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Showcase Presents #69
Showcase Presents: Ambush Bug, Vol. 1
Nearly 500 pages of off-the-wall adventure are collected in this value-priced volume!
Created in the early 1980s, The Ambush Bug recently made a comeback in the pages of 52 and in his new comic book series. Deluded, confused and just plain crazy, Irwin Schwab claimed have gained his powers from a costume sent to Earth from a distant planet. He embarked on his own super-heroic career, to the annoyance of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and every other hero he happened to encounter.
This new collection includes Ambush Bug's secret origin, in a story called “We Thought Him Up,” and more insanity.
Created in the early 1980s, The Ambush Bug recently made a comeback in the pages of 52 and in his new comic book series. Deluded, confused and just plain crazy, Irwin Schwab claimed have gained his powers from a costume sent to Earth from a distant planet. He embarked on his own super-heroic career, to the annoyance of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and every other hero he happened to encounter.
This new collection includes Ambush Bug's secret origin, in a story called “We Thought Him Up,” and more insanity.
488 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 1992
5 people are currently reading
83 people want to read
About the author
Keith Giffen
1,935 books217 followersKeith Ian Giffen was an American comic book illustrator and writer. He is possibly best-known for his long runs illustrating, and later writing the Legion of Super-Heroes title in the 1980s and 1990s. He also created the alien mercenary character Lobo (with Roger Slifer), and the irreverent "want-to-be" hero, Ambush Bug. Giffen is known for having an unorthodox writing style, often using characters in ways not seen before. His dialogue is usually characterized by a biting wit that is seen as much less zany than dialogue provided by longtime collaborators DeMatteis and Robert Loren Fleming. That approach has brought him both criticism and admiration, as perhaps best illustrated by the mixed (although commercially successful) response to his work in DC Comics' Justice League International (1987-1992). He also plotted and was breakdown artist for an Aquaman limited series and one-shot special in 1989 with writer Robert Loren Fleming and artist Curt Swan for DC Comics.
Giffen's first published work was "The Sword and The Star", a black-and-white series featured in Marvel Preview, with writer Bill Mantlo. He has worked on titles (owned by several different companies) including Woodgod, All Star Comics, Doctor Fate, Drax the Destroyer, Heckler, Nick Fury's Howling Commandos, Reign of the Zodiac, Suicide Squad, Trencher (to be re-released in a collected edition by Boom! Studios)., T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, and Vext. He was also responsible for the English adaptation of the Battle Royale and Ikki Tousen manga, as well as creating "I Luv Halloween" for Tokyopop. He also worked for Dark Horse from 1994-95 on their Comics Greatest World/Dark Horse Heroes line, as the writer of two short lived series, Division 13 and co-author, with Lovern Kindzierski, of Agents of Law. For Valiant Comics, Giffen wrote XO-Manowar, Magnus, Robot Fighter, Punx and the final issue of Solar, Man of the Atom.
He took a break from the comic industry for several years, working on storyboards for television and film, including shows such as The Real Ghostbusters and Ed, Edd 'n' Eddy.
He is also the lead writer for Marvel Comics's Annihilation event, having written the one-shot prologue, the lead-in stories in Thanos and Drax, the Silver Surfer as well as the main six issues mini-series. He also wrote the Star-Lord mini-series for the follow-up story Annihilation: Conquest. He currently writes Doom Patrol for DC, and is also completing an abandoned Grant Morrison plot in The Authority: the Lost Year for Wildstorm.
Giffen's first published work was "The Sword and The Star", a black-and-white series featured in Marvel Preview, with writer Bill Mantlo. He has worked on titles (owned by several different companies) including Woodgod, All Star Comics, Doctor Fate, Drax the Destroyer, Heckler, Nick Fury's Howling Commandos, Reign of the Zodiac, Suicide Squad, Trencher (to be re-released in a collected edition by Boom! Studios)., T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, and Vext. He was also responsible for the English adaptation of the Battle Royale and Ikki Tousen manga, as well as creating "I Luv Halloween" for Tokyopop. He also worked for Dark Horse from 1994-95 on their Comics Greatest World/Dark Horse Heroes line, as the writer of two short lived series, Division 13 and co-author, with Lovern Kindzierski, of Agents of Law. For Valiant Comics, Giffen wrote XO-Manowar, Magnus, Robot Fighter, Punx and the final issue of Solar, Man of the Atom.
