Some thoughts about DC's Beach Blanket Bad Guys Special #1

How do most of the villain spend their time?

The world's greatest criminals still have their own lives and all of them will show how different they are from their nemesis.

Here we have another special and strangely enough, the title and cover are a lie since this installment doesn't have anything to do with the beach but it does have to do with some of the most famous bad guys in the DCU.

The first story is written by Lee Bermejo focusing on the Joker which is not a shock considering his involvement with the character in the past. It tries to be both bizarre (literally considering the appearance of Bizarro) and profound but I don't think it quite achieved it and ended-up being more silly than anything. Francesco Mattina's artwork follows Bermejo's classic style nicely though.

Then comes a story about Lex Luthor written by Jeff Loveness which is probably my favorite of the bunch. Loveness manages to tell a little, yet perfectly on-point tale about the contrast between Superman and Lex emphasizing how being a human doesn't mean that you have to feel inferior to the Man of Steel. David Williams' art is both beautiful and expressive.

Paul Dini arrives with a segment about Mr. Freeze and as usual, Dini is able to tell a charming, funny and even touching tale. John Paul Leon follows the tone of the story appropriately in art duties.

Later Vita Ayala handles The Cheetah but unfortunately is based on the weak interpretation she received from Greg Rucka which turned her mostly into a victim with barely any power on her own, that being said Ayala did the best she could with it. Amancay Nahuelpan's pencils are really good looking.

A Black Manta story is delivered by Gabriel Hardman and Corinna Bechko who try to make the villain something more than a monster... which is already an ill-fated concept since Manta's whole appeal is about how inhuman he can be and it doesn't really work that well as a whole. Hardman's art is distinctive though.

Michael Moreci handles a story about Giganta which is basically an anti-bullying/sexism story but it doesn't really work since it portrays the assholes as strawmen who think "Boys will be Boys!" is an appropriate excuse for everything. Max Raynor's art is pretty expressive and beautiful though.

Grodd appears in a story written by Tim Seeley and I don't think I liked it as much as I wished since it tries to give Grodd a more sympthetic background which goes completely against what Grodd represents. Minkyu Jung's pencils are always appreciated though.

Shea Fontana offers a Deathstroke story and is surprisingly solid since it focuses on the classic clash the character suffers between his role as a father and as a mercenary. Carlos D' Anda's art is pretty solid as well.

Daniel Kibblesmith handles a segment about the Penguin which centers around his youth and how he's not as good as man or person as he thinks, really on-point and appropriate for the character. Laura Braga's artwork is equally as fitting.

The issue concludes with a surprising appearance of the Crime Syndicate by Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing who are clearly based on Grant Morrison's depiction and are portrayed as such while also delivering strong characterization and a bit of social commentary. Giuseppe Camuncoli's pencils are pretty solid as a whole.

Overall, a really decent special. Definitely worth picking out despite of some less than special stories.