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Mild Mannered Reviews - Super Friends

Super Friends #9

Super Friends #9

Scheduled to arrive in stores: November 19, 2008

Cover date: January 2009

"Happy Birthday Superman!"

Writer: Sholly Fisch
Penciller: J. Bone
Inker: J. Bone

Reviewed by: Adam Dechanel

Click to enlarge



Roll Call: Superman, Aquaman, Green Lantern: John Stewart, Wonder Woman, Flash, The Batman

It's Superman's big day! A birthday, a museum in his honor and a parade all for the Man of Steel! While the procession makes its way to the museum a shadowy figure growls with displeasure, he launches a surprise at the Superman Museum - a super piñata! Unsuspecting Superman hits it expecting candy to fly out as a surprise for the crowds, instead he releases an army of evil robots!

The Super Friends make short work of the robot army but by the time they do the parade has vanished and the party is over. Mission accomplished, Lex Luthor appears to gloat over ruining the day. Superman confronts him only to be zapped by a de-aging laser which makes him Superbaby!

Before a playful baby Kal can cause mischief, Wally offers to take him on a round the world trip... using his immense speed he's able to age Superman rapidly during the world spanning run until he's himself again!

Lex doesn't give up, reversing his ray gun he zaps Superman again making him Supergrandpa! Flash's trick wont work backwards! The Super Friends launch an attack but the frail Man of Tinfoil interrupts and asks why it is Lex hates him so very much.

Lex points out during all the festivities, and celebrations no one invited him - the most important person in Superman's life. Superman smiles and leads the villain into the Superman Museum. Lex needn't have worried, he was immortalized as Superman's deadliest nemesis in the Hall of Villains!

Realizing his mistake Lex reverts Superman and willingly hands himself over to be imprisoned. Superman meanwhile has other things on his mind - through all the excitement and over-the-top celebrations he forgot a major event; the Kent family birthday! Soaring to Smallville Clark enjoys an orange frosted cake with his ma and pa. In peace, just how he liked it!

SECRET CODE: XOLI ISDO INO PEVOY CYSOXRP PKTO INO NBZSRKWP CYBD RBMIBY ZSQNI!

Special features: Photo Fumble game, Superman costume, birthday card.

2Story - 2: Quoting Myra in a script by David Odell "Jeez, they're really scraping the bottom of the barrel these days!" Lex Luthor, the greatest criminal mastermind of our time is jealous of a birthday party? This is just Dora & Diego in capes isn't it? I appreciate them trying to filter the Lex/Superman dynamic down to the base level for children, but even they wouldn't buy a story like this.

3Art - 3: Ugh, the constant smiling makes you think Colgate should be paying for advertising, even more than Mattel for enforcing this book's existence! It's just not fun anymore, it was nice to see the character designs for other Superman villains but everything just seems so 'cookie cutter'.

4Cover Art - 4: Superman takes centre stage in this book for once!... Hey, is that ME in the bottom corner... ooh I'm famous! Joking aside it's a nice fun, family friendly cover - where the heck is my slice of that gigantic cake??


Mild Mannered Reviews

2009

Note: Month dates are from the issue covers, not the actual date when the comic went on sale.

January 2009

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