Tutoring, and a grappling hook: The New York Times reports on the opening of the Brooklyn Superhero Supply Company, which will feature workshops for adult and student writers, drop-in tutoring, English-as-a-second-language classes, and self-publishing seminars:

"'If you put "free tutoring" on the banner, nobody's going to come in,' said Scott Seeley, the director of operations, who established the center with Doug Bowmen, its educational director. 'But if you put "superhero" - we're already getting a constant flow of people asking questions.'

"The store has everything a modern, well-equipped superhero might need: leotards, boots, tights, magnets, chain ladders, nets and other tools of the villain-fighting trade. 'We don't sell comic books or figurines,' Mr. Seeley said. 'It's literally what a superhero would use.'"