By 2000, the last decade of huge saga-like storytelling with dark plots and grim new muscular characters had tainted both DC and Marvel. The uprising of Image Comics in the early 1990s with Todd MacFarlane’s Spawn and its impact had been leaking into the mainstream companies for years, causing changes in both storytelling and art styles. Because of these changes, artists such as Howard Porter found themselves on mainstream titles such as JLA (vol 1), where the stories portrayed the heroes as either powerful grim gods or pretentious urban legends. During this time, DC was continuing to publish one-off stories and annuals under their Elseworlds imprint, meaning that it took a character or a group of characters out of their natural world into another. The very first Elseworlds story was Gotham By Gaslight, which had Batman hunting Jack the Ripper during the 19th Century. From there, other stories followed such as the Batman Vampire Trilogy by Doug Monech, Kelley Jones and John Beatty, along with the miniseries Kingdom Come. Although all very different, the one aspect they all have in common is the darker depiction of the DC Universe, which had already grown dark in their mainstream titles. Evan Dorkin wanted that to change. A cartoonist and comic book fan, Dorkin proposed a rather different Elseworlds story, one which explored the ins and outs of the DC Multiverse. But who were to be the main characters? Well, in the Dark Ages of Comics, there were two certain imps from the fifth dimension that weren’t being used. Mister Mxyzptlk was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster in 1944 for Superman (vol 1) 30. As Superman had only two weaknesses, kryptonite and magic, Mister Mxyzptlk was created as a magical foe to defeat Superman. Then, more than a decade later, the strange imp Bat-Mite was introduced in Detective Comics 267 by Bill Finger and Sheldon Moldoff. Less villainous than his fifth-dimensional pal, Bat-Mite was more satirical, proclaiming that he was Batman and Robin’s biggest fan. His magical powers were more of a nuisance to Batman and if anything, Bat-Mite could never be considered a villain. A few times in World’s Finest Comics, Mister Mxyzptlk and Bat-Mite met, fighting amongst themselves to the amusement of Superman, Batman and Robin. However, after Crisis on Infinite Earths, the two characters seemed to vanish and when they did turn up, were they even real? But, by the start of the 21st Century, Dorkin decided that the two mischievous imps had been buried under obscurity for long enough. It was time they returned…
Superman and Batman: World’s Funnest was published in January 2001 as a one-shot under DC’s Elseworlds imprint. It was written by Evan Dorkin with art by various pencillers and inkers, who are Brian Bolland (cover only), Dave Gibbons, Mike Allred, Sheldon Moldoff, Stuart Immonen, Joe Giella, Frank Cho, Jamie Hernandez, Scott Shaw, Stephen DeStefano, Jim Woodring, David Mazzucchelli, Jay Stephens, Glen Murakami, Bruce Timm, Frank Miller, Doug Mahnke, Norm Rapmund, Phil Jimenez,
Ty Templeton and Alex Ross (in that order). Lastly, I have read Superman and Batman: World’s Funnest in its original issue.
THE STORY
On Earth-1, Mister Mxyzptlk and Bat-Mite appear to witness Superman, Batman and Robin capture Lex Luthor and the Joker, with a huge crowd watching, including Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen and Perry White. Suddenly, a bickering Lex Luthor and Bat-Mite are free when the ropes they were tied with somehow untie, as if they were alive. Then, two clothing store mannequins come to life, but they are defeated by the World’s Finest team. As all the heroes confess their confusion over what happened, Bat-Mite appears, telling the heroes that he freed Luthor and the Joker to watch his favourite heroes fight. Then, Mister Mxyzptlk appears and he begins to argue with Bat-Mite about how his hero Superman is better than Batman. However, once Mister Mxyzptlk summons a chicken to life and Bat-Mite cooks it, he becomes embarrassed and prepares to attack Bat-Mite. But Batman intervenes to try and stop the fight, but he is caught in Mister Mxyzptlk’s fire of acid, killing him and leaving Superman and Robin shocked. Once Bat-Mite realises that his hero is really dead, he begins crying. He then blames