He took a break from the comic industry for several years, working on storyboards for television and film, including shows such as The Real Ghostbusters and Ed, Edd 'n' Eddy.
He is also the lead writer for Marvel Comics's Annihilation event, having written the one-shot prologue, the lead-in stories in Thanos and Drax, the Silver Surfer as well as the main six issues mini-series. He also wrote the Star-Lord mini-series for the follow-up story Annihilation: Conquest. He currently writes Doom Patrol for DC, and is also completing an abandoned Grant Morrison plot in The Authority: the Lost Year for Wildstorm.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
July 30, 2012
This book is so funny that it will leave you rolling on the floor until you can't read it anymore because of the tears in your eyes.
July 29, 2016
I started reading comic books back when I was about 12 or 13, and around that time, I discovered Ambush Bug. It was the perfect sort of reading for someone that age, since Ambush Bug was all about the silliness. What I didn't understand at the time was that a lot of the jokes were about the comic book industry, and since I was just starting to get into them, I had no idea what was going on. But like most cartoons that can appeal to kids and adults at the same time, what I did get was so silly and ludicrous that it never entered my mind that I was missing anything.
I still like silly humor, and got a big helping of nostalgia a few weeks ago that convinced me to order a copy of this collection. It’s a collection of every Ambush Bug story up to its point of publication, from his early start as a nuisance of a villain to Superman (sort of like Mister Mxyzptlk to Batman) to becoming the only character in the DC Universe who knows he's in a comic book. There's a lot of bending and breaking of the fourth wall in the series, to the point where the editor shows up as a character, and Ambush Bug talks directly to the writers of the comic.
It's hard to say whether or not I would like this collection as much as I do if I didn't already know about the character. It seems like this collection came out around the time when those of us who grew up with Ambush Bug would have picked up a copy out of nostalgia's sake. I wonder if it would have seen print otherwise, especially considering that it's now out of print. It seems like to really get the adult side of the humor as it poked fun at the comics industry, one would need to know more about 1980s comics. Then again, I didn't know a whole lot about it when I was reading it as a kid, so maybe it's not a prerequisite.
The long and short of it is that if you remember Ambush Bug, and liked the sense of humor that he embraced, then this is the collection for you. If not, but if you like silly humor a la "The Animaniacs" or "Better Off Ted," then you might still enjoy it. The rest of you probably ought to steer clear of it all together.
I still like silly humor, and got a big helping of nostalgia a few weeks ago that convinced me to order a copy of this collection. It’s a collection of every Ambush Bug story up to its point of publication, from his early start as a nuisance of a villain to Superman (sort of like Mister Mxyzptlk to Batman) to becoming the only character in the DC Universe who knows he's in a comic book. There's a lot of bending and breaking of the fourth wall in the series, to the point where the editor shows up as a character, and Ambush Bug talks directly to the writers of the comic.
It's hard to say whether or not I would like this collection as much as I do if I didn't already know about the character. It seems like this collection came out around the time when those of us who grew up with Ambush Bug would have picked up a copy out of nostalgia's sake. I wonder if it would have seen print otherwise, especially considering that it's now out of print. It seems like to really get the adult side of the humor as it poked fun at the comics industry, one would need to know more about 1980s comics. Then again, I didn't know a whole lot about it when I was reading it as a kid, so maybe it's not a prerequisite.
The long and short of it is that if you remember Ambush Bug, and liked the sense of humor that he embraced, then this is the collection for you. If not, but if you like silly humor a la "The Animaniacs" or "Better Off Ted," then you might still enjoy it. The rest of you probably ought to steer clear of it all together.
October 1, 2009
Good lord, could comics get any worse than this? Why is DC wasting their time pushing out dreck like this for their Showcase line when they could be giving us things we might actually enjoy, like Deadman or hurrying up production of Batman volumes?
Did people actually read this shit in the 80s?
Did people actually read this shit in the 80s?
March 7, 2023
Read in individual issues (in color), but leaving the review on this collection.
