Mad #517

Mad's October 2012 election-season cover says it all: Alfred E. Neuman grins his gap-toothed grin while two red-suited, pitchfork-wielding devil caricatures — one on each shoulder — vie for his attention against a swirling yellow background, with the bold proclamation "Welcome to Election Hell" plastered across his chest. It's a perfectly timed skewering of the 2012 political moment, with Mad treating both sides of the aisle to equal-opportunity ridicule in its inimitable style. Rounding out the issue are promised features on The Avengers, Spy vs Spy, Planet Tad, and Al Jaffee — a strong lineup that makes this a satisfying read from cover to back-page fold-in.