History LampshadeHanging / ComicBooks

* In Franchise/{{Batman}}, SelfDemonstrating/TheJoker has fluctuated nigh constantly from harmless prankster, to larcenous loon, to homicidal harlequin of hate. GrantMorrison took note and made it part of his canon personality that, well, he doesn't really have a personality. He just reinvents himself [[strike:constantly]] every single morning. He first mentioned it in ''ArkhamAsylumASeriousHouseOnSeriousEarth'', and revisited the concept throughout his stint that began with ''Batman and Son''.

** This is also referenced in a later story were Sally goes on an angry rant and someone will be punished... because someone published a story that she dyed her hair from blonde to black.

** When the comic began drifting away from being farcifal to mirroring [[WesternAnimation/SonicSatAM SatAM,]] it still had TheArtifact of Boomer's name, who in the show was named Rotor. The editors pointed this out in the letters column in one issue and stated they would be changing it to match the show. The next several issues have various visual lampshades hung on this, such as the character wearing a "Hello, my name is Rotor" pin, and nailing a crude plank of wood with "Rotor" written on it over the "Boomer" part of his "Boomer's Shop" sign.

* PeterDavid tells a story about how, while writing a particular issue of ''ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk'', he handily had Bruce and Betty Banner escape from a damaged Kree ship just moments before the ship exploded, but forgot to do the same for Rick Jones, whom he had technically just killed in the explosion without meaning to. Rather than rewrite the scene, he had the Banners watch incredulous as Jones floated down to the ground on a parachute. Knowing that the readers will see it for a shuck-and-jive, David then included the lampshading:
-->'''Bruce Banner:''' Where the heck did you get a parachute?\\
'''Rick Jones:''' What? Oh that. I always carry one around with me, in case I ever have to jump out of an exploding Kree spaceship at the last minute.\\
'''Bruce Banner:''' In case you... that's the '''silliest''' thing I've ever heard! How often could you possibly...\\
'''Rick Jones:''' ''(interrupting)'' Just the once, so far.

* In ComicBook/{{Batman}}, SelfDemonstrating/TheJoker has fluctuated nigh constantly from harmless prankster, to larcenous loon, to homicidal harlequin of hate. GrantMorrison took note and made it part of his canon personality that, well, he doesn't really have a personality. He just reinvents himself [[strike:constantly]] every single morning. He first mentioned it in ''ArkhamAsylumASeriousHouseOnSeriousEarth'', and revisited the concept throughout his stint that began with ''Batman and Son''.

** In ''{{X-Men}}'' #157, {{Wolverine}} says to {{Cyclops}}, "Listen bub, I appreciate the faith in me, but I can't be on ALL the teams"-- a nod to Marvel's tendency to put him in an unbelievable amount of titles.
* In {{Batman}}, SelfDemonstrating/TheJoker has fluctuated nigh constantly from harmless prankster, to larcenous loon, to homicidal harlequin of hate. GrantMorrison took note and made it part of his canon personality that, well, he doesn't really have a personality. He just reinvents himself [[strike:constantly]] every single morning. He first mentioned it in ''ArkhamAsylumASeriousHouseOnSeriousEarth'', and revisited the concept throughout his stint that began with ''Batman and Son''.

* In ''ExMachina'', the main character of the series decided to release a biography of himself in graphic novel form. Brian K Vaughn, the writer of the series, appeared in the comic as one of the prospective writers for the biography, and in a conversation, said that he dislikes {{meta}}, as it takes him out of the story.
* Mark Millar did this to death when he was writing [[UltimateXMen Ultimate X-Men]]. Every time a plot device didn't make sense (the U.S. Army sending ''robots'' to fight ''Magneto'', the Brotherhood goons not recognizing Cyclops, Professor X not noticing that the Hellfire Club was plotting against him, etc.), someone in the cast would point this out. You almost got the impression that Millar was simply trying to apologize for creating so many plot holes.

