SPOOKTACULER HALLOWEEN COMIC BOOKS

The Halloween season is here and with it comes some terror-ific comic books. I'm always geeked to get into the Halloween spirit with some holiday themed good reads. Here are some spooktaculer stories that will be on comic book shop shelves this October:

STAR TREK: HOLO-WEEN

After enduring an anxiety-ridden passage through a solar storm, Captain Picard and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise take to celebrating Halloween to reset the mood. But while the Earth holiday involves sweet treats and other festivities, they soon learn that fear is in season when crew members begin to go missing one by one. Each week in October leading up to Halloween, a new issue of this limited series by acclaimed writer Chris Sequeira and Eisner-nominated artist Joe Eisma will be rocketing into comic shops. 

DC'S GHOULS JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN

An assembly of spine-tingling stories for Halloween. Superman imprisoned by an unfriendly ghost! Man-Bat versus a werewolf! Mary Marvel and Dr. Psycho crashing a Halloween frat party! Plus: the Question faces horrific crimes of fashion; Robotman wrestles a ghostly glitch; Crush helps Lobo find the perfect costume; and Nightwing and Red Hood spend a frightful night in Blüdhaven, co-written by Christopher Sean, the voice of Nightwing from the Gotham Knights video game! The chills will last longer than your candy corn!

ARCHIE HALLOWEEN SPECTACULAR 

Trick and Treat return on Halloween night to harass Archie and Jughead with assorted monsters until Sabrina takes charge. All that plus more scary-fun stories!

CAPWOLF & THE HOWLING COMMANDOS

When Captain America is transformed into a werewolf on the front lines of World War II, he’ll need the help of the Howling Commandos to take down a band of Nazi cultists who intend to use supernatural forces to turn the tide of battle. But can Cap control the skeptical, jaded Commandos when he can barely control himself?

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES HALLOWEEN SPECIAL

As Halloween approaches, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles must face their fears when a powerful and mysterious being challenges them to prove their mettle in a nightmarish test of bravery. Meanwhile, Shredder has an otherworldly encounter of his own when he summons an ancient spirit to gain a greater understanding of the powerful weapon he seeks to reforge... only to discover that some forces are beyond even his control. Don't miss this double-sized, spooky special of Saturday Morning Adventures!

OPERATION SUNSHINE

From the New York Times-bestselling hosts of the hit The Last Podcast on the Left and Black Hammer's David Rubin comes this all-new humorous, horror, and action-packed comic book series that's Near Dark meets Ocean's Eleven. A group of young, alienated vampires known as "bugs" plot to steal a magical object from ancient monstrous vampires to turn themselves back to human. Along the way they uncover a sprawling monster underground, a top-secret plot run by the elder creatures, elite militant vampire slayers, and madness beyond imagining blocking their path to humanity.

BORIS KARLOFF'S GOLD KEY MYSTERIES 

Witness the dawn of new era in horror! When a gothic mansion infested with arcane power appears from the mist, Boris Karloff is the world's last hope against dark forces led by a malevolent government agent bent on harnessing the house's power. Boris Karloff is back with a new ongoing horror anthology.

CRYPT OF SHADOWS

Once more, as All Hallows’ Eve draws nigh, the dust-covered slab that seals shut the crypt, blocking out the sun and casting it forever in shadow, has creaked open to let the darkness loose to prey on the Marvel Universe! Be they mercenary or mage, guided by law or by rage, our heroes will face their terror, and they’d best pray their spines are sturdy enough for the job…or the crypt they find may well be their own!

SPINE-TINGLING SPIDER-MAN

After a fight with Spider-Cide, Spider-Man gets taken on the most frightening ride of his life as he finds himself in the most terrifying haunted house possible. Who took Peter’s powers? Who took Peter’s friends and family? Who stands the best chance at taking Spider-Man down permanently?!

HEADLESS HORSEMAN HALLOWEEN ANNUAL

Boils, ghouls, vampires, monsters, and creatures of all kinds, welcome. Take a seat, go on, fill the aisles, relax your fangs, and sit with us for a while. Join us in a macabre and magical journey through all the haunts and spooks that keep you up at night for here we revel in the darkness and present to you a chilling, nay petrifying experience as the Headless Horseman presents a collection of five terrifying tales to warm up your cold soul.

GARGOYLES HALLOWEEN SPECIAL

It's young Gnash's first Halloween in Manhattan, and you're invited to come along as he heads out to find friends on the one night of the year when Gargoyles can roam the city unbothered! Unfortunately, he's about to run afoul of the masked Quarrymen, who are out to hunt down any Gargoyle foolish enough to brave the streets on All Hallow's Eve. That means Brooklyn, Katana, Lexington, Broadway, Angela, and even Goliath are in real danger! Will they survive this cruel trick, or become a treat for the marauding Quarrymen? Find out in this all-new 40-page special featuring a 28-page main story written by Gargoyles creator GREG WEISMAN!

FEAR THE FUNHOUSE PRESENTS ... TOYBOX OF TERROR

In Riverdale, even the toys are terrifying in this anthology one-shot set in the universe of last year's successful Fear the Funhouse comic. Three tales of dolls, robots, and puppets gone awry all thanks to the work of a shadowy toymaker and a young girl intent on revenge, in the vein of the widely successful M3GAN movie and Child's Play franchise.

JUSTICE LEAGUE V GODZILLA V KONG

The cataclysmic crossover event of the year is here as the DC Universe clashes with Legendary’s Monsterverse in Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong. Clark Kent is enjoying a night off with a very important dinner planned with his girlfriend, Lois Lane, when the entire city shudders under the weight of the monstrous Godzilla, who emerges from the bay! What started as a routine clash between the Justice League and the Legion of Doom takes a dangerous turn when the wall between worlds is breached…with Godzilla, Kong, and the Monsterverse emerging on DC’s Earth!

MARVEL ZOMBIES: BLACK, WHITE & BLOOD

The undead plague starts here…and you know it won’t stop until everyone’s in its clutches! This first of four action-packed, utterly original, gloriously gory anthology issues features Daredevil, Spider-Man, Moon Knight and many, many more Marvel heroes and villains beset by ever-growing zombie hordes! In a brutal, bloodstained world, can hope survive? Or will creeping, gnawing, shambling horror win out at last…?

UNIVERSAL MONSTERS DRACULA

THE DEPARTMENT OF TRUTH creators JAMES TYNION IV and MARTIN SIMMONDS reteam for an extra-length miniseries about the monster who started it all! When Dr. John Seward admits a strange new patient into his asylum, the madman tells stories of a demon who has taken residence next door. But as Dr. Seward attempts to apply logic to the impossible…his surrogate daughter Lucy begins to fall under the spell of the twisted Count Dracula!

SPIDER MAN INTO THE SPIDERVERSE LIVE CONCERT

An all-new national tour is coming Detroit’s Fisher Theatre on September 24 which will bring fans a whole new way to experience the box office hit Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. The Academy Award-winning film from Sony Pictures Animation will be accompanied by a live orchestra, band and turntables with a scratch DJ playing music from the score and soundtrack. 

Tickets for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Live in Concert at the Fisher Theatre will go on sale at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, July 14 online at BroadwayInDetroit.com and in-person at the Fisher Theatre Box Office. For more information about the show, visit spiderverseinconcert.com

The film’s music score was composed by Academy Award nominee, multiple Golden Globe-nominee and Emmy-winning composer Daniel Pemberton, known for his work on movies such as The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Oceans 8, Enola Holmes, The Bad Guys and Steve Jobs. The hip-hop infused film score contains original music showcasing elements of heroism, resilience and is complemented by song contributions from industry greats Post Malone, Lil Wayne, Jaden Smith and Nicki Minaj. 