Superman for not sending Mister Mxyzptlk back home and he kills Superman using red sun rays from a giant magnifying glass. In revenge, Mister Mxyzptlk kills Robin by using a hole-puncher. Then, Mister Mxyzptlk summons a large stack of newspapers and drops them on Lois Lane, telling her that she is dumb for not finding out that Clark Kent was Superman. Mister Mxyzptlk then drops the Daily Planet’s globe on Jimmy Olsen and Perry White, sending them to heaven. Suddenly, Batwoman, Batgirl, Ace the Bat-Hound and Supergirl arrive to find the dead bodies of the World’s Finest team. Once they all begin to cry (including Bat-Mite), Mister Mxyzptlk traps the heroes in giant green kryptonite tissues, which crush the heroes to death. Then, Mister Mxyzptlk is attacked by the Legion of Super-Pets, consisting of Krypto the Super-Dog, Streaky the Super-Cat, Beppo the Super-Monkey and Comet the Super-Horse. After Mister Mxyzptlk defeats them using fleas, he gives Lex Luthor long hair which chokes him while tickling the Joker to death. Suddenly, the Justice League of America arrives, consisting of Wonder Woman, the Flash, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, Aquaman and Green Arrow. Hiding from the fight, Bat-Mite watches Mister Mxyzptlk defeat all the Justice League, including Snapper Carr before the Legion of Super-Heroes appear from the 30th Century, telling Mister Mxyzptlk that they have been witnessing his evil acts. However, the Legion disappear into nothingness as Mister Mxyzptlk has already destroyed their future earth. Ticking his hit-list off, Mister Mxyzptlk realises that Bat-Mite has escaped, and he chases after him, attempting to kill him. However, Mister Mxyzptlk finds Bat-Mite in Metropolis covered with the word “KLTPZYXM”, which if said by Mister Mxyzptlk, send him back to the fifth dimension. Ignoring the word, Mister Mxyzptlk chases after Bat-Mite into Gotham City and beyond into Paradise Island, before they head into space and physically fight while holding onto the Earth. Suddenly, the Spectre appears, ordering the imps to release the earth and pay for their childish actions. Although Bat-Mite agrees, Mister Mxyzptlk picks up the earth and smashes it against the Spectre’s head, knocking him out. Then, Mister Mxyzptlk throws the moon at Bat-Mite. Mister Mxyzptlk and Bat-Mite fight over different galaxies, before they cause the universe to explode and end. Believing Bat-Mite can’t escape anymore, Bat-Mite proves him wrong by vanishing. Mister Mxyzptlk follows him into the Phantom Zone, where he catches Bat-Mite, but once again, he vanishes. Annoyed, Mister Mxyzptlk destroys the Phantom Zone and follows Bat-Mite to Earth-2, where they are met by Doctor Fate, Superman and Hawkman of the Justice Society of America. After the heroes decide to call a meeting about what they should do with the imps, they meet with Batman, The Atom, Wonder Woman, The Sandman, Johnny Thunder, Starman, Doctor Mid-Nite, Hourman, Green Lantern and the Flash. The JSA decide to go and fight Mister Mxyzptlk and Bat-Mite. However, the fight is short and Mister Mxyzptlk defeats the heroes in a flash, while Johnny Thunder’s Thunderbolt flees from the scene, recognising the two imps. Then, the Spectre arrives and is shocked to find his fellow heroes dead, but Mister Mxyzptlk kills him while Bat-Mite escapes to Earth-3. Witnessing the Crime Syndicate of America (consisting of Ultraman, Owlman, Superwoman, Johnny Quick and Power Ring), Bat-Mite is then attacked by them, but they are stopped when Mister Mxyzptlk arrives, as he tears apart their universe. Mister Mxyzptlk then chases Bat-Mite to Earth-X where they are found by the Freedom Fighters, consisting of Uncle Sam, Phantom Lady, Ray and the Human Bomb (both of whom are stunned by Phantom Lady’s breasts. Mister Mxyzptlk uses his magic to make Human Bomb giant and he explodes, sending Bat-Mite and Mister Mxyzptlk to Earth-S. Searching for Bat-Mite, Mister Mxyzptlk meets Mr Mind’s Society of Evil, consisting of many villains, including Doctor Sivana and Mr Mind himself, a tiny worm creature. Mister Mxyzptlk kills all the members of Mr Mind’s team before crushing him under his foot. Suddenly, Bat-Mite arrives with the Marvel family, consisting of Captain Marvel, Marvel Junior, Mary Marvel, Tall Billy, Hill