Remembering The Super Mario Bros.’ Surprisingly Cool Comic Books

The Super Mario Brothers aren't just the stars of this week's biggest video game release on the Wii, nor were they simply the heroes of one of the most disastrous films of the 1990s - they were also comic book legends.

Well, legends might be pushing it, but brothers Mario and Luigi certainly have some comic book credibility to their name. TRsRockin.com has an extensive rundown of the plumber brothers' many comic appearances, including a lengthy Valiant Comics run.

There are some definite gems among the Valiant work, including a story titled "Beauty and the Beach" found within the pages of "Super Mario Bros." #4. Mario, Peach and Toad wash ashore on a mysterious island filled with Toadstools and secretly ruled by King Koopa himself. Things go south when a volcano threatens to erupt, prompting the selfish Koopa to flee the scene while Mario and his pals save the day. It's really cute, if only for Toad's hilarious swim trunks.

But that's not it for the brothers Mario - they also had an extensive string of comics titled "Super Mario Adventures" within the pages of Nintendo Power magazine. The strips ran throughout 1992 and were eventually collected in a trade paperback, as was a similar comic series focusing on "The Legend of Zelda."

I can't find any of the "Super Mario Adventures" issues anywhere, but there's a shockingly detailed Wikipedia entry on the entire series that you should check out if you're feeling nostalgic or just want to learn more about Mario's paneled experiences.