The Bizarre World of DC Comics: Exploring the Strangest DC Comics Ever

When it comes to the vast universe of DC Comics, there are numerous instances that defy logic and conventional storytelling. Some of these reboots and retellings are intentionally surreal, while others stumble into the strange almost accidentally. This article will explore some of the most notable examples of weird and bizarre DC Comics, delving into their origins and the mindset behind them.

Intentionally Surreal and Designed to Be Weird

Perhaps one of the most surreal reworkings of a beloved character is the “Scooby Apocalypse,” a reboot of the Scooby-Doo series. This comic series takes the beloved mysteries of the Scooby gang and transmutes them into a surreal narrative filled with bizarre elements and plot turns. While it can be argued that the intentionally surreal is designed to be weird, there are also archetypal examples within the DC Comics universe that truly fall into this category.

Grant Morrison’s Brutal Imagination

Grant Morrison is known for his mind-bending storytelling, and his runs on Doom Patrol and Animal Man are prime examples. In Doom Patrol, the heroes inhabit a universe that’s almost incomprehensibly strange, filled with absurd elements like army-of-mathematical-abstractions, giant scissor-wielding zombie nuns, and a telekinetic Charles Atlas advertisement who constantly follows a neon sign reading “Hero of the Beach.” For comparison, Animal Man focuses more on a character’s existential crisis, which may seem at first blush to be somewhat surreal, but it pales in comparison to the sheer oddity of the world in Doom Patrol.

The Original Steve Ditko

Steve Ditko’s work is characterized by a level of oddity that’s practically mind-bending. With stories like Shade: The Changing Man, Ditko’s original run is certainly among the most bizarre. For instance, in Shade the Changing Man, the tale of dimension hopping Metan fugitive and poet Rac Shade takes place in a literal void of manifest madness. Ditko’s tales often blur the line between reality and the surreal, making it hard to determine where his narrative control ends and his own sanity begins. Consider his parallel work on Mr. A, a story filled with an uninterrupted internal monologue about the selfish nature of mankind. Ditko’s original stories are always tough to nail down, often intentionally so.

Hidden Weirdest in the Golden and Silver Ages

Delving even deeper into the past, the Golden and Silver Ages of DC Comics present a treasure trove of bizarre sexuality and plot elements. Many of these were designed to explore the sexual undercurrents of the time, which were often repressed or candidly expressed.

William Moulton Marston’s Wonder Woman

William Moulton Marston’s original run on Wonder Woman, written during the 1940s, is perhaps the most notorious for its explicit fetish and bondage content. An example is the story “Grown Down Land,” which features a bound Diana being ritually spanked for the entertainment of an audience of babies. This story wasn’t a mistake; Marston was a polyamorist, bondage enthusiast, and Harvard-trained sexual psychologist, and Wonder Woman was created to introduce the public to various sexual practices and his personal philosophies on the role of bondage.

The Strangeness of The Comics Code Authority

Following the Comics Code Authority’s implementation in 1954, there was an attempt to moralize and sanitze comics. However, the repression of sexuality often led to even more bizarre content. As a result, comics became even more surrealist and alienated from reality. An example is the story “Worlds Finest #289” by Doug Moench, Adrian Gonzales, and Sal Trapani, which explores the complex and possibly homoerotic relationship between Batman and Superman before suddenly shifting to full-blown tentacle sex. While this might seem shocking, the CCA censors didn’t bat an eye due to the non-human nature of the protagonists in the scene.

The Bizarro World of Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen

The ongoing serialized psychotic break that is Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen is another example of the bizarre elements within DC’s universe. The comic is filled with disturbing and surreal content, pushing the boundaries of what was acceptable at the time. This is in stark contrast to the super-heroic adventures typically associated with the Golden and Silver Ages.

Superman’s Girlfriend Lois Lane

Superman’s Girlfriend Lois Lane also has a serialized narrative that is full of bizarre and absurd plot twists. At times, it seems to crack under the pressure of perpetual dramatic development, resulting in a story that is as unpredictable and strange as it is memorable.

Conclusion

DC Comics, with its rich and diverse universe, has a penchant for the strange and surreal. From the intentionally eerie to the accidentally bizarre, these reboots and retellings remind us that sometimes the weirdest moments come from trying to make sense of a world that seems inherently nonsensical. Whether designed to be weird or stumbled into, these stories are a testament to the enduring creativity and imagination of DC’s writers and artists.