What do you think?
Rate this book
Bizarro anthology #1
Bizarro Comics
Bizarro, an imperfect duplicate of Superman who does everything backwards, tries drawing comics, concocting thirty stories including one in which Wonder Woman participates in a poetry slam, and in baby Superman torments his baby-sitter.
240 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
About the author
Joey Cavalieri
264 books6 followers Joey Cavalieri is credited in 1670 issues of DC Comics.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
October 8, 2014
Bizarro Comics was propelled by small controversies and the assertion that it signalled a shift in mainstream comics, making it a minor hit and a milestone of sorts. DC threw a wide net to pull in as many respected 'alternative' cartoonists as they could, with the idea of letting these avant garde heroes and heroines go fucking nuts with DC's toybox full of superheroes and superheroines. Of course, DC's perception of 'going fucking nuts' was 'going #@%!&?$ nuts', and problems arose right away, with Daniel Clowes' sardonic cover being scrapped in favor of the current cover by Matt Groening's assistant.
The story by Kyle Baker that had aroused controversy after it had been pulled from a previous Superman anthology found a new home; 'Letitia Lerner, Superman's Babysitter' is a wholesome comedy that follows the title character's vain attempts to control a baby that can fire heat-rays from his cute little eyes. I can only guess that DC's ultra-litigious editors were concerned with the imagery of an infant being chained up and such. Whatever.
While the contributing artists and writers struggled with their own metaphorical shackles, clamped securely around their scribbling arms by over-cautious super-editors, most of them managed to come up with some funny and interesting stories. Dave Cooper, Evan Dorkin, Bob Fingerman, Jessica Abel, Craig Thompson, Dylan Horrocks and Brian Ralph all stand out, creating material that satisfies their own fans and DC fans alike... even with one arm tied behind their back.
Bizarro Comics sold enough copies to justify a follow-up, Bizarro World. Marvel did the same thing a few years later, with Strange Tales and Strange Tales II, both of which are surprisingly good. The fact that they borrow the concept, the narrative structure, and even some of the artists, shouldn't come as a shock to anyone familiar with Marvel and DC history*.
* [Bizarro Comics = Strange Tales; both use a story involving one of their cosmic, super-intelligent, 'observer' villains (Mxyzptik, the Watcher, M.O.D.O.K.) to introduce the stories as the product of espionage and intelligence gathering; and of course, both use 'alternative' cartoonists to tell these 'strange' and 'bizarre' tales]
The story by Kyle Baker that had aroused controversy after it had been pulled from a previous Superman anthology found a new home; 'Letitia Lerner, Superman's Babysitter' is a wholesome comedy that follows the title character's vain attempts to control a baby that can fire heat-rays from his cute little eyes. I can only guess that DC's ultra-litigious editors were concerned with the imagery of an infant being chained up and such. Whatever.
While the contributing artists and writers struggled with their own metaphorical shackles, clamped securely around their scribbling arms by over-cautious super-editors, most of them managed to come up with some funny and interesting stories. Dave Cooper, Evan Dorkin, Bob Fingerman, Jessica Abel, Craig Thompson, Dylan Horrocks and Brian Ralph all stand out, creating material that satisfies their own fans and DC fans alike... even with one arm tied behind their back.
Bizarro Comics sold enough copies to justify a follow-up, Bizarro World. Marvel did the same thing a few years later, with Strange Tales and Strange Tales II, both of which are surprisingly good. The fact that they borrow the concept, the narrative structure, and even some of the artists, shouldn't come as a shock to anyone familiar with Marvel and DC history*.
* [Bizarro Comics = Strange Tales; both use a story involving one of their cosmic, super-intelligent, 'observer' villains (Mxyzptik, the Watcher, M.O.D.O.K.) to introduce the stories as the product of espionage and intelligence gathering; and of course, both use 'alternative' cartoonists to tell these 'strange' and 'bizarre' tales]
March 20, 2018
The opening frame is WAAAAAAYYYYYY TTTTTTOOOOOOO LLLLLLOOOOOONNNNNNNGGGGGGGG. And boring.
But the rest of the book is fun, and you can tell that the creators really enjoyed putting these stories together. Both of Andi Watson & Mark Crilley's collaborations were delightful, as was Aquaman's bathtub adventure.
