scans_daily | It's Joker Month in June

For the month of June DC is going to be publishing their comics with variant covers featuring none other than Mistah J. Here are a few. All of them can be seen here.

Action Comics by Darwyn Cooke

Green Lantern by Ben Oliver

Green Arrow by Bill Sienkiewicz

Batgirl by Rafael Albuquerque

Catwoman by Javier Pulido

Superman by Karl Kerschl

Wonder Woman by Brian Bolland

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From:

crimsonmoonmist

The Batgirl one is very tasteless.
Otherwise, I like most of 'em
but does Joker really need even more spotlight?

From:

informationgeek

I believe it is the character's anniversary, so we get these covers as a celebration. It's sort of why we got the Flash covers back in January if I recall.

From:

kurenai_tenka

Literally everything I wanted to say.

Well, that and an obligatory expression of my love for Ben Oliver's art.

From:

locuatico

That batgirl cover is just one middle finger to barbara fans. specially to oracle fans.

From:

thanekos

So the only way to define Batgirl's relationship to the Joker now and forever is victim? Aces.

From:

reveen

I like the ones that tease me with a Joker who robs banks in a dress and blows up the heroes with Looney Tunes bombs instead of being some overly oracular splatterpunk villain.

Also, three guesses which one of these covers was editorial's idea!

EDIT: He's even wearing a bra, that's going above and beyond the call of comedy.

Edited Date: 2015-03-14 11:56 pm (UTC)

From:

chrisdv

The Green Lantern cover is awesome.

That Batgirl cover... The art's nice, but DC really need to think things like that through. Even without Joker & Barbara's history, it's just uncomfortable.

From:

beoweasel

Yeah, I'm in agreement with everybody else on the Batgirl image. The worst part about the cover it IS Barbara's expression which shows her not only being terrified, but also crying, which turns her into a victim begging for help, instead of a hero.

What makes it worse, is that none of the other superheroes are portrayed in this fashion, no other hero is shown being afraid, at most they're just annoyed at the Joker's antics, even Wonder Woman's behavior just gives the impression of, "Really?"

To compound matters, all of the other covers are goofy, save for the Green Lantern one, which is kind of terrifying, but it's not using anyone else to show the Joker as being a threat, it's just a creepy image of the Joker with a manic grin while holding a power ring, which for the most part is pretty effective.

But that Batgirl one, what the hell were they thinking? Who on earth thought that was a good idea? Her expression completely changes the image, instead of saying, "Batgirl's in trouble! How is she going to get out of this one?" It suggests: "Batgirl is weak and helpless! Somebody needs to save her!"

Edited Date: 2015-03-15 12:48 am (UTC)

From:

reveen

I really can't buy that there wasn't someone up the chain of command who wanted this specifically as a stinkeye towards Batgirl fans. The hat, the gun, all of it draws way to heavily on Killing Joke to just be a mistake or a coincidence.

From:

cyberghostface

Well I think the Killing Joke connection is intentional but I don't see it as a being a deliberate stinkeye.

From:

shadur

Yeah, I'm in agreement with everybody else on the Batgirl image. The worst part about the cover it IS Barbara's expression which shows her not only being terrified, but also crying, which turns her into a victim begging for help, instead of a hero.

Whereas a few images later, Diana's response to being apparently required to tango with the Joker while he's holding a big bomb is a facial expression that promises that whoever arranged for this situation is going to suffer just as soon as the opportunity arises...

From:

redmagpie

who ever thought the batgirl one was a good idea?

From:

beyondthefringe

Like everyone else with an ounce of common sense, I dislike that Batgirl cover as well, a horrible idea on every level.

I also wish I could unsee that Green Arrow variant. Seriously, WTF.

And I'm really creeped out by the Wonder Woman variant as well. He's about half a second away from copping a feel on her rear, while she's half a second away from tearing him into bits and pieces.

From:

7dialsmystery

Batgirl #41 by Rafael Albuquerque

From:

silverhammerman

Normally I really like Rafael Albuquerque, but that cover might just sour me on him for quite a while.

From:

jaxjyls

I don't see anything overly bad about the Batgirl cover, just the villain being a scarey threat to the hero of the story especially a villain who she has a history with

From:

alicemacher

The problem, as I see it, is that out of all the variant covers showing the Joker with another superhero, this is the only one that shows said hero terrified, helpless and crying. The heroes in the other covers, even Wonder Woman, merely look annoyed at worst.

Edited to clarify: By saying "even Wonder Woman" I don't mean to denigrate her character, but to point out that I don't see the Batgirl cover as necessarily having a misogynistic motivation, just a needless "she must always be associated with her TKJ trauma" one.

Edited Date: 2015-03-15 02:40 am (UTC)

From:

silverhammerman

It's the only one of its kind is the problem. None of the other variants have the heroes in visible distress, hell, most of them are goofy joke covers, it's only Batgirl who gets a cover that puts her in a extremely uncomfortable state of victimization.

From:

reveen

Context. It's not just Batgirl being menaced by Joker. It's Batgirl being menaced by Joker with Joker being drawn in a manner that almost exactly parallels the scene where the Joker shot her, after the back and forth regarding Barbara and her place in the DCU has been ongoing due to her being put back in the costume.

From:

silverhammerman

I'm generally kind of over the Joker these days, but a lot of the covers are pretty fun.

That Batgirl cover is fucking abominable though, I don't usually pay much mind to variants, but I might make a point of telling my LCS not to give me that one.

From:

silicondream

All the other covers are awesome, the Batgirl one what the fuck.

From:

icon_uk

Echoing the general sentiment of fun idea with the exception of the abhorrent Batgirl one. If DC genuinely aren't able to get past their obsession with "Barbara is defined by TKJ more than anything else in her entire life ever" they could at least have reversed the charcters, with Batgirl taking a photo with bruised and beaten Joker as a sort of "Sod you, I've had enough of this shit", but generally waht an awful idea.... Will the Red Hood and the Outlaws one feature the crowbar scene I wonder?

And also, since Robin is ALSO 75 this year, when's the Dick Grayson cover series coming out?

From:

mrstatham

Completely agree with everything said about the Batgirl cover so far, and I feel embarrassed for the creative team that the higher-ups have made such a boneheaded decision. Not only is the cover terrifying and absolutely horrible (which is not a comment on the quality of the art, more the content, since I *like* Albuquerque), but it goes against the tone and mission statement of the book entirely.

From:

ladydouji

Looks like the cover was commissioned seperately from the creative team, and fortunately has been pulled.

From:

captainbellman

Apart from the obvious awfulness, it's nice to see Brian Bolland's still got it. Now if on he'd do interiors...

From:

lego_joker

Forget it, Jake. Sans the occasional cover work, Bolland's gone into the too-good-for-mainstream-comics camp alongside David Mazzucchelli. From what I hear, he won't even draw any story he didn't write himself.

From:

captainbellman

I do recall him saying he hasn't drawn interiors for anyone but Alan Moore since The Killing Joke. Which is a shame, as he appears to be a real fan of the Penguin and it's be nice to see him tangle a Cobblepot-centred story.

From:

panelsarewindows

Have I mentioned how much I love Darwyn Cooke, because the other covers being more complex/interesting (I also don't really like the Batgirl cover, mostly because it's too creepy and unsettling than morally wrong, same with the Green Arrow cover, like, ew) the simple and light cover of Action Comics is probably my favourite

From:

bradygirl_12

Kind of maxed out on Joker, and like someone said, where's Dick's series of covers? I'd rather celebrate him than some maniacal murderer.

Can't add much to the comments about the Batgirl cover except that DC REALLY has to get over their obsession with TKJ. It's a lousy story with an event that really soured me on DC. Let's see Barbara terrorize the Joker for a change!

From:

lego_joker

Most of these are a ton of fun (I think the Superman/WW one is actually my favorite), but you know what'd be better? If this were meant to kick off a "death of the Joker" story.

From:

bradygirl_12

Now THAT'S a Joker story I'd read!

From:

cyberghostface

It wouldn't last but if Joker were to die I think going out like this would be pretty fun.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8C4-SrlptE

Edited Date: 2015-03-16 12:24 am (UTC)

From:

alicemacher

http://www.comicbookresources.com/article/dc-comics-cancels-batgirl-joker-variant-at-artists-request

From:

cyberghostface

A victory for freedom of speech and creative expression.

From:

alicemacher

http://xkcd.com/1357

From:

cyberghostface

Don't recall suggesting anyone's rights are being violated.

From:

alicemacher

So to clarify, you're championing Abuquerque's freedom to request the removal of his work, as opposed to making an ironic statement condemning those who spoke up about the cover's inappropriateness?

From:

cyberghostface

You really don't think Abuquerque wasn't pressured to do this?

From:

sadoeuphemist

I really don't. One, I take Abuquerque's word that he wasn't threatened. Two, the volume of people necessary to pressure him to do this just doesn't exist. Take a look at the #changethecover hashtag on twitter. For every one person pleased that it was changed, there are like ten furious about it. Even before the cover was changed, the majority of tweets were already against the idea of changing it.

I personally think it's like the GTA situation. Some people legitimately start a petition asking Target to ban the game. Thousands of nerds sign up to insult the people who started it. Target looks at this petition that has like 40,000 signatures, and goes, okay then. In this case, it was, of all things, gamergate that invaded the hashtag and started throwing around death threats and harassment and convinced Abuquerque that it wasn't worth it.
http://www.bleedingcool.com/2015/03/16/changethecover-is-not-the-comicsgate-that-gamergate-has-been-waiting-for/

From:

crinos

Good news, it looks at though that Batgirl cover is getting pulled.

http://www.comicbookresources.com/article/dc-comics-cancels-batgirl-joker-variant-at-artists-request

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