Billy, Fat Billy, Hoppy the Marvel Bunny and Mr Tawky Tawnky, a talking tiger. Confused, Mister Mxyzptlk removes the Wisdom of Solomon from the heroes and destroys the universe. On Earth-C, Bat-Mite is found by Mister Mxyzptlk hiding with Captain Carrot and his Amazing Zoo Crew. However, Mister Mxyzptlk attacks the heroes and once again, destroys the universe. Next, Mister Mxyzptlk follows a frightened Bat-Mite into the real world, where they quickly become paranoid and they leave. Afterwards, Bat-Mite tries to get Mister Mxyzptlk to say his name backwards to make him disappear, but it fails. Then, Mister Mxyzptlk comes up with an idea. He heads back to the fifth dimension and he erases it from existence, before heading back to Bat-Mite and telling him that they can never return. Sad, Bat-Mite worries about his friends and family, before Mister Mxyzptlk prepares to kill him. But, as a distraction, Bat-Mite asks Mister Mxyzptlk to say his first name. But, once Mister Mxyzptlk begins saying his first name, it is a random assortment of letters and Bat-Mite becomes bored. He escapes to Apokolips, where he hides behind Darkseid and his minions. Mister Mxyzptlk appears and tries to fight Bat-Mite, but Darkseid intervenes by using his Omega Effect on Mister Mxyzptlk. But he is unharmed, and he destroys Apokolips, leaving a note for Darkseid which states that Mister Mxyzptlk plus Bat-Mite are the formula for the Anti-Life Equation. Arriving in the Super Friends (continued)
Earth, Bat-Mite and Mister Mxyzptlk find the heroes, who realise that the two imps are dangerous. However, Mister Mxyzptlk quickly defeats the heroes, along with Wendy, Marvin and Wonder Dog. But Mister Mxyzptlk is intrigued with the Wonder Twins and their pet monkey Gleek. Once Mister Mxyzptlk learns that they can transform into the shape of any animal, he destroys the universe and follows Bat-Mite into the Animated Universe. There, Mister Mxyzptlk destroys the Daily Planet building and is confronted by Superman and Batman, but Mister Mxyzptlk smashes them together with his hands, transforming them into Composite Superman, before they die. Then, Mister Mxyzptlk chases Bat-Mite to Earth-31 (or the Dark Knight Universe) where they find an aged Superman and Batman fighting one another. Quickly, Mister Mxyzptlk kills Robin (Carrie Kelly) and Green Arrow, before destroying Superman and punching Batman in the face repeatedly until all his teeth fall out, before he dies from a heart attack. Then, Bat-Mite arrives in Post-Zero Hour New Earth, where new heroes such as Impulse, Creeper and Lobo don’t recognise Bat-Mite and think he is a threat. Then, Bat-Mite finds Batman, who doesn’t recognise the imp. Then, Aquaman attacks Bat-Mite, who retaliates by destroying him. Bat-Mite then goes around destroying everybody while Mister Mxyzptlk watches. After Mister Mxyzptlk kills Superman, he follows Bat-Mite into another New Earth, one straight after the events of Crisis on Infinite Earth. There, Superman is making a speech about how they have all survived, but suddenly, Mister Mxyzptlk chases after Bat-Mite, before he attacks Superman with a kryptonite tombstone. Then, all the heroes attack Mister Mxyzptlk, but he easily defeats them all, leading Superman to believe that all their efforts in the Crisis were pointless. Mister Mxyzptlk then destroys the universe and chases Bat-Mite through the Timestream with Rip Hunter. The chase continues on Earth-AD with the Atomic Knights; in the past with the Five Warriors from Forever; Earth-4 with the Question, Blue Beetle and Judomaster; during World War One with Enemy Ace; on Gemworld with Amethyst; in Heaven with Deadman and Jimmy Olsen; then in the War of Independence with Miss Liberty; World War Two with Sgt Rock and the Losers; Earth-AD again with Kamandi; deep in space with Space Cabbie and Ultra the Multi-Alien; the 25th Century with Booster Gold and Skeet; the Tagent Comics world with Batman, Superman and Green Lantern; the world of ‘Mazing Man; the world of Sugar and Spike; the world of Stanley and his monster; Earth-1 with the Challengers of the Unknown; in the 853rd Century with the Atom, Aquaman, Batman and Superman; in space with the Space Ranger and Cyrll; the world of Anthro; in Skartaris with Warlord and Tara; the world of Super-Turtle; the world of the Inferior Five; the world of Abra Kadabra; the world of Professor Zoom; Earth-AD with OMAC/Brother Eye and lastly, Gotham’s near future with Batman Beyond. At the very end of the multiverse, an enraged Mister Mxyzptlk appears on Earth-22 (Earth of Kingdom Come), where Bat-Mite hides in a huge fight between the heroes. Then, Mister Mxyzptlk notices his hand beginning to melt and he screams, shattering Earth-22 and destroying the multiverse, (continued)
