Make With the Funny Comics: Ambush Bug By Luke Foster
Every so often in this column I’ll receive a request to write about a particular book, and if I can get my hands on it and I like it I’m happy to do so. A few weeks back the owner of my comic shop, Buried Under Comics, told me I needed to write about Ambush Bug . Okay, I thought. Why not? I haven't read it before but I'll give it a shot.
Well, guess what? I read the four-issue mini-series and now I think I’m insane. Thanks a lot, pal.
Ambush Bug is the book and character that I think creators Keith Giffen – who else? – and Robert Loren Fleming used to purge all their insanity and lunatic notions so that they could otherwise function effectively in society. Seriously, this book is one of the most tweaked things I’ve ever read, and I’ve read “The Invisibles.” That doesn’t make it bad, nor does it mean it’s not funny, but cripes, did I not know what I was getting myself into.
Ambush Bug is a guy named Irwin Schwab who found a green bug suit from space that allows him to teleport, so he decided to become a detective. That’s about the most normal thing you’ll hear about him. After harassing Superman a bit, he graduated to his own book. In the first issue of the mini we see the Bug’s now a detective/superhero who finds a toy doll and makes it his sidekick, named Cheeks, the Toy Wonder. They then get involved in stopping a band of ultra right-wing terrorists who are demanding the U.S. government release more money to make nerve gas so Reagan can fight the Commies, or they’ll blow up the current supply of nerve gas and shoot their hostage. Who is one of the terrorists’ grandmothers. Ambush and Cheeks hold their own against the terrorists (who fear Cheeks for some reason), until the doll’s tragic demise after failing to disarm a bomb.
In issue two, Ambush Bug is hired to stop a scientist who was involved in a government plan to isolate “cute” and managed to turn himself into a giant koala. Ambush Bug is able to turn him back to normal, but not before the koala trashes the city and plays golf with DC’s old mascot/continuity cop, Jonni DC. Seriously, I couldn’t make this $%^* up.
Issue three is my favorite of the four. It’s basically a look at the more laughable and/or shameful characters of DC’s history, including but not limited to Wonder Tot, Ace the Bathound (they couldn’t even get through that entry without laughing), Quisp, and Egg Fu, the incredibly racist Chinese stereotype mad scientist (who somehow returned to continuity in “52”). Even DC’s old teen comedy and funny animal characters get mentions, before we learn that Jonni DC has been killing off these characters because they didn’t fit into DC’s tightly-planned post-“Crisis” continuity.
Finally, in issue four, Ambush Bug fought Scabbard, a villain from Fleming's book “Thriller.” Quick aside: until this issue, I honestly thought all the references to “Thriller” they made in this series up to this point were references to the Michael Jackson album, which made me wonder exactly how they were going to put the thing through a shredder.
Anyway, Scabbard soon realizes he's in the wrong book and leaves about halfway through. Which means the creators and editors have to scramble to fill the rest of the issue. Giffen tries to sing for a page or two, and then they tell the story of Argh!Yle, a sock from the same planet as Ambush Bug's suit. The sock, now alive, sentient, and evil, becomes a villain who steals socks and brings them to life, all to get revenge on Ambush Bug for not picking him up when he picked up the bug suit.
And then Starfire poses on the beach for a sexy pin-up, right before the book ends.
Oh yeah, Ambush Bug also has a running battle with Darkseid over the course of the series. I can't tell you exactly how it goes down, but trust me when I say it’s a match-up you’ll never forget.
Ambush Bug is one of those series where the creators take advantage of the chance to make fun of things in the real world that are bothering them. Do any of you remember in my “Justice League International” series last year when I said that Giffen and DeMatteis used those books to make fun of politics of the day? Well imagine that done here again, but with less subtlety. The right-wingers were clearly crazy and violent yet were utter cowards when faced with someone stronger than them, when they tried to appeal to their Democratic sensibilities. Didn't work on the Bug, though. He's a Southern Democrat.
