Hershey's Heroes

When it comes to qualifying Super Hero Food, I tend to stick to my arbitrary rules ("Iron Man Cereal" vs. Cap'n Crunch with a picture of Iron Man on the box) but just as often I break my arbitrary rules when something catches my eye.  And the new Hershey's DC Super Hero Bars did just that.

They're being marketing along with the "Back to School" products which you can see by Superman and Wonder Woman chaperoning the school bus.  They're obviously keeping an eye on any potential trouble makers trying to hide out in the back.  As you can probably guess, these a Hershey bars that are branded with DC Comics characters.

They're miniature size and, as such, would fit just fine in a lunch box.  I guess that's why they're in with the "Back to School" themed stuff.  Although I think they would have done just fine if they were released a month later for Halloween.  I know a few little superheroes who would love to get these in their Tricks-Or-Treats plastic pumpkin.  Let's crack open that bag:

No big surprises in the lineup.  We've got Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, the Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman and, once again, Cyborg has kicked Martian Manhunter right out of the picture.  I'm starting to think this replacement Leaguer is gonna stick around.  I hold out hope that maybe it will lead to some Doom Patrol candy or whatnot. 

With the wrapper off, we see the traditional, sectioned-off Hershey's bar with each section containing a character's logo.  But there's more than just the Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Superman and Batman symbols that you see here.  So far, I've only opened a few but I've also seen the Batmobile, a "BAM!" sound effect, and some stars that have a Wonder Woman vibe.

Not sure if these are mostly going to end up in lunchboxes, Halloween bags or just in a lot of folk's quarantine candy pile but it's always good to see the League make a prominant appearance in the grocery aisles.

Snack Time: Egg Salad

Previously:

ST: Pizza & Punch  - -  ST: Pop, Pop!

ST: Candy Cross-Over  - -  ST: Marvelous Munchies

Sometimes I'll come across some super hero related food that is interesting but not quite interesting enough for its own blog entry. When that happen they get combined into a "Snack Time" entry.

Most of these were spotted at my local "Big Lots!" store.  As I've said before, they stock discontinued or low selling items from the previous year so it tends to be a jackpot for the type of weirdo branded foodstuffs that I'm always on the lookout for. 

Let's start with some seasonal offerings:

First off, are some large (maybe six inches tall or more) Easter Eggs with Spider-Man and Batman.  They've been known to be bros in the past and their team-up continues with offerings of jelly beans and a "figure dispenser." 

Next up are "Viewer Eggs" featuring Spider-Man and the Avengers.  You look through the hole in the egg to see pics of your favorite crime fighters.  Then you crack 'em open and eat the jelly beans inside.  What's not to like?

I had never heard of ROAR beverages before but apparently they have Iron Man (apple) and Spider-Man (fruit punch) drinks.  I later learned they also have a Captain America (grape) drink floating around out there somewhere but I didn't see one on this trip.  A couple of these beauties made it home with me.

And, of course, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that the Avengers have been popping up on bananas lately.  And, yes, I'm collecting the stickers.  So far I have the Hulk, Black Panther, Iron Man and Cap.  I think all I need is Black Widow and Thor to complete the set but maybe there are others I haven't seen yet.

So that's the latest round of snacks...but it's important to stay vigilant in the grocery aisles.

Fruit Troop

Previously:

DC Superhero Girls Fruit Snacks  - -  Batman v Superman Fruit Snacks

Amazing Spider-Man 2 Fruit Snacks  - -  Iron Man 3 Fruit Snacks

Captain America Fruit Snacks  - -  Superman Fruit Snacks  - -  Super Hero Squad Fruit Snacks

Amazing Spider-Man Fruit Snacks  - - Batman Fruit Snacks  - -  Avengers Fruit Snacks

Remember when summer was when the big super hero movies flooded the cinemas?  I guess that still happens but now the fall is a contender too.  While the Hulk and Thor are bro-ing out in the MCU, the DCEU is still gasping along with their latest "this is a movie" movie: Justice League!

