Review: Marvel Super Hero Adventures – Mealtime Mayhem #1
Venom, Loki, Thor, Spider-Gwen and Spider-man are all back in this issue of MSHA, where our heroes must put an end to Venom’s big plan and Loki’s mischievous tricks.
After the last issue of Marvel Super Hero Adventures, I was a bit skeptical about the new direction the series was taking. Instead of focusing on one story, the issue tried to tackle on 2 different stories, one of which featured 3 sub-plots. Needless to say, there wasn’t enough time for any of those to breath or to stand out. Fortunately, it appears Marvel took that formula and improved almost every aspect of it for this week’s issue.
Mealtime Mayhem is not the greatest MSHA story, but at the very least it’s a step in the right direction. While the series is very different from when it started (latest issues don’t focus on trying to deliver a lesson that much anymore) it still has a lot of heart, and that can be seen in Mealtime Mayhem.
As a quick sidenote, Captain Marvel is nowhere to be found here, which is weird considering she’s featured in the official description of the issue. So if you wanted to see her stop Venom alongside Spider-Man, you’d probably be really disappointed. Marvel has been using her name a lot for MSHA (just like in Captain Marvel – Halloween Spooktacular ) even if she doesn’t appear that much in the stories those issues tell. That’s a shame, considering how awesome of a superhero she is. With all that considered, don’t expect her to save the day in Mealtime Mayhem at any point.
Slice of life
The first story (out of two) presented here is Slice of life. In it, Spider-Gwen has to stop Venom’s big plan, in which he… tries to steal a pie. This is the shortest story of the comic, but it’s a fun one nonetheless. While MSHA has proved sometimes before it can be a series for both a younger and an older audience, this story might be enjoyed much more by a little kid than by a teenager. With that being said, it’s nice Marvel is using other Spider-Men other than Peter Parker for these stories. That way, kids can learn more about other awesome super-heroes in the Spider-Verse other than the original Spider-Man.
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This part of the comic actually features a small lesson, something which hasn’t been featured that much lately. But even with that, readers may find the other story more entertaining, as it has more characters and even more time to breathe. Overall, Slice of life is entertaining, but not the greatest part of this issue.
Thankful
This part of the comic features Spider-Man trying to help Thor find his hammer, and that’s as fun as it sounds. The art style in this section is amazing, and even if it’s very cartoony, it pays an incredible amount of attention to detail. Face expressions are flawless and even funny sometimes. It’s awesome how each character’s personality comes to life just with the drawings themselves. As for the story, it’s pretty straightforward but something anyone could enjoy. Thor trying to figure out where his hammer went is something worthy of watching in an MCU movie.
Review: Marvel Super Hero Adventures: First Day Of School #1. light. Related Story
The activities featured in MSHA are always welcome. This time, they feature a word search, a coloring page and more. That’s the one thing that I enjoyed a lot when Marvel went for a new direction with MSHA. If the stories aren’t enough hose activities will keep children entertained for a very long time.
Overall this was a good issue with one incredibly fun story and amazing illustrations. Still, I wish Marvel tried to make one great story instead of two where one of them feels like a side-read. Captain Marvel is nowhere to be found, and that’s a bummer. But this is a step in the right direction for MSHA. Let’s just hope it keeps getting better and better.
B. . Seanan McGuire, Irene Strychalski, Jim Campbell, Sean Ryan, Mario Del Pennino. . MSHA: Mealtime Mayhem
Do you like the new direction of MSHA? Let us know in the comments below! And be sure to stick around with Whatever A Spider Can for everything Spider-Man related.