Comics Bulletin logo
Search
  • Columns
    Random
    • Popeyed Beau Gives It Away

      Jamil Scalese
      July 25, 2011
      Busted Knuckles
    Recent
    • Revisiting the Witchblade/Fathom/Tomb Raider Crossover

      Daniel Gehen
      February 8, 2021
    • The Full Run: Usagi Yojimbo – The Wanderer’s Road Part 2

      Daniel Gehen
      December 4, 2020
    • The Full Run: Usagi Yojimbo – The Wanderer’s Road Part 1

      Daniel Gehen
      October 30, 2020
    • What Looks Good
    • Comics Bulletin Soapbox
    • The Full Run
    • Leading Question
    • Top 10
    • The Long-Form
    • Jumping On
    • Comics in Color
    • Slouches Towards Comics
  • Big Two
    Random
    • Singles Going Steady 8/31/2016: Space Fights!

      Jamil Scalese
      September 3, 2016
      Big Two, Indie, Marvel Comics, Reviews, Singles Going Steady, Valiant
    Recent
    • 3.0

      Review: X-MEN LEGENDS #1 Delivers A Dose of Nostalgia

      Daniel Gehen
      February 22, 2021
    • 4.5

      DCeased: Dead Planet #7 Presents a Hopeful Future (Review)

      Daniel Gehen
      January 22, 2021
    • Retro Review: Detective Comics #826 Remains a Holiday Classic

      Daniel Gehen
      December 3, 2020
    • DC Comics
    • Big Two Reviews
    • Marvel Comics
  • Indie
    Random
    • Preview: Actionverse #1 Featuring Molly Danger

      Jamil Scalese
      April 20, 2016
      Action Lab Entertainment
    Recent
    • 4.5

      Review: THE LAST RONIN #2 Hurts So Good

      Daniel Gehen
      February 19, 2021
    • TIME BEFORE TIME—A HIGH STAKES TIME TRAVEL SCIENCE FICTION SERIES SET TO LAUNCH THIS MAY

      Daniel Gehen
      February 19, 2021
    • Image Comics and TMP Announces SPAWN’S UNIVERSE

      Daniel Gehen
      February 18, 2021
    • Reviews
    • Archie Comics
    • Boom! Studios
    • Dark Horse
    • IDW
    • Image
    • Oni Press
    • Valiant
  • Reviews
    Random
    • 4.0

      Singles Going Steady 4/29/2014: like if Michelangelo did cave paintings directed by Akira Kurosawa

      Jamil Scalese
      April 29, 2014
      Reviews, Singles Going Steady
    Recent
    • 3.0

      Review: X-MEN LEGENDS #1 Delivers A Dose of Nostalgia

      Daniel Gehen
      February 22, 2021
    • 4.5

      Review: THE LAST RONIN #2 Hurts So Good

      Daniel Gehen
      February 19, 2021
    • 2.3

      Review: SAVAGE #1 Needs Taming

      Daniel Gehen
      February 16, 2021
    • Singles Going Steady
    • Slugfest
    • Manga
      • Reviews
    • Small Press
      • Reviews
      • ICYMI
      • Tiny Pages Made of Ashes
  • Interviews
    Random
    • Interview: John Lewis and the long 'March'

      Jamil Scalese
      January 13, 2015
      Interviews
    Recent
    • Interview: Jon Davis-Hunt Talks SHADOWMAN

      Daniel Gehen
      June 8, 2020
    • Interview: Becky Cloonan talks DARK AGNES and Her Personal Influences

      Mike Nickells
      March 4, 2020
    • Simon Roy

      Interview: Simon Roy on His Inspirations and Collaborations on PROTECTOR

      Mike Nickells
      January 29, 2020
    • Audio Interview
    • Video Interview
  • Classic Comics
    Random
    • Classic Interview: Michael Netzer Pt. I - It All Started with a Beat-Up Mustang Convertible

      Jamil Scalese
      December 25, 2015
      Classic Interviews
    Recent
    • Countdown to the King: Marvel’s Godzilla

      Daniel Gehen
      May 29, 2019
    • Honoring A Legend: Fantagraphics To Resurrect Tomi Ungerer Classics

      Daniel Gehen
      February 15, 2019
    • Reliving the Craziest Decade in Comics History: An interview with Jason Sacks

      Mark Stack
      January 2, 2019
    • Classic Comics Cavalcade
    • Classic Interviews
  • News
    Random
    • Fantagraphics Announces Studio Editions for Daniel Clowes & Ed Piskor

      Jamil Scalese
      February 26, 2019
      Fantagraphics, News, Press Release
    Recent
    • TIME BEFORE TIME—A HIGH STAKES TIME TRAVEL SCIENCE FICTION SERIES SET TO LAUNCH THIS MAY

      Daniel Gehen
      February 19, 2021
    • Image Comics and TMP Announces SPAWN’S UNIVERSE

      Daniel Gehen
      February 18, 2021
    • SAVAGE DRAGON IS A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH THIS MAY

      Daniel Gehen
      February 17, 2021
    • Press Release
    • Kickstarter Spotlight
  • Books
    Random
    • Review: "Intro to Alien Invasion"

      Jamil Scalese
      September 16, 2015
      Books
    Recent
    • Collecting Profile: Disney Frozen

      CB Staff
      November 22, 2019
    • Collecting Profile: NFL Superpro

      CB Staff
      August 31, 2019
    • “THE BEST OF WITZEND” is a Wonderful Celebration of Artistic Freedom

      Daniel Gehen
      September 15, 2018
    • Review: ‘Machete Squad’ is a Disappointing Afghan Memoir

      Jason Sacks
      July 31, 2018
    • Review: ‘Out of Nothing’ is the Antidote to Our Sick Times

