'The Joker 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular' Preview: Celebrating eight decades of madness
The Batman has faced many an enemy in his decades fighting crime, from the comical Kite-Man to the intergalactic tyrant Darkseid. But since his first appearance in April 1940, the Joker has become not just Batman's greatest enemy but also one of the most iconic characters in all of popular culture. Now as the Clown Prince of Crime enters his eighth decade of madness and mayhem, DC Comics is celebrating with a unique collectible comic book.
'The Joker 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular' #1 is a Prestige format one-shot that pays tribute to the Joker's long and twisted history of chaos. Featuring an original lineup of tales by some of comics’ most celebrated storytellers, including Brian Azzarello, Lee Bermejo, Paul Dini, Denny O’Neil, Scott Snyder, Tom Taylor, Jock, José Luis García-López, Mikel Janín, James Tynion IV, Riley Rossmo, and more, this is one landmark issue you need to get your hands on.
From terror to humor to absolute anarchy, this 100-Page comic explores every aspect of the Joker and reveals his undeniable influence on Gotham City, from the imposing Arkham Asylum to the Gotham City PD, from the criminal underworld to Batman Family. With DC set to enter the latest Batman-Joker event 'Joker War' soon, we couldn't have asked for a more compelling set-up to the Clown Prince's 80th year in print.
The prestige format issue will feature cover art by Greg Capullo and a series of variant covers by artists from across DC's stable, taking us through each decade of the Joker. Here's the full lineup of variant covers DC has planned:
1940s variant cover by Arthur Adams
1950s variant cover by David Finch
1960s variant cover by Francesco Mattina
1970s variant cover by Jim Lee and Scott Williams
1980s variant cover by Bill Sienkiewicz
1990s variant cover by Gabriele Dell’Otto
2000s variant cover by Lee Bermejo
2010s variant cover by Jock
Here's the official solicitation for the Super Spectacular: "The Clown Prince of Crime celebrates 80 years of chaos! The Joker has been the greatest villain in comics since his debut and to celebrate we have a who’s who of comics’ finest talent giving the Harlequin of Hate the birthday roast he deserves. The stories feature a range of terror and anarchy, showing how the Joker has impacted Gotham City from the police to Arkham Asylum, from the local underworld to the Dark Knight and his allies! Make sure to RSVP to this birthday bash—you wouldn’t want to wake up with a Joker Fish on your doorstep, would you?"
'The Joker 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular' will be released in stores on June 10.
