Review: Super Hero Squad Season 2

Welcome back to "Stories of Entertainment"!

Continuing off from the review last week, today will be about the second season of the 'Super Hero Squad', a show based off of the Marvel comic books and Hasbro toys.

Overall, the last season had a lot of fun to it, combining the campy-ness known to exist during the Silver Age of comics and throwing in shout-outs to lesser-known Marvel characters and such. Things are going to take a bit of a twist in the second season, so lets not waste any time and head on into it, shall we?

(Its like the first season intro...BUT IN SPACE!)

There is a bit of a change in the lineup do to the ending of Season 1's last episode. Taking the place of the Silver Surfer is the Scarlet Witch (who actually appeared in Season 1 with Quicksilver and flirting with Falcon), making her the only female out of the main 6 in the show (Ms. Marvel occasionally shows up, though really is just to look out for the group).

Anyway, most of the season focuses on a new main villain, Thanos (who first appeared as a Skrull taking his identity).  Here, he is focused on gathering all of the Infinity Gems, which would grant him control of the universe (not unlike the Infinity Sword, but I'll get to that later). This forces the team to head off into space in order to confront Thanos and stop his evil plans. This is actually a pretty good idea, since it'll allow spacefareing characters like Nova Corps, Skrulls and Kree to be featured. This season also introduces other heroes like She-Hulk, Man-Thing, Squadron Supreme, and possibly one of the hammiest characters in Marvel's arsenal: Hercules!

(The big guy approves of this!)

Occasionally, the heroes end up back on Earth for other matters, since it apparently takes a while to find the Infinity Stones (there are only 6 in total, so if they found them all rather quickly, it would've been a short second season). This does allow for some character development, like Doctor Doom getting free from a superhero prison since the end of Season 1. Sometimes, they manage to move the story along. Other times, it feels like padding, which usually sucks.

Anyway, near the end of the season, Thanos manages to all of the Infinity Gems (see what I mean) and begins fighting the team. Thankfully, the Silver Surfer comes by to stop Thanos as well. However, as revealed in an episode or two, the Infinity Sword that the Silver Surfer has been carrying around the last couple of episodes have been slowly turning him evil. See, this is the negative side of powerful artifacts like this. Good chance they'll turn you evil.

(At least turning evil gives you a new look, though the glove kinda clashes with the skin)

The now Dark Silver Surfer then gets a hold of the Infinity Gauntlet, sends Thanos away and separates the heroes across time, space and reality. Of course, the heroes manage to reunite once more, while the Dark Silver Surfer starts sending the Earth into a new ice age. Really? That's the big plan? Another ice age? When you control the universe itself, I would be expecting a better doomsday plan than 'another ice age'. Course, could either be just to create drama or maybe a shred of the old personality still in there.

Anyway, as the season comes to a close, the heroes manage to face off against the Dark Silver Surfer, with the villain splitting up the power of the Infinity Gauntlet in six bodies (one for the Space Gem, Reality Gem, Mind Gem, Power Gem, Soul Gem, and Time Gem). Course, the villain goes down, but in a rather surprising twist, Doctor Doom reappears to try and re-capture the Infinity Items. Fortunately, Iron Man manages to fight the bad doc once more (a good call back to the start of the series) and the heroes triumph once more. The Silver Surfer manages to return to normal, though lets himself get imprisoned to make up for his actions when under the control of the Infinity Sword. Alls well that ends well, I guess.

And that is the end of the Super Hero Squad 2nd season, as well as the the series as a whole. Yeah, it gets picked on for looking stupid, talking on the level of kid shows and just seems rather under-payed as a program. Still, there are times where it can talk on a more intelligent level, at least with some stories. There are plenty of shout-outs and callbacks to past Marvel comics, which would be a great time for anyone who really likes the company. Overall, it is a series that has had a better than most people would give it credit for.

And that is it for this review...and now for something completely different:

 

(Behold! Hercules-as-Thor gives a 'purple nurple' to Thor-as-Hercules)

The Super Hero Squad Show is produced by Film Roman and Marvel Animation

Thanks to Youtube account Shadownidhiki for the intro.

Review: Super Hero Squad Show Season 1

Welcome to a new review on 'Stories of Entertainment'!