“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is one of my favorite scores I’ve ever written,” Pemberton remarked to ageekdaddy.com. “Utilizing a full orchestra, crazy electronics and unbelievable turntable scratching techniques amongst a million other things is so technically complex, I never thought we’d ever be able to actually reproduce it in a live setting; but somehow, we have. I am ridiculously excited for fans around the country to see their very first Spider-Verse concert later this year.”

FIREFIGHTERS ARE SUPERHEROES

Today is National Superhero Day which for many at first thought probably brings fantasy characters like Spider-Man and the Guardians of the Galaxy to mind; but I wanted to take a moment to use this occasion to salute real life heroes ... the fire fighters in our world. As the name applies, this profession started out with a focus on keeping towns from burning to the ground (think the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 which destroyed more than 17,000 buildings and killed 300 people) and over the years has evolved so that fire fighters do much more than extinguish burning structures and wild fires. They are now first responders to HAZMAT situations, extract people from vehicle crashes, and provide emergency medical treatment in a variety of scenarios, among other responsibilities. Have you ever thought about how many different ways fire fighters contribute to making communities safe? 

I really hadn't until being invited to participate in a day in the life experience which let me feel what it is like to be on-the-job as a firefighter. My day as a firefighter included a searching inside a smoke-filled building for people to be rescued, extinguishing a car fire, a jaws of life vehicle extraction, an active shooter paramedic scenario and addressing a mock HAZMAT threat. This movie geek was able to live out some real life fire fighter moments as if he was starring in the flick BURN. You don't realize until experiencing it how heavy the gear is and how quick on your feet you have to be both mentally and physically when it comes to this job until going through the same drills the pros do.

Let the firefighters in your community know you appreciate them on this National Superhero Day and throughout the year. Say thank you and express your appreciation for their service by giving your local department a positive shout out on social media. Are you following your local fire department on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter? Most of some sort of social media presence.

Follow Friday #NationalSuperheroDay Salute to Fire Fighters: @FDNY @firenation @UFANYC @LAFD @DetroitFire @MetroDetFire @dfdlegacy @BostonFire @dcfireems @LearyFF @firedeptcoffee @IAFFofficial @OCFireAuthority @usfire @CityofMiamiFire @hawaiianfire #Firefighting #FF pic.twitter.com/FbBLzMN9vA

— A Geek Daddy (@GeekDad248) April 29, 2023

Remember, firefighting is a dangerous profession, with these men and women are putting their lives on the line in service to others. Let your local City Council representatives know you support your local government spending the resources to ensure these people who risk their lives are going into peril with the best tools and resources to accomplish their job. Firefighters need to have the ability to not only get the people they are rescuing out of danger, but also be able to return home to their own families as well when their mission has been accomplished. 

Thanks again to the local departments that let me get a better understanding what is like to live a day in the life of a firefighter at my county's emergency training center. 

SPIDERMAN DECADE BY DECADE HISTORY BOOK

With Sony's Spider-Man movies crawling onto the Disney+ streaming platform, before swinging into watching this comic book superhero films again decided now would be a good time to delve into learning all about the character's history. The Quarto Group has published an marvelous look into Spidey's past with SPIDER-MAN: A History & Celebration of the Web Slinger, Decade by Decade by Matthew Manning, Robert Greenberger and Peter David. The book is available on amazon.com. 

SPIDER-MAN: A History of the Web Slinger, Decade by Decade provides a comprehensive look back at how the character went from being introduced in the last issue of a failing comic book to becoming a pop culture icon. Since his 1961 debut in the pages of Amazing Fantasy #15 by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, Spider-Man has been featured in more than twenty movies and tv shows, numerous video games, millions of pages of comic book stories and countless consumer products including clothing and toys. Even those who aren't familiar with Spider-Man's origin story will instantly recognize this superhero. 

