DC Silent Tales: Even Giant Worms Love It!

DC Silent Tales is a fun collection of stories written and illustrated by Gustavo Duarte in a  dialogue-free one-shot that is a charming experience that will delight DC Comics fans.

Silent Tales focuses on Harley Quinn, Cyborg, Superman, Zatanna, the Joker, and Lobo. (Lobo’s story is the only one that might not be for general audiences like the others, and that makes sense for the character.) Each story is only a few pages, and for the most part, they are tame.

These moments are funny and ask silly questions like: Where does Harley Quinn get her mallet? How does Superman wash his clothes? What does Cyborg do to relax?

These lighthearted scenarios make for comedic moments, and the structure of the comic flows well—especially with the intentional lack of verbal dialogue. This is mainly due to the creative ways Duarte keeps the plot moving without needing any accurate exposition.

It’s a commendable creation, and the art by Duarte elevates the entire experience. The cartoon-ish character designs and minimal props keep the reader focused on the heroes/villains and the silly scenarios they are in. Because the stories are low-stakes and can happen at almost any point in the DC timeline, it’s fun to experience a story again, and readers will likely catch something that was missed. This issue is roughly 56 pages and will probably be a quick read-through.

The lack of dialogue sounds a little “gimmicky,” but Duarte has put together an enjoyable comic that should be in DC fans’ cart or picked up at their LCS if they see it. It’s not a game changer, but sometimes it is nice to see a character in a fun scenario.

The six stories all have little moments where I couldn’t help but grin at what was happening. The story that stood out the most was Superman and his experience washing his super suit. The story starts with Superman fighting a giant bug and being covered in radioactive goo once the battle ends. When he gets home, he changes clothes and grabs an apple to snack on. Unaware of a worm in the apple, when it enters the same bin as the super suit, the worm grows into a giant kaiju-style creature, and Superman has to take it on quickly. It’s silly, but with so many serious comics, it’s always a treat to have a fun story to experience.