The Super Hero Squad Show

This show is based on a series of 2-inch action figures from Hasbro that came out starting at the beginning of 2006. The line was aimed at kids "3 and up". So yes, the show is aimed at kids. So what? Doesn't mean everything from now on in the realm of animated comic characters will be aimed at this audience.

I came across this show cold upon seeing it in Greg Grunberg's CV. Having seen the first episode, I probably won't make an effort to watch any more, but lighten up people. Treat it as the farce it is and don't watch it if you don't like it.

It would be one thing if this series was supposed to be a faithful adaptation of the comics - but it isn't.

I personally find the leathered up X-Men and Fantastic Four movies harder to take as they don't look anything like the characters I remember - but then I was reading the comics when they first came out.

And while I like "The Spectacular Spider-Man" and will miss it if the Disney takeover of Marvel kills it, as seems likely, the liberties it took were sometimes jarring.

Let me start by saying that I really, really wanted to like this show. I'm in my early mid-twenties, and I've been a lifelong comic book fan since my mother gave me my first one as a child. Batman: The Animated Series and The X-Men were some of my favorite cartoons when I was a kid. I think it's great when comics are adapted into cartoons that kids can get into.

Up to now, I had only heard decent things about this show, and that may have been because of the source. I didn't go out of my way to check this show out, but it happened to be on this morning while I was changing channels. I probably wouldn't have even noticed it if Stan Lee hadn't done a voice over in the opening of the episode. Often, I'm hesitant to simply call myself an adult, but I think I am just too adult to like this show. Compared to the cartoons that are written with subtext to appeal to adults, this one seems much more simply clean and kid friendly. There is nothing wrong with that, it just doesn't appeal to me.

If you are a parent that was/is a comic book fan, or a parent who would like to use comic books as a venue to get your children reading, I recommend having them check out the show. The characters seem pretty accessible to kids. The styling of the characters, compared with the choices of voice acting seem like the sort of thing that will be a big hit with small children.

If you aren't a comic book savvy parent and your kids gain an interest in them from this show, do yourself the favor of checking out the reading material they're interested in before buying it for them. Not every comic book is kid friendly, and a lot of the Marvel titles get into territory probably too gritty for most young kids. (Which isn't to say DC doesn't as well, this show just features Marvel characters, so I'm banking on character recognition.) In short, there's nothing inherently bad about this show, it just isn't for everyone.

You should be embarrassed for posting such a ridiculous review. Like others have so eloquently pointed out, this show is designed for children not adults stuck in suspended adolescence who's idea of a vacation is going to ComicCon. Take off your Iron Man t-shirt, get out of your grandmother's basement and step into reality. The creators of the Marvel Universe can fully decide how wide that universe can be and it all doesn't have to completely coincide. Fall back and let the kids enjoy a cartoon created for them, not super-nerd fanboys like you. Keep it coming Quesada and Lee, personally I think the show is funny and serves it's purpose.

It's the strangest thing. Not that I have been reading Marvel comics since 1967, inspired by those classic crappy 1966 cartoons. And not the fact that I have grin up and now growing old with these fictitious people. But the fact that I find these cartoons very entertaining. Call me a silver-age stooge, but these upbeat capers are a lot better than the general "dark themed, gloom and doom" that seem to dominate most of the genre. It's like the Sponge Bob of heroes. I have lived with these characters most of my life and enjoy this silly Hulk much more than the Ang Lee version. I've seen character updates and revisions until the characters match their origins in name alone. That's it; more Stan Lee than Ang Lee, more Kirby and less Miller. I'm waiting for the DVD sets for my grandchildren.

A lot of the reviews and message boards claim this is a cartoon that only kids will enjoy. Yes, I think kids will enjoy this, but guess what? Adults with an open mind can too! If you're like me and not too familiar with the whole comic book lore, then perhaps you'll enjoy this cartoon. Not being familiar with who is who and who is an adversary of who helps me not take this cartoon too seriously. Sometimes it's enjoyable just to sit back, relax, and laugh. The humor isn't all bathroom jokes as some would suggest. Some of the jokes are pretty creative (check out Dr. Doom's teddy bear!).

Basically the cartoon focuses on a small group of superheroes (led by Iron Man) and their battles against super-villains (led by Dr. Doom). The groups interact with other superheroes and super-villains so you never know who you're going to meet in each episode. There's more to it, but I don't want to say too much. If you want to watch, watch it with an open mind, not with a mindset to critique or compare it with other superhero cartoons. Look at it as a satire and something to laugh at after a hard day at work. Your kids will love it and hopefully you will too.