But the rest of the book is fun, and you can tell that the creators really enjoyed putting these stories together. Both of Andi Watson & Mark Crilley's collaborations were delightful, as was Aquaman's bathtub adventure.
November 21, 2020
Bizarro Comics is a rather odd collection of stories written and illustrated by a star-studded cast from the realm of Indy comics. It's book-ended by a Mr. Mxyzptlk/Bizarro yarn that's straight out of Chuck Jones' Looney Tunes!
An alien conqueror arrives in the 5th Dimension with the intent of adding it to his domain. But this despot wants to be fair. He's willing to play a series of games (best out of 5) for the plain of existence.
With Mxy appointed as the de facto ruler of the 5th Dimension, it's the imp's role to win those games. But when he's caught cheating, Mxyzptlk must appoint a substitute champion. Naturally, he wants Superman to win the games for him. But what version? Faced with the Golden Age Man of Steel, that time the Man from Tomorrow's head was replaced with an ants, and that ill-fated electric Superman from the 90s, Mr. Mxyxptlk stumbles upon Bizarro!
Not the Superman he was hoping for, a technicality makes Bizarro the champion of the 5th Dimension. And that's where the craziness really begins.
Sidekicks, giant apes, teen angst and an apocalyptic concert for the ages, there was a wide assortment of stories in this book. But what really was the selling point for me was the inclusion of the Letitia Lerner: Superman's Babysitter story that resulted in the recall and ban of the Elseworlds 80-Page Giant.
That legendary comic has now since been re-released (and I own a copy) but it was a while before I finally got around to reading. Actually, No! That's not true. This is a re-read. But other than that Elseworlds tale, I just don't remember this book at all. Now that I think about it, I must have checked this out from the library and then later found a really cheap copy.
Yeah. That's what I did!
Was it worth a second chance? Yeah. For the most part. Some of those stories were truly weird. But I enjoyed the chance to substitute some 2020 insanity for some good ol' fashioned DC Comics lunacy.
An alien conqueror arrives in the 5th Dimension with the intent of adding it to his domain. But this despot wants to be fair. He's willing to play a series of games (best out of 5) for the plain of existence.
With Mxy appointed as the de facto ruler of the 5th Dimension, it's the imp's role to win those games. But when he's caught cheating, Mxyzptlk must appoint a substitute champion. Naturally, he wants Superman to win the games for him. But what version? Faced with the Golden Age Man of Steel, that time the Man from Tomorrow's head was replaced with an ants, and that ill-fated electric Superman from the 90s, Mr. Mxyxptlk stumbles upon Bizarro!
Not the Superman he was hoping for, a technicality makes Bizarro the champion of the 5th Dimension. And that's where the craziness really begins.
Sidekicks, giant apes, teen angst and an apocalyptic concert for the ages, there was a wide assortment of stories in this book. But what really was the selling point for me was the inclusion of the Letitia Lerner: Superman's Babysitter story that resulted in the recall and ban of the Elseworlds 80-Page Giant.
That legendary comic has now since been re-released (and I own a copy) but it was a while before I finally got around to reading. Actually, No! That's not true. This is a re-read. But other than that Elseworlds tale, I just don't remember this book at all. Now that I think about it, I must have checked this out from the library and then later found a really cheap copy.
Yeah. That's what I did!
Was it worth a second chance? Yeah. For the most part. Some of those stories were truly weird. But I enjoyed the chance to substitute some 2020 insanity for some good ol' fashioned DC Comics lunacy.
Read
November 21, 2024The Tony Millionaire x Chip Kidd story is probably the peak. Effectively a parody of batman and the mad monk, but the art has a gothic fletcher hanks-like appeal. Bill Wray and Kyle Baker both put in good stuff- paul popes inks look good, and I love jill thompson. But most of this is meant to appeal to an 6-8 age demographic, and the writing is rarely funny and the parody rarely cutting. I guess Death Ray and Plastic Man are kind of untouchable.
December 4, 2018
Incredibly disappointing collection.
However, there are two gems in this book:
Bob Fingerman's and Dave Cooper's hilarious take on Wonder Woman preventing shoplifting at the mall ("One Piece, Two Piece, Red Piece, Blue Piece") and Eddie Campbell's and Hunt Emerson's "Who Erased The Eraser?"
Otherwise, a lot of dreck. One of the weakest is the Chip Kidd contribution.
