Ambush Bug: Nothing Special
Encyclopedia
Ambush Bug: Nothing Special is a one-shot comic book
from DC Comics
that features Ambush Bug
.
, a minor and long-neglected DC character, trying to get back into comic book stardom. The segments are told in a free-form, stream of consciousness style that is explained within the book itself as the writers (Keith Giffen
and Robert Loren Fleming
) getting drunk in a bar while plotting the special.
First, Ambush Bug tries to find a job with comic heroes, but utterly fails to make a good impression with Swamp Thing
, Aquaman
, Valor, the Doom Patrol
, Sandman
and Lobo. When Giffen and Fleming switch to drinking Japan
ese beer, they turn part of the comic manga
style; Ambush Bug's Japan
ese counterpart, "Mitsu Bishi," beats up a manga artist. This then leads to Ambush Bug, now a copy boy in the DC offices, thinking he would make a great "goodwill ambassador" for DC Comics, only to learn Julius Schwartz
holds that job for life. Thus, Bug uses a time machine to travel to the future, but no matter how far he goes Schwartz is still alive—even into the future of the Legion of Super-Heroes
, where "Julie Lad" torments him further.
After being kicked out of the afterlife by Death
when his name doesn't appear on either her "living" or "dead" list of DC characters, Ambush Bug learns that there is a big summer crossover he wasn't invited to. He thus tries to get in by summoning Eclipso
, but only got his plumber brother. This apparently drives Bug insane, as he is next seen in Arkham Asylum
where, in a loose parody of The Silence of the Lambs
, Sugar
enlists his aid in tracking down Schwartz, who is apparently doing away with the comedy-based characters of DC's past.
Finally, in a parody of Beauty and the Beast
, Bug is kissed by the Beast who then turns into his human form: Julius Schwartz!
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
from DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
that features Ambush Bug
Ambush Bug
Ambush Bug is a fictional character who has appeared in several comic books published by DC Comics.His real name is supposedly Irwin Schwab, but he has mental problems that prevent him from truly understanding reality around him, so even his true identity might be no more than a delusion on his part...
.
Plot
The book is a collection of several loosely-defined stories that spoof DC continuity in a broad sense, all built around the central idea of Ambush BugAmbush Bug
Ambush Bug is a fictional character who has appeared in several comic books published by DC Comics.His real name is supposedly Irwin Schwab, but he has mental problems that prevent him from truly understanding reality around him, so even his true identity might be no more than a delusion on his part...
, a minor and long-neglected DC character, trying to get back into comic book stardom. The segments are told in a free-form, stream of consciousness style that is explained within the book itself as the writers (Keith Giffen
Keith Giffen
Keith Ian Giffen is an American comic book illustrator and writer.-Biography:Giffen was born in Queens, New York City....
and Robert Loren Fleming
Robert Loren Fleming
Robert Loren Fleming is an American comic book writer.-Biography:Fleming worked for DC Comics initially as a proofreader and later writer, creating Thriller, and was writing an Aquaman limited series and one-shot special in 1989 with plotter/breakdown artist Keith Giffen and artist Curt Swan.He is...
) getting drunk in a bar while plotting the special.
First, Ambush Bug tries to find a job with comic heroes, but utterly fails to make a good impression with Swamp Thing
Swamp Thing
Swamp Thing, a fictional character, is a plant elemental in the created by Len Wein and Berni Wrightson. He first appeared in House of Secrets #92 in a stand-alone horror story set in the early 20th century . The Swamp Thing then returned in his own series, set in the contemporary world and in...
, Aquaman
Aquaman
Aquaman is a fictional superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in More Fun Comics #73 . Initially a backup feature in DC's anthology titles, Aquaman later starred in several volumes of a solo title...
, Valor, the Doom Patrol
Doom Patrol
The Doom Patrol is a superhero team appearing in publications from DC Comics. The original Doom Patrol first appeared in My Greatest Adventure #80...
, Sandman
Sandman (DC Comics)
Sandman is the name of seven fictional characters, superheroes appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. All are connected in one way or the other, though there are three largely dissimilar concepts, with two or three persons having served in each role various times...
and Lobo. When Giffen and Fleming switch to drinking Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese beer, they turn part of the comic manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
style; Ambush Bug's Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese counterpart, "Mitsu Bishi," beats up a manga artist. This then leads to Ambush Bug, now a copy boy in the DC offices, thinking he would make a great "goodwill ambassador" for DC Comics, only to learn Julius Schwartz
Julius Schwartz
Julius "Julie" Schwartz was a comic book and pulp magazine editor, and a science fiction agent and prominent fan. He was born in the Bronx, New York...
holds that job for life. Thus, Bug uses a time machine to travel to the future, but no matter how far he goes Schwartz is still alive—even into the future of the Legion of Super-Heroes
Legion of Super-Heroes
The Legion of Super-Heroes is a fictional superhero team in the 30th and 31st centuries of the . The team first appears in Adventure Comics #247 , and was created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino....
, where "Julie Lad" torments him further.
After being kicked out of the afterlife by Death
Death (DC Comics)
Death is a fictional character from the DC comic book series, The Sandman . The character first appeared in The Sandman vol. 2, #8 , and was created by Neil Gaiman and Mike Dringenberg....
when his name doesn't appear on either her "living" or "dead" list of DC characters, Ambush Bug learns that there is a big summer crossover he wasn't invited to. He thus tries to get in by summoning Eclipso
Eclipso
Eclipso is a fictional supervillain in the DC Comics Universe. The character is the incarnation of the Wrath of God and the Angel of Vengeance that turned evil and was replaced by the Spectre...
, but only got his plumber brother. This apparently drives Bug insane, as he is next seen in Arkham Asylum
Arkham Asylum
The Elizabeth Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane, commonly referred to simply as Arkham Asylum, is a fictional psychiatric hospital in the DC Comics Universe, usually appearing in stories featuring Batman...
where, in a loose parody of The Silence of the Lambs
The Silence of the Lambs
The Silence of the Lambs is a 1991 American thriller film that blends elements of the crime and horror genres. It was directed by Jonathan Demme and stars Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Ted Levine, and Scott Glenn...
, Sugar
Sugar and Spike
Sugar and Spike is the name of a comic book series published by DC Comics from 1956 through 1992, and the names of the main protagonists. Sugar and Spike was created, written and drawn by Sheldon Mayer.-Publication history:...
enlists his aid in tracking down Schwartz, who is apparently doing away with the comedy-based characters of DC's past.
Finally, in a parody of Beauty and the Beast
Beauty and the Beast
Beauty and the Beast is a traditional fairy tale. The first published version of the fairy tale was a rendition by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve, published in La jeune américaine, et les contes marins in 1740...
, Bug is kissed by the Beast who then turns into his human form: Julius Schwartz!
Awards
The one-shot won the R.A.C. "Squiddy" Award for Favorite Graphic Novel in 1992.External links
- Ambush Bug: Nothing Special at the DC Database Project