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Mild Mannered Reviews - Super Friends

Super Friends #15

Super Friends #15

Scheduled to arrive in stores: May 13, 2009

Cover date: July 2009

"The Case of the Baffling Birthday"

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

Reviewed by: Adam Dechanel

Click to enlarge



Roll Call: Superman, Aquaman, Green Lantern: John Stewart, Wonder Woman, Flash, The Batman, Robin, Bat Mite, Alfred and Ace The Bat Hound

Chapter One:

The team, lounging around on the Super Friends satellite are trying to rate their deadliest enemies when an all-new menace pops up on a view screen.

Leaving the heroes a clue to his whereabouts The Unknown taunts them to find him and Batman makes short work of the clue, which leads them to a toy store.

The toys in the store come to life and attack! During the ruckus however Superman vanishes! The unknown leaves them another clue and again Batman deciphers it - The Unknown has broken into the Batcave!

Activity: Copy Bats Bat Mite observation test.

Chapter Two:

Loading profiles of Batman's enemies on the Batcomputer they try to figure out who the Unknown really is but again the villain launches an attack, this time Batman's replica Tyrannosaurus Rex springs to life and tries to eat the team!

Wonder Woman defends her team and points out to The Unknown that they have won every challenge so far.

Laughing on the view screen The Unknown points out they lost something too! Wally had been taken just like Superman!

Running a trace on The Unknowns signal Batman is astounded by what they find... The Unknown is on their very own satellite base!

Activity: Wally West/The Flash Paper Doll

Chapter Three:

The team is ready for action and perhaps too eager!

They arrive on the satellite but during the race to find The Unknown they lose Green Lantern!

Devastated they find themselves in the team gym and like before The Unknown appears on a view screen distracting them long enough to shut the doors and Aquaman is locked out. Flexing her muscles Diana pulls the door apart to discover Arthur has been taken too!

Batman makes a stand and challenges The Unknown to stop hiding and come to fight. The lights in the satellite go off and Wonder Woman vanishes too!

Using his video messages The Unknown leads Batman to the Super Friends meeting room and... his surprise birthday bash!

Batman sees all his friends and family, including the elusive Unknown! Bruce unmasks the villain as his ward Robin! Batman also explains he wasn't fooled. He figured out The Flash was using his speed to snatch the team and also that Robin couldn't resist at hinting his identity!

Which just goes to show, even on his birthday:

"You can't fool the world's greatest detective!"

The End.

SECRET CODE: XOLI DBXIN: INO SMO VKMA VEIP INO PEVOY CYSOXRP BX SMO!"

Activity: Batman 70th anniversary scene card

2Story - 2: Wait didn't we just do a birthday issue a few issues back? Struggling for ideas anyone? The story itself is solid and perhaps if this wasn't a deliberate cash in on Batman's 70th Anniversary, so very close to the Superman birthday party an issue or two back, I may have given it a higher rating.

2Art - 2: J. Bone's covers have been a shining light for this series on occasion but it just seems like the whole book was rushed. Some panels look great while others seem to have been aggressively churned out.

2Cover Art - 2: Just last month I'd seen an upturn in the book and suddenly to prove me wrong we're delivered this... nice homage to the Silver Age style covers but though it presents a challenge the reader must participate in it's not J. Bone's best.


Mild Mannered Reviews

2009

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

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