Ambush Bug, one of Keith Giffen's pet characters, is one of those obscure DC "heroes" that pops up from time to time in random places, usually in comedic fashion. He occupies an interesting space somewhere between Deadpool and the Impossible Man. He is rather beloved by those who know of his existence, which is usually a good sign that you should investigate further. So I did!
In my experience, Keith Giffen is usually at his best when he is casual and unambitious. I've found a lot of his other work to be meandering and tonally disjointed (JLI in particular). The comedy is usually decent, but tends to get dragged down by incessant, obligatory, generic superhero plot. Generally, the longer a Giffen comic runs, the more exhausting it is.
Ambush Bug has no such problem. The various Ambush Bug minis and specials aren't so much stories as series of short gags and bits loosely stitched together. Because of this, the focus is entirely on small nuggets of humor. No real plot to be found here. And for the most part, it's successful. Obviously some gags are better than others, but several definitely got a chuckle out of me. In terms of hit-to-miss ratio, I'd say it was about 3-1. If you're not particularly steeped in knowledge of the comics industry, and DC in particular, the ratio might be worse for you. There's quite a bit of fourth wall breakage, so if you're not into that, you've been warned.
This isn't a comic that will change your life or anything, but it's nice to know where this little dude came from, and now I'll appreciate his rare appearances in the future even more.
Ambush Bug, one of Keith Giffen's pet characters, is one of those obscure DC "heroes" that pops up from time to time in random places, usually in comedic fashion. He occupies an interesting space somewhere between Deadpool and the Impossible Man. He is rather beloved by those who know of his existence, which is usually a good sign that you should investigate further. So I did!
In my experience, Keith Giffen is usually at his best when he is casual and unambitious. I've found a lot of his other work to be meandering and tonally disjointed (JLI in particular). The comedy is usually decent, but tends to get dragged down by incessant, obligatory, generic superhero plot. Generally, the longer a Giffen comic runs, the more exhausting it is.
Ambush Bug has no such problem. The various Ambush Bug minis and specials aren't so much stories as series of short gags and bits loosely stitched together. Because of this, the focus is entirely on small nuggets of humor. No real plot to be found here. And for the most part, it's successful. Obviously some gags are better than others, but several definitely got a chuckle out of me. In terms of hit-to-miss ratio, I'd say it was about 3-1. If you're not particularly steeped in knowledge of the comics industry, and DC in particular, the ratio might be worse for you. There's quite a bit of fourth wall breakage, so if you're not into that, you've been warned.
This isn't a comic that will change your life or anything, but it's nice to know where this little dude came from, and now I'll appreciate his rare appearances in the future even more.
Read
September 5, 2020Simply put, this is one of if not the absolute WORST PIECE OF SHIT ever released in comic book format. Crisis on Infinite Earths? The Judas Contract? Watchmen? Batman: Year One? they don't even come close to this one. The only thing I can compare the absolute inanity and atrociousness of this book and in particular of the Ambush Bug solo series, which existance is mindblowing since NOBODY sane in their minds would greenlight something so unreadable and indigestable, is Family Man by Jerome Charyn. A comic so bad I had to put it down after twenty pages of torture. This book doesn't stinks, it stings. The absolute worst by Keith Giffen EVER, not even deserving a rating for how bad it is. Avoid at all - and I mean ALL - costs.
December 18, 2019
Reading through a satire comic from over 30 years ago, which was satirizing an already-insular community (comics), is a bizarre experience. But I'm glad I read through all of the Bug's original 80s run. (Note: I read this in color, but this collected edition is in black and white.)
The first third of the book is the Bug's early appearances. The two Kupperberg-penned stories are unmemorable, very different from the rest of the book and only here because they're early appearances. The three Giffen stories in this section of the book are the by far the best. Wacky and fun, slightly satirical, but still good stories in their own right. Giffen's art was really at it's peak around this time, and thankfully it remains that way throughout the entire book.
