Sunday, June 09, 2013

365 Days of DC House Ads, Day 160: He knows his mind all right, your Anti-Superman


House ad for World's Finest Comics #159 (August 1966); printed in Batman #182 (July-August 1966)
Comic cover art: pencils by Curt Swan, inks by George Klein, letters by Ira Schnapp

What's this? Anti-Superman and Anti-Batman? Why, this sounds like the Silver Ageiest comic book of them all! Let's take a look!


Panels from "The Cape and Cowl Crooks" in World's Finest Comics #159 (August 1966), script by Edmond Hamilton, pencils by Curt Swan, inks by George Klein

Anti-Superman and Anti-Batman! They're Clark and Bruce's aunties evil doubles! They're paying Superman back for what he and Batman have done to "great men" like Luthor, Brainiac and Pen...BWAH-HA-HA-HA-HA! No, I'm sorry, I couldn't complete that sentence with the word "Penguin" and still keep a straight face.


Everything Superman and Batman aren't, they are! Like ruthless, evil, and disobedient of common traffic laws and courtesies. Here, Anti-Batman anti-swipes Batman into a statue of himself. Holy Antidisestablishmentarianism, Batman!


How distressing is this macabre chain of events? So distressing that Lois Lane can't get her job done! So...business pretty much as usual then, huh?


Anti-Batman: unmasked! Why, it appears to be the time-traveling young Officer Jim Gordon, fresh from his appearance in Batman: Year Minus Ten. And he would have gotten away with it too, if it weren't for you meddling caped crusaders!


Which can only mean that Anti-Superman can be but one single person: young Lex Luthor Perry White! After exposing themselves to a formula that turns them evil (aka Arby's Horsey Sauce), Jim and Perry decide to de-age themselves in order to create mischief and havoc for the World's Finest team. That...that makes sense...by Silver Age standards...kind of.



Anti-Superman and Anti-Batman! Beware, because they just might be...your closest friends! And maybe, just maybe, if you're good, they'll come back in the New 52. THIS I SWEAR.

1 comment:

SallyP said...

They just don't write stuff like this nowadays...and it's a darned shame.