And when they weren't taking shots at politics, they didn't hesitate to spoof on comic books. And I don't mean just what they did with issue three. I mean they really went to town and made fun of everything, from advertising inserts to character bios to the old DC house ads of the days of yore, when they did a one-page funny comic with an ad for another book from the publisher on the bottom third of the page. They even made a few jokes about the notion that killing characters is a great way to boost sales (apparently, killing characters for shock effect was a joke then, too).
Continuity was also lambasted a bit, such as in scenes where the spelling and pronunciation of Mr. Mxyzptlk was debated, and all those scenes with Jonni DC. I mean really, that character must have been one disliked company mascot.
And then there were the times when they broke the fourth wall completely, climaxing in issue four where the creators not only had running conversations in the pages of the book, but Fleming's mother (supposedly) wrote a section of the issue, and someone who was apparently Giffen's son drew a page. I guess it really is all about who you know.
Of course, we shouldn't forget all the jokes for jokes' sake, like the visual gag of Ambush Bug going to the store in disguise by wearing one of those fake-glasses-and-mustache deals. Or the dialogue-based jokes, such as where Ambush Bug insults a guy who rings the doorbell when the Bug's in the shower, then pretends the insults were compliments when the guy offers him a job.
Ambush Bug's story continued in “The Ambush Bug Stocking Stuffer” and “The Ambush Bug Nothing Special” one-shots, as well as the “Son of Ambush Bug” mini-series, none of which I had a chance to read. Which is probably for the best, since I don’t want to be writing these from a padded cell.
I don’t think any of the original Ambush Bug comics were ever collected in a trade paperback, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they were soon. Why? Well, DC recently announced a new Ambush Bug mini by Mr. Giffen, to be released later this year, which means a whole new generation of comics readers will be able to go mad, too. Mad with laughter.
Luke Foster, a writer and stand-up comedian, is Kung Fu fighting. That cat is fast as lightning.
Posts: 20906 | From: PA | Registered: Aug 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
It should be noted that Fleming is also working on the new mini with Giffen. My apologies to Mr. Fleming for omitting him from the last paragraph.
Posts: 65 | Registered: Jul 2007
| IP: Logged |
posted
"Ambush Bug" To The Tune Of "Bicycle Race" By Queen
Ambush Bug Ambush Bug Ambush Bug
I want to read my Ambush Bug Ambush Bug Ambush Bug
I want to read my Ambush Bug I want to read my Bug I want to read my Ambush Bug I want to read it when I like
You say, "Back" I say, "Right" You say, "Hark" I say, "Write" You say, "Stop" I say, "Hey, man" Jawing ain't my thing And I don't write short words
You say, "Polls" I say, "Voice" You say, "Mod" Make me some noise You say, "Word" I say, "First" Not only reading Arion Amethyst or 'Mazing Man All I want to read is
Ambush Bug Ambush Bug Ambush Bug
I want to read my Ambush Bug Ambush Bug Ambush Bug
I want to read my Ambush Bug I want to read my Bug I want to read my Ambush Bug I want to read my
Ambush Bug pages are coming your way So forget all your deadlines Oh yeah
Frantic young fanboys will be writing today So look out for those cuties Oh yeah
On your mouse Get net Go
Ambush Bug page Ambush Bug page Ambush Bug page
Ambush Bug Ambush Bug Ambush Bug
I want to read my Ambush Bug Ambush Bug Ambush Bug Ambush Bug Ambush Bug Ambush Bug Page
Hey
You say, "Joke" I say, "Sane" You say, "Bruce" I say, "Wayne" Top dog I say gun it, man I don't wanna be the resident on a message board
You say, "Style" I say, "Me" Plenty, eh I say, "See" Spinner racks I say, "Please us" I don't wanna be a reprobate For quarter bins or show up late 'Cause all I wanna read is
Ambush Bug Yeah Ambush Bug Yeah Ambush Bug I want to read my Ambush Bug Ambush Bug Come on Ambush Bug
I want to read my Ambush Bug I want to read my Bug I want to read my Ambush Bug I want to read it when I like
Posts: 3439 | From: San Bruno | Registered: Aug 2002
| IP: Logged |
Printer-friendly view of this topic
