super hero squad

Being a big fan of Cartoon Network's goofy Batman: The Brave and the Bold, I'm really looking forward to the debut of Marvel's Super Hero Squad. The show premieres Sept. 19 on Cartoon Network, and Marvel has already launched a teaser site featuring a fun video preview that could turn out to be the show's opening montage.

Super Hero Squad is based on the toy line and video game of the same name. It features cute and cuddly versions of Marvel heroes, like Wolverine, Iron Man, and the Hulk, protecting Super Hero City from a pint-sized Dr. Doom and other baby baddies. Judging by the preview video, the show will even make room for kid-sized versions of more obscure characters like Fing Fang Foom and MODOK.

If you've been reading Marvel Comics, you've probably seen the little gag strips they've put in the back of a lot of them. Super Hero Squad takes all the Marvel heroes and villains and makes them basically parodies of themselves.

Now they're taking that same style to the masses. Hero Up! The Super Hero Squad Show is the new cartoon headed to Saturday mornings. The premise is simple. The heroes hang out in Hero City. The mayor is voiced by Stan "The Man" Lee, who created most of the Marvel Universe ("Excelsior!"). That's right up there with Mayor West on Family Guy in sheer coolness.

Meanwhile, over in Villainville, Dr. Doom and the Lethal Legion are plotting to take over the world. To give you an idea of what kinds of villainy we're dealing with, they did a special cast reading at the convention. It's plot: Dr. Doom's quest to acquire an exclusive My Little Pony collectible. The series kicks off with a four-episode marathon on Cartoon Network September 19, and I'm strangely very excited about it.