As I made a point of mentioning last year at this time, one of the dreariest dates on the calendar is April 15th, otherwise known as Tax Day. As productive Americans bend under obscene levels of taxation and its accompanying paperwork, take heart: even the members of the mighty Justice League have had to deal with the frustrations and confounding complexities of the tax code:
(click on the covers for a larger view)
Okay, as you've probably figured out, those weren't the actual published covers. Here's what they really looked like (click on each cover for a larger view):
Just getting ready to start my taxes this morning and this was just the laugh I needed to take the edge off! Splendid work! I particularly like...well...ALL of 'em! Thanx!
Posted by: booksteve | April 14, 2008 at 07:20 AM
Absolutely wonderful, Mark! Seeing the sweat pour down the face of the Dark Knight (filling out the tax forms with a feather quill, no less!) made my own battles with Turbo Tax seem rather dull and mundane. I'm guessing the millionaire playboy forgot to save the receipts from some of those tax deductible contributions or something...
Great post!
Posted by: Kyle | April 14, 2008 at 10:00 AM
Very clever stuff! The image of Batman sweating it out as he does his taxes at the eleventh hour is priceless.
Thankfully, my taxes were done last week and I can enjoy these without the same dread!
Great work Mark.
Posted by: Texcap | April 14, 2008 at 10:37 AM
Glad you guys like 'em....and that they've lightened the load of those still burning up their calculator keys and digging for those elusive receipts.
Posted by: Mark Engblom | April 14, 2008 at 11:58 AM
Who knew Wonder Woman was so anti-tax? Actually, I keep hearing the Beatles "Taxman" as I look at these quite funny images.
Posted by: Brian | April 14, 2008 at 11:15 PM
Yeah, I was surprised to find out Wonder Woman was so fiercely anti-tax...considering her vaguely socialist leanings. ;)
Posted by: Mark Engblom | April 15, 2008 at 09:33 AM
Very clever! Actually there was a Superman tax story before the one you mentioned in last year's Tax Day post with virtually the same plot. Superman #114 (July 1957) has the Man of Steel indebted to Uncle Sam for that same billion dollars, and I suspect (can't remember offhand) that he got off the hook the same way.
Posted by: Pat Curley | April 16, 2008 at 10:23 AM
Very nice! I'd love to see some Marvel ones next year, but I think the average Marvel character is either just about flat broke, or Canadian.
Posted by: googum | April 16, 2008 at 03:24 PM
I took a double take and thought those were real covers at first. Great job!
Posted by: Matthew Byrd | April 16, 2008 at 03:55 PM