My dog is a superhero. No, really –- Ace’s powers widely surpass those of us mere mortals. She can turn a grown man into a baby-talking pile of mush with one wag of her butt. Her ferocious jaws can bite my nose with the most delicate pinch during a game of bitey face. She goes from zero to 60 in a split second, leaving a cloud of dust in her wake. Some have remarked that Ace resembles a cartoon version of a dog, a living comics character.

I think a comic dog deserves comic toys and perhaps even a comic costume for her adventures. Enter PetSmart’s new Marvel/DC Comics line of dog apparel and toys. Whether you’re a diehard comics aficionado or you enjoy catching the latest superhero movie, you probably want to share the fun with your dog.

Every superhero needs a costume, and a dog is no exception. I’m truly impressed by the range of options in this line: T-shirts, dresses, and bandanas screen-printed with a variety of characters. Ace had the opportunity to try the Batman and purple Superman shirts (on sale for $12).

At 15 pounds, Ace wore a size large, so consider sizing way up when ordering for your small dog (sizes range from extra small to extra large). The colors are vivid and bright, and the printing is good quality. I’m a little bit jealous! I can’t decide whether I’d like a shiny red and gold Iron Man shirt or a ruffled Wonder Woman dress more … for Ace, of course.

Ace also tried the Wonder Woman and Spiderman bandanas in size small (on sale for $8). They come in sizes small and large, but there is no information on PetSmart’s website about the dimensions for either size. The size small bandana just fits around Ace’s neck comfortably. The bandanas close with hook-and-loop (Velcro-like) closures, as opposed to knotting. I think this is good for safety and is convenient for easy on and off.

I found the quality of the bandanas to be somewhat lower than the T-shirts, though the screen printing was still crisp and bright. Ace didn’t like the sensation of the bandana around her neck, but if your dog is the kind of superhero who is used to wearing bandanas, you might give one of these a try.

After checking out her superhero costume options, Ace battled some of the Marvel/DC Comics toys. A variety of superheroes are re-imagined as cartoonish caricatures with round heads and big eyes, which I found a bit unnerving. Each contains a single squeaker in the body of the toy.

Ace’s first conquest was the Supergirl Plush, size large (on sale for $10.39; the mini size is on sale for $5.59). This toy has a lot of detail, including felt blonde hair, a little skirt, and a cape. I think a small dog that is not too hard on her toys would enjoy chewing on these embellishments, but with Ace I was worried she would tear them off and create a choking hazard. She did tear off one of the legs within the first few minutes of play, mightily defeating her adversary.

The Batman Plush has not yet been dominated, but boasts similar details –- ears, cape, and boot shafts -– that might be too tempting for even some small dogs.

Ace found a more worthy opponent in the Plush Superman Ball Body (on sale for $6.39). A softball-sized stuffed toy containing a squeaker, this little guy is outfitted with a cape, which makes a crinkling noise when you touch it. It sounds like it’s lined on the inside with some kind of plastic. This noise drove Ace wild –- it was difficult to get a photo of the toy that wasn’t face down, because she loved chewing the cape. While the cape would be a choking hazard for a larger dog, so far Ace has not gotten the cape loose.

But, she probably will. I mean, Ace is a superhero –- she sleeps with her eyes open and leaps tall sand dunes in a single bound.

Dogster Scorecard for PetSmart’s Marvel/DC Comics apparel and toys

• Quality: All materials are vividly colored and contain interesting details, which may be a problem if your dog is rough with toys.
• Style: Be careful if you buy your dog one of these shirts –- she may take over the world with her cuteness.
• Function: Toys are adorable but not durable, while the T-shirt is as nice as any human-sized clothing.
• Creativity: Super heroes reimagined as round-faced cartoon characters make unique toys.
• Value: While the toys might not last long enough to stretch your dollar, I found the apparel to be fairly priced –- especially now that the collection is on sale.

Bottom line

If you outfit your four-legged superhero in a Hulk-ing T-shirt, be prepared -– she might very well destroy her plush toy opponents.

Dogster readers, which products make your dog look and feel like a superhero? Share your secrets in the comments!

Read more reviews by Ace’s Mama:

• Can Dog Toys and Grooming Products by Hartz Withstand a Summer Day with Ace?
• We Review the Tommy Bahama Pets Collection from PetSmart
• Do You Need to Leave Notes for Your Spouse or Housemates? Use ChalkboardDogs
• We Review Bret Michaels’ Pets Rock Collection
• Dog vs. Robot: Ace Takes a Bite Out of the Sphero Ball Toy
• Does the ThunderLeash Live Up to the Hype?