A review by kierscrivener
The Joker 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular (2020) #1 by Dan Mora, Fiona Staples, Gary Whitta, Stjepan Šejić, Paul Dini, Eduardo Risso, Simone Bianchi, Tomeu Morey, Tom Taylor, Brian Azzarello, Tim Sale, Scott Snyder, Peter J. Tomasi, Rafael Albuquerque, José Luis García-López, Eduardo Medeiros, Tony S. Daniel, Kelley Jones, Greg Miller, Lee Bermejo, FCO Plascencia, Michelle Madsen, Riley Rossmo, Marcelo Maiolo, Brennan Wagner, Greg Capullo, Mikel Janín, Ivan Plascencia, Peter Steigerwald, James Tynion IV, Joe Prado, Jordie Bellaire, Denny O'Neil, Jock, David Baron, Ivan Reis, Danny Miki
3.0
3.5 Average
The first three were stellar. A couple of the middle and end ones let me down and a few more were really great or had aspects that were good without full follow through. If you are a comics fan and you want to celebrate eighty years of The Joker I would recommend and I look forward to reading more anniversary editions of other beloved characters.
5 Stars-Scars [Written by Scott Snyder, artist: Jock, David Baron: colours, Tom Napolitano: letters]
This was my favourite of the all of the stories, it follows a psychotherapist that is trying to help Joker's victims heal after attacks, it is haunting, it is beautifully written, explored and drawn. And an amazing place to begin this anthology with.
4 Stars-What Comes At The End of The Joke [James Tynion IV: Writer, Mikel Janin: Artist]
This explores the origin of Alexis Kaye and how she became Punchline. It is beautifully outlined in how the art makes the story have much more of a punch, it subverts a lot of traits and discusses a lot of elements around current culture, I took a lot of notes for this one]
5 Stars-Kill The Batman [Gary Whitta/Greg Miller: Writers, Dan Mora: Artist]
I truly loved this one as well, all the cameos and the end was point and the very end was hilarious. It looks into the idea of 'What is a villain without a hero?'
1.5 Stars-Introducing The Dove Corps [Denny O'Neil: Writer, Jose-Luis Garcia-Lopez: Artist]
This one just wasn't for me, it was just meh. UN Guatemala Trip, soldiers who are committed to not killing, no one being at all curious that they have a dude with white makeup, green hair and plastered on smile . . . matching the description of one of the world's most well known terrorists.
2.5 Stars-The War Within [Peter J. Tomasi: Writer, Simone Bianchi]
This is written in songlike verse next to a gritty art style. I would give the story 2 Stars, it had potential but didn't fully live up to it but the writing 3/3.5 stars. "Is he the martyr or the madman?"
is the truly poignant line, but that last image will haunt me.
3 Stars-The Last Smile [Paul Dini: Writer, Riley Rossmo: Artist]
This is surprisingly the only story that includes Harley Quinn, when it begins with Joker waking up from a nightmare and Harley using those old psychologist's talents to calm him down and talk him through. This story included Poison Ivy, and a lot of nods to characters and the end is a gut punch.
3 Stars-Birthday Bugs [Tom Taylor: Writer, Eduardo Risso: Artist]
This is a seemingly endearing story, where Joker bonds with a boy who mutilates his bugs and than coerces neighbours to come to his birthday party. It includes one of the funniest lines to me: "Seriously? You keep one box of torture bugs and everyone's judgemental." and of course it also is deeply horrifying.
4 Stars-No Heroes [Eduardo Medeiros: Writer, Rafael Albuquerque: Writer/Artist]
This one follows a young man who is an intern at a bank, and 'is a hero' trying to stop the armed robbery, which results in him killing a man. Joker leaves him with "You know I have a bit of a crush on heroes because sooner or later, they all become martyrs."
2 Stars-Penance [Tony St. Daniel: Writer/Artist]
"Killing is a mortal sin, we've had this conversation before" A head of a Gotham Crime Family stops by a church to confess his sins. I must admit, this is one of my favourite tropes. It is the part I loved so much about the Daredevil show and many other medias that incorporate it. It is juxtaposed and funny to be when it involves this dynamic. The end took a turn that was cool if it didn't kind of seem like very incongruent and left me a bit unfulfilled.
2 Stars-Two Fell Into The Hornet's Nest [Brian Azzarello: Writer, Lee Bermejo: Artist]
I loved that it took place in Arkham, loved that included almost the whole rogues gallery, loved that the smile looked glued on. (One of my favourite aspects throughout was seeing the different renderings of Joker and especially the depiction of his smile). . . . but the rest was a strange fever dream. I have my own speculations but I am not sure what message or plot this was trying to convey. Insanity, abuse of patients, illusions, arrogance of Bats, the everchanging reality of Joker and his past and story, that 'treatment' is what drove him, that he and Batman are the same. . . I honestly don't know. Maybe none. Maybe all.
