It's no coincidence that The Super Friends comic book debuted around the same time that Shazam was revived and revised to reflect the Saturday morning television show from Filmation which was in a second a season. DC had even launched a new Isis comic book for that spin-off show. So getting their homegrown heroes presented in "A DC TV Comic" made perfect sense at the time.
When DC finally decided to pull the trigger on a more accurate adaptation, they called upon E. Nelson Bridwell to write it, the original fanboy-gone-professional and he used his extensive knowledge of DC lore on the book to great effect. The first two issues were penciled by Ric Estrada who had a kinetic broad style well suited to the material. The Super Friends battled arch-villains from DC's vast array. It was good, very good but it was not great...yet.
Greatness came to this comic when with the third issue Ramona Fradon assumed the penciling chores on the book. Fradon was a DC veteran who made her name on the Aquaman comic, but here in addition to the Sea King she did a masterful job of rendering all of the heroes as well as the singularly excellent villain "World Beater". Fradon says she is often asked to recreate this cover for fans. Also of note is inker Bob Smith who came along with Fradon and added just that right smooth touch to the work.
With Bridwell on the scripts and Fradon and Smith on the artwork the comic was in great shape as the Super Friends battled both known and new villains issue after issue such as Skyrocket, Greenback and Menagerie Man. From the very beginning the panels had a somewhat rounded shape to imitate a television screen and that set the book apart from all of its counterparts on the spinner racks.
And then there came a three-part tale that changed the game. Wendy, Marvin and Wonder Dog had been the cadets the Super Friends were training, but after this three-issue battle with Grax they left the fold for greater things. They were replaced (as they had been on television) by Zan and Jayna the Wonder Twins. This trilogy also presented for the first time an array of heroes spread across the world who worked with the Super Friends (for the first time including other JLA members) to end the deadly threat of Grax. These heroes would go on to be known as the "Global Guardians" and would become part of the greater DCU.
Bridwell's detailed knowledge of the DCU comes in handy in stories such as the one which brought back Golden Age characters TNT and Dan the Dyna-Mite.
Bridwell is not done creating new heroes either as he does when he creates a foursome with the powers of the elements Fire, Air, Water and Earth.
Kurt Shaffenberger helps out on the art chores on the book from time to time. His slick artwork is a good match for Fradon's, though a bit less kinetic.
The Super Friends battle mostly villains and threats specific to their title, but the appearance of recognizable threats such as Chronos and Mirror Master do a good job of reminding the reader this is the Justice League after all.
The Overlord is a persistent threat who keeps showing up in the title, though often behind the scenes manipulating others to take the battle to the team.
Also included in this first collection is the Limited Collectors' Edition which features an into to the team by Bridwell and Alex Toth, the artist who designed the characters first for Hanna-Barbera. Toth is at his best in this short vignette and even better in a detailed illustrated essay on how animated cartoons were made back in the day.
The book concludes with a real oddity, a tiny comic book developed as a premium for a swimming goggles manufacturer. The little story features a frame story by artist Dick Giordano around a vintage tale from Aquaman's long-running back-up feature by artist Ramona Fradon. It's a real treat and material I'd never seen before in any form. This is a dandy package, though a touch pricey. It's good value as its companion which I'll be taking a glance at next time.
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