Free Comic Inside: Super Powers Batman

For this installment I want to return to the Super Powers Collection. I was planning to look at the Firestorm story but Batman showed up so much in my Twitter timeline today that I was drawn to seeing how they sold the Dark Knight’s action figure. If you don’t remember the Super Powers check out the review of the Superman mini-comic which explains the toyline’s history.

This one is interesting because I get to showcase that these mini-comics didn’t just focus on the toy it was sold with and the arch-nemesis but would have the heroes teaming up with other heroes. Having Robin in this comic was a given since he’s Batman’s partner, as is having the Joker for them to fight. (And yes, the villains get their own toys and mini-comics as well. Unlike the Masters Of The Universe comics every toy had their own comic rather than a few figures sharing the comic, a mistake I made in the Superman review.) But to drop in a Wonder Woman cameo? The question is how well is she used here? We saw that the Superman comic felt too short. Let’s see if there’s any difference here.

“Still better than zombies.” “You mean Black Lanterns?” “Same thing.”

The citizens of Gotham are just walking to wherever they’re going when the Jokermobile races through spraying a gas that turns everyone into a version of the Joker rather than the usual laughing to death gas. Someone at police headquarters must have been alerted because the call goes out to Batman and Robin.

Sadly the meeting of Coulrophobia Anonymous had just let out. (I had to look that one up, too.)

The Dynamic Duo race to the scene in the Batmobile only to be attacked by the Jokers while the real one taunts them with the antidote. And then Wonder Woman flies by for…some reason, and snags them in her magic lasso. Yes, all the controlled people. How big is that thing, anyway?

“Of course not. Betting is illegal in Gotham.”

This gives the Caped Crusaders the open they need to kick the Joker’s butt and retrieve the antidote. Then Wonder Woman snags him in the lasso, everyone makes fun of him because he’s not smiling anymore, and scene.

While this is still as short as the Superman comic was, it filled the time better. It doesn’t feel as rushed and the Joker’s plan didn’t need as much set-up. Maybe I just expect more out of Lex? I asked in the intro about Wonder Woman’s appearance, using her lasso to free Batman and Robin from the Jokerized citizens. While it does feel like a cheap cop-out and there’s no evidence that Wonder Woman was called or otherwise heard about Joker’s scheme I do like seeing the Justice League working together in these comics, although part of me would like to see the toy displayed on its own with just the villain. (Again, Robin makes sense being in there and oddly Batman isn’t in Robin’s comic.) I guess I can take it either way for the sake of a decent short story.

There will be more to come from the Super Powers Collection but in our next installment we’ll check out another toy line adventure.