While the reviews aren't great, the film does have one thing that Thor: Ragnarok doesn't have:  Fruit Snacks!

Spoiler Warning: Superman is in the movie...but we all pretty much knew that already so this isn't a case of Kellogg's going "broken arrow" on the candy loving movie audience.  In a way, you have to admire the lack of any effort to conceal the Man of Steel's presence in the the film because even when you crack the box open, guess who's front and center:

I also can't help but notice who's not there.  It looks like Cyborg has taken over for Martian Manhunter in every way since J'onn usually got shafted on these type of endeavors as well.  But at least he gets his own gummy.  Let's see the chewy goodness:

Seven for seven, not bad.  They went the symbol route with everybody which is probably for the best.  I also appreciate that they didn't include a "Batman head" shape along with a "Batman symbol" shape at the expense of another character.  Very balanced...just the way a breakfast should be.

So when things look dark, overly bleak and with excessive amounts of CGI, just remember you can always find sweet relief in the grocery aisles. 

Sweet & Power

Previously:

 Batman v Superman Fruit Snacks - - Amazing Spider-Man 2 Fruit Snacks

Iron Man 3 Fruit Snacks - - Captain America Fruit Snacks - - Superman Fruit Snacks

Super Hero Squad Fruit Snacks - - Amazing Spider-Man Fruit Snacks - - Batman Fruit Snacks

Avengers Fruit Snacks

 The DC Super Hero Girls franchise has released plenty of merchandise.  In fact, Santa brought a ton of it to my daughter this past December.  But among the dolls, costumes and play sets there was a serious lacking of any food products.  I don't know what caused the delay but I'm glad it's over because I'm pleased to announce that we now live in a world with Super Hero Girls Fruit Snacks!

DCSHG has a huge cast of characters.  At one point or other, a big chunk of the DC Universe has ended up in the web series or at least in the background of the first movie.  But the main group usually consists of Wonder Woman, Supergirl, Batgirl, Bumblebee and Katana with some occasional assists (for some reason) by Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn.

And it's that Fab Five that made the cover of the box and who also got bios on the back:

Each one is written in first person and does a pretty good job of introducing character traits and super powers while being personable.    Of course, they include the tried and true dotted lines for cutting out your favorite characters and staging battle scenes while snacking...this kind of thing is not done NEARLY enough.

Let's crack open a box and take a gander at the goodies:

Now I've been documenting novelty fruit snacks for a while now and it seems like lately they're making them harder to photograph/scan.  When I have time, I'll get my conspiracy theory thoughts organized.

Until then we've got the faces of Supergirl, Wonder Woman and Batgirl as well as the logos of Supergirl, Bumblebee and, I believe, Katana.  Not bad but, once again, we run into my pet peeve of doubling up on a character instead of including an additional one.  Sure, it would have been great to see Star Sapphire or Starfire or Fire but for now these will do fine.

You may also want to check out: 

Super Hero Girls Cupcake Wars!

War Rations

(Previously):

 Batman v Superman Fruit Snacks - - Amazing Spider-Man 2 Fruit Snacks

Iron Man 3 Fruit Snacks - - Captain America Fruit Snacks - - Superman Fruit Snacks

Super Hero Squad Fruit Snacks - - Amazing Spider-Man Fruit Snacks - - Batman Fruit Snacks

Avengers Fruit Snacks

 War, what is it good for?  In this instance a brand new box of Fruit Snacks.  Summer is coming and the season's theme is "heroes fighting heroes."  We've covered some Batman v Superman nosh but now it's Marvel's turn.  In preparation for Captain America: Civil War the movie, we get Captain America: Civil War the fruit snacks!

