Ornament Review: Superman - Comic Book Heroes #1 - 2008 Hallmark Ornament

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: A real mini-comic book in a good ornament for your tree

Cons: None

The Bottom Line:

A dose of super

A different idea

It really does work

There, On Your Tree, It's Superman Coming Out of that Comic Book!

After years of resisting, I've finally given in and started collection Hallmark ornaments.  And each time I say I am not going to start getting another series, I seem to start it anyway.  I found a box of ornaments at a great price recently, and part of that box was the first in the Comic Book Heroes series which featured Superman.  While I know very little about super heroes outside of the more recent movies, I immediately fell in love with this clever series.

At first glance, this ornament looks like Superman coming out of the cover of a comic book, okay, but nothing super exciting.  Not that it doesn't look good.  When the ornament is hanging up, Superman is flying straight toward us with his upper body sticking out from the cover.  He's got a very serious expression on his face as he flies off to save the day, and his cape is billowing out behind him.  The cover of the comic book has the DC Comics logo in one corner, Superman across the top, and a bit of the Metropolis skyline at the bottom.  What makes it fun for me is the fact that there is an obvious tear in the cover that Superman is flying out of.  That tear is painted on the cover, but it is still a nice touch.  The back cover of the comic book has the giant "S" Superman logo and the Metropolis skyline unobstructed by any part of Superman.

However, what sold me on this series is the fact that it is a real comic book.  Okay, so it's only six pages, but you can still open it and read how Superman came to Earth and took on his dual identity as Clark Kent.  As arguably the most popular super hero, I'm sure most everyone knows the story, so there's nothing new or exciting in the book, but I like it.

The hanger for the ornament actually jets out the top of the spin of the book.  It comes up to a small circle at the top, so you'll still need a separate support of some kind to display it on your tree.  What surprised me is that it hangs perfectly straight.  I thought Superman might pull it down some, but everything is perfectly level.  Even opening or closing the book doesn't seem to matter.  And if you want to put it out without hanging it on your tree, Superman's right fist is low enough to provide the perfect support balance it on a shelf.  Even with the comic book part closed, it's not falling over without a big earthquake happening (and even then it would probably only all if something pushed it).

Yes, this ornament does have the standard copyright information and the 1 in a Christmas tree that indicates it is part of a series.  Where is this?  They actually did a pretty good job of hiding it, and I'm going to let you have the fun of hunting for it.  Just know that I did find it and it doesn't ruin the aesthetics of the ornament at all.

I don't know how long I will continue the Comic Book Heroes series, but I think it has the potential to be fun as long as they keep doing these.  I am certainly glad I stumbled into getting Superman so I could consider collecting them.

Be sure to check out the rest of the Comic Book Heroes series.

Original Price: $16.50