How did we get to a point where this wall-crawling, web-slinging hero became a global sensation? SPIDER-MAN: A History of the Web Slinger, Decade by Decade from The Quarto Group. The book is filled with expert commentary from people involved with the creative process of crafting Spider-Man's adventures thus far and artwork from the web of stories they have spun. 

SPIDER-MAN: A History of the Web Slinger, Decade by Decade is full of amazing and spectacular imagery from comics, movies, and items from Marvel's archives. Exploring the behind-the-scenes details included in this book with have fans' Spidey Sense tingling with excitement. 

Enjoy six decades worth of Spider-Man trivia, including:

• A timeline of Spider-Man's various adaptions in comics, movies, toys and more; 
• "Remember When?" moments such as the time Marvel introduced the Spider-Mobile; 
• The most interesting and shocking plot points in Web Slinger's comic book history;
• An overview of the creators who have crafted Spider-Man's brand over the years.

After you've caught up on Spider-Man's history, see if it provides new insights into your enjoyment of his movies that being shown on Disney Plus. Sony actually owns the movie rights to Spider-Man which Marvel licensed to them in the years before the comic book publisher had its own movie studio and way before it became a part of the Disney corporation. The first Spider-Man™ films by Sam Raimi “Spider-Man™,” “Spider-Man™ 2,” “Spider-Man™ 3,” and “The Amazing Spider-Man™” are now available to subscribers of Disney+. “Spider-Man™: Homecoming” and “Venom” will join the service on May 12, 2023.

Spider-Man™ (2002)

 Average teenager Peter Parker (Toby Maguire) is transformed into an extraordinary superhero after he is accidentally bitten by a radioactive spider. When his beloved uncle is savagely murdered during a robbery, young Peter vows to use his powers to avenge his death. Deeming himself "Spider-Man," he sets about ridding the streets of crime, bringing him into conflict with malevolent super-villain "Green Goblin." 

Spider-Man™ 2 (2004) 

In “Spider-Man 2™,” Tobey Maguire returns as the mild-mannered Peter Parker, who is juggling the delicate balance of his dual life as college student and a superhuman crime fighter. Peter's life becomes even more complicated when he confronts a new nemesis, the brilliant Otto Octavius who has been reincarnated as the maniacal and multi-tentacled "Doc Ock." When Doc Ock kidnaps MJ, Spider-Man must swing back into action as the adventure reaches new heights of unprecedented excitement. 

Spider-Man™ 3 (2007) 

Peter Parker finally has the girl of his dreams, Mary Jane Watson, and New York City is in the throes of Spider-mania! But when a strange alien symbiote turns Spider-Man's suit black, his darkest demons come to light changing Spider-Man inside as well as out. Spider-Man is in for the fight of his life against a lethal mix of villains - the deadly Sandman, Venom, and the New Goblin - as well as the enemy within himself. 

The Amazing Spider-Man™ (2012) 

A teenage Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) grapples with both high school and amazing super-human crises as his alter-ego Spider-Man. 

Spider-Man™: Homecoming (2017) 

A young Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Tom Holland), begins to navigate his newfound identity as the web-slinging super hero. Peter returns home, where he lives with his Aunt May, under the watchful eye of his new mentor Tony Stark. Peter tries to fall back into his normal daily routine, but when the Vulture emerges as a new villain, everything that Peter holds most important will be threatened. 

Venom (2018) 

Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) is a broken man after he loses everything including his job and fiancée. Just when his life is at its lowest, he becomes host to an alien symbiote which results in extraordinary superpowers - transforming him into Venom. Will these powers be enough for this new lethal protector to defeat great evil forces, especially against the far stronger and more weaponized symbiote rival, Riot?

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LEARN TO DRAW MARVEL SUPERHEROES

My son and daughter love to doodle and sketch, so they've really appreciated these books that Quarto Publishing sent our way to try out which teach kids how to draw their favorite Marvel superheroes. Spider-Man, Iron Man, The Hulk … who is your favorite hero from Marvel's comic books and movies? These Learn to Draw Marvel books range from teaching early readers about colors to showing beginning drawers how to do super sketches to tutoring advanced artists on illustrating characters worthy of being on a comic book page.

