Contrary to the Robot Chicken: Star Wars specials, which consisted of mostly random unrelated jokes, the Robot Chicken: DC Comics Special tells a somewhat succinct story about the DC universe’s most under-appreciated hero: Aquaman. It opens with a parody of the Super Friends theme, which features many of the Robot Chicken characters. However, the only ones that appear in the actual episode are Humping Robot, who humps the Bat-Signal and Cyborg, and the Robot Chicken nerd, who becomes a Green Lantern nerd.
The narrator proclaims, “Robot Chicken: for 100 episodes they defiled every entertainment brand in the known universe. Now their greatest challenge: riding the coattails of the most iconic characters of all time, not counting Harry Potter, the DC Comics superheroes. Some of them more super then other. That guy just talks to fish.”
Aquaman is the punchline one too many of the jokes. He decides to join the Legion of Doom to get revenge on his Super Friends. Of course, the villains don’t treat him any better … that is, until Aquaman tells them that he has the security codes to the Hall of Justice. Now only Aquaman can save the day (we’re screwed).
The best bit is a Superman II parody, in which Superman kisses Lois Lane to make her forget his secret identity. “I should really use that power more often,” he thinks to himself.
Superman decides to use his power to make his enemies forget how much they hate him. The villains are initially reluctant but eventually switch teams, much to Superman’s regret.
If super homosexuality makes you uncomfortable, have no fear. You won’t even remember it after Superman kisses you through the screen to clear up some plot holes.
There are lots of running gags like Lex Luthor getting hit in the face with a kickball, which gets old fast, and Bane breaking Batman’s back, which never gets old. Bane’s shenanigans are punctuated with the iris out trope. Every time Batman is crippled the camera fades to black around Bane, who sticks his head out of the closing circle and does jazz hands to the caption “That’s Bane!”
Some of the jokes are real pissers. The Joker squirts Batman in the face with urine, which Harley Quinn reveals is hers. “That is only slightly better,” says Batman before Bane breaks his back for the 4th time!
Buy Retro-Action DC Super Heroes used in Robot Chicken.
Cable subscribers can watch Robot Chicken: DC Comics Special online @ Adult Swim.
Robot Chicken DC Comics Special II: Villains In Paradise
Actually just the opposite is true. The kickball to Luthor’s face was funny everytime. It was the constant Bane breaking Batman’s back that got old fast. It was predictable and not all that funny the first time. Best bit, Superman kissing everyone.