However, there are two gems in this book:
Bob Fingerman's and Dave Cooper's hilarious take on Wonder Woman preventing shoplifting at the mall ("One Piece, Two Piece, Red Piece, Blue Piece") and Eddie Campbell's and Hunt Emerson's "Who Erased The Eraser?"
Otherwise, a lot of dreck. One of the weakest is the Chip Kidd contribution.
October 6, 2019
This second edition was waaaaay better than the first. The story is very interested and unexpected and many of the stories made me laugh out loud which the first volume did not. Many more intriguing short stories as well.
April 25, 2024
I read this book when it first came out, many years ago. It's still really funny, although I think the framing story is kind of weak. The short comics in between are where the real gold is, especially the ones about Green Lantern and Wonder Woman.
December 3, 2020
Does what it says on the tin.
July 8, 2021
Mixed bag some of stories are really good and some of them are OK or bad.
September 10, 2025
A really dorky and silly anthology of great underground and indie cartoonists coming together for 250 pages of funny pages. The framing story is a little long but I did find it genuinely wonderful, and practically every single story in here either has wonderful writing, wonderful cartooning, and alot of them have both. Really fun, I wish more books looked like this one.
January 14, 2021
Bizarro Comics is really a collection of short comics (some as short as a single page) about various characters/concepts spanning across the DC universe, all written and drawn by different artists. Many of these artists are not typical superhero-book artists, and I thought seeing the DC universe through their interpretations is interesting and refreshing. A comical yet intriguing bookend story starring Mister Mxyzptlk encapsulates the 'bizzaro' comics contained in the bulk of the book. There's quite a bit of meta going on here, but in a light, jesting way that's enjoyable and accessible to read. I especially love stories set in Bizarro world; I know there's a second anthology like this that I would love to read next. The whole idea of Bizarro is so amazingly... bizarre to me - both funny and strange and slightly meaningful, but also slightly meaningless. And if I were any kind of super-geek at all, I probably should have written this review in Bizarro-speak. Me not sorry, Bizarro-Megan hate Goodreads.
June 6, 2012
I'm not sure I ever wondered what happened when you combined a bunch of independent comic authors with one of the big studios, but I now know. Fittingly, Bizarro Comics is bizarre. Its melding of independent irreverence and non-traditional storytelling with the flat characters of the tights-and-cape set makes for a strange collection. I'm not willing to call it interesting, but it is a spectacle.
Ultimately, I'm not that interested in the DC stable of characters. I sense that there is a vocabulary that is intimate to fans that would make this collection a bit more appealing, but I felt like I was missing the joke, sometimes.
Perhaps worth it for DC fans, but not for the indie set.
Ultimately, I'm not that interested in the DC stable of characters. I sense that there is a vocabulary that is intimate to fans that would make this collection a bit more appealing, but I felt like I was missing the joke, sometimes.
Perhaps worth it for DC fans, but not for the indie set.
December 3, 2015
An anthology of shorts featuring DC superheroes by a who's who of late 89s/early 00s indy creators like Evan Dorkin, Gilbert Hernandez, Dave Cooper, Jessica Abel, Steven Weissman, Paul Pope, Bob Fingerman, and many, many more. As with all anthologies there are good stories (like the Pope-drawn Superman strip and the Dorkin/Weissman strip about what sidekicks do once their heroes have left them behind, but there are also some bad ones. Overall, quite enjoyable, though, and I had fun remembering where I had seen certain art styles when I was working in the alt-comics/porn section of Midtown Comics.
August 31, 2014
A tongue-in-cheek look at the DC Universe, Bizarro Comics is a collection of offbeat and humorous tales. Confronted by the universal conqueror dubbed "A," consummate prankster Mr. Mxyzptlk gets stuck with Bizarro as his chosen champion for a cosmic contest. The anti-Superman begins sketching out pages of stories, poking fun at Aquaman, Batman, Superman, and more, in response to the challenge. Offering an assortment of stories to enjoy, this collection is wacky, hilarious, funny, and an all-around good read. You am should no read now, hello!
Read
August 9, 2011Decepcionante visión alternativa de los superhéroes DC. Quienes esperen algo políticamente incorrecto no lo encontrarán. Apenas algunas historias dibujan una sonrisa (por ejemplo la gamberra relectura de la 'adopción' de Robin por parte de Batman, en la que el chico maravillas funambulista es...un chimpancé). Otras presentan un dibujo interesante, pero en conjunto la recopilación es insatisfactoria.
