5 Hilarious Spoofs From DC’s MAD April Fool’s Special

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Overseen by Chip Zdarsky, MAD About DC #1 brings together literally dozens of writers and artists to contribute spoofs, parodies, satires, and all other kinds of jokes at DC Comics’ expense. This baby was packed with so many hilarious shorts and gags, lampooning our favorite icons, storylines, and even the massive success of the Absolute Universe. I was impressed by the whole issue, but the question has to be asked: What were some of the special’s funniest spoofs? Well, read on and discover 5 riffs this special that will have you rolling (or at least chuckling sensibly).

5. “Absolute Cash-In”

It’s always nice to see Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo (best-selling award winners as their short reminds us right off the bat). These two opted for a riff on the Absolute Universe and its wild reinventions of characters with “Absolute Cash-In”. A man slathered in what appears to be blood is reborn, narrating dramatically. However, that blood is actually sriracha, and what we’re seeing is the birth of the Absolute Condiment King. It’s a hilarious exaggeration of the grim and over-the-top nature of the Absolute line, and yet I can’t help but want to see more from this guy.

4. “Guy vs. Spy”

As any MAD Magazine fan knows, you can’t have a MAD special without “Spy vs. Spy”. Jim Zub and Ramon Perez have us covered, but with a slight tweak in “Guy vs. Spy”, which sees Green Lantern Guy Gardner going up against the White Spy. Guy’s rage plays off naturally with the Spy’s antics, from tickling Guy to distract him to dousing him in the face with yellow spray paint. As someone who loved this strip in MAD growing up, I got a real kick out of seeing Guy get incredibly flummoxed at all of the wacky cartoon espionage.

3. “DCU Plans for Next Year”

Jeff Parker and Lukas Ketner decide to give fans a satirical look at what the future holds for DC Comics in “DCU Plans for Next Year”. This hodgepodge collection takes no prisoners when making fun of the trends DC has been engaging with in the last few years. From revisiting the past to reforming villains, Parker and Ketner are savage when it comes to riffing DC. I particularly love the joke about DC Black Label having to pull back its content despite being a supposedly ‘adults-only’ line. All that said, I wouldn’t mind if Bat-Slap month was a real thing.

2. “The Punt”

Say what you will about Scott Snyder, but the guy can take a joke when it comes to Absolute Batman. Snyder and James Harren revisit Batman’s infamous punting of a child in Absolute Batman #6 in “The Punt”, with Batman finding the child and deciding to raise him as Batman’s first Robin. This short is hilarious and incredibly self-aware, packed with little jokes like Bruce having a mountain of supplements to maintain his oversized form. Honestly, it kind of makes me wish Snyder wrote more comedy into Absolute Batman, because Snyder made the series funniest moment even funnier.

1. “The Many Eras of Batman”

Batman writer Matt Fraction teams up with Kagan McLeod to give fans a brief, hilarious, and frightfully true history lesson in “The Many Eras of Batman”. Starting with Batman’s humble beginnings, readers discover how he evolved into the cultural juggernaut he is today, with plenty of commentary about the highs and lows of each era. Seasoned Batman fans are absolutely going to love this, because it is filled to brim with references to the hero’s legacy. And for those not as knowledgeable, this short will give you a decent overview (while making you laugh as Fraction takes the piss).

What was your favorite MAD About DC #1 story? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts on the ComicBook Forum!