The Superhero Squad Show: Titanic Team Ups!

And lo, we arrive at volume two of Vivendi Entertainment's DVD release of Marvel Animation's kid-targeted cartoon, which, you may recall from volume one, sees Iron Man, the Silver Surfer, Wolverine, Thor, Falcon and the Hulk teaming up to fight Dr. Doom and other baddies in the creatively-named "Superhero City." Much like The Godfather, Part II, this second volume of The Superhero Squad Show (subtitle: Titanic Team Ups!) so deepens and enriches the characters and their universe that the two volumes must now be considered inseparable. Sure, we knew from volume one that the Silver Surfer was not your average cosmically-enhanced crime fighter, but before the arrival of volume two would anyone have guessed that he wears a giant foam finger labelled "We're #1" when attending sporting events? Or that the Incredible Hulk wears boxers with little hearts on them? Or that the villainous Mole Man suffers from chronic flatulence? Actually, this last point also received much attention in volume one, but volume two certainly offers enough additional proof to convince even the most jaded sceptic that, yes, Mole Man is a very flatulent fellow. And yet for all these many insights, I still eagerly await volume three, which will hopefully delve further into more existential questions. Since we only ever see Tony Stark in his Iron Man suit, to what extent can he still be considered Tony Stark? And since the Hulk displays emotions other than anger, can we assume that this persona has completely overtaken Bruce Banner? And, most importantly, where the hell is Spider-Man? Did he want too much money or something? DVD extras include a collection of "Hero Profiles." According to Iron Man's profile, "He has a tendency to concoct overly complicated gizmos, like a photon-activated laser incision matrix for metallic container penetration." Lest that last sentence too strongly suggest superhero lovin', the writers are quick to add, "aka a can opener."