January 31, 2012
Bizarro comics is an anthology of comics about supers as seen through the eyes of Bizarro. Whilst it was beautiful and refreshing to see superhero comics drawn by alternative and indie hands, some of the stories were a little boring. There are definitely some treasures in there though, and most of the writers were not lacking for wit. Altogether entertaining, and a book I would buy if just because it is beautifully designed and gorgeous to look at.
September 29, 2012
DC superheroes re-imagined by a whole bunch of celebrated alternative comix creators.
Includes warped versions of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Hawkman, the Flash, Green Lantern, and others.
A short read and good fun - probably even better if you are more familiar with these independent comix artist's work than I am.
Winner of the 2002 Harvey and Eisner awards for best anthology.
Includes warped versions of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Hawkman, the Flash, Green Lantern, and others.
A short read and good fun - probably even better if you are more familiar with these independent comix artist's work than I am.
Winner of the 2002 Harvey and Eisner awards for best anthology.
May 27, 2014
Bizrro Comics is a collection of short cartoonist atories, that according to the storyline were written by Bizarro himself. Most of the story is really funny, especially the prologue and epilogue that follows the main story about Mr. Mxyzptlk in his effort to save the fifth dimension from a conqueror named A. The team up between Mxyzptlk and Bizrro is really genius and hilarious, as well as the feeling of each to one another.
September 5, 2015
Good collection, I really enjoyed the framed narrative (and thought it was well written) and the segue into "Super-Pets", which was my favourite entry. I also enjoyed Batman looking for the Night Fumbler, and the "Clubhouse of Solitude" was a quite refreshing entry. While some of the other entries seemed to be "one joke" narratives, the quality of the good ones made this a collection worth reading.
August 9, 2016
Not bad, but I read the sequel before this one and think it's better. I liked the wrap-around story starring Mxyzptlk, but there were fewer stand-out short stories this time around. I liked "Supergirl and Mary Marvel in the Clubhouse of Solitude" (Horrocks/Abel), "One Piece, Two Piece, Red Piece, Blue Piece" (Fingerman/Cooper), "Inside the Batcave" (Pope/Stephens), "That's Really Super, Superman" (Brunetti/Dorkin), and "Without You I'm Nothing" (Dorkin/Weissman).
September 18, 2008
Underground comix artists give their various takes on DC comic book superheroes with very amusing results. So you have Gilbert Hernandez rendering superheroes as kids at the school playground, Kyle Baker doing Superman as a baby stressing out his baby sitter, Bill Wray doing Aquaman as a wishy-washy hero, Evan Dorkin on the Martian Manhunter Celebrity Roast, etc. I love this book!
May 2, 2011
I’m not a follower of Batman, Superman, or any of the other members of the galaxy of comic book heroes. However, these stories present the familiar DC comics stable in a whole new light—one that’s “Bizarro”! It’s an ironic, funny, and creative turn that even non-fans can appreciate.
August 19, 2015
As with any anthology, there are good and bad stories here. However, I think the bad outweighs the good, and since DC has a tendency to be rather serious, I think it's worth enjoying the fun stories when you have the chance. Unsurprisingly, Kyle Baker's work is the stand out in the collection
July 6, 2014
This is very bizarro...I laughed outload. The graphs are great. If haven't read this one yet you need to read it this summer under a shade tree and if you laugh outload then people will just think you are Bizarro.
August 27, 2016
Like any anthology, this one had its ups and downs. I mostly found it interesting since I'm someone who knows most of the DC continuity it signifies on. The framing sequence was a bit of a let down; it certainly didn't deserve 60 total pages.
January 31, 2008
This is a collection of indy comics people doing short stories in the DC universe with no restrictions, it is great.
April 6, 2009
Light twists on superhero stories, all fairly short and to the point. All in the name of good clean fun.
December 11, 2011
Bizarro, indeed. While a couple of the tales are just plain stupid, overall, this is a funny and fun take on those beloved classic comic book heroes and heroines.
July 27, 2016
Alternate comics creators tackle DC characters again. Like Bizarro World, it's a mixed bag, but the big bizarro/mr. Mxyzptlk is quite clever.
September 5, 2014
It was really great reading these irreverent tales again! Bizzaro has always been one of my favourite characters and it was fun seeing different takes on DC characters through a bizzaro lens.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews