Don Simpson's Megaton Man Volume 1

I believe this book was originally announced as a "Best of Megaton Man" collection, but DON SIMPSON'S MEGATON MAN, from ibooks, is actually a collection of MM #1-5, from 1984-85. But hey, you're still getting some great material! This series from Simpson is a superb satire of the superhero genre in general, and a parody of 1960s Marvel Comics in particular: the hyperbole, the purple prose, the beloved origins, and even goofs on artistic styles are all here, along with thinly-disguised versions of Silver Age Marvel heroes (sometimes bordering on the edge of lawsuit). There are even mock-ups of classic covers. Megaton Man is a hypermuscular and nigh-invulnerable clod who none-too-subtly disguises himself as Trent Phloog, ace reporter, simply by wearing an ill-fitting suit and hat over his superhero togs. The humor and look is straight out of Harvey Kurtzman's MAD - the buffoonish characters, the chaotic crowded panels, the excessive details. Believe it or not, the storyline does get a bit laborious at times, and I can't say it's all that easy to follow the flashbacks, let alone figure out where Simpson was going with this storyline at the time. Actually, what begins as a parody of Marvel heroes appears to be developing towards some serious insight into their motivations (or lack thereof) near the end of the book. The only real problem I have with this collection is that the reproduction quality is not that great. The art appears to have been scanned from the printed pages, so lines are blurry, and details and subtle colors are difficult to catch. Still, this is a worthwhile book, just for the humor in the stories. I would love to see more volumes, but as ibooks is under Chapter 7 bankruptcy due to editor Byron Preiss' sudden death in July 2005, that may not be too likely.