Comics / Comic Reviews / DC Comics

Ambush Bug: Year None # 5 (of 6)

By Koppy McFad
December 12, 2008 - 23:56

Ambush Bug teleports from one DC universe to another, encountering various versions of DC editor-in-chief Dan DiDio in each one, all of them plotting in one way or another, against DC comics.

Talk about in-jokes, this entire issue is a gigantic in-joke and not just the ones that poke fun at comic book genre conventions either. The jokes revolve around the changes that have been taken place in DC comicbooks since DiDio took over, touching on the things that have infuriated some fans.

For those who have been following the debates over DC comics, many of the jokes will be very amusing. It may even be refreshing to see DC acknowledge its failures and its repeated use of certain gimmicks just to make their books look fresh.

On the other hand, if you are not too familiar with behind-the-scenes events at DC Comics or even with historical comics trivia, then a lot of the jokes will go over your head. The gorilla endlessly reciting how "apes on covers sell comics," may be funny to old-timers who are aware of the backstory behind the joke, but to newcomers, it will look like something totally random.

The art is a little lighter and easier to understand than previous Ambush Bug specials. This makes some of the jokes more comprehensible but again, you need to be well-versed in DC comics lore to even get the joke. This kind of self-referential humour can get tiring after awhile.

Of course, this book is targetted at people who have been reading DC comics for years and they will get the jokes-- they may even find them overdone. The book has entertaining portions and DiDio, the comic character is actually lots of fun in a 'Looney Toons' way. But after awhile, it gets boring to see DC Comics poke fun at itself. It is like devoting an entire hour-long cartoon to the comic-book guy from the SIMPSONS. Giffen has always excelled in finding humour by pointing out the silliness of superheroes but this approach can also sour the reader on superheroes. It also seems a bit sad that DC comics can't come up with a comedy book that is simply-- funny and does not rely on a parody of FINAL CRISIS to work.

 

Rating: 5 /10

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12