LEARN TO DRAW MARVEL: THE AVENGERS

Assemble your favorite Avengers by drawing them together. Create your own artwork featuring Earth's Mightiest Heroes with the help of this 128-page guide that will help anyone, no matter what their skill level, learn to draw Marvel's The Avengers. Inside you will find step-by-step instructions for drawing both Avengers superheroes including Ant-Man, Captain America, Black Widow, Hulk Thor, and Iron Man as well as some of their adversaries such as Loki and Hela.

Learn to Draw Marvel: The Avengers provides instruction on drawing fundamentals, basic human anatomy, along with inking and coloring techniques used by professional comic book artists. The book is full of  helpful artist tips and filled with interesting character biographies and fun facts. It teaches professional technique while also sharing some of the rich backstory behind every character. Whether you are a beginner or an advanced artist, there is something for every skill level to appreciate and learn from in Learn to Draw Marvel: The Avengers.

LEARN TO DRAW MARVEL: SPIDER-MAN

This book is for amateur artists who dream of being professional comic book illustrators someday. Wouldn't it be cool to draw one of America's most popular superheroes like a pro?! Learn to Draw Marvel: Spider-Man shows readers how to do amazing illustrations of the wall-crawling web-slinger no matter what your talent level may be by teaching spectacular sketching skills. Diehard Spidey fans will also appreciate that this 64-page manual also shows how to draw the Sinister Six.

Learn to Draw Marvel: Spider-Man demonstrates three different drawing methods: tracing, grid-drawing and the basic shape methodology. Making your way through the different methods step-by-step and you will evolve from notching down simple shapes to actually being able to draw the Amazing Spider-Man free hand. The book includes tracing paper, drawing grid sheets and practice pages to use while going through the lessons inside it. Just grab a pencil and you will be ready to get started learning to draw Marvel's Spider-Man.

MARVEL'S AVENGERS CHALK BOARD COLORS

Preschoolers can even get in on the action with Marvel's Avengers Chalk Board Colors. Iron Man, Captain America, the Hulk, Black Widow, Thor, and Hawkeye help children learn the colors red, yellow, blue, white, green, purple, orange, black, brown, and gray in this book. Children can draw right on the pages of the book as they practice writing skills, and the write-and-wipe blackboard style pages make clean-up easy. The book even comes with chalk specially sized for small hands.

My kids are a bit old for the chalk board book but we wanted to share it with you because it looks like a fun, useful guide for those of you who have toddlers at home. My son and daughter though have been spending a lot of time learning to draw their favorite characters by flipping through the pages of these Avengers and Spider-Man illustration guides. I highly recommend them for anyone who loves comic books and has an interest in drawing superheroes for themselves.  Because these books demonstrate how to do this in a manner that most anyone can follow, the LEARN TO DRAW MARVEL lineup of books from Quarto Publishing earns a Geek Daddy nod of approval.

MARVEL AVENGERS INFLATABLE PLUSH CHARACTERS

Fans of Marvel comic books and movies won't want to miss out on a GROUPON deal that is launching off the release of some great new Avengers: Infinity War super sized plush characters from DGL Toys.  These toys can be easily blown up to 30" tall with an included pump yet have a nice plush feel to them making them comfy to hold.  Plus flat weighted feet make them able to stand if you don't want to hold onto them.

DGL Toys' 30" Marvel Avengers Inflatable Plush Characters are available for Black Panther, Groot, Hulk, Iron Man, and Spider-Man.  Get 20% off by purchasing them from GROUPON for a limited time!

Suitable for ages 3+ these unique plush toys are sure to delight kids as well as adults who adore Marvel superheroes.  True believers are sure to exclaim "Excelsior!" when they get their hands on one of these giant Marvel Avengers plush characters.  Looking over the GROUPON deal my son proclaimed Spider-Man was his favorite and my daughter let out an excited squeal over the Groot plush.  Which one is your favorite?  I have to say mine is Iron Man!