Much like Cap's last foray into the fruit snack genre, he must share the billing.  Not only does his antagonist Iron Man join him, but a few other characters show up and some even make their fruit snack debut.  Let's check out the team line ups:

Team Cap: Captain America, Ant-Man & Hawkeye
Team Tony: Iron Man, Black Widow & Black Panther

While Black Widow and Hawkeye have been on a package or two and possibly on some actual food, this is (to my knowledge) the freshman effort by both Ant-Man and Black Panther.  Welcome aboard guys!

In This Corner...

(Previously):

Amazing Spider-Man 2 Fruit Snacks - - Iron Man 3 Fruit Snacks  

Captain America Fruit Snacks - - Superman Fruit Snacks

Super Hero Squad Fruit Snacks - - Amazing Spider-Man Fruit Snacks - - Batman Fruit Snacks

Avengers Fruit Snacks

 
I don't have any predictions about this movie but I do have some fruit snack related predictions.  Primarily, I predict that in the not too distant future I will find the Superman equivalent of these fruit snacks (because, of course, there is one) and I'll be so irritated at myself for prematurely blowing my bat-wad and doing a standalone blog entry instead of being patient and doing the combo.  It'll be the Punisher/Daredevil Energy Shot debacle all over again.

I also lied about not having any predictions about the movie.  It will be horrible.  Hopefully my pissy attitude about it won't effect my enjoyment of the gummies.  And with that, here are YOUR Batman v Superman Fruit Snacks!

As you can see that this (presumably variant) Batman box is very Batman-heavy.  You get a good look at O'Battion and the new costume on the front.  And on the back you can have your fandom questioned by way of a Batman quiz.  But once you get done proving your Bat-cred you can kick back and relax with a sweet maze and then proceed to ignore the "Super Hero Scramble" - that's just work.

Let's take a look at the breakdown.  Looks like we get a rare example of equal character distribution in the shapes.  A logo and head for Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman respectively.  I was wondering if this is the first ever Wonder Woman Fruit Snack but surely she was represented in the Cartoon Network Justice League Fruit Snacks of days past.

Regardless of her previously gummified nature (if any) it's still good to see her rperesented.  I would not have been surprised if the box had only contained something like: "Batman," "Batman Logo," "Batmobile," "Batman's Boot," "Batman's Rare Collection of Bat Themed Erotica" and "Superman."  And speaking of Supes, he's here too!

And this is really the reason why I think there's a Superman version of the box.  Half of the little baggies are Batman and half are Superman.  So at some point I'll be in a store that's not my usual store and I'll see that horrible Superman staring at me from his box of fruit snacks and I'll clench my fists and just start screaming.  So if you see that particular scenario in your favorite grocery store just take a breath and move on.  That's probably what I'll end up doing.

UPDATE:  Ugh, yeah I found them

Mini Bars

When you're involved in the fast paced "Super Hero Food" game you see a lot of stuff.  Tons of it is chocolate and most of it is Avengers related promotional products.  But occasionally you turn a corner in an unsuspecting soda themed gift shop and find yet another Avengers themed chocolate candy...that you haven't seen before...and so here we are.  Let's crack open the bag and see what's what:

No surprises here.  We've got the fab four in wrapper form but not in candy form.  The mini bars are a little bigger than the chocolate mints that are left pillows at various upscale hotels and at crappy Italian food chains.  Not too much to see here but they make up for a lack of shapes with "Fun Facts" inside each wrapper:

Although they should be renamed "Fun" Facts.  Info about the Abomination and Mjölnir are joined by Shellhead's other nickname and the fact that Cap likes motorcycles.  I haven't opened up any more yet.  I'm hoping they'll last until Halloween.  So maybe buried somewhere in there are spoilers about Captain America: Civil War.  Trick or treat!

100 Percent Cotton

When you think of Batman, things like cotton candy rarely come to mind.  Until now, that is.  Batman Cotton Candy is now officially a thing.  For some reason you can find it in the Easter aisle:

One of the first things I noticed is that it says "25% More Free."  Now, to my understanding, this is a brand new product so it's not like it is "25 % More Than it Used to Be."  Could it possibly be "25% More Than We Originally Intended To Sell"?  Yet another Super Hero Food Mystery.

