MAD About DC #1 Review

 

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.