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REVIEW: DC Meets Looney Tunes

When you think crossovers, you don’t generally think “Batman and Elmer Fudd duking it out.” But sometimes the unexpected arrives, and this time it truly delivered.

“DC Meets Looney Tunes” (published February 14, 2018, 248 pages) is an anthology book containing the original crossover run from 2017, collecting Legion of Super-Heroes/Bugs Bunny Special #1, Martian Manhunter/Marvin The Martian Special #1, Wonder Woman/Tasmanian Devil Special #1, Lobo/Road Runner Special #1, Jonah Hex/Yosemite Sam Special #1, and Batman/Elmer Fudd Special #1.

Each crossover story updates the Looney Tunes characters and injects them into the DC Universe. The Tasmanian Devil becomes a monster lurking inside the Greek Labyrinth. Yosemite Sam and Foghorn Leghorn are thrust into the grit and grime of the old west. Wmer Fudd becomes a hitman, wandewing the wain soaked stweets of Gotham. In each tale, writers Tom King & co. make the transition feel as seamless as it does brilliant.

In Batman/Elmer Fudd, there’s a bar named “Porky’s” with a stammering bartender, and bar patrons who speak exactly like the Looney Tunes characters you love.

Another highlight comes in Lobo/Road Runner, where Wile E. and Road Runner are genetic experiments run amok. Sam Sheepdog makes an appearance in this one, also as a genetic experiment, and it’s one of those weirdly brilliant things that works.

At the end of each tale, there’s a backup story done in the classic Looney Tunes style. These stories generally recap the prior tale or add a comedic twist to it, such as Taz serenading the Amazons, or Bugs Bunny declaring it “Bat Season.”

Most importantly, the writing and art are really solid. These aren’t just cash-grab stories: they had a lot of forethought and love put into them. It’s the characters that sell each issue, and you’ll feel you got your money’s worth after reading.

Some of the stories in this anthology are weaker than others. Legion of Super-Heroes/Bugs Bunny Special and Martian Manhunter/Marvin The Martian Special are both clever, but not of the same caliber as the other issues. That said, the rest are truly amazing works that don’t play around with their crossover appeal. You’ll read these and, no joke, the thought of a live-action adaptation won’t just make sense, it will feel almost inevitable.

Now, where’s my Scarecrow/Pepé Le Pew comic?

★★★★★
5/5 Stars

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