A Ph.D. in Horribleness!

Joss Whedon fans, rejoice! It's been a long time since Our Master has produced any video-type material, having busied himself with comic book stories and other stuff. But if you thought you'd be waiting until the mid-season debut of Dollhouse for that to change, think again! This week has brought the premiere of Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog!!

Brought about as one of the few good things to come out of the recent writer's strike, this is Whedon's first musical since the Buffy episode "Once More With Feeling." Like that Buffy episode, it's a roughly 45-minute endeavor. But this time, it's divided up into three acts which are being revealed one at a time throughout the week on a special web site. They're also available for purchase on iTunes, and will eventually be compiled on a special DVD release. (Which, Joss has said, may also have a special commentary track that's also a musical.)

This is the awesomely hysterical tale of a would-be super villain played by Neil Patrick Harris, trying to commit the last, heinous act that will gain him membership in the Evil League of Evil. But his nemesis, the superhero Captain Hammer, played by Nathan Fillion, stands in his way. What's worse, the do-gooder is moving in on the woman our Evil Doctor has secretly pined for for months at the local laundromat.

The story is great. The jokes are hysterical. The music is brilliant, and already has me longing for the soundtrack to sit along side my Once More With Feeling playlist. The casting is perfect, and the acting equally so.

If you don't like this, there must be cold lumps of coal where your heart and funny bone should be.

No pressure.

I've heard the free viewing on the Dr. Horrible web site will only be available for a limited time. Don't mistake me; it's totally worth paying for, and I'm going to be getting that eventual DVD for certain. But if you want a chance to sample it now at no cost to you, act fast and go to drhorrible.com.

Now!!!