* The writers for the ''{{Spider-Man}}'' arc "The Other" made a glaring continuity error during the story; in one issue, the villain Morlun broke Mary Jane's arm, but in the next issue her arm is unbroken. After the arc, Creator/JMichaelStraczynski wrote a scene in Amazing Spider-Man, where Peter Parker asked Tony Stark about MJ's arm. Tony provided an elaborate AppliedPhlebotinum explanation (involving injecting a material in MJ's arm that acted like a cast but allowed her full movement of her arm). In the next frame, Peter and Tony appear to be [[BreakingTheFourthWall looking directly at the reader]] with expressions on their faces as if daring the reader to challenge Tony's explanation. The next frame, the scene is forgotten and they return to the main plotline.

* PeterDavid tells a story about how, while writing a particular issue of ''TheIncredibleHulk'', he handily had Bruce and Betty Banner escape from a damaged Kree ship just moments before the ship exploded, but forgot to do the same for Rick Jones, whom he had technically just killed in the explosion without meaning to. Rather than rewrite the scene, he had the Banners watch incredulous as Jones floated down to the ground on a parachute. Knowing that the readers will see it for a shuck-and-jive, David then included the lampshading:

** In ''{{X-Men}}'' #157, {{Wolverine}} says to {{Cyclops}}, "Listen bub, I appreciate the faith in me, but I can't be on ALL the teams"

* In ''[[UltimateSpiderMan Ultimate Spider-Man]]'': Ultimate Venom attacks an art museum, Spider-Man fights him off, and (as usual) the NYPD tries to arrest him for the trouble. Spider-Man angrily points out that they're being idiots for pointing their guns at him when he just saved who knows how many museum patrons from being eaten. A nearby woman chimes in, "Spider-Man saved my baby!" Spider-Man's response: "You know what? '''THANK YOU!''' No one ever says anything nice, I appreciate that."

* A ''JusticeLeagueOfAmerica'' comic has the Atom (along with someone else) shrink down smaller than an atom. The person asks how it's possible for them to survive, seeing as how the air molecules are too large for them to breathe. Atom replies, "I don't know."
** It's worse than that: he actually says that it is better if you don't think about it too much.

** [[JustifiedTrope To be fair,]] if there's ''anyone'' in comics who would be GenreSavvy enough to have a parachute "just in case," it's Rick Jones.

** When the comic began drifting away from being farcifal to mirroring [[Series/SonicTheHedgehog SatAM,]] it still had TheArtifact of Boomer's name, who in the show was named Rotor. The editors pointed this out in the letters column in one issue and stated they would be changing it to match the show. The next several issues have various visual lampshades hung on this, such as the character wearing a "Hello, my name is Rotor" pin, and nailing a crude plank of wood with "Rotor" written on it over the "Boomer" part of his "Boomer's Shop" sign.

---> '''Spiderman''' Boy! if it had happened that easy in a movie, I'd say it was too phony!

* In an early, limited-edition ''SonicTheHedgehog'' comic book (that has been collected in ''Sonic Beginnings''), Princess Sally has blonde hair in the first issue, and in the next, she's a brunette. When she says she has something to tell him, Sonic asks, "You mean why you changed from a blonde to a brunette?"

* In the Marvel Ultimates series, issue 4, Nick Fury is asked who he would expect to play him in a movie featuring the Ultimates. His response is; "Why, Mister Samuel L. Jackson, of course. That's not even open for debate."

* In {{Batman}}, {{the Joker}} has fluctuated nigh constantly from harmless prankster, to larcenous loon, to homicidal harlequin of hate. GrantMorrison took note and made it part of his canon personality that, well, he doesn't really have a personality. He just reinvents himself [[strike:constantly]] every single morning. He first mentioned it in ''[[ArkhamAsylumASeriousHouseOnSeriousEarth Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth]]'', and revisited the concept throughout his stint that began with ''Batman and Son''.
* In an early, limited-edition ''{{Sonic the Hedgehog}}'' comic book (that has been collected in ''Sonic Beginnings''), Princess Sally has blonde hair in the first issue, and in the next, she's a brunette. When she says she has something to tell him, Sonic asks, "You mean why you changed from a blonde to a brunette?"

