Super Hero Squad: Get Yer Hero on
In case you haven’t been keeping up with superhero cartoons lately, The Super Hero Squad Show is a recent arrival, combining superpowered combat with nutty high jinks and featuring such Marvel mainstays as Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, and the Incredible Hulk. No expense has been spared to make the reading experience of The Super Hero Squad Show feel like watching a television show, and in art style and required attention span—series of gags run one to three pages, each page a single panel—this is a perfect match. Although genuine humor is not absent (What kind of handkerchief would Iron Man use? What happens when the Hulk sneezes near a dog?), many of the jokes will be quite obvious, even for younger readers, and the majority of the pieces feature obscure villains rather than recognizable heroes. Ever heard of the Abomination or the Mole Man? Probably not. Have your nine-year-old readers? Maybe. Like DC’s Tiny Titans, this is a simple diversion featuring some beloved characters that will pass a pleasant half hour or so. Grades 2-5. --Jesse Karp