There are a lot of reasons to be thankful for Weird Al Yankovic. His parody songs that will make you never think of eBay or aluminum foil or polka music the same way again. His 2022 biopic, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, which featured an astonishingly-good lead performance by Daniel Radcliffe. And now, Al is headed into the DC Universe in the biggest way yet.
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Earlier this month, the publisher announced Batman/Superman/Weird Al: World’s Weirdest #1, a new 40-page one-shot that will have Yankovic crossing over with DC’s biggest superheroes. The issue will be released wherever comics are sold on Wednesday, September 2nd.
Batman/Superman/Weird Al: World’s Weirdest #1 will be written by ongoing World’s Finest writer Mark Waid, with “vibes” provided by Yankovic himself and art by Dan Schoening. Variant covers for the issue will be illustrated by Schoening, Mark Spears, Riley Rossmo, and Jerry Gaylord. Batman/Superman/Weird Al: World’s Weirdest #1, promises to “celebrates the joy of the unexpected and the power of embracing the wonderfully weird.”
According to DC’s official description for Batman/Superman/Weird Al: World’s Weirdest #1, “the fifth dimension is being hit with an affliction that turns everything dull and ordinary, but as Mr. Mxyzptlk reaches out to Superman and Batman for help, the same plague has struck Earth! Instead of dialing H for a hero, there’s only one person to call: “Weird Al”! Get ready for a wild one-shot where the one and only “Weird Al” Yankovic joins the World’s Finest team!”
This is the latest chapter in Yankovic’s unique relationship with comics. In 2015, he was the first-ever guest editor of MAD Magazine (which has been published by DC since 2018). And earlier this year, he cameoed on two variant covers illustrated by Dan Mora: a “Totally Normal Al” cover for Bizarro: Year None #1 and a “Weird Al” variant for Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #50.
But honestly, bringing Weird Al fully into the DC Universe is a uniquely inspired choice. His arrival fits the colorful nature and overall zaniness of the World’s Finest title, even just for a single one-shot. And a story involving him and the Fifth Dimension, and its wacky imp Mr. Mxyzptlk, genuinely feels like a match made in heaven.
Celebrity cameo covers have become a bit of a staple of the World’s Finest title, continuing the tradition from decades of earlier DC comics. In addition to Yankovic, Nicholas Cage, Stephen Colbert, William Shatner, Guy Fieri, and Paul McCartney have all cameoed on the covers of that book. And just this week, a variant cover for the newly-announced Legion of Super-Heroes #1 illustrated by Mora featured a cameo from Back to the Future star Michael J. Fox. Given the fact that Jack Kirby once crafted an entire multi-issue arc of Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen around real-life insult comic Don Rickles, this feels like a natural progression in the best possible way.
As mentioned above, Batman/Superman/Weird Al: World’s Weirdest #1 will be available wherever comics are sold on Wednesday, September 2nd.
(featured image: DC)