_________
also a note: out of the 37 writers/artists/colourist, letterers, only one is female
of the additional 13 artists used for one take pages/cover: two more are female
there are no female writers, and Fiona Staples is the only female artist employed that was given creative freedom and of that is given one page, the very last page.
Jordie Bellaire was a colourist, and Michelle Madsen was a co-artist.
3/50 is 0.06% meaning less than one percent of people hired were women.
The first three were stellar. A couple of the middle and end ones let me down and a few more were really great or had aspects that were good without full follow through. If you are a comics fan and you want to celebrate eighty years of The Joker I would recommend and I look forward to reading more anniversary editions of other beloved characters.
5 Stars-Scars [Written by Scott Snyder, artist: Jock, David Baron: colours, Tom Napolitano: letters]
This was my favourite of the all of the stories, it follows a psychotherapist that is trying to help Joker's victims heal after attacks, it is haunting, it is beautifully written, explored and drawn. And an amazing place to begin this anthology with.
4 Stars-What Comes At The End of The Joke [James Tynion IV: Writer, Mikel Janin: Artist]
This explores the origin of Alexis Kaye and how she became Punchline. It is beautifully outlined in how the art makes the story have much more of a punch, it subverts a lot of traits and discusses a lot of elements around current culture, I took a lot of notes for this one]
5 Stars-Kill The Batman [Gary Whitta/Greg Miller: Writers, Dan Mora: Artist]
I truly loved this one as well, all the cameos and the end was point and the very end was hilarious. It looks into the idea of 'What is a villain without a hero?'
1.5 Stars-Introducing The Dove Corps [Denny O'Neil: Writer, Jose-Luis Garcia-Lopez: Artist]
This one just wasn't for me, it was just meh. UN Guatemala Trip, soldiers who are committed to not killing, no one being at all curious that they have a dude with white makeup, green hair and plastered on smile . . . matching the description of one of the world's most well known terrorists.
2.5 Stars-The War Within [Peter J. Tomasi: Writer, Simone Bianchi]
This is written in songlike verse next to a gritty art style. I would give the story 2 Stars, it had potential but didn't fully live up to it but the writing 3/3.5 stars. "Is he the martyr or the madman?"
is the truly poignant line, but that last image will haunt me.
3 Stars-The Last Smile [Paul Dini: Writer, Riley Rossmo: Artist]
This is surprisingly the only story that includes Harley Quinn, when it begins with Joker waking up from a nightmare and Harley using those old psychologist's talents to calm him down and talk him through. This story included Poison Ivy, and a lot of nods to characters and the end is a gut punch.
3 Stars-Birthday Bugs [Tom Taylor: Writer, Eduardo Risso: Artist]
This is a seemingly endearing story, where Joker bonds with a boy who mutilates his bugs and than coerces neighbours to come to his birthday party. It includes one of the funniest lines to me: "Seriously? You keep one box of torture bugs and everyone's judgemental." and of course it also is deeply horrifying.
4 Stars-No Heroes [Eduardo Medeiros: Writer, Rafael Albuquerque: Writer/Artist]
This one follows a young man who is an intern at a bank, and 'is a hero' trying to stop the armed robbery, which results in him killing a man. Joker leaves him with "You know I have a bit of a crush on heroes because sooner or later, they all become martyrs."
2 Stars-Penance [Tony St. Daniel: Writer/Artist]
"Killing is a mortal sin, we've had this conversation before" A head of a Gotham Crime Family stops by a church to confess his sins. I must admit, this is one of my favourite tropes. It is the part I loved so much about the Daredevil show and many other medias that incorporate it. It is juxtaposed and funny to be when it involves this dynamic. The end took a turn that was cool if it didn't kind of seem like very incongruent and left me a bit unfulfilled.
2 Stars-Two Fell Into The Hornet's Nest [Brian Azzarello: Writer, Lee Bermejo: Artist]
I loved that it took place in Arkham, loved that included almost the whole rogues gallery, loved that the smile looked glued on. (One of my favourite aspects throughout was seeing the different renderings of Joker and especially the depiction of his smile). . . . but the rest was a strange fever dream. I have my own speculations but I am not sure what message or plot this was trying to convey. Insanity, abuse of patients, illusions, arrogance of Bats, the everchanging reality of Joker and his past and story, that 'treatment' is what drove him, that he and Batman are the same. . . I honestly don't know. Maybe none. Maybe all.
_________
also a note: out of the 37 writers/artists/colourist, letterers, only one is female
of the additional 13 artists used for one take pages/cover: two more are female
there are no female writers, and Fiona Staples is the only female artist employed that was given creative freedom and of that is given one page, the very last page.
Jordie Bellaire was a colourist, and Michelle Madsen was a co-artist.
3/50 is 0.06% meaning less than one percent of people hired were women.