Once the bag is opened, the Batman theme ends and it's just your standard pink and blue cotton candy:

Not that there's anything wrong with regular cotton candy.  I would imagine that if it were the standard yellow/black Batman colors it would not be particularly appetizing.

And while this may be the first Batman Cotton Candy, it is most certainly not the first Super Hero Themed Cotton Candy.  Check out Hulk & Spidey Cotton Candy from a few years back:

Avengers Assemble Fruit Snacks

Amazing Spider-Man 2 Fruit Snacks - - Iron Man 3 Fruit Snacks - -  Captain America Fruit Snacks - - Superman Fruit Snacks

Super Hero Squad Fruit Snacks - - Amazing Spider-Man Fruit Snacks - - Batman Fruit Snacks

Avengers Fruit Snacks

Not to be mistaken with the movie Avengers, the cartoon Avengers are also fruit snack worthy.  Sadly, the superior Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes got skipped for the current Avenger's Assemble. Such is life.

Not a lot of surprises in the breakdown but certainly a few missed opportunities. Hulk and Iron Man are the only characters who get their faces gummy-tized.  Mjölnir and Cap's shield appear as they usually do and the S.H.I.E.L.D. and Avengers logo round out the line up:

So it looks like just a repackaged re-release of the movie fruit snacks:

 

It makes perfect sense from a financial standpoint but is a bit of a letdown from the "obsess about nonsense" standpoint.  I've given up on seeing Black Widow or Hawkeye immortalized in the gummy medium but how about Falcon?  He's in the cartoon and the new Cap movie.  Am I asking too much?

Snack Time: Candy Cross-Over

Sometimes I'll come across some super hero related food that is interesting but not quite interesting enough for its own blog entry. When that happen they get combined into a "Snack Time" entry.

This time it's a Wonka-esque collection of candy, starting with Batman and Superman "Cool Fans."  There were some similar ones when the Avengers movie came out.

And speaking of the Avengers, here they are in "Taffy Bar" firm.  For once, the entire team is represented but Hawkeye and Black Widow have to share a bar:

And how about a giant headed Batman in a tiny sports car?  That's right, look at the box.  For some reason the car is not referred to as the Batmobile.  Do the powers that be think the Batmobile is getting overexposed?  We may never have the answer.  Inside is blue and yellow bat-shaped candy that we've seen before:

And lastly we have a rare appearance of a solo Thor.  The "Bubble Gum Rollz" have the Dark World logo and for some reason show Thor wearing his seldom seen helmet.  Good for him:

Love is a Battlefield

People tend to complain about how early the Christmas season starts but you hardly ever hear people complaining but the early Valentine's Day onslaught.  The day after New Year's is when the party hats and sparkling grape juice come down off the shelves and the big red hearts go up.  I guess in January people are still so shell shocked from the last two months of holly-jollyness that they welcome the change.

Which is what brings us to the season's first super hero Valentine's Day candy.  Not up for the next holiday yet?  Have an army?  Well, no matter, these guys have a Hulk:

The perfect prep for your class' "everyone gets one" Valentine's Day party is brought to you by the Avengers.  A bag of 24 plastic hearts containing the only four Avengers anyone cares about is now available for you to give to your 24 true loves.

They've even paired up to help get things going.  At this point you may be worried that inside the well branded plastic hearts lurk boring, generic candy...Smarties or the like.  But don't worry, our heroes still have a special place inside our hearts...

...just not a particularly photogenic one.  As you may or may not be able to see for the picture, the candies include likeness of (from left to right) Iron Man's helmet, Thor's hammer Mjölnir and the Hulk's face.  Captain America's face and/or shield?  I couldn't find it.  

So break out your red construction paper and start decorating your shoe boxes.

Happy Halloween!

Celebrate Halloween Spidey-style by making these candy apples: