It's been all down hill since Mario's introduction in 1981's Donkey Kong. Since then Mario, Luigi, Bowser and Princess Peach have been some of the best selling characters in video games. Games featuring Mario have sold more than 310 million units over the years. With that being said one of the first comics featuring Mario has been compiled into a graphic novel that is set to release on October 11th 2016. Pre-Orders for the comics featuring Mario and his friends can be
purchased now.
Super Mario Advenures sure had a nostalgic feeling to it and it introduced a new character that was unfamiliar. The comic begins when Mario and Luigi are asked to clean up a big plumbing mess at Peach's castle. As they widdle down a big mess of colored pipes an unfimiliar green pipe pops up in the heap. Before they know what to do with the pipe and other green pipes that are popping up, they're ambushed by koopas In the mist of all the fighting Boswer presents himself and his sinister plot. He then gives the princess his ultimatum. Either marry Bowser or rule a kingdom full of people that have been turned to stone. After he gives the princess his message, Bowser retreats through his green pipe and the angry princess follows after him not knowing that Mario himself has been turned to stone.
After a few weeks of rehab, Mario is eventually healed and is his normal self. After finding that the princess went after Bowser, Mario and Luigi take it upon themselves to bring her back. After hoping in one of the green tubes they crash land in a new world. Finding they really hungry, Mario and Luigi cook an egg they found when they crashed. After appyling heat Yoshi pops out of the egg. Scared, Mario and Luigi run for their lives only to be confronted with by a giant catipiller like threat on one side and Yoshi on the other. Yoshi fights off the caterpiller, befriends Mario and Luigi and they are off to find the princess. Meanwhile, the princess has been taken prisoner in Bowser's lair and has entrusted the care of his soon to be bride to some of the koopa kids. Peach escapes through a genious plan only to be chased to the highest part of Bowser's tower.
After finding there is no hope of escaping, the princess flings herself out of the tower window just as Luigi accidentally blasts Mario towards the tower. The newly freed princess now must find out a way to free Mario from the clutches of Bowser and his koopa fiends. With the help of "friendly Floyd" (a character that was new to this reader), Luigi is disguised as the princess, agrees to marry Bowser and sets off to find Mario. That is only the beginning of their adventures as the princess is once again taken by Bowser through some new tricks. Mario, Luigi and Yoshi must now find a way to leave the new land that is filled with ghosts, koopas and once crazy salesman named friendly Floyd.
Overall Super Mario Adventures was a blast from the past and gave a new context to the Mario games that I played as a child. Although Bowsers infatuation of marrying princess Peach is a little weird at times, its entertaining and filled with the action that you can expect from anything Mario. The illustrations are very well presented and put Mario and Luigi in the right spotlight. That isn't the only adventure Mario is in. The Super Mario Adventures collection also features Wario who is bent on paying back the cluesless Mario for tormenting him as a child.There is much to learn about Mario and Luigi that readers may not know and will find delightfully enjoyable. This throwback from the early 1990's is a must read for any Mario fan.
The original comics are highly sought after by collectors, but now are made affordable through VIZ Media's reproduction. As a person who recently got into comics its great to see some out of print throwbacks making a comeback. Super Mario Adventures was a great addition to my newly formed collection and is should be a good one for all collectors.