Comics Archeology

I typically avoid reviewing outright parodies and spoofs because comedy is notoriously difficult to review. I don’t want to just say whether I found a bit funny or not.
However this is an interesting exception: it’s a spoof written by the same guy that wrote the main event, so it does give us a bit of insight into his mind.

Secret Wars, Too (2016)
cover by Chip Zdarsky

Now we know why Doctor Doom always wears his hood.

“Sraw Terces”
by Jonathan Huckman & Brian Churilla

We begin at Marvel Comics, where Hickman is pitching his big event.

I’m pretty sure this is a realistic depiction because I have to imagine MULTIPLE writers always ask if they can just ignore the latest event.
This is probably a “who’s who” of who was writing at Marvel in 2015/2016; there might be a couple of inside jokes here. The only ones I’m pretty sure are the bald guy with the leather jacket is supposed to be Bendis and the balding guy at the bottom is supposed to be Slott.
I’m definitely sure there are also Sana Amanat and G. Willow Wilson, since it’s not likely there were too many high-profile female writers in that room.

The problem is that Hickman, unbeknownst to everyone else, doesn’t have an ending.

He’s so nervous he ends up throwing up in the bathroom, where he also finds someone to comfort him.

Hickman is so scared this will bomb that he even proposes to Doom a way out.

Doom, however, demands top billing.

It’s so weird to see Doom still talking completely in-character while Hickman parodies himself.

Doom has a unique solution to Hickman’s dilemma.

This is why this is completely different from any other spoof.
You don’t see “Not Brand Ecch” or “What The!?” go into existentialism.

Thankfully Doom realizes in what kind of story he is, and turns it down a bit.

And that’s the reason why Secret Wars had to be extended from 8 issues to 9 issues.

Actually both of these things happened: Secret Wars was a moderate success AND Hickman did the parody book.

Also Doom totally murdered a Spider-Man cosplayer.

Doom significance: 0/10
Can you imagine what would even happen if anyone actually tried to bring this into continuity?

Silver Age-ness: 0/10

Does it stand the test of time? 10/10
Mileage may vary whether you find this funny or not, but it was also a shockingly deep little story.
Seriously, these two panels should ALWAYS be in the mind of ANY comic book writer.

“Doom: Behind The Tyranny”
by Eric Powell

There’s another Doom story here. In which Doom and the other Marvel characters are just actors.

He’s kind of in-character in this one as well.

Didn’t personally picture Doom as a disco guy.

I completely believe this could be a legitimate TV show in Latveria.

I’d watch it.

Genius artists are always misunderstood by lesser artists.

We also have the explanation for why Doom goes back to green after Secret Wars.

There’s an Al Ewig story where Spider-Man doesn’t save Uncle Ben, and where a bunch of random heroes who kind of sound like Spider-Man show up for revenge.
Ewig is one of the best writers of the current generation, but it looks like he’s terrible at comedy.

There’s a team-up between America Chavez and Kate Bishop where they travel the multiverse looking for pizza.
Cute, but kind of off-topic for the special.

You kind of have to read Fraction’s Hawkeye series to get it.

There’s a D-Man story (written by Kyle Starks) that tries to redeem the character from having been turned into a punchline.
I absolutely HATED with the power of a billion exploding stars how Bendis and others turned D-Man into a joke… he wasn’t the best character ever but he deserved better.
Too little too late, perhaps, but I appreciated this.