing an objective film review. Preview below, the rest at the site.

By now, I’ve seen The Avengers twice. I saw it first at its midnight release with my Speech Bubbleco-host, Adam Dello Buono, Inclusive Fearless Leader Mike Anton, and a gaggle of other assorted nerd friends. We screamed (Adam and I especially). We cried (Anton especially). We dressed up. We were shushed a number of times. I went again this past weekend and saw it a second time, in IMAX 3D, and it was still more fun than a barrel of Hulks.

Spoilers, y’all.

First of all, all due credit must be paid to Joss Whedon, for stepping up to the plate so hugely and completely, and knocking this sucker out of the park so spectacularly. By every external measure, this movie has been every kind of commercial and critical success. Audiences – both mainstream and nerd – love it, critics love it, and the studios love it. A cousin recently told me she wasn’t aware The Avengers was supposed to be a comedy, but was pleasantly surprised to find herself laughing throughout. Internally, that is the brilliance of Joss Whedon. The far-out, ensemble piece concept movie played with humor and mass appeal. We saw the story from every character’s viewpoint. There was no “main character” as each was fully and totally realized, a feat few mainstream summer blockbusters pull off. We got to see inside each Avenger’s head without sacrificing time or focus from the other main players.

The actors in turn deserve fair praise, as well. Robert Downey, Jr. disappointed no one as the unflappable Tony Stark, played with a precision like he just stepped off the Iron Man 2 set. And we got to see a side of Tony Stark that has been hinted at in…