Tuesday, January 1, 2013

2012 Robot Chicken: DC Comics Special



The officially authorized Cartoon Network stop-motion parody of DC Comics somehow managed to reference Sinestro's vagina, but didn't have much use for the Manhunter from Mars, although there was a similar capacity for gender-bending.

J'Onn J'Onzz had a cameo in the Challenge of the Superfriends inspired opening sequence, substituting for both Samurai and Green Lantern Hal Jordan (the latter subbing for Robin, curiously) as the last guy flying in from stage right.

In one sketch, Superman, Batman, Green Lantern and Aquaman have a bet on who can pick up a woman at a nightclub while in full costume. Everyone strikes out, but Aquaman has the distinct discomfort of trying to "talk to tuna," only to find that he'd hit on J'Onn J'Onzz in shapeshift-drag. "I have a life outside the team, you know." The other guys laugh at how the Sea King got "Manhuntered."

As part of a subplot that brought the show to a close, teamwide disrespect for Aquaman includes his lobster pals the Johnsons walking right up to the door of the Watchtower, only to be boiled alive by Chef J'Onzz. When Arthur gets hysterical about the murder of his loved ones, J'Onn says "Aquaman, I hear you... Can we still eat the lobsters?" Later, Lex Luthor appeared to successfully apply a choke hold to the Alien Atlas. J'Onn also mourns at a funeral, but not the good one.

As you might have guessed, none of the above were favorite bits, not for a lack of sense of humor on my part, but because they just weren't that great. I much preferred the Bane running gag and the burials of Captain Carrot (shades of Chuckles the Clown) and Abin Sur. The big battle also has some quality rapid fire gags, including a fighting mad Wonder Woman and "Joker toxin." Seth Green provided both Martian Manhunter's digitized wonky and Aquaman's effete voices.

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