For most of my life, I've been reading comic books, from Marvel and DC to the occasional minor companies like Darkhorse and Image. I like to think of how they would take different storylines and characters and put them in TV shows and movies. Sometimes, its worked out pretty well, creating some very entertaining shows that manage to get a cult following even after the series end. Other times, it falls flat on its face. And then, there are a few that somehow manage to work in a way that most people wouldn't catch the first time around.

This is the third one, simply know as Marvel's The Super Hero Squad Show!

(So cute and yet so dangerous)

Yes, they taken some of the biggest names in the Marvel Universe, shrunken them down, and made rather cutesy and such. Its a kind of formula that could've failed, but managed to stay afloat for at least 2 seasons. It knows its a parody of the Marvel Universe overall, with some nice jokes and allusions to the different character that make up said universe.

Before the actual show came to being, it was originally a series of super-deformed action figures of Marvel characters sold by Hasbro. It was soon developed into a comic series, known as Mini Marvels, and later become a TV series. It was produced by Film Roman and Marvel Animation, ran on Cartoon Network from 2009 to 2011, and had a string of producers like Joe Quesada, Alan Fine, and Stan Lee. Heck, Stan Lee actually created the series and even gets his own character!

(I kinda wish he kept the mustache, y'know, for humor's sake)

The story takes place in the city of ,well, Super Hero City, which is, of course, home to many heroes. Next door to them is a massive wall, keeping the villains out and forming their own place: the city of Towns-er, Villainville. Due to the number of different heroes and villains that actually exist, the show has thankfully chosen a small group of each to follow in each episode and such.

For the heroes, we have the Super Hero Squad. In keeping with the show's humor and child-likeness, the heroes' personalities aren't too grim and gritty and make them more humorous. The leader, Iron Man, relies a lot on his gadgets and intelligence, which sometimes backfires in his face. Hulk isn't too dark and is potrayed more dim-witted, while still retaining his destructive tendencies and anger issues. The Silver Surfer is, well, a stereotypical surfer who is rather new to human culture. Thor, paragon of manliness, retains his 'ye olde' accent and, while not as dumb as the Hulk, isn't the brightest bulb in the group. Wolverine, of course, acts as the typical 'tough guy' in the group. Rounding out the six is Falcon as the straight man at times. Oddly enough, Falcon's role was meant to be played by Spider Man, whose rights to be on television were given to Sony at the time. During that time, Sony was working on animated series known as Ultimate Spider-Man (which should be out right now).

On the villains side, we have Doctor Doom, one of the greatest Marvel villains ever to be created. In this interpretation, he still maintains his usually hammy gloating (upped up by 11) and tendencies to rule the world, but the way he breaks down with defeat after defeat can be a sight to behold. The fact that he is too stubborn to quit being a super villain is kinda respectful in a way. Guy doesn't give up in trying to take over the world.

(DOOM WILL NOT BE DENIED!)

Anyway, the whole plot for the first season, as well as the whole series, is when Iron Man and Doctor Doom are fighting for a powerful artifact known as the Infinity Sword, capable of warping reality. In the struggle, the sword shatter, spreading several different Infinity Fractals across Super Hero City. Now, it turns into a race against time to see who would reforge the Infinity Sword.

This more-or-less serves as the backdrop for the season, allowing some connection between all the episodes. Otherwise, each episode allows different characters to take focus without having to be too much the center of attention. Most prominent ones include exploring the Silver Surfer's back story, a look into the villains, and hosting a Canon Immigrant known as Reptil, who can transform different parts of his body into different dinosaur parts. Along with the plot are jokes and gags that highlight the lesser known parts of the Marvel universe.

 (Somewhere, some paleontologists are crying right now)

Animation wise, it isn't bad, but it tends to overuse stock footage way too much. Seriously, it gets kinda annoying to see someone getting bashed repeatedly or electrocuted or even quickly eating a bag of pop corn. Kinda discredits the series when they kept doing that. Otherwise, it fits with the campy style of the show.

At the end of the 1st season, the Infinity Sword is once again reforged when Galactus arrives. In the ensuing battle with the villains, Villainville gets destroyed and the Super Hero Squad manages to capture all the villains, including Doctor Doom. In order to keep the Infinity Sword safe, the Silver Surfer agrees to be Galactus' herald once more. And as such, the 1st season of the Super Hero Squad Show comes to a close.