Once the first miniseries starts, though, the rest of the book devolves into absolute insanity. There is no through-line with the plot, and most issues consist of two-page vignettes parodying such things as superhero origin stories, the then-new grim-and-gritty movement, Ditko's bizarre independent work, editorial interference at DC, overwrought war comics, manga, Conan, lame sci-fi, Who's Who, the burgeoning speculator market, and basically everything else going on in comics in the mid 80s. Some jokes come off as sleazy or off-color nowadays, and others came off as outdated from a humor perspective, but there were a surprising amount that worked for me. If I wasn't going to get a real story, at least I got some decent laughs.
Overall, a bizarre time capsule of humor comics in the mid-80s. You can really see how it might have influenced 90s Lobo and modern Deadpool and Harley Quinn comics, so I'd recommend checking it out only to those curious about that.
The first third of the book is the Bug's early appearances. The two Kupperberg-penned stories are unmemorable, very different from the rest of the book and only here because they're early appearances. The three Giffen stories in this section of the book are the by far the best. Wacky and fun, slightly satirical, but still good stories in their own right. Giffen's art was really at it's peak around this time, and thankfully it remains that way throughout the entire book.
Once the first miniseries starts, though, the rest of the book devolves into absolute insanity. There is no through-line with the plot, and most issues consist of two-page vignettes parodying such things as superhero origin stories, the then-new grim-and-gritty movement, Ditko's bizarre independent work, editorial interference at DC, overwrought war comics, manga, Conan, lame sci-fi, Who's Who, the burgeoning speculator market, and basically everything else going on in comics in the mid 80s. Some jokes come off as sleazy or off-color nowadays, and others came off as outdated from a humor perspective, but there were a surprising amount that worked for me. If I wasn't going to get a real story, at least I got some decent laughs.
Overall, a bizarre time capsule of humor comics in the mid-80s. You can really see how it might have influenced 90s Lobo and modern Deadpool and Harley Quinn comics, so I'd recommend checking it out only to those curious about that.
December 13, 2015
This book is successful at least trying to be funny, creating a lot of anarchic commentary on comic book form and the depth of characters that DC publishes.
The first few issues of this book are ok, not really original. It's like Superman is trying to go on a normal adventure, and Ambush Bug is this bad guy who is sort of insane and almost intentionally annoying, Superman finds him hard to get through.
It gets MUCH better when Ambush is given his own mini-series, "Ambush Bug", "Son of Ambush Bug", "Ambush Bug Nothing Special", etc. As the titles suggest, the character has a lot of self-referential humor to things like titles of things. And it's actually pretty funny.
My favorite was "Ambush Bug #2", which tries to be a history of the DC Universe. They put in actual DC characters that were short lived and ill conceived, try to describe them and such.
And there are a lot of clever jokes that go above the typical one-liner. Keith Giffen, creator and plotter/penciller, his son draws pages of the character, editor Julius Schwartz becomes the villain of the "Nothing Special" issue, a toy sidekick doll named Cheeks becomes "Cheeks, War Nurse".
The creators are very self-aware, and try to top themselves with each joke filled story to write. This is a must read for anyone who wants to cover the bases of ways to write comics, or people who just like creative writing/comics.
5/5
The first few issues of this book are ok, not really original. It's like Superman is trying to go on a normal adventure, and Ambush Bug is this bad guy who is sort of insane and almost intentionally annoying, Superman finds him hard to get through.
It gets MUCH better when Ambush is given his own mini-series, "Ambush Bug", "Son of Ambush Bug", "Ambush Bug Nothing Special", etc. As the titles suggest, the character has a lot of self-referential humor to things like titles of things. And it's actually pretty funny.
My favorite was "Ambush Bug #2", which tries to be a history of the DC Universe. They put in actual DC characters that were short lived and ill conceived, try to describe them and such.
And there are a lot of clever jokes that go above the typical one-liner. Keith Giffen, creator and plotter/penciller, his son draws pages of the character, editor Julius Schwartz becomes the villain of the "Nothing Special" issue, a toy sidekick doll named Cheeks becomes "Cheeks, War Nurse".
The creators are very self-aware, and try to top themselves with each joke filled story to write. This is a must read for anyone who wants to cover the bases of ways to write comics, or people who just like creative writing/comics.
