Hero Complex blog earns recognition

Hero Complex, the Los Angeles Times blog devoted to caped crusaders, zombies, wizards and all things superhero, won a nod from the journalism world Saturday, receiving the award for best online commentary among large websites from the Online News Assn.

The judges praised the blog as “elegantly executed” and offering “an extremely well-rounded perspective on pretty much everything” in the pop culture areas it covers. The blog is the creation of reporter Geoff Boucher and includes contributions from Jevon Phillips, Denise Martin, Gina McIntyre, Chris Lee, Susan King and Linda Whitmore.

The Times was a finalist with “Mapping L.A.,” which solicited reader input to provide detailed information about the neighborhoods of Los Angeles, for community collaboration; and “Mexico Under Siege,” about Mexico’s violent drug wars, for multimedia feature presentation.

The Online Journalism Awards are administered by the Online News Assn. in partnership with the University of Miami’s School of Communication.