Comic of the Week: “MAD About DC”

In a turn of fortuitous timing, April Fools’ Day happened to fall on New Comic Day this week, giving comic book publishers the perfect opportunity to release humorous comics. DC Comics decided to go all-out with “MAD About DC,” bringing in a ton of creators to create a special issue of MAD Magazine lampooning their own company.

Given that, how could it not be our Comic of the Week? (Yes, we’re still calling it Comic of the Week, even though it’s been several weeks since the last one. It’s still the comic of this week, so the column name works.)

“MAD About DC” is many things. It’s simultaneously a MAD Magazine/DC Comics creative crossover, a special issue of MAD filled with takes on DC Comics, and a loving bit of self-parody/deprecation from comic book creators.

As such, there’s no story to follow, but we can certainly review the overall quality of the art, writing, and humor.

“MAD About DC” is a team project by multiple creators, including Chip Zdarsky (who does triple duty as a writer, artist, and Guest Editor), Skottie Young, Tini Howard, Mark Waid, Jim Zub, Ramon Perez, Gerry Duggan, Kelly Sue DeConnick, Gail Simone, and many, many more. It’s clearly a passion project from everyone involved, drawing on everything from personal experiences to deep lore cuts to humorous hot takes.

These are creatives who have been working in comics for years, which means they know the characters and the industry inside and out. Yet in nearly every gag, there’s a serious sense of love for both the medium and the fans.

For instance, take “The Five People You Meet at Comic Cons,” written by Tini Howard and illustrated by Mattie Lubchansky. It’s clearly drawn from Tini’s own experiences at conventions and the type of attendees she’s encountered over the years, including some humorous commentary. Yet it ends with a moment of sincere appreciation for the fans who come by and talk to her, making it clear how much she appreciates them.

Or, consider “Society for the Licensing and Appraisal of (Human) Beings,” or “S.L.A.B.” for short, written by Kelly Sue DeConnick and illustrated by Valentine De Landro. This bit takes the concept of graded comic slabs and turns them on the fans and collectors, but there’s still a clear affection for them, including the retailers, cosplayers, and congoers (while also taking shots at NFT collectors).

Naturally, there’s plenty of good-natured humor on every page. And occasionally gross-out humor, too. Some personal favorites include Kyle Starks’ “MAD Guide to Dial ‘H’ for Hero Fails,” “The MAD Guide to Batman’s VIllain’s Secret Identities” (written by Ryan North and illustrated by Erica Henderson, the unbeatable team behind “The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl”), and Gail Simone’s Teen Titans PSA “Beware the Blunder at Make-Out Point” (illustrated by Colleen Doran, who nailed the old school look with copious amounts of Ben Day dots).

Each page is filled with laugh-out-loud humor, by and for people who love comics. The artwork is also perfectly suited for each gag, whether it’s using the caricature-like style of MAD Magazine parodies (down to the square text boxes and typewriter font) or showcasing the artist’s unique style.

The writers are even happy to take jabs at themselves, with “Absolute Batman” writer Scott Snyder writing a parody of his own series, including a gag about the series’ tendency to turn Batman’s rogues into “eldritch monsters” with absolutely massive muscles. Artist James Harren matches Nick Dragotta’s style nicely, while adding humorous exaggerations that make it land. The fact that colorist Frank Martin also does the colors for both “Absolute Batman” and the “MAD About DC” parody is icing on the cake, bringing the same intense darkness and shading of the comic to the comedy.

Of course, this is still an issue of MAD Magazine (sort of), so there are some MAD staples in it. Jim Zub and Ramon Perez give us a Green Lantern crossover with Spy vs Spy in “Guy vs Spy,” in which Guy Gardner takes on the white Spy, with a combination of snark and slapstick, as well as wonderfully humorous artwork that manages to suit both characters nicely.

We also get DC versions of MAD staples, like “Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions” focused on DC heroes. Even Sergio Aragones also gives us “A MAD Look at Comic Shops,” bringing his trademark humor that’s appeared in MAD Magazine for years to the issue.

And of course, it wouldn’t be an issue of MAD Magazine without a fold-in on the back page (that’s right, comic fans: you have to choose between maintaining the comic’s condition and getting to enjoy the fold-in gag! How devious…)

Still, an issue like this comes down to one big question: is it enjoyable? Absolutely. “MAD About DC” is a laugh riot on every page, filled with both affection and self-parody from writers, artists, colorists, and letterers alike. It blends the satirical humor of MAD Magazine with the talents of DC’s creative teams, making a humorous tribute to comic books for fans to enjoy.