5/5
April 30, 2009
Initially, a goofy teleporting villain dressed as a green bug, Ambush Bug came to embody the silliness inherent in super-hero comics. From 1982-1992, creator Keith Giffen and scripter Robert Loren Fleming, through their proxy Ambush Bug, parodied nearly every corner of the DC publishing empire. The lunacy ran roughshod through two eponymous mini-series, two specials, and several other DC comics. For the first time, Showcase Presents Ambush Bug collects these hilarious, metafictional adventures.
December 27, 2023
I'm rereading this one and I have to say Giffen's work in the 80s and 90s is a HUGE part of why I love the DC Universe as much as I do. If you love insane, surreal, mind bending, comedy, this is the book for you. Nothing DC (or even its competitors) were doing at time or in eras past was off the table. In fact some issues were even prophetic.
This collection is NOT for those who take things too seriously. Or those with a low tolerance for fart jokes as they do crop up from time to time. (Usually making fun of a certain other DC book that was doing them at the time.)
But go nuts and read this book.
This collection is NOT for those who take things too seriously. Or those with a low tolerance for fart jokes as they do crop up from time to time. (Usually making fun of a certain other DC book that was doing them at the time.)
But go nuts and read this book.
August 25, 2009
Wow, this took forever to plow through. Not bad but certainly not the best thing Giffen & co. are capable of. The older the story, the less funny it is too: many of the jokes and setups Giffen goes for in AMBUSH BUG are dated, which was why I mainly responded to the last NOTHING SPECIAL installment.
Still, first time seeing Giffen's art in black and white, and I really enjoyed watching his style progress. The last two chapters particularly display the style Giffen used on his LSH v4 run, probably my favorite run in all of comics.
Still, first time seeing Giffen's art in black and white, and I really enjoyed watching his style progress. The last two chapters particularly display the style Giffen used on his LSH v4 run, probably my favorite run in all of comics.
April 10, 2010
Amusing, but wildly uneven, as Ambush Bug went through a weird evolution, from goofy villain to bumbling super hero to surreal, comedic ... whatever he ended up as.
The DC comics Presents stories were fun and I enjoyed the shorter pieces that originally showed up as back ups in Action Comics.
By the time Ambush bug got his own mini-series it had become just absurd stuff with non-stop jokes and while it was worth a chuckle or two it just tended like the writers were trying too hard and it all felt a bit dumb and pointless.
The DC comics Presents stories were fun and I enjoyed the shorter pieces that originally showed up as back ups in Action Comics.
By the time Ambush bug got his own mini-series it had become just absurd stuff with non-stop jokes and while it was worth a chuckle or two it just tended like the writers were trying too hard and it all felt a bit dumb and pointless.
May 30, 2013
Ambush Bug is one of those unique characters ... an actually funny, fourth-wall-breaking kinds guy. This Showcase Presents volume features all of his appearances from the 20th century. It's hilarious stuff, but very in-joke-ish; you have to be a comic fan to get a lot of the references, and being a fan in the tumultuous eighties would also help.
Barring ever getting the Absolute Thriller book we deserve, this is Robert Loren Fleming's magnum opus, and some of Keith Giffen's best stuff to boot (Great Darkness Saga not withstanding).
Barring ever getting the Absolute Thriller book we deserve, this is Robert Loren Fleming's magnum opus, and some of Keith Giffen's best stuff to boot (Great Darkness Saga not withstanding).
April 5, 2009
OK, if you dig the Ambush Bug, then this book is for you. It is interesting to see the evolution, to use that term loosely, of the character, who started as a Superman foe, went to becoming a Mxyptlk-style superpest and then evolved into the absurdest whatever-he-is comic relief that he is today. Keith Giffen's artwork doesn't always look so pretty in black-and-white, but that's that.
Want to read
August 13, 2009Damn, I didn't know that this collection existed until today. We were big fans of Ambush Bug back in the day and I was wondering if DC would anthologize it someday. Now I can't wait to order it from my local comic shop.
Read
August 1, 2009If they collected this can 'MAZING MAN really be far behind??
December 24, 2010
Ah, nostalgia.
June 9, 2015
Back in the day, when comics were far too serious for their own good - if men flying around in tight fitting Lycra and leather is serious - Ambush bug was funny. Silly but funny at the time.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews