MAD About DC #1 Review
Writers: Sergio Aragonés, Scott Aukerman, Vita Ayala,
Colleen Coover, Kelly Sue Deconnick, Colleen Doran, Gerry Duggin, Ben Errett,
Al Ewing, Matt Fraction, Lee Gatlin, Casey Gilly, Isaac Goodhart, Erica
Henderson, Tini Howard, Dave Johnson, Joe Kelly, Daniel Kibblesmith, Kagan
McLeod, Seth Meyers, Ryan North, Jeff Parker, Graham Roumieu, Rainbow Rowell, Mark
Russell, Gail Simone, Scott Snyder, Charles Soule, Joanne Starer, Joseph
Starkey, Kyle Starks, Mariko Tamaki, Tom Taylor, Mark Waid, Andrew Wheeler,
Shannon Wheeler, Leah Williams, Joshua Williamson, Skottie Young, Chip Zdarsky,
Cody Ziglar & Jim Zub
Artists: Sergio Aragonés, J Bone, Ted Brandt, Ryan Browne,
Stephen Byrne, Colleen Coover, Colleen Doran, Javi Fernandez, Lee Gatlin, Mitch
Gerads, Isaac Goodhart, James Harren, Erica Henderson, PJ Holden, Dave Johnson,
Lukas Ketner, Valentine De Landro, Steve Leiber, Mattie Lubchansky, Kagan
McLeod, Tony Moore, Daniele Di Nicuolo, Ramon Perez, Joe Quinones, Bruno
Redondo, Riley Rossmo, Graham Roumieu, Maria Laura Sanapo, Joseph Starkey, Kyle
Starks, Ro Stein, Ty Templeton, Shannon Wheeler, Skottie Young & Chip
Zdarsky
Colorist: John Kalisz, Chip Zdarsky, Frank Martin, Inaki
Azpiazu, Marcial Todelano Vargas & Steve Buccellato
Letterer: Dave Sharpe, Pat Brosseau, Lucas Gattoni, Tom
Mapolitano
Cover Artists: Dan Panosian, Simon Bisley & Chip Zdarsky
Editors: Chip Zdarsky, Marie Javins & Dacy Lim
Production: Tiffany Huang
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $7.99/$8.99 Card Stock/$10.99 Foil
Release Date: April 1, 2026
Everyone is mad these days. They fume that Batman didn't
become King Omega. They rage at how Vandal Savage is running the Gotham City
Police Department. Althea Klang’s upscaling of Harley Quinn's beloved
Throatcutter Hill into Northwest Gotham Southeast infuriates them. But how do
comic creators feel about MAD Magazine? And what makes them absolutely, Red
Kyptonite-Mad enough to contribute their spectacular stories to this
cornerstone of the comics community? Let’s leap into MAD About DC #1 and see!
Story
The types of stories that speak to us change over time. In
The Many Eras of Batman, Matt Fraction charts how the world’s greatest
detective has navigated wars, the space race, and shifts in popular media to
remain relevant. Gail Simone’s Teen Titans PSA reminds us how social mores
evolve, while Joanne Starer's Wonder Woman muses on the rise of a female hero
in a male-dominated profession. While Joseph Starkey’s DC Mail-Order Merch evokes
the era of toy ads in comics, Scott Aukerman muses on Batman’s origins in What
If Bruce Wayne Was a Big Ol’ Scaredy Cat?
Still, as the stories evolve, some work better than others.
In MAD About DC #1, Mark Waid muses on why some team-ups don’t work, Kyle
Starks imagines why many characters never make it past the concept stage, and
Joshua Williamson makes a compelling argument for why we need crossover events.
Jeff Parker contemplates why fans respond better to some events than others in
DCU Plans for Next Year, Andrew Wheeler reminds us why our favorite characters
die, and Skottie Young explores the importance of capitalizing on surges in
popularity.
The stories in Mad About DC #1 celebrate our eternal love
for Gotham’s caped crusader. While Dave Johnson ponders how Batman maintains
his Batcave, Scott Snyder muses on his need for sidekicks. In Happy Birthday,
Mr Wayne, Mariko Tamaki reminds us how difficult it can be to buy gifts for the
single-minded crimefighter who has everything.
Writers often compare Batman’s seeming invincibility with
his traumatic past. Yet Gerry Duggin ponders the toll of singlehandedly
protecting an entire world. Graham Roumieu’s Superman Dies a Bit on the Inside
points out that Superman has weaknesses. Despite Superman's strength, Chip
Zdarsky expands on those weaknesses in Know Your Kryptonite. After Lee Gatlin
highlights the dangers of coexisting with a god, Colleen Coover's story about
Lana Lang and Ben Errett's Daily Planet reminds us how a god on Earth would
transform society.
Art
Along with many of their fellow artists, Mattie Lubchansky
and Kagan McLeod use traditional page layouts in The Five People You Meet at
Comic Cons and A MAD Look at Fan Casting. Sergio Aragonés reminds us that
there’s no one quite like Sergio Aragonés as he spins six stories about
differing views on comics across two pages in Mad About DC #1. Valentine De
Landro utilizes comic protectors to portray the diversity of the comic
community in SLAB. Isaac Goodhart's Power Girl Action Figure Ad reminds us how
much we love action figures, while Chip Zdarsky's uses a diagram to remind us
of the trials of the convention season.
Chip Zdarsky also harnesses the power of diagrams to remind
us how comic stories move us in The Official MAD Look At Comic Book (Brain)
Anatomy! In The Sensational Splash-Man, Daniele Di Nicuolo targets the role of
splash pages in comics. Maria Laura Sanapo uses an ad format to remind us of
the toll creating comics takes on creators in Neuman Owns Auctions. Erica
Henderson uses a split-face design to compare supervillains with their alias.
In Lasso of Truth, Wonder Woman's signature weapon reveals that she shares
similar concerns with her Justice League colleagues. Yet Steve Leiber utilizes
white space to remind us of the importance of snappy dialogue in crafting
entertaining tales.
While John Kalisz, Chip Zdarsky, Frank Martin, Inaki
Azpiazu, Marcial Todelano Vargas, and Steve Buccellato enhance the artists’
efforts with their coloring skills, Dave Sharpe, Pat Brosseau, Lucas Gattoni, and
Tom Napolitano utilize a diverse mix of fonts, balloons, and sound effects to
show how the comics medium changes through the ages. As a sign of those
changing times, Chip Zdarsky shows how social media can lead to condemnation in
Solomon Grundy: Influencer. Then, J Bone uses cellphone images to remind us of
the importance of crowdfunding in Like & Schlubscribe. Thanks to DC Comics
for sharing this story with us.
Final Thoughts
MAD About DC #1 satisfies with traditional MAD fare like The
Petty Vengeance of the Spectre, a MAD Fold-In, and Guy vs Spy. Then there is a
knock-out game that could provoke an interesting discussion between Bruce
Wayne, Clark Kent, Lois Lane, and Diana of Themyscira. But wait: that's not
all! While celebrating iconic heroes, characters like Condiment King make their
presence felt. Sketches, cartoons, and diagrams reveal how we craft stories,
why interest in characters rises and falls, and how the comic community gets
along. And just in case Superman never gets around to cleaning up the
environment, the creators gently remind us to take responsibility for our
planet's future health.
Rating 9.6/10
To look inside see my preview of Mad About DC #1.
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