Just pull the toy out of its box and spend a few minutes watching it grow as you enlarge the inflatable bladder within it using the included hand pump.  Then have a blast reenacting some of your favorite Marvel Avengers adventures.  When playtime is over deflate the toy for easy storage until it is ready to be played with again.

Don't miss out on this GROUPON deal for 30" Marvel Avengers Inflatable Plush Characters from DGL Toys.  These are brand new toys coming out just in time for the release of Marvel Studios' Avengers: Infinity War movie.  Be one of the first people to get your hands on these super toys!

SPIDERMAN TEAMS UP WITH TOYS FOR TOTS

Your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man teamed up this year with Toys for Tots, a program run by the United States Marine Corps Reserve that distributes toys to children whose parents cannot afford to buy them gifts for Christmas.  Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (SPHE) in conjunction with the 4K, Blu-ray, DVD, Digital HD release of Spider-Man: Homecoming provided one of the actual suits worn by actor Tom Holland while shooting the movie to be auctioned off by ScreenBid.com on behalf of Toys for Tots.  The winning bid raised more than $37,000 dollars for the charity!

Spider-Man swung into a Toys for Tots distribution center in Pasadena, California to present a check from the online auction.  He also brought along with him some Spider-Man: Homecoming dvds and toys to contribute towards the Toys for Tots effort courtesy of SPHE.  While there he joined in with other volunteers gift wrapping presents that will be going out to needy kids.  Way to go Spidey!

The appearance also provided an opportunity for Spider-Man to meet one of his own personal heroes ... Santa Claus.  Spidey and Santa spent some time chatting about each others super powers.  One can make reindeer fly in the sky plus teleport himself into people's homes while the other can crawl up walls and shoot webs.  Who do you think has the more impressive abilities?  Doesn't matter they are both impressive guys!

Would you like to join Spider-Man and Santa Claus in supporting the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation?  Visit toysfortots.org for information about making a financial contribution, donating new, unopened toys or volunteering your time.

Photos courtesy of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Spider-Man Win The Suit

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (SPHE) is teaming up with Toys for Tots to help in the effort to ensure every child is provided a nice gift for Christmas through the auction of an impressive piece of movie memorabilia.  A Spider-Man suit worn by Tom Holland while filming Spider-Man: Homecoming is being auctioned online by Screen Bid to benefit the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation.

Bids can be placed at spiderman.screenbid.com through Monday, December 18, 2017 before 9 am EST.  Additionally, SPHE is donating DVDs of Spider-Man: Homecoming to be distributed to underprivileged children through Toys for Tots.

"Finding a present under the tree on Christmas morning is an experience every child deserves, " said retired Marine Colonel Ted Silvester, Vice President of the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, as part of the auction's announcement.  "With this generous support, we will be able to fulfill the Christmas dreams of less fortunate children who otherwise might be forgotten."



For Spider-Man fans who don't have the deep pockets to bid in the Marine Toys for Tots auction, SPHE is also hosting a sweepstakes for a chance to win a second costume used in the movie. To enter the sweepstakes, fans can simply take a picture of themselves showing a photo of their purchase of the new Walmart-exclusive Spider-Man Limited Edition Gift Box or any Blu-ray™, DVD or Digital purchase of Spider-Man: Homecoming at retail. For official rules and more details on how to enter, visit www.spidermanhomecoming.com/winthesuit/.

A perfect gift for any superhero fan, the new Spider-Man: Homecoming Limited Edition Gift Box is available  exclusively at Walmart and comes loaded with an exclusive Funko Pop! “upside down” Vinyl bobble-head figure, only available through this limited retail offer. Also exclusive to this limited edition gift box is a Spider-Man Comic Covers Book called “Through the Years” featuring popular Spider-Man comic book cover art, as well as Spider-Man athletic socks, a collectible Spider-Man enamel pin, and the Spider-Man:Homecoming Blu-ray, DVD and digital combo pack.

