The Super Hero Squad Show (Cartoon Network, The Hub)

common sense media says

So-so cartoon mixes action and lots of booger jokes.


parents & educators say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this action-packed, tongue-in-cheek cartoon skewers the traditional image of superhero teams saving the world. The heroes in this show (all drawn from the vast Marvel Comics universe) constantly bicker over who gets to take on the villain, get caught up in petty disputes, and are just as likely to be slimed by a monster’s enormous booger as they are to be pounded by its thrashing tail (the fact that they even look more like action figures than human crimefighters makes sense, considering that the series is based on a line of toys). It’s a different take on heroism to be sure -- but it may  well appeal to kids, since the characters often act like big kids themselves ... with all the potty humor that goes along with that.

Educational value: The show is intended to entertain, not educate.
Positive messages: Even though teamwork is the key to fending off monsters and supervillains, the Super Hero Squad is often hamstrung by petty bickering. Lots of potty humor, including jokes about boogers, loogies, snot, and more than a few fart sounds.
Positive role models: These heroes aren’t quite as heroic as the typical defenders of good. They bicker and pout and tease each other frequently -- though in the end they usually manage to band together to save the day.
Violence & scariness: Lots of animated fight scenes featuring all kinds of super-powered combat, including fistfights, energy blasts, and some really wild monsters. The sequences in this tongue-in-cheek show are a bit over the top even for a cartoon and are played more for slapstick humor than for excitement.
Sexy stuff: Not applicable.
Language: No bad words, but plenty of references to bodily functions.
Consumerism: The series is based on a line of action figures, which in turn is based on the popular world created by Marvel Comics. Both the series and the toys feature many of the biggest superhero (and supervillain) names in the Marvel universe.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Not applicable.

More on The Super Hero Squad Show

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
  • Families can talk about superheroes. The heroes on this show are significantly less noble than the standard-issue crimefighter. Do you think young kids will understand that this show is supposed to be a parody?

  • The show is based on a line of toys that was based on comic books. Do you think that a show this intertwined with other products crosses the line from entertainment to commercial/promotion?

What's the story?

What's the story?

Guess who lives in Super Hero City? Yup, it's a whole town full of super-powered crime fighters, all drawn from the Marvel Comics universe. And you know who lives in nearby Villainville -- all the bad guys plotting to take over the world, especially the fearsome Dr. Doom (voiced by Charles Adler). But the formidable villains need an edge if they hope to take on the noble residents of Super Hero City; they need to find the fragments of the famed Infinity Sword, which can bestow nearly-limitless power. In THE SUPER HERO SQUAD SHOW, the good-guy team must find the sword pieces first if they want to stop Doom’s nefarious scheme.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 

This animated parody sounds like the classic Super Friends cartoons of Saturday mornings past, but it plays more like the Three (Super-powered) Stooges. The characters squabble like kids and can't seem to get enough jokes about farts, boogers, and other bodily functions. They even look a bit silly -- much more like the line of action figures upon which the series is based than the traditional trim, muscled heroes viewers are more used to seeing.

Given that the show is set in two whole towns full of comic book characters, dozens of popular Marvel creations appear, and several less-well known heroes also get name-checked. The biggest names merit most of the screen time, notably Iron Man (Tom Kenny), the Hulk (Travis Willingham), Silver Surfer (Mikey Kelly), and a few of the X-Men and Fantastic Four. All of this Marvel-mania will be fun for hardcore comic fans, but it veers awfully close to the line between entertainment and blatant cross promotion. Still, older comic fans may be entertained by the send-up of the traditional format, and while younger kids may not understand the parody elements, they’ll definitely giggle at the fart jokes.

TV themes & details

Themes
TV Details
TV Rating: TV-Y7
Network: Cartoon Network
Cast: Charles Adler, David Boat, Travis Willingham
Genre: Kids' Animation
Where to watch: Cartoon Network

This review was written by Will Wade
 
 

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Most useful reviews by all members

supersayian
kid, 12 years old
 
awesome
Great! spiderman's coming in season 2!

mkalv
teen, 17 years old
 
Kiddie show.
Boring kiddie show. Marvel fans should stay away.

AWESOMEDJ
kid, 11 years old
 
Give A Kid A Break?!
I mean what Is this?! This Is something you'll see In a comedy show. Disney took the classic Marvel and tore It all down to shreads. Just probaly the most annoying show on the planet. Marvel be your own boss! But I hate the show......They don't even include Spiderman! My favorite!

webkins
kid, 12 years old
 
holy flab it is so awsome

jeffnem
parent of 4 and 8 year old
 
Comical satire for the younger set.
It's fun, the violence is brief and incidental to the story, much less prevalent than your standard Bugs Bunny cartoon, where the violence was the punchline.

movie fan141999
kid, 12 years old
 
funny
funny but not rilly super heroey a nufe

SPACEHERO55
parent of 10 year old
 
Perfect for kids showing an interest in superheroes.
Oh this is such a great show. I have been a long time fan of Marvel Superheroes and this is a great show for younger kids who have started to show an interest in superheroes. All the classic Marvel heroes are here. The show is funny and cute. If you want to get your kids into the classic Superheroes that you grew up with then this is a great show to start them off with. I do wish Spider-Man was on the show.

Trick r Treater
teen, 17 years old
 
Just stupid. :|
Seriously? This should never have come to be. It's entertaining, sure, but these superheroes are supposed to be... taller, more awesome, I dunno! It just doesn't seem right to me that they made these (pardon the language) bad ass superheroes into tiny family friendly kids. I'm as disappointed as I was when I saw the new Iron Man show in which he was a teenager. I mean, I get that kids see superheroes as rolemodels, but this doesn't really have a plot or a point. :\

cammy48
kid, 11 years old
 
Alright
To me this is more of a comedy than and action show. I mean it those have some violence,but half of it is proball suppose to be funny so think it is alright.

TheUltimateRev ...
kid, 10 years old
 
One of the worst shows of all time ever a Marvel rip off, just bad.
Marvel Super Hero Squad Show, lacks style and it's just cheesy and corny.The characters are, like, 3 feet tall and they are in charge of a town (How's that for a horrible show?).Even so, there's no Spiderman, but that wouldn't even make it better.The idea just makes a lot of people go nuts and ''WTH?'' and there are animated fight scenes with fantasy violence.By the title, it's based on Marvel's superheroes and there are toys of it.Launguage, no swearing, but there is launguage.There are booger jokes which is, not even appropiate for kids.Normally, this shouldn't be seen by anyone, espically kids, and just has to rip off Iron Man and friends.Not even close to good, don't watch this piece of crap.

ZWolf
kid, 12 years old
 
good for all ages
good for pepole who like kids shows.

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ON: Content is appropriate for kids this age.
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OFF: Not age appropriate for kids this age