Marvel Super Hero Squad: Ultimate Sticker Book

Background

This is a UK published sticker book featuring the Marvel Super Hero Squad.

Physically it is 8.25" x 11.75", with 48 pages. The cover is glossy card, staple bound.

Story Details

Inside, the colour is rich and vibrant, and runs to the edge of every page. Unfortunately, as with all of these Marvel Super Hero Squad tie-ins, there is very little in the way of variety when it comes to the poses. Pretty much every illustration features the character rushing toward the point of view, with one or both fists raised.

However, that's probably my major objection, since the rest of the book is pretty sound.

In terms of content, there are four sheets of stickers, many of which have specific places in the book where they are intended to be placed. There are also pages with quizzes, word puzzles, fact files, and full-page pictures.

Spider-Man's role is a bit ambiguous, which I understand was due to the fact that the producers of the Marvel Super Hero Squad TV show and comic book didn't pay the licensing fees to include the web-slinger. However, they seem to have an arrangement which allows him to appear in some of the tie-in books like this one.

And indeed, Spider-Man does have a dedicated biography entry in this book. It reads like this: "Spider-Man uses his powers and abilities to fight crime and defeat his enemies. Less likely to overpower his adversaries, Spidey uses hi agility, intelligence and special spider senses to out-think and out-manoeuvre them."

It then adds: "Whilst Spider-Man is too busy to join his pals in the Super Hero Squad on a permanent basis, he always finds time to lend them a web when the chips are down."

General Comments

If you like the Marvel Super Hero Squad, then you will like this book.

It represents everything that Marvel Super Hero Squad epitomises. It exists only as shallow marketing vehicle for the simplified, mindless posturing that substitutes for any possible depth of character.

Spider-Man and his pals are brightly coloured, strong and fast, and they run around yelling "Hero Up" and clobbering guys who exist only to be clobbered and yelled at.

Overall Rating

I despise everything that this product stands for. However, at £3.99 it is indisputably a bargain.

I shall attempt to temporarily suppress my revulsion at the dumbing down of my beloved hero, and will offer a grudging two-and-a-half webs to recognise the production quality and visual appeal.