DC has a G’nort load of April Fool’s day covers out this week, which is to say gatefold covers that reveal hidden, unexpected plot points when you unfold them. Take for exa
mple Action Comics #19…Someone is trying to kick Superman’s big blue behind with Lex Luthor’s power suit, but it ain’t Lex. Flip the gatefold cover to reveal the mysterious bruiser, though I think the smart money is on (Wait for it) Muhammad Ali! He’s back, he’s pissed, and ready for a rematch! Some of these new gatefolds will find their main characters replaced, defeated and re-robed, while other covers illuminate stunning plot twists, identities and WHO-KNOWS-WHAT?! Marvel, on the other hand, has the far from surprising Age of Ultron #4 (though the twist at the end of #3 was fun.) Another hot book from the house of M this week is Superior Spider-Man #7. After the last issue, you know, the one where “Doc Oc as Spidey” beat the living tar out of two ridiculous super villains on live TV, the Avengers confront our our two fisted hero and tell him he’s out of line and a job.
WACKY FUN
Abe Sapien Dark and Terrible #1 sees everybody’s favorite fish man out of a coma and mutated into a new monster, but what kind? IDW Has a SLEW of amazing titles this week, including Transformers Spotlight: Trailcutter (a.k.a. Trailbreaker,) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Classics Vol. 4 (with some incredible cartooning by Mark Bode) and Popeye #12. This last title is truly the greatest comic out this week for anyone over 60, as it will feature Popeye the sailor meeting Barney Google (with his goo-goo-googily eyes!) Barney Google is one of the first EVER comic strip characters. Again, this isn’t too big a deal to anyone who isn’t a comics historian, but Roger Langridge continues to put out a comic which is both forward thinking and nostalgic…and hilarious. Which brings me to a strange point; Where are the humor comics? 
GONE DRY
About the closest one can come to a humor book this week is Deadpool #7, and that is still a super hero comic. With the Hollywood Super Hero movies still cleaning up at the box office (and I will admit I predicted this would be over by now) it is hard to find room on the shelf for titles not supported by a film or television franchise. Heck, plenty of the books that aren’t on video yet are supported by backers who would like to see their supported titles become the next Walking Dead or Kick-Ass. Ever since Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis hit the comic book scene, the trend has been to temper the super hero action with sporadic humor to keep things popping…or if that fails to take obscure characters and go straight out silly with it. Giffen and DeMatteis have a new space DC book coming down the pipe called Larfleeze, who is a crazed, fuzzy fanged Orange Lantern out to make a name for himself in the universe. This WILL be added to my pull list…if it isn’t some April Fools joke. Regardless, Our humor has become as grim and gritty as our heroes. I challenge you, talents of the comic book world, to make some good ole’ fun and goofy books again. DO IT, or I’ll blow up the Pentagon! (April fools! I won’t really blow up the Pentagon. That would be craz- Hold up a moment. There’s a knock at the mouth of my undisclosed cave. Why Hello there, Secret Service! Boy, you guys work fast! Well, gotta’ run now, I’m off to Gitmo for suspicion of being a terrorist. I hope they have comics on the boat ride down. Hopefully we’ll see you all next week…are any of you readers lawyers?)