Don't have the money to participate in the Spider-Man: Homecoming Win the Suit Auction, but still want to help out the Toys for Tots effort?  You can donate a toy at an  area toy drop locations, make a financial donation on the charity's website, host a Toys for Tots event at your home, office or other venue and collect toys for Toys for Tots, or volunteer at one of their distribution warehouses.  Click here to find a Toys for Tots connection near you.

Buy a t-shirt that matches your favorite weekly comic book covers from Marvel at welovefine.com

One of my favorite aspects of collecting comic books is all of the incredible artwork that publishers commission for the covers of their issues.  You'll often find spectacular cover art for comic book covers that is worthy of framing and displaying.  That is one element of print editions that just doesn't translate over as well to digital versions of comic books.

To keep customers repeatedly visiting comic book shops on a regular basis, publishers spread the release of their titles' new issues throughout the month.  So every Wednesday is always a "new comic book day"  with a variety of comic book selections debuting each week.  I always enjoy making a stop by my local comic book shop on Wednesdays to peruse the shelves for some new stories to read and to delight in all the great illustrations that decorate the covers of that week's featured publications. So I was very enthused to learn about a new partnership between welovefine.com and Marvel that will let people wear the art from their favorite new comic book covers on their chest.

Each week We Love Fine will release for sale on Wednesday limited edition t-shirts featuring the cover artwork from the Marvel super hero comic books that arrived on store shelves that day.  Like the artwork on the newest issue of the Amazing Spider-Man?  You can now get a t-shirt displaying it from welovefine.com.  Don't wait to order though as these shirts will only be available for a few days then replaced with new selections the next Wednesday corresponding with Marvel's most recent comic book releases that week.

These t-shirts cost just $15, plus shipping and handling, and are available in mens basic crew tee or womens basic fitted tee in adult sizes Small to 2XL.  The shirts are 100% cotton and black in color to frame the artwork displayed on its front.  The exclusive We Love Fine / Marvel shirts are only available in black and though I'm not a fan of white or black t-shirts I can understand how this coloring really does a nice job of highlight the artwork which is the primary reason people would buy the product plus is probably a financial necessity to ensure the profitability of a limited run printing while keeping the price as affordable as they have.  Hopefully if this program is successful they may add some other color options in the future for the t-shirts that are complimentary to the particular artwork you've selected but for now black t-shirts aren't much to gripe over.

If you like to wear clothes that have a sense of fun to them, are a bit unique and you most likely won't encounter someone else wearing at the same time you are  sporting them these limited run t-shirts are a great option to accomplish that.  They are also a great way to personalize your wardrobe a bit by adding artwork featuring your favorite comic book characters that really appeals to you.  If you enjoy comic book artwork and super hero characters you'll want to regularly check out welovefine.com  to see what Marvel Covers t-shirts they are printing up each week.

Web Slinging is One of the Best Aspects of Marvel's Spider-Man Character

My son is really into Spider-Man right now...the web slinger is on his shoes, lunchbox, bed sheets, and most recently his birthday cake.  So to say he was excited when we received an unexpected mystery box on our front porch the other day that had Marvel's Spider-Man displayed on its side would be an understatement.  My kids were thrilled to open it up and find the box full of toys!  Hasbro generously sent us some ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN: WEB WARRIORS toys for the kids to play with.

As Disney XD's hit animated series ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN enters its third season in 2015, the show is expanding its name and cast.  This season the show, which is a fixture of Disney XD's Sunday Morning cartoon lineup, is called ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN: WEB WARRIORS and joining Peter Parker's adventures are Spider-Man 2099, Iron-Spider, Miles Morales and other characters from Marvel's Spider-verse.  Along with the new aspects to the show also comes a new toy line from Hasbro that lets kids become Web Warriors too.

