DC Comics is releasing the primate-starring one-shot Ape-ril Special #1 with a banana-scented variant cover.
Yes, you heard that right.
If this is not an indication that the gimmick covers of the ’90s era are back in full swing, we have a literal cover that smells like bananas. DC has reintroduced some ridiculous cover gimmicks in recent years. Last year, we had the foil embossed covers to celebrate ’90s comics. More recently, we had a Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong #1 where Godzilla or King Kong roars when you open it.
Now we’ve hit the pinnacle (or nadir?) of variants: covers that smell like fruit. How will this affect comic shop owners whose stores will smell like a grocery aisle? Will my dog be confused when she sniffs a sweet treat from my long boxes?
The one-shot boasts of stories written by John Layman, Joshua Hale Fialkov, and Gene Luen Yang. Karl Mostert, Phil Hester, and Bernard Chang are the artists.
The main cover will be by Dan Mora, with Bernard Chang delivering the Crisis on Infinite Earths #7 parody variant cover. Hayden Sherman will be illustrating the sure-to-be-infamous “Banana Scented” variant cover.
An Ape-Filled Storyline
The 48-page special’s main plot features Monsieur Mallah forming a new Legion of Doom to battle against an all-ape Justice League. However, my brief synopsis does not truly do DC’s press release justice. The official description of the one-shot is… well it’s a sight to behold. Let’s just say, that I hope you like ape puns:
Get ready to go bananas as we honor DC’s storied history with mankind’s closest relatives in this ape-ic adventure, DC’s Ape-ril Special, timed to publish just ahead of Ape-ril Fools Day 2024! It’s gonna be orangu-tastic, so heat up a capuchin-o, prepare a batch of chocolate chimp cookies, and get ready to r(ee-ee)d the one comic b(oo-oo)k this year that’s guaranteed to make you go…APE! DC’s Ape-ril Special hits shelves on March 19th!
Gorilla Grodd’s recent incarcer-ape-tion in the pages of DC’s The Flash comic book series has left a void that Monsieur Mallah is more than happy to fill.Ape-sembling a group of the DCU’s most sinister simians, Mallahforms the Legion of D(oo-oo-ah-ah)m, with an eye toward worlddomin-ape-tion. But the world won’t be conquered that easily!Enter the all-ape JUNGLE L(ee-ee)gue. Can this team of hero-eekanthropoids be the salv-ape-tion we need, or will Mallah’s team of maniacal monkeys bring forth the ape-pocalypse? “
I’m going to be honest, I had a hard time reading the plot description, because of all the puns. It was enough to drive me bananas!
I’ll see myself out…
DC’s Ape-ril Special #1 goes on sale on March 19, 2024.
Source: DC.com
Images and Press release Courtesy of DC Entertainment