Super Dinosaur

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Super Dinosaur
Super Dinosaur.jpg
Cover of Super Dinosaur 1, art by Jason Howard
Publication information
Publisher Skybound (Image Comics)
First appearance Super Dinosaur #1 (June 2011)
Created by Robert Kirkman
Jason Howard
In-story information
Species Tyrannosaurus
Place of originInner Earth
Team affiliationsEarth Corps.
PartnershipsDerek Dynamo.
Notable aliasesSD.
AbilitiesEach robotic suit gives him different abilities. But natural abilities include expert marksmanship, heightened reflexes and quick learning. Suits allow near limitless weaponry, super human strength, flight, heat resistance and expert-level hand to hand capabilities.

Super Dinosaur is an American comic book series published by Image Comics' Skybound imprint beginning in 2011. The comic was created by writer Robert Kirkman and artist Jason Howard, who had previously worked together on Image's The Astounding Wolf-Man .

Contents

Publication history

The idea for Super Dinosaur originated approximately two years prior to the series debut. Jason Howard drew a picture of a Tyrannosaurus with a cape for his then-five-year-old son. Howard shared the sketch with Robert Kirkman, who suggested the dinosaur's natural small arms could control larger robotic ones. "It was that goofy visual that was the beginning of the concept," Kirkman told USA Today. [1] Both Kirkman and Howard wanted to create a comic that they could read with their children and enjoy together. [2] Kirkman described Super Dinosaur as "a Pixar movie on paper ... I want it to be a true all-ages book in that it's appropriate for kids young enough but still able to read, and it's still something that my fan base will probably enjoy." [3]

Plot synopsis

Scientists Doctor Dynamo and Max Maximus discovered a hole in the Earth that led to Inner Earth, a place where dinosaurs live. In addition to dinosaurs, Inner Earth is home to DynOre, a valuable deposit of solar power contained in a rock. [4]

While conducting experiments there, Maximus genetically altered a Tyrannosaurus, with which he tried to take over the world. Doctor Dynamo and his son, Derek, stopped him and formed a team with the Super Dinosaur to protect Inner Earth from Maximus. [3] As Kirkman explains:

"In the falling out between Max Maximus and the Dynamos, Doctor Dynamo was injured to the point where he can't really think as much as he could before. His brain isn't really working right but he doesn't know it, so Derek has to go behind him and finish his equations for him, correcting his work and doing whatever he can to make sure that his father doesn't realize that he has this ailment now. It's also so the government overseers don't see that their operation is being run by a 10-year-old kid, so it's to make his dad look good and make sure that he can keep working." [3]

Characters

Heroes

Villains

Reception

Doug Zawisza of Comic Book Resources described the first issue of the series as "compelling and fun, and oh, so very comic booky. This is the type of all ages comic that truly plays well to all ages without pandering, demeaning, or flat-out lying. There’s enough conflict and suspense for more experienced comic readers and lots of wonderful images, scenes, characters, and gadgets for newer readers." [5] Bleeding Cool's Rich Johnston said, "at its heart, this is a drama about two entwined families dealing with all manner of antagonists. And it's so much deeper and richer for it." [6] Newsarama's Shanna VanVolt criticized the Derek Dynamo character, calling him "unlikeable" and adding, "if 'kids these days' are even half as full of themselves as young Dynamo, I am sincerely worried about our future." [7]

TV series

On November 22, 2017, Canadian toy company Spin Master and broadcaster Corus Entertainment announced an animated adaptation by Atomic Cartoons which was first released on September 8, 2018 on Teletoon. [8]

Mobile game

On October 24, 2018, Canadian mobile game studio Big Blue Bubble launched Super Dinosaur: Kickin' Tail, a mobile battle game featuring characters and locations from the Super Dinosaur TV series. The game was released in Canada for free on the App Store and Google Play. [9]

Collected editions

TitleMaterial collectedPublication dateISBN
Super Dinosaur, Volume 1Super Dinosaur #1–5; Super Dinosaur Origin Special #1December 6, 2011 978-1607064206
Super Dinosaur, Volume 2Super Dinosaur #6-11July 4, 2012 978-1607065685
Super Dinosaur, Volume 3Super Dinosaur #12-17February 20, 2013 978-1607066675
Super Dinosaur, Volume 4Super Dinosaur #18-23January 28, 2015 978-1607068433

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References

  1. Truitt, Brian (2011-02-03). "'Super Dinosaur' Ready for a Dino-Mite Debut". USA Today . Gannett Company . Retrieved 2011-04-21.
  2. Ayres, Tom (2011-04-10). "Rob Kirkman reveals Super Dinosaur concept". Digital Spy . Retrieved 2011-04-21.
  3. 1 2 3 Wigler, Josh (2010-12-07). "Kirkman & Howard Have A Super Dinosaur". Comic Book Resources . Retrieved 2011-04-21.
  4. Arrant, Chris (2011-04-08). "Kirkman Scraps Zombies for All-Ages Fun in Super Dinosaur". Newsarama . Retrieved 2011-04-21.
  5. Zawisza, Doug (2011-04-20). "Review: Super Dinosaur #1". Comic Book Resources . Retrieved 2011-04-21.
  6. Johnston, Rich (2011-04-20). "Wednesday Comics Review: Uncanny X-Force 8 And Super Dinosaur 1". Bleeding Cool . Retrieved 2011-04-21.
  7. VanVolt, Shanna (2011-04-19). "Best Shots Advance Reviews: Super Dinosaur, Sixth Gun, More". Newsarama . Retrieved 2011-04-21.
  8. Foster, Elizabeth (November 22, 2017). "Spin Master's new dino-might". Kidscreen . Brunico Communications . Retrieved November 22, 2017.
  9. "Super Dinosaur: Kickin' Tail Now Available in Canada – Big Blue Bubble". www.bigbluebubble.com. Retrieved 2018-10-25.