Super Friends #33 (2025 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

Though Super Friends sidekicks Wendy and Marvin, along with their pooch Wonder Dog, were unceremoniously replaced by the Wonder Twins when the animated series returned to TV in 1977, the trio was given a send off in the comic book adaptation. 

Siblings Zan and Jayna, along with their blue space monkey Gleek, first appeared in comic book form with issue #6 of Super Friends. In a 3-part story, the twins are given an origin story by E. Nelson Bridwell, which sees the orphans coming to Earth to warn Superman of a space bomb attack from the villainous Grax. Impressed by the alien teens' bravery, the Justice League offers them membership and training as superheroes while Wendy and Marvin leave in issue #9 for college. It's hinted that Wendy will eventually enter the FBI after finishing college.

With Zan's ability to take the form of water in any state and shape and Jayna 's mastery of transforming into animals, both real and mythical, the Wonder Twins become valuable allies to the Super Friends. In order to change their form, Zan and Jayna must make physical contact with one another. Generally, giving one another a fist bump while as humanoids. Should the twins be separated from each other, they will remain in whatever form until they can once again touch. It is that limitation of the Wonder Twins' powers that is the main plot point of this issue.

Someone is targeting the priceless collections of Gotham City's elite. Without any clue as to the culprit, Batman enlists the Super Friends to help. Believing that he knows the next target, a collector of gems and rare birds, Batman has Zan transform into a giant diamond made of ice while Jayna becomes a bird. Only she accidentally becomes a bird that has been extinct for centuries. 

With the twins in place as bait, the culprit is revealed to be the Menagerie Man, who uses trained animals to commit his crimes. When the villain notices Jayna in prehistoric bird form moving, the Menagerie Man believes that he's discovered a missing link and unknowingly steals Jayna. 

With Zan stuck in ice diamond form, the Justice League is down 2 members. But thanks to a feathery friend, Hawkman arrives with the location of the Menagerie Man's hideout. It looks like the rescue mission is going to be easy until the Super Friends are attacked by wildebeests, leopards and birds of prey carrying nuggets of deadly kryptonite!

This 1980 issue was written by Bridwell with artwork by Wonder Twins co-creator Ramona Fradon. Inks were provided by Vince Colleta.

The Super Friends comic book would continue to run through the summer of 1981; ending with issue #47. Both the Wonder Twins and the team of Wendy and Marvin and Wonder Dog would return in the 2000s as characters in both DC animated series and as official comics canon. 

Completing this review completes Task #20 (A Superhero Team Book) of the 2025 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Showcase Presents Super Friends Volume 1

Based on the classic Hanna-Barbera cartoon, this black and white edition collects the first 24 issues of Super Friends. 

The cartoon and the comics started off with the teens Marvin and Wendy and their pooch Wonder Dog all learning to become crime fighters. Marvin was a sort of Shaggy arch-type. Wendy could kick serious butt like Daphne, but nowhere near as clumsy. And Wonder Dog was like Scooby-Doo in that he could talk. But Wonder Dog was much more braver. 

Like the Super Friends cartoon, Wendy and Marvin left only to be replaced by alien siblings, Jan and Zan: The Wonder Twins and their space-monkey Gleek. Unlike the TV show, the comics explained why Wendy and Marvin left. And it was done properly having the earthling kids graduate from their training instead of just being replaced without a word like what happened to Tiger on The Brady Bunch. 

DC's Super Friends had one more thing going for it than the Hanna-Barbera version. The comic book had legitimate villains. The Penguin, Poison Ivy, Chronos, and Cheetah all rear their ugly heads to make life miserable for the Super Friends. We also get heroes chipping in to help like The Atom, and The Flash. 

Another interesting element involves Aquaman. He's often been the butt of decades of jokes as being the most worthless Super Friend. Well, in this book, Aquaman often wonders why he's been chosen as part of the team. And in issue #24 he must overcome his own inadequacies of a water-bound hero when a mystery requires the heroes to head to the deserts of Egypt. 

In some ways I like the comic book version better because it really rounded out the series with better explanations as to why characters disappeared and it had more guest stars and it even tackled the Aquaman problem. 

Sadly, while this is considered Volume 1, this is the only volume of Super Friends as done as a Showcase Presents. DC Comics shortly shelved these treasuries shortly after this volume was published. The series ran until 1981 for a grand total of 47 issues. Thus, there's a whole another volume's worth of issues out there to collect and read... someday.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Scooby-Doo Team-Up, Volume 1

   I gave up on trying to find the individual issues of this series. I'm a bargain hunter and I couldn't find anything cheaper than cover price. So I went to Amazon where with the price of shipping included, I only spent $4 on a used but very good copy of Scooby-Doo Team-Up Volume 1. 
    The first several issues of this volume are Batman heavy. But that's okay as you always go with your heaviest hitters when doing a team-up series. If this was a Marvel title, the Mystery Gang would be having adventures either with Spider-Man or Deadpool. Plus, the 2 iconic team-up episodes from the 70s Scooby-Doo show with the Dynamic Duo were the inspiration for this series in the first place.
     I know that you, my dear readers, are probably sick to death with my praising SCTU. But I really love this series. I look forward to a new adventure every month thanks to the deft pen of Sholly Fisch and the awesome art talents of Dario Brizuela. 
       This is such a great series and there are lots of very good condition used copies of this volume that you can get for literal pennies on the dollar on Amazon.

     Worth Consuming

     Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Teen Titans Go!/ Scooby-Doo Team-Up #1 (2015 Free Comic Book Day)

    The girls take over Titans Tower as they throw Starfire's first ever slumber party. Meanwhile, Beast Boy and Cyborg decide to go bowling. But is Vic using his targeting system to cheat? As long as there are bowling alley nachos, we'll never find out.
     On the flip side of this Free Comic Book Day offering, the Mystery Gang are asked to help the Super Friends with a ghost problem. A group of 7 ghosts of different colored ghosts are haunting the Hall of Justice and one has caused Superman to disappear. Featuring Supergirl, some mystery villains and the most legitimate answer to what ever happened to Wendy, Marvin, and Wonder Dog?! It has the makings of a great issue...
      I really enjoyed this comic but I kinda wish I hadn't read it. The Scooby-Doo Team-Up story was left as a cliff hanger and it's a an issue of my favorite team-up series that I don't have! I wanna know what happens now!!!
      Along with the two stories, there were some fun activities for kids: a pizza maker game for the Teen Titans and an art grid of Wonder Woman and Batman. I thought this was a neat addition. Though I always hated that grid thing as I never could get the artwork right.
       A neat sampler of DC's children comics in 2015. But I hate not having the full Scooby/ Super Friends tale.

     Worth Consuming

     Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.