"I FEEL A GREAT SWELL OF PITY FOR THE POOR FOOL WHO COMES TO THAT SCHOOL... LOOKING FOR TROUBLE" This story is silly but annoying. Silly because it revolves around crappy toy spin-offs from a comic book but annoying not only because the judge and the courts should have better things to do with their time but becasue of what those crappy toys are based on. Non-comic fans will see this as a load of nonsense and in part they are right. Getting all hacked off at a judge�s decision like this one is very geeky. Who cares if superhero toys can be sold cheaper as 'non-human' shaped as opposed to 'human'? Well, a lot of people do care. Personally I think this should reflect badly on the company itself, trying to save a couple of dollars, rather than the stereotypically nerdy fans that will get all hot and bothered about it. The really stupid thing is that a company like Marvel obviously has no respect for its creations and therefore for the fans that buy the stuff. The whole point of the X Men (as was shown in the movie for all you non-nerd types) is that a bunch of characters are willing to put themselves on the line for people that hate them, fight racism and time after time are forced to prove their humanity. By gloatingly accepting this ruling Marvel just don't care about the irony of their creations being classed as non-human. They just want to save a little more money on their product. Will that reduction be reflected back onto the price the fan pays? I doubt it. The great thing is that this may just open up a whole new bag or worms in years to come. Now a judge has gone on record declaring these hunks of plastic as non-human because of "tentacles, claws, wings or robotic limbs" it's only a matter of time before some guy or gal goes in for some major body modification and has themselves declared non-human. Would a Wolverine type guy have to pay taxes? Would you argue with him? Mike is blogging to: Yet more depressing as hell Nick Cave