DC Super Heroes Storybook Collection

Harper Childrens,Comics,Super Heroes,Hardcover



My household is slowly becoming a friendly zone for children's books with real paper. My son is growing out of board books while my daughter is starting to gain an interest. This book turned out to be a good find (thanks mama!), showing classic super heroes in easy to understand battles of good vs evil. Batman, Wonderwoman, Superman.... Throw in some cameos and you are set.

The storybook collection covers eight individual stories, each taking no more than 10-18 pages to tell. It's like a superhero primer. The details of the stories are limited, not going into back story. It mainly keeps to the high points, just right for new reads who may know some characters visually, but not yet understand why they are so interesting as to warrant a big person page book. We all know big person page books mean important things are with in. In case your kiddo has questions and you yourself are not aware that Starro is a villain from space shaped like a starfish (go figure), check the handy hero and villain appendix and learn that he controls minds using probes and will not stop till he rules the universe..

Short example story synopsis:
Superman and the Mayhem of Metallo
Lex Luthor engages the half man/half robot Metallo to attack and destroy Superman. It is not mentioned why Luthor cares, nor how he knows Metallo, nor how he knows that the Kryptonite given to Metallo will harm Superman.
Clark Kent quick changes to Superman and is immediately blasted with radiation from the Kryptonite, Metallo's shiny metal skull in the background laughing.
Batman flies in his Bat Plane to save the day, helping Superman regain his powers. Between the two of them Metallo is flung into space and Luthor is tracked down as an accomplice.

See? Just right.

Kiddo perspective:
Apparently this book is good enough to carry around the house. It is not used as a door stop or a weapon, no animals were harmed in the reading of this book. The pages are not bent or torn.. Why? Because my son really really likes this book.

He is excited by the stories, though he can only read one at a time before needing to switch gears. Several of the bad guys are kind of creepy looking from a kid viewpoint, so i commonly find him watching for my reaction.

He knows that Clark Kent is Superman and that this is a secret.

Adult Perspective:
What the hell have I done wrong. Superman is NOT as cool as Batman. I tried sooooo hard to make sure that my son understood this. Batman is amazing but troubled, Wonderwoman is pretty incredible and world changing, Superman is an egotistical jerk. Somehow this lesson was missed and my son believes that the sun rises and sets with Superman.. Ugh. We hit up a local comic book store on Free Comic book day and he insisted in taking home a Superman action figure. Granted, Kal-El is still cool.. I just don't get his need to elevate him above Mr. Wayne.

This book is pretty cool regardless of the above. All eight stories are cool, they tell cool plot and are easy for attention span reasons. It uses full adult sentences so when reading you do not feel like Hodor from Game of Thrones, mumbling baby nonsense and wishing for something meatier.

[see website for photo]

Several panels from this book are patently ridiculous. One of the most off the wall panels was Batman climbing in the Batplane and heading to Washington DC. His jet quickly accelerates to light speed as he races to the white house. This page continually requires that I point out reality to my son. If the Batplane could fly at light speed, he would instantly arrive in DC. Alternately, if it could reach those speeds, he would need a computer processor that is FTL in order to stop in time. Absolutely silly. I mean I guess he could go FTL pop around the entire planet a million times in a second before slowing, but a fruit fly could knock him out unless he finds a way ro phase through matter.. I mean seriously? How can he accomplish that with a fuel rocket?

Big highlight, President Obama makes an appearance and I was quite pleased to talk about him. It was a great opportunity to teach that the POTUS is an office as well as a person.

[see website for photo]

This book is pretty cool folks, well worth the dollars, with good reread value. Was picked up at home goods or some similar store for $7, but isnt much different new through a big book retailer. ( )

I read the first book in the collection, Gothems Villians Unleashed! In this book the Joker breaks out all the worst villians in Gothem city like Pioson Ivy, the Penguin, Two Face, and Mr. Freeze they make all sorts of trouble around Gothem and Batman and Robin have to stop them and put them back in Arkham Asylum and save the day! I liked this book because it has a lot of action,and the super heroes save the day! ( )