Super Hero Squad: Book and Magnetic Sketch Pad

Background

This is a large-format 9" x 13" thick cardboard "toy and book" set from Canadian publisher Phidal.

It features those crazy kid-friendly Marvel heroes, the Super Hero Squad! Spider-Man is a part-time member of the team, and he makes an appearance here.

Story Details

The top half of the product is an "Etch-a-Sketch" (it doesn't bear the trademark, but it's one of those). The screen isn't particularly large, and the corners are taken up by plastic figures (not removable) of Marvel Super Heroes.

The bottom half is a book with thick cardboard pages. The book contains 11 drawing suggestions (the right-hand pages), with 10 accompanying illustrations and captions (the left-hand pages).

General Comments

The drawing suggestions are in color (not sure how that's gonna work with an etch-a-sketch). Most of the suggestions are overly detailed too.

But hey, in a three-year-old's imagination, those black and white smudged creations are 100% perfection!

Mom! Mom! I did a Cappen Merrik sheeld! Look Mom! Mom!

Overall Rating

Gimmicks! I love gimmicks!

This is a bright, bold, robustly-constructed super-fun product. Four webs.