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Mild Mannered Reviews - Super Friends

Super Friends #8

Super Friends #8

Scheduled to arrive in stores: October 15, 2008

Cover date: December 2008

"Nothing To Fear"

Writer: Sholly Fisch
Penciller: Stewart McKenny
Inker: Dan Davis

Reviewed by: Adam Dechanel

Click to enlarge


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

It's Halloween, a time when Jonathan Crane, also known as The Scarecrow can strike fear in the hearts of adults and children alike just for fun. His joy during the candy fest is interrupted by a documentary piece on Green Lantern and his award of the key to the city. In itself it's a pretty boring news piece until Lois Lane reveals John Stewart was awarded his status because he was totally honest and was BORN WITHOUT FEAR.

This immediately piques Cranes interest and a challenge for all the Super Friends!

During the ceremony the next day Crane presents the mayor with a dummy key and makes a quick getaway before John arrives. But as the crowd of Coast City onlookers cheer on their hero they miss the key spraying fear toxin in his face!

Green Lantern suddenly becomes aware of giant monsters attacking the crowd and begins an epic battle in the sky, much to the amusement of the crowd who see what we do - nothing! Scarecrow is angry his plan to strike fear hasn't worked - instead of fleeing John is summing up all his courage to fight the imaginary monsters!

Suddenly on a nearby rooftop John spots some familiarly clad beasts... the real Super Friends! The heroes take a battering until Batman deduces that illusions are the cause of the problems and that they need to distract him until Diana is able to use her Lasso of Truth to make John see exactly that!

Not long after Batman realizes Scarecrow is the mastermind of this attack and Superman uses his 'Super Vision' (one would assume his telescopic and x-ray combined?) to locate Scarecrow and they quickly give chase.

Sadly they are caught in a trap of fear toxin which brings out their greatest fears (debatably but this is for the lil'uns) Linonophobia (a fear of rope) strikes Wonder Woman and prevents her counteracting the fear toxin with her lasso. Tachophobia (a fear of speed) strikes The Flash. Hydrophobia (a fear of water) incapacitates Aquaman. Acrophobia (a fear of flying) weakens Superman's resolve, Photophobia (a fear of light) dims Green Lantern's ring and Nyctophobia (a fear of the dark) turns the Dark Knight into a crybaby.

Green Lantern convinces them to work together to conquer their fears and so it begins. Batman uses his cowl to cover Green Lanterns eyes so he can use his ring to keep Bruce in the light. Aquaman uses Diana's lasso on Flash so he can use his speed again to draw the fear toxin harmlessly away in a wind funnel to dissipate.

Superman realizes he doesn't need to fly to be a hero, he can dig! He tunnels after Scarecrow and captures him!

Scarecrow is able to slip out of his boots and run - straight over hard cobbles and into wet cement! His fear of capture gets the better of him as he is confronted by the very same children he had scared away the night before!

The heroes tell the children, it's okay to be scared, and if you ever do you can always count on... your friends!

Activities:

Batman costume kit.

Wonder Woman costume kit.

Halloween 'Kids Doing Things Right' game.

Halloween Trick Or Treat mini guide.

Secret Code:

XOLI DBXIN: NKVVW HSYINRKW, PEVOYDKX!

2Story - 2: A fun story even if the actual fears were way off base they did serve the story in a way, but I'm sure a parent would have a hard time explaining, if Superman is afraid to fly, why he didn't use one of his other amazing powers.

Also what is Super Vision? I assumed its ability but if you make up a new power perhaps elaborate on it? If it's the fact that 'telescopic' is too hard a word for small children then that brings me to the next point: As a children's book, to name the fears seemed a little difficult - I doubt some readers of the regular DCU could fathom the spellings/pronunciations (sorry guys!) so to expect a child to do so seemed to defeat the purpose of the book even with an adult around.

4Art - 4: The art isn't terrible the designs have obviously had a lot of work done to them and though it does grow on you. Everyone in the book still looks like a super deformed action figure - not a Super Friend. The villains however seem to have escaped the giganto limbs and all look pretty good.

3Cover Art - 3: Hmm... it would have been nice if the character designs actually inside the book matched the designs on the cover, especially as this is a Mattel license... ho hum.

Spooky nonetheless!

Mild Mannered Reviews

2008

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

January 2008

February 2008 March 2008 April 2008 May 2008 June 2008 July 2008 August 2008 September 2008 October 2008 November 2008 December 2008

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