leaving just him and Bat-Mite in a blank void of nothingness. Pledging to kill Bat-Mite, Mister Mxyzptlk throws a magic bomb at him, but it bounces back and hits him. Afterwards, Mister Mxyzptlk and Bat-Mite begin laughing and they hug one another. They reverse everything they have done in a millisecond and appear back on Earth-1 where Superman, Batman and Robin have just captured Lex Luthor and the Joker. Mister Mxyzptlk and Bat-Mite agree to meet the same time next Tuesday. They then laugh as they watch the three heroes feel confused that something may have happened to them…
MY THOUGHTS
Not to criticise or fault any other of the Elseworlds stories at the time, but I think World’s Funnest has something huge in its favour, and that is its sense of originality and uniqueness. For starters, not only does the story feature the two Silver Age imps which had been lost in time, but it also features a plot that doesn’t try to take itself seriously and when it appears to be (i.e. Dark Knight Universe pages), you know that it is simply a satirical portrayal of darker stories which plagued comics during the late 1980s and 1990s. The first twenty pages of so of the story take place in Mister Mxyzptlk’s and Bat-Mite’s most prominent time, the middle of the Silver Age. Dorkin excellently recreates the mood and feeling of a World Finest story. The very beginning with Superman, Batman and Robin after capturing Lex Luthor and the Joker is a very retro way to start off and the appearances of other characters such as Jimmy Olsen and Lois Lane really make the story feel like it belongs in the Silver Age. This whole first scene featuring Mister Mxyzptlk and Bat-Mite killing their favourite heroes and pretty much every other hero in the DC Universe makes some great reading and one of the aspects that works in its favour is that it is never gory or bloody. Sure, it can be quite violent, particularly the deaths of Batman and Robin, but its in a very cartoony and humorous way. Not just that, but the first twenty pages recreate the whole Silver
Age, not just the Batman and Superman side of things. We see the Justice League of America, the Legion of Super-Heroes, Legion of Super-Pets, the Spectre and many more. This works brilliantly as it is often one of the most overlooked periods in DC’s history, since most modern fans neglect the era, calling it silly and stupid. However, what’s wrong with that? It is true that I do prefer the gothic Batman under Dennis O’Neil and Neal Adams, but the 1950s and early 1960s era can be so much fun. Of course, written primarily as a comedic take on DC’s Multiverse, Dorkin’s knowledge of it is vast and because of that, there are literally loads of characters that appear throughout. After Mister Mxyzptlk knocks out the Spectre with the Earth, one of the best moments of the whole story, you are taken on a huge trip across the DC Multiverse and there are uncountable moments where you just stop and look at the pages, pointing out different characters and wondering how Dorkin remembered that ones such as Judomaster and Anthro actually existed. I would say that my favourite universes that Mister Mxyzptlk chases Bat-Mite through are the DCAU and Kingdom Come, but honestly, they are all great since it actually provides more depth to the somewhat two-dimensional (literally and metaphorically) characters of Mister Mxyzptlk and Bat-Mite. One of the greatest moments in the book is when they arrive in the real world. There is barely any dialogue and they are only present for just about a page, but its their reactions to our world. They are completely terrified, and they actually learn that despite their powers, they simply can’t invade or attack our world, since they are magic creatures that don’t exist. I may be looking into it somewhat deeper than I’m meant to, but that’s what I