      Jason Sacks
      July 23, 2018
    • Review: ‘Bizarre Romance’ Shows Rough Edges in the Early Days of a New Marriage

      Jason Sacks
      July 10, 2018
What's New
  • Review: X-MEN LEGENDS #1 Delivers A Dose of Nostalgia
  • Collecting Profile: Kraven the Hunter
  • Review: THE LAST RONIN #2 Hurts So Good
  • TIME BEFORE TIME—A HIGH STAKES TIME TRAVEL SCIENCE FICTION SERIES SET TO LAUNCH THIS MAY
  • Image Comics and TMP Announces SPAWN'S UNIVERSE
  • SAVAGE DRAGON IS A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH THIS MAY
  • RSS Feed
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Contact Us
  • Write for us!
  • Visit Video Game Break!
Home
Reviews

Shame Itself #1

Jamil Scalese
November 12, 2011
Reviews

 

I consider one of the most key traits of a likeable person to be their ability to be self-deprecating. Actually, I think this even more important for an aspiring comedian. People are more likely to laugh with you when they realize you aren't a pompous jerk. I learned that the hard way.

From one type of comic to another, hilarious and humility mixed to success in Marvel's satiric one-shot Shame Itself, a collection of rising talents and their various lampoons of the major company. The most recognizable of the creators is probably Wyatt Cenac, writer and correspondent on the almost always genius The Daily Show, but the roster is stocked full of long time comedy writers from around the entertainment industry. I had no idea what to expect from this type of book. As a regular buyer of Deadpool, I have been a little worried on what Marvel considers funny, and overall, in this age of serious sequential storytelling humor in comics have dwindled off to the occasional one-liner or comically awkward scenario. I will honestly say I was surprised that Shame Itself had me chuckling to the point that I started to look like a bit of a loon at the office.

The issue features about different 11 stories, ranging from a straightforward narrative about Reed Richard and Ben Grimm's college reunion to a series of one-pagers questioning the nature of the Marvel Universe. I'm normally all for spoiling the fun for you with my reviews, but I will stay away from detailing too many of the short stories because the absurdity, and appropriateness, of the pieces are bound to make you smile, if not guffaw. The absolute gem of the comic is a flowchart on how to create a major crossover event by Elliot Kalan (also a writer on The Daily Show) and Jacob Chabot (X-Babies). It might be one of the savviest things I've read from the publisher, and it does not hold back in the slightest. As Kalan jokes in his bio on the last page, the two-page spread might seal his fate in working in comics again, but man, what a way to go out. 

The read had a few notable misses, like a prose story about the X-Men by Michael Kupperman, and a bit of a downer piece in a knock-off of a woman's fashion magazine. However, with any anthology there will always be stars that shine harder than others, and nothing was remarkably bad. 

I'm not so much reviewing this as I am praising it, huh? Well, so be it! I loved this and it was well worth my $3.99. I want this type of thing to be an regular release for Marvel. You hear me Quesada? Huh? Huh? Yeah, that's what I thought.

And get Elliot Kalan on a Deadpool comic!


 

Jamil Scalese is just like you — an avid comics fan and lover of sequential art. Residing in Pittsburgh, PA, he is an unapologetic Deadpool fan, lover of the Food Network and proud member of Steelers Nation.

Andres MossaChristopherClayton CowlesClayton HenryColleen CooverDalibor TalajicDave SharpeDean HaspielElliot KalanGiulia BruscoHoratio DominguesJacob ChabotJamil ScaleseJohn KaliszJohn TylerJordie BellaireKarl KeselKurt BruanohlerMarvelMichael KuppermanSara BenincasaShame ItselfStephanie BuscemaTom BrennanTom PeyerVictor VarnadoWyatt Cenac

Share On:
Tweet
Clark Burscough on the Thought Bubble Anthology/Thought Bubble Festival
Avengers Academy #21

About The Author

Jamil Scalese
Jamil Scalese

Jamil Scalese would rather watch reruns of Frasier than catch up on media he's tragically behind on. Follow his weak tweets @jamilscalese

Related Posts

  • Collecting Profile: Kraven the Hunter

    nguyen ly
    February 20, 2021
  • Collecting Profile: Jessica Jones

    nguyen ly
    February 6, 2021

Latest Reviews

  • 3.0

    Review: X-MEN LEGENDS #1 Delivers A Dose of Nostalgia

    Daniel Gehen
    February 22, 2021
  • 4.5

    Review: THE LAST RONIN #2 Hurts So Good

    Daniel Gehen
    February 19, 2021
  • 2.3

    Review: SAVAGE #1 Needs Taming

    Daniel Gehen
    February 16, 2021
  • 4.3

    Review: RADIANT BLACK #1 Shines Brightly

    Daniel Gehen
    February 12, 2021
  • 2.7

    Review: DEEP BEYOND #1 Can’t Commit to a Premise

    Daniel Gehen
    February 4, 2021
  • 2.0

    VINDICATION Falls Short of its Lofty Goals (Review)

    Daniel Gehen
    February 1, 2021
  • 4.5

    DCeased: Dead Planet #7 Presents a Hopeful Future (Review)

    Daniel Gehen
    January 22, 2021
  • Review: The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist

    Daniel Gehen
    December 14, 2020
  • Retro Review: Detective Comics #826 Remains a Holiday Classic

    Daniel Gehen
    December 3, 2020
  • 4.5

    TMNT: The Last Ronin #1 Lives Up to the Hype (Review)

    Daniel Gehen
    October 29, 2020
RSSTwitterFacebookgoogleplusinstagramtumblr

Comics Bulletin is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for website owners to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, audible.com, and any other website that may be affiliated with Amazon Service LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate, Comics Bulletin earns from qualifying purchases.

All content on this site (c) 2018 The Respective Copyright Holders