PRODUCT REVIEW
Spidey surpasses Yoda in battle of cereal bowl

By Jeffrey Lee Puckett
Louisville (Ky.) Courier-Journal

"Spider-Man" cereal from Kellogg's has web-shaped pieces. General Mills' "Star Wars" cereal has marshmallow Yodas and light sabers. Gannett News Service

The dual marketing blitz now includes limited-edition cereal inspired by the movies (with Aunt May's Breakfast Blend coffee and Obi-Wan Oatmeal next up).

Naturally, we had to find out which cereal rules. The things we do for you people.

Cool factor. This one is easy. How cute are those little marshmallow light sabers? Makes you want to have a death duel over who gets the funnies first. Toss in marshmallow Yodas, cloned troopers and R2-D2, all in day-glo colors, and "Star Wars," from General Mills, is the clear winner (although it takes some imagination when it comes to the troopers, which sort of look like bird droppings).

Spidey's web-shaped cereal, from Kellogg's, could also be wagon wheels, or leftover Honey Combs, which isn't cool at all.

Snackability. This mostly applies to the ride home from the grocery. While those light sabers are adorable, getting the proper mix between the marshmallow thingies and the sweetened corn puffs sure complicates steering. That means taking your eyes off the road and possibly clipping the neighbor dog. No biggie. Just pretend it was Jar Jar Binks.

Spidey's cereal couldn't be easier to handle. Despite the different colors, it all tastes the same, making it easy to kill half a box before home.

Taste test. Two bowls were used, and the single spoon was rinsed in lukewarm coffee between tastings.

"Star Wars" is a Lucky Charms knockoff with extra sugar, a mutant sugar that seems to latch onto your teeth and stay there no matter how many times you brush. You can taste it in the back of your throat hours later while your teeth slowly turn gray, then black. Kids will love it.

"Spider-Man" uses Froot Loops as its template, which is one of the top 20 cereals in history. Spidey has less sugar than "Star Wars," although it's no shredded wheat. Its berry-flavored toasted oats are nice and crunchy. Once again, you don't have to worry about mixing marshmallows and corn puffs, which may not bother some of you, but we're talking about eating cereal here, man. There's a right way and a wrong way.

So for taste "Spider-Man" wins, which makes him the champ. It won't make the all-time list, but that is some rarefied air, my friends, a place where milk-soaked giants dwell: Cap'n Crunch, Quisp, Count Chocula, the Cocoa Puffs guy ....

The list is as long as your dentist's bill.