Rating:  -
These previous review comments help me explain why I liked the Marvin and Wendy versions so much better:
"I always get a chuckle out of these because it seems the LOD can do ANYTHING! They can travel through time, space, send our fearless heroes into famous storybooks...whatever makes an entertaining story. It's always a hoot watching Wonder Woman float in space wearing her bustier, hot pants, boots and a plastic bubble on her head with no breathing apparatus on her back."
The original stories with Marvin and Wendy were more grounded in a plausibly contained world. Each week the status quo was interrupted by a scientist who appeared to break some law of physics or an alien coming to Earth and causing trouble, but usually the status quo was restored by the end of the show (the process that turns gold into other metals turns out to be unstable, the asteroid mining operation has to be shut down because the particles are proven too dangerous on Earth, the alien's problems are solved and they leave, Superman seals off the subterranean "lost world" from human contact forever).
It seems like in many of the versions of the Superfriends that followed, even Challenge of the Super Friends, they don't set up the breaking of the laws of physics with a "new discovery," they just assume they've been broken all along: an episode begins with the Legion of Doom using a time travel machine--no explanation given as to how they got it, making it seem they always had it; if they always had it, they would have destroyed everything a long time ago. The Legion of Doom has teleportation devices all over the place, yet none of the Super Friends seem to be able to get their hands on one or figure out how they work. Episodes begin with them making deals with aliens as if this were an everyday event. I just saw one last night where they were putting the Super Friends into a fairy tale book--no explanation as to how they got it (maybe it was cut?). Too many stories seemed to use magic, like the fairy tale book and the Swamp Witch. I know Mxlplik (not even going to try to spell it) was magic, but magic didn't seem as pervasive in the original comics as it became in the later Super Friends. If the Legion of Doom truly has the fantastic powers over time and space that the episodes portray, the Super Friends don't really have a chance and the Legion would have destroyed everything by now. Sure, the Super Friends have some fantastic powers but they're not bent on destroying or conquering everything. It's just not logically consistent to have the Legion be so powerful and yet the Earth is still intact and unconquered.
Now, the Super Powers version weren't as bad because they seemed to return to more plausible stories. At least Darkseid had to come from another dimension where our physical laws didn't necessarily apply. An episode opens with the Penguin actually in jail instead of flying around in a time machine. The villains have more LIMITS.
The originals with Marvin and Wendy had plenty of gaffes and mistakes, poor animation, etc., but they seemed more science-based. They didn't have humans operating in space without suits--only Superman. They didn't have ANY magic episodes. When an alien came to Earth it was a big deal requiring the attention of the government and the Super Friends, not a ho-hum every day event. Best of all--no time travel episodes at all.
I'll probably buy this DVD though--it's still bound to be interesting.
Rating:  -
Plain and Simple. I have waited for over 20 years for this to come out ever since it was pulled from TV. What's more, they put on DVD arguably the best and most memorable of the series which is vs. The Legion of Doom. Whoever did this has my vote for best release of the year.
Rating: -
I'm all over this like a fly on...well, you know.
This is my favorite of the early days of the Superfriends. No Wendy and Marvin, no silly "don't talk to strangers" messages from Wonder Woman...just flat out rock 'em - sock 'em fun when the Superfriends meet their evil equals from the Legion of Doom.
I always get a chuckle out of these because it seems the LOD can do ANYTHING! They can travel through time, space, send our fearless heroes into famous storybooks...whatever makes an entertaining story. It's always a hoot watching Wonder Woman float in space wearing her bustier, hot pants, boots and a plastic bubble on her head with no breathing apparatus on her back.
Cheers to Cartoon Network for releasing this series first. I hope all the episodes involving the Legion of Doom are available soon!
Rating: -
Considered the best in the series, Challenge of the Superfriends features an all star line up of DC Comics flagship and popular characters: Superman, Batman and Robin, Green Lantern, Flash, Wonder Woman, Aquaman. They are joined by Samurai, Apache Chief and Black Vulcan.
The vilains: The Legion of Doom, headed by Lex Luthor. All of the major bad guys are here, from Bizzaro, Black Manta, Cheeta, Giganta, Riddler, Toyman, Gorilla Grood, Solomon Grundy, Scarecrow, and Brainiac!
Expect nothing short of a Royal Rumble when these two teams collide against each other. This is the best interpretation of the DC comic books into animation. No other series involving Super Heroes has ever matched it. Hanna Barbara did outstanding work on this series, possibly one of their best on television. The voice talents were also good.
A lot of creative forces, who are now legends in the comic book business, were involved in the series: Alex Toth, who did an outstanding job designing the characters for animation. DC staff, such as artist Carmine Infantino, writer and afficinado E. Nelson Bridwell and of course, editor Julius Schwartz (who was a major contributor to the Silver Age of Comics with his revamping of the Flash and Green Lantern)
This DVD has been long awaited by fans. Never before has there been an official video release of the series. A must have for anyone who is interested in Super Heroes. (WB, release the entire series on DVD, I have my dollars ready :)
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