Its hard to really label which kind of episodes to see, since its partly an acquired taste and partly tolerance of some stupid antics. Besides, its hard enough to fight any DVDs or recordings of it online, much less actually watching the series. Hopefully, there may be a better chance for it sooner or later.

Until next time...Hero Up!

The Super Hero Squad Show is produced by Film Roman and Marvel Animation

Thanks to Youtube account Yuranngrombolar for the intro

No new Review

Real life has been getting to me, so there will be no new review this week. I'm sorry for this sudden change, but I will make sure I try to make a new review for next week.

Top 10: Favorite LoL Champions

Welcome to another post of 'Stories of Entertainment'.

Dear god, do I have an addiction to free to play MMO, 'League of Legends'.

Brief history check: 'League of Legends' was developed by Riot Games, with former DOTA (Defense Against the Ancients) designer Steve 'Guinsoo' Feak and former DOTA administrator Steven 'Pendragon' Mescon. Using the base of DOTA as a launching point, 'League of Legends' was born and soon released in October of 2009. As of now, it has a fanbase of millions all over the world, competing for prestige and pleasure.

One of the features I like about the game is it's robust champion selection. As of now, there are over 90 different champions to select from. For this post, I'm counting down to my Top 10 Favorite 'League of Legends' Champions.

Now, let me explain the rules for this specific list:
1. This deals with champions up to the release of Lulu, the Far Sorceress.
2. These are all personal picks, not an official list.
3. I'm focusing more on character design and back story, NOT gameplay.
4. Also, character design would be based on their original skin, NOT alternate skins.
5. This is just for fun and shouldn't be taken too seriously.

10. Brand, the Burning Vengeance

 "Anger management classes won't touch this guy"

Kicking off this list is a guy who puts new meaning to the phrase 'short fuse'. Brand's background makes him an interesting villain, since I doubt a name like that would inspire heroism. Its confirmed that he is a spirit that deals with fire and destruction, though its exact origins makes him hard to pin in the timeline. Is he a slain warrior during the Rune Wars, or is he something far more vicious and destructive? Hard to really say.

As for design, I'm a sucker for the 'rock-body-and-volcanic-veins' look. It fits the character just right for his fire theme. The pants stand out a bit and make me question why a personification of destruction would want to wear pants. Probably for modesty's sake.

9. Riven, the Exile

 "How could this happen to me? I made my mistakes..."

Riven is quickly becoming one of my favorite female champions, having recently gotten into the Top 10. Her story is one of sadness and loyalty. As a Noxian, he quickly grew through the ranks with her strength and skill with a massive longsword. During one invasion, she was so disgusted by her fellow Noxian's tactics, she fled the army and broke her sword, severing her ties to Noxus. While she believes in the ideals of her former nation, she plans to reform it and put an end to its corruption.

Her design fits her character well, having become a traveler and wanderer for quite a while now. Torn and lopsided armor, with a tanned skin and white hair, helps make her stand out with the other female champions. Her sword, while still broken, is quite capable of slaying her foes still, especially once its magical properties reforge itself once more in combat.

8. Viktor, the Machine Herald

 "Dude's got a killer high-five."

 Viktor is proof how pursuing science can lead to unfortunate ends. However, his current life was caused due to lack of recognition and inventions being stolen. After that incident, he decided to shed himself of his organic part and become full machine. He's a reverse Pinocchio of sorts, rather than become more human, he became more machine. A bit tragic, but still very threatening.

His design combines a sleek look not usually seen in scientists, plus different obvious augmentations to his body through 'hextech'. For added strangeness, he has a third, mechanical arm sticking out of his back that fires out a laser beam from its palm. Truly, Viktor is a sight to behold.

7. Skarner, the Crystal Vanguard

"Was last seen in 'God of War 3' as a boss"

Skarner is from a race of crystal beings hiding beneath the earth, using magic to fuel their lifestyle. However, the Rune Wars started to quickly kill off this race, forcing them to hibernate beneath the ground till it was safe for them to rise once more. Skarner is, like his title says, the vanguard of the his race. His combination of ferocity in combat and intelligence makes him a hard, yet interesting, character to watch in action.

His design is, of course, based on a crystallized scorpion. However, its the combination of such 'cool' colors, like purple and blue, that make him seem so calming, despite his ferocious appearance. His bright, yellow eyes show that mystical quality in his race and one fitting for such a creature.