Web slinging really has to be the best aspect of Spider-Man.  Who wouldn't want to be able to swing from roof top to roof top across a city or sling a bolt of web at someone?!   Hasbro's ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN: WEB WARRIORS toy line focus on letting children be web slingers themselves.  Its action figures, racers, and web blaster gloves let kids launch high-flying webs, just like their favorite heroes.  After some trial and error and practice, my son became a super hero at knocking down the bad guy targets that come along with the toys.

While both my son and daughter had fun playing with the Web Slingers 6" action figures and Agent Venom ATV racer we received, it was the Spider-Man Web Slinger Blaster glove that won the day for my son's interest.  He has been jumping, flipping and racing throughout the house pretending he is Spider-Man since we got it.  This Spidey glove lets kids shoot webs at targets like your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man slings them at the villains he faces off against.  The best part of this toy though is that it includes motion activated sound effects that enhance the role playing aspect of pretending to be Spider-Man swinging and slinging his way through an adventure. Because of the quality of the sound effects with this toy, my son has actually been using his imagination to pretend web swinging and slinging as Spider-Man more than using the physical web shooter component of the toy.

Note the glove is on the small side, my wife and I couldn't fit it on our hands, so it is most likely best suited for children 5 to 7 years old.  While there could be some parental concern over shooting plastic objects from a toy, the projectiles have a light rubbery texture and don't seem to reach a velocity that would make them dangerous.  Still instructing children to never aim these toys at someone's face would be an important must and some parental supervision may be necessary depending on a child's maturity, behavior and other variable circumstances that could arise.  From our own experience, we found there to be minimal concern for the web slinging aspect of these toys.

Once your child has mastered knocking down the individual targets that come with each toy, you may want to challenge them with the WEB SLINGERS TRICKSHOT SHOWDOWN PLAYSET.  This arena includes a spinning Venom and collapsing Green Goblin targets plus 3 other targets to challenge your web slinger.  Plus it has a spinning crane and crash through doors that kids can have the 6-inch Spider-Man figure that comes with the playset interact with.  The playset is recommend for 4 years and older with a retail price of $24.99.

In addition to receiving a TRICKSHOT SHOWDOWN PLAYSET, my children also received the following goodies from Hasbro:

Marvel's Ultimate Spider-Man: Web Warriors Web Slinger 6" Spider-Man Action Figure
(Ages 4 & up / Retail Price $9.99) - Choose from Spider-Man, Agent Venom, Spider-Man 2099 and other characters from the animated series Marvel's ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN: WEB WARRIORS.  Each figure has 5 points of articulation and includes two webs as well as a villain target.  Kids can launch high flying webs at the villains like their favorite Spider-Man character from the television show.

Marvel's Ultimate Spider-Man: Web Warriors Web Slingers Agent Venom ATV Racer (Ages 4 & up / Retail Price $14.99) - children can have fun spinning these wheeled vehicles around pretending to race after the bad guys and these vehicles can launch two webs from them.

Marvel's Ultimate Spider-Man: Web Warriors Web Slinger Blasters (Ages 5 and up / Retail Price $14.99) - Load a web onto your blaster, then pull back and launch it at the included target.  Hone your web-slinging abilities and help the Web Warriors defeat their enemies.  The Spider-Man Web Slingers Blaster lets you get in the action with your own Spider-Man gear!  Requires 2 AAA batteries.

Thanks Hasbro for sharing these toys with my kids!  While my son is the big Spider-Man fan in the house not only did he have a blast with these toys but our whole family had a marvelous time playing with them as well!

DISCLAIMER:  I was not provided any financial compensation for publishing this post and there was no promise made to Hasbro that if they provided complimentary products that they would receive a positive review or in fact any post on this blog at all.  Opinions and views expressed in this post are my own.  Some of the product information and photographs used in this post were provided to A Geek Daddy blog by Hasbro.