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Marvel Graphic Novel #16
The Aladdin Effect
Graphic Novel
64 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 1985
62 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
May 29, 2019
The superheroes in this book are all female. It is based on the premise that a powerful force field has appeared around the small town of Venture Ridge, Wyoming and it is impossible for anyone or anything to get in or out. The field has been in place for two months and while the people are coping reasonably well, civil order is starting to break down as the food is running out. There is no electric power
Holly-Ann is the daughter of the Sheriff and she is a fan of some of the female superheroes. When her father catches her reading about them, he takes her book and adds it to the nightly fire. That does not stop her desire to be rescued and she goes to sleep wishing for the arrival of some female heroes.
Storm is the first to arrive but even though she is in full costume, she is suffering from amnesia. With Holly-Ann’s prompting in the face of danger, Storm manages to fight off the memory loss and regain the use of her powers. She-Hulk is the next to arrive, followed by the Wasp and Tigra.
Banding together, they learn that Venture Ridge is the focal point of the damping field created by a criminal enterprise. The organization possesses a great deal of power that they can channel, one of the leaders beats the crap out of She-Hulk.
At first, the townspeople shy away from fighting back against their oppressors, but the courage of Holly-Ann’s father provides inspiration and with the alliance between the superheroes and the common people, they are able to defeat the evil-doers, eliminating the force field and allowing Venture Ridge to rejoin the world.
While this is in many ways a standard graphic novel featuring a team of superheroes battling the evildoers, there is a focus on Holly-Ann with indications that she is a powerful being in her own right. Creating the potential for an interesting sequel. It is a bit sexist, none more than when, in the literal middle of the battle, an elderly townswoman offers a dazed Storm a cup of hot cocoa. There are also several captions featuring a modest Wasp out of uniform.
Holly-Ann is the daughter of the Sheriff and she is a fan of some of the female superheroes. When her father catches her reading about them, he takes her book and adds it to the nightly fire. That does not stop her desire to be rescued and she goes to sleep wishing for the arrival of some female heroes.
Storm is the first to arrive but even though she is in full costume, she is suffering from amnesia. With Holly-Ann’s prompting in the face of danger, Storm manages to fight off the memory loss and regain the use of her powers. She-Hulk is the next to arrive, followed by the Wasp and Tigra.
Banding together, they learn that Venture Ridge is the focal point of the damping field created by a criminal enterprise. The organization possesses a great deal of power that they can channel, one of the leaders beats the crap out of She-Hulk.
At first, the townspeople shy away from fighting back against their oppressors, but the courage of Holly-Ann’s father provides inspiration and with the alliance between the superheroes and the common people, they are able to defeat the evil-doers, eliminating the force field and allowing Venture Ridge to rejoin the world.
While this is in many ways a standard graphic novel featuring a team of superheroes battling the evildoers, there is a focus on Holly-Ann with indications that she is a powerful being in her own right. Creating the potential for an interesting sequel. It is a bit sexist, none more than when, in the literal middle of the battle, an elderly townswoman offers a dazed Storm a cup of hot cocoa. There are also several captions featuring a modest Wasp out of uniform.
January 13, 2021
I thought this would be a lark -dumb but adorable- but it was SO STUPID in so many ways I can't stand it!
Moron writer material in the setup that made so little sense -even under MARVELlously low expectations- that led to the dumb lark at the end that couldn't be fun because sheer idiocy by shockingly unnecessary means took the first three quarters of this soggy excrement.
The art is good but NOTHING could shine another star on this bottom-bowler.
Moron writer material in the setup that made so little sense -even under MARVELlously low expectations- that led to the dumb lark at the end that couldn't be fun because sheer idiocy by shockingly unnecessary means took the first three quarters of this soggy excrement.
The art is good but NOTHING could shine another star on this bottom-bowler.
March 30, 2023
Book 31/100 for 2023. I probably should only have given this 2 stars, but the nostalgia factor definitely contributed to my overall enjoyment. Still, by the time I got to the end I was struck by disbelief that the whole book was such a generic, paint-by-numbers story, with the overriding logic being dictated entirely by narrative expediency. There's a semi-interesting idea in the premise which could have been explored so much more interestingly, but ah well. It was the 80's.
August 15, 2025
Woderful aartwork and entertaining story, though I am not much of a Marvel fan.
January 31, 2026
Nicely illustrated
October 10, 2013
This is a book I've had for some time, and my affection may be more nostalgia than admiration. It's not a bad comic, but it certainly shows it's age. The dialogue and heavy use of narrative caption boxes is very much of its time. However, I love the very eclectic group of female superheroes assembled, and it's always nice to have a comic centered on a young girl. It's a shame that the events of this story were never again referenced in the Marvel Universe.
September 9, 2008
Very much a Mary-Sue story, but a *well-done* Mary-Sue story, and what's not to love about a superhero story where a little girl gets together a bunch of Marvel's superheroines to team up with her to save her town?
February 7, 2016
Good story. Good Art and Plot. Recommended
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews