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alexrobinsonsupergenius's review against another edition
If they collected this can 'MAZING MAN really be far behind??
verkisto's review
4.0
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.
nickpalmieri's review
2.0
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.
rickklaw's review
5.0
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 [a:Keith Giffen|10305|Geoff Johns|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1235508544p2/10305.jpg] and scripter [a:Robert Loren Fleming|238629|Robert Loren Fleming|http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto/nophoto-U-50x66.jpg], 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.
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