think. In fact, on the topic of the different universes and how it can reflect the main two characters, the real villain of this story is Mister Mxyzptlk, since he is the one chasing Bat-Mite and destroying pretty much anything he sees in front of him. As I mentioned earlier, Bat-Mite isn’t really a villain and here, they capture that brilliantly. He is like an over-excited child that causes much more mischief than damage. The only real time in the story that we see Bat-Mite become the villain is when he visits the New Earth universe, which was DC’s mainstream universe post Crisis on Infinite Earths, but before Flashpoint. There, Bat-Mite can’t believe how different his Batman is or any other hero for that matter. He mistakes Aquaman for a pirate at one point and then kills him, along with lots of other heroes. That moment is so hard-hitting for a character of Bat-Mite. He also realises that the DC Universe has moved on from him and the days of playing games and being joyous ended long ago. There are also many moments with Mister Mxyzptlk when he sees other villains in the DC Multiverse, such as Doctor Mind’s Society of Evil, and he realises how useless a lot of the other villains are, which makes for some very comedic moments. Obviously, Mister Mxyzptlk kills anybody, whether they are good or evil, yet he isn’t the complete terror that he tries to be. For instance, in another favourite moment of mine, Mister Mxyzptlk saves Bat-Mite from being killed by the Crime Syndicate of America on Earth-3. It not only hints at the very ending of the story where everything is revealed to be just a game, but it also hints that Mister Mxyzptlk and Bat-Mite might just be friends, in a very twisted and strange way. What Dorkin does brilliantly in a mere sixty pages is to make two of the strangest creatures in DC’s long list of characters actually feel real. Both Mister Mxyzptlk and Bat-Mite experience different emotions throughout the book and by the end, you really feel like you get to know these characters. Speaking of Dorkin’s very good writing, he brilliantly changes his writing style to reflect the different artists in different scenes. For example, in the Dark Knight Universe, the dialoguing is very grim, yet funny at the same time. It reads very gritty and in a rather cinematic way, emulating Frank Miller’s writing style. The same goes the pages set on Apokolips, in which Darkseid’s dialogue is very similar something Kirby himself would have written. The pages set directly after Crisis on Infinite Earths are also incredibly strong, since when Mister Mxyzptlk basically kills all the heroes who fought against the Anti-Monitor and nearly died, Superman becomes morbidly depressed and believes that everything they did in the Crisis was a waste, since two imps effectively beat them to death with magic. Lastly, the Kingdom Come scene is another of my favourites. It isn’t only because of Alex Ross’s wonderful paints, but also because of Mister Mxyzptlk’s dialogue. After chasing Bat-Mite over an uncountable number of universes, he has grown angry and murderous, to the point where he just destroys the universe to find Bat-Mite. That is an epic moment that Ross’s art brings to life so well and dramatically. Finally, we get to the ending, which some may think is anti-climactic, but really, could you think of better ending. Honestly, it is such a great way to end the story and it really presents how powerful the two imps are. Seriously, once Mister Mxyzptlk and Bat-Mite laugh about all the carnage and destruction they have caused, they just reverse it and agree to do it again next week. It just sums up their playful, yet dangerous attitudes they have. For a fan, particularly one of comic books pre-2000, there are so many brilliant references and moments in this story, to the point where I would name this the best Elseworlds story of them all. It is incredibly humorous in a real and genuine way, and that’s not just the story I’m talking about. The few pages crediting Dorkin and all the artists at the back is very funny and there are tons of bad puns and jokes at very back of the book. To me, it is and will always be one which I will revisit. Whether it be the humour, the references, or even the great character writing, this is undeniably a flawless classic to me.