6. Nautilus, the Titan of the Depths

 "Even above the surface, he just can't escape from the water"

Nautilus' story is one of the more tragic ones among all of the champions. Once a sailor investigating a mysterious black liquid in the ocean, he was grabbed by liquid and pulled into the depths of the sea. The tragedy of this tale is that his own crew condemned him to this fate, having feared that the black liquid would claim them all as well. Now risen once more in such horrid armaments, Nautilus seeks to punish the people who let him sink to the bottom of the sea.

The diving suit of Nautilus has become rather rusted, no doubt by the time spent in the sea. Around his joints seem to be glowing blue lines and his head only revealed blackness, with two searchlight-like eyes as the only identifying markers of his face. His weapon was an anchor, used against him by his crew, and now used to exact his revenge. All that sorrow and misery, bounded in rusted metal and darkness.

5. Wukong, the Monkey King

 "Funny, he doesn't look 'stoned'"

While some champions have been inspired by legends and myths, Wukong is taken right out of the Chinese mythology, being based on Sun Wukong, a powerful monkey icon. This champion's story isn't too much different, having been a warrior named Kong in the jungle, who sought to fight the strongest in the world. He eventually met another champion named Master Yi, a powerful swordsman. He agreed to be Yi's apprentice, taking the new name of Wukong and wielding a mighty staff. Its a nice, new spin on an old tale.

Wukong's design takes all the best parts of Chinese culture and puts it into a nice neat package. Bright red and gold, combined with spiky fur and a clever smile. Its a hard champion not to like and its a fitting tribute to Chinese culture.

4. Olaf, the Berserker

 "He's got an axe or two to grind"

Some stereotypes aren't as bad as they seem at first glance. Olaf proves not only his great strength and skill, but also a cunning that makes him weary of the summoners in the Institute of War. Hailing from another island, he was thrown from a severe storm to the shores of Valoran. While he does wish to go home, Olaf realizes the great power the summoners wield and knows best what information to best keep secret.

His design highlights some of the best parts of Viking culture: woven fur boots, large metal axes and a helmet with horns on the side. Include a raggly blond beard, a large belt buckle, and a display of confidence in his eyes, and you've got the Berserker in the nutshell.

3. Ahri, the 9-Tailed Fox

 "Insert your own furry joke here, if you wish"

Another character based on Asian culture, Ahri's story does begin with her as a fox longing to be human. However, this paths involves her taking the life essences of other people. Surprisingly, he disliked doing such a thing and wanted to find a way to become more human without doing such harm. Its a surprising display of human empathy, something that I've really liked in this character.

Her design, of course, plays off of the Asian culture. Aside form her pale skin and blake hair, Ahri carries the traits that befit her title as '9-Tailed Fox'. Her large, white tales, black ears and small whiskers not only fit her, but also add that alluring quality to her that makes her quite a catch. No doubt, there have already been naked pictures of her somewhere on the internet.

2. Volibear, the Thunder's Roar

"Arrogant enough to pick a fight with the clouds"

Volibear is kind of what you would expect from a name like that: a giant polar bear who fights with lightning. However, its his honor, bravery and foresight that makes him stand out. Having seen a vision where his race, the Ursine, are all killed off, Volibear has aligned with Frejord to try and prevent such a future from happening.

His overall looks makes him really stand out. After all, how often do you see a giant polar bear dressed in shining armor and blue orbs, wielding lightning with its bare hands? Not a lot, of course. This just speaks for itself.

And my #1 favorite Champion is...

Graves, the Outlaw!

 "Hope you don't have a 'dead man's hand'"

Grave's back-story immediately drew me to this guy. As an outlaw, he's aligned himself with another champion, Twisted Fate. However, one deal got Graves on the shaft end and locked up, with Twisted Fate gaining magical powers. Having broken out and gotten his hands on a nice shotgun, Graves is looking to even the score. The gray-ness of this story makes it hard to pick which side to be on. At least I know whose side I will stand by...

The look is great, making the outlaw look like a badass cowboy: spurs n boots, long studded cape and a grizzled, ornery face only a mother could love and a man can respect. Not only that, but he totes a custom-made 'hextech' shotgun, with the intent on gunning down Twisted Fate. Sometimes bigger is better and an extra-large shotgun just makes the world seem brighter.

Well, that's my first Top 10 post. I hope you enjoyed it.

Until next time...

League of Legends is distributed by Riot Games, Inc.