** A previously unpublished story had an ending where the {{Monster of the Week}} was shrunk down to a microscopic size, which Sonic finds he can't joke about. NICOLE then notes that, by her analysis, "Planet Mobius is about to get very complicated. New faces, complex relationships, entire worlds opening up!" This was referencing the CerebusSyndrome the comic was undergoing at the time. Sonic, however, insists that StatusQuoIsGod. The story was finally published in ''Sonic Archives: Volume 5''

* In ''[[UltimateSpiderMan Ultimate Spider-Man]]'': Ultimate Venom attacks an art museum, Spider-Man fights him off, and (as usual) the NYPD tries to arrest him for the trouble. Spider-Man angrily points out that they're being idiots for pointing their guns at him when he just saved who knows how many museum patrons from being eaten. A nearby woman chimes in, "Spider-Man saved my baby!" Spider-Man's response: "You know what? '''THANK YOU!''' No one ever says anything nice, I appreciate that."

* A ''{{Justice League of America}}'' comic has the Atom (along with someone else) shrink down smaller than an atom. The person asks how it's possible for them to survive, seeing as how the air molecules are too large for them to breathe. Atom replies, "I don't know."

** [[JustifiedTrope To be fair,]] if there's ''anyone'' in comics who would be [[GenreSavvy genre savvy]] enough to have a parachute "just in case," it's Rick Jones.

* The writers for the ''{{Spider-Man}}'' arc "The Other" made a glaring continuity error during the story; in one issue, the villain Morlun broke Mary Jane's arm, but in the next issue her arm is unbroken. After the arc, JMichaelStraczynski wrote a scene in Amazing Spider-Man, where Peter Parker asked Tony Stark about MJ's arm. Tony provided an elaborate AppliedPhlebotinum explanation (involving injecting a material in MJ's arm that acted like a cast but allowed her full movement of her arm). In the next frame, Peter and Tony appear to be [[BreakingTheFourthWall looking directly at the reader]] with expressions on their faces as if daring the reader to challenge Tony's explanation. The next frame, the scene is forgotten and they return to the main plotline.

* In {{Batman}}, {{the Joker}} has fluctuated nigh constantly from harmless prankster, to larcenous loon, to homicidal harlequin of hate. GrantMorrison took note and made it part of his canon personality that, well, he doesn't really have a personality. He just reinvents himself [[strike: constantly]] every single morning. He first mentioned it in ''[[ArkhamAsylumASeriousHouseOnSeriousEarth Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth]]'', and revisited the concept throughout his stint that began with ''Batman and Son''.

* In an''[[UltimateSpiderMan Ultimate Spider-Man]]'': Ultimate Venom attacks an art museum, Spider-Man fights him off, and (as usual) the NYPD tries to arrest him for the trouble. Spider-Man angrily points out that they're being idiots for pointing their guns at him when he just saved who knows how many museum patrons from being eaten. A nearby woman chimes in, "Spider-Man saved my baby!" Spider-Man's response: "You know what? '''THANK YOU!''' No one ever says anything nice, I appreciate that."

* In a semi-recent issue of ''[[UltimateSpiderMan Ultimate Spider-Man]]'': Ultimate Venom attacks an art museum, Spider-Man fights him off, and (as usual) the NYPD tries to arrest him for the trouble. Spider-Man angrily points out that they're being idiots for pointing their guns at him when he just saved who knows how many museum patrons from being eaten. A nearby woman chimes in, "Spider-Man saved my baby!" Spider-Man's response: "You know what? '''THANK YOU!''' No one ever says anything nice, I appreciate that."