Although Dave Gibbons draws the introduction and conclusion the story, there are a huge number of other artists which draw Dorkin’s epic chase between Mister Mxyzptlk and Bat-Mite brilliantly. Starting with Gibbons, his art feels so natural here, as if the style he is drawing the Earth-1 scenes is actually his regular art-style. Honestly, his normal art is very reminiscent of the Silver Age, even in darker stories such as Watchmen. It just looks so classic and it fits right at home with the time it is meant to be set. Then, Mike Allred’s page in the Phantom Zone looks great and also looks very similar to how it looked in the 1960s. Next, we have Sheldon Moldoff, and this must have been one of his last art jobs at DC, since he 80 years when this story was published. His art looks great and it’s amazing to see how even after six long decades, his art is still as great as it once was. Stuart Immonen and Joe Giella draw the page featuring the Crime Syndicate and it is very much like Mike Sekowsky’s art and it is so much more authentic with Giella inking it. Frank Cho’s art featuring the Freedom Fighters also looks fantastic as its very faithful to the original character designs, which had changed quite radically during the 1990s. Despite the fact that I’m really not a fan of the 1940s art style of C. C Beck, Jaime Hernandez’s art is very faithful, and I really like it because of that. Also, it blends well with Dorkin’s comedic dialogue, particularly with Mister Mxyzptlk. Co-Creator of Captain Carrot and his Amazing Zoo Crew’s Co-Creator Scott Shaw returns here and despite not liking the characters, it works here with the comedic touches from Dorkin’s writing. The scenes in the real world, photographed by Stephen DeStefano, work very well and Jim Woodring’s art (continued)
when Mister Mxyzptlk returns to the fifth dimension is very slapstick and once again, fits right at home with Dorkin’s plot. Then, we get one of the real highlights of the book in terms of its art and that is David Mazzucchelli’s fantastic Jack Kirby impression featuring Darkseid and Apokolips. It is an incredibly strong scene because of it and at times, you would almost believe that this was Jack Kirby. Now, I have never watched the Super Friends animated series and after watching Aquaman somehow flying in its intro, I’m even more turned off. However, Jay Stephens art recreates the animation very well and in a comedic way. On the other hand, I am a huge fan of the DCAU animations, such as Batman: The Animated Series and Justice League. Because of this, the pages by Glen Murakami with inks by Bruce Timm look fantastic and it really is another high point of the book, particularly the reference to Composite Superman. As you will be discovering in many of the forthcoming posts in the next few months, I really don’t like Frank Miller’s art. From the mid-1980s and especially since the 2000s, his art is simply hideous and it often looks rushed, lazy and messy. Yet, I love it here since Dorkin’s script rather makes fun of it and Miller’s storytelling. Whether it be the captions with grim descriptions or the overly dramatic page layouts, I almost think Miller was laughing himself. But I lean more to the fact that he didn’t know that he was being made fun of. For the current DC Universe at the time, Doug Mahnke and Norm Rampund’s style is rather ugly but it works with the story, especially since Bat-Mite struggles to see how the heroes of today are like those of his time. As the metaphorical son of George Perez’s art style, Phil Jimenez excellently recreates Perez’s art for Crisis on Infinite Earths, with create crowd scenes and action. Next, Ty Templton brilliantly draws so many other worlds in the DC Multiverse and they all look great. Some highlights to me would his depiction of Earth-4 and the Charlton Heroes, along with Earth-AD and the Atomic Knights. But there are so many others such as Space Cabbie, Batman Beyond and the Challengers of the Unknown. Lastly, we have one of the most shocking pieces of art of them all and that is Alex Ross. On paper, you really wouldn’t think his art style would work with Dorkin’s script or even characters such as Mister Mxyzptlk and Bat-Mite. However, they work so well and it’s impossible to explain how. Just look at them and you’ll see how fantastic they are. Really, with this huge number of artists, you’d think there would be many art styles which I really wouldn’t like and there are. I really dislike Frank Miller’s art and I’m not keen on Doug Mahnke’s work. Yet, all their styles work with this book, even when you’d think that they simply wouldn’t…
VERDICT
Overall, Superman and Batman: World’s Funnest isn’t just one of, if the not the greatest, Elseworlds story of all time, but it is also one of DC’s best comics they have ever released. The reasoning is very simple. It is just so much fun, something which most comics from the 2000s didn’t have enough of, or any of. Dorkin floods the pages of this comic with references that sad fans such as me absolutely adore and he is one of the few writers to make both Mister Mxyzptlk and Bat-Mite into great characters without much irony. Well, quite a bit irony but you know what I mean. The huge array of artists really works in this book’s favour, since they all recreate the DC Multiverse excellently well. Sure, there are many artists whose art I really don’t like (Yes, I’m looking at Frank Miller), but it all just works so well here and their own unique portrayals of the two mischievous imps are fantastic to witness…
Story: 10/10
Art: 10/10
Next Week: Deadman: Requiem (Adventure Comics 459-466, DC Comics Presents 24). Written by Len Wein and Gerry Conway with art by Jim Aparo, Jose Luis Garcia Lopez, Dick Giordano and Frank Chiaramonte. Expected by 26/07/2020.
Comments