‘Joker: The World’ takes DC’s most infamous villain on an international tour

I enjoyed while reading Joker: The worldespecially because it felt like a disturbing, beautiful, and educational journey through the lens of a non-American comics audience, something I’m not all that used to as an American who primarily consumes Marvel, DC, Image, and Dark Horse titles. While there are of course immensely talented international creators making comics for the Big Two, they are often still created through the lens that an American or English-speaking audience would understand, and Joker: The world expands this limited perspective.

For me, the highlight of this anthology is the diverse and unique art that each creator brings to the world they have created. Even though some of the stories are not my favorite – and I freely admit that this opinion is solely through my eyes as an American reader – I love the artistic styles and vibrancy in each story. Some important artistic highlights Joker: The world include David Rubin’s gritty art in ‘Spring Break’, Ingo Romling’s beautiful cartoon style in ‘No Jazz’ and Jaekwang Park’s evocative illustrations in ‘Copycat’. However, all art successfully captures the spirit and dignity of the story, amplifying the vision and lending each a unique cultural lens. One thing I was disappointed with was that Japan’s contribution was simply the first chapter of Satoshi Miyagawa and Keisuke Gotou’s One Operation Joker manga, and I honestly wish they would have given another Japanese manga artist the chance to tell a unique Joker story.

Another thing I really loved Joker: The worldwhich also bothered me Batman: The worldis that I actually learned things about other countries that I had no idea about, which helped me spend as much time on Wikipedia as I did on the comic! In particular, you will learn about the harrowing history of Hospital Colônia de Barbacena, a ‘psychiatric hospital’ that led to the genocide of more than 60,000 ‘patients’ through torture, starvation and medical malpractice. Hospital Colônia’s population consisted mainly of Brazil’s “undesirables” – from homosexuals to the homeless – and the horrific practices within the institution have been compared to conditions in Nazi concentration camps. Truly terrifying history, and something I would never have learned about without this comic.

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I also learned about Argentina’s ‘barra brava’ or Argentine hooligans, gangs of football fanatics who feverishly devote their time and energy to their teams. In 2012, there were more than 200 deaths from barra brava activities, and although the government and law enforcement have cracked down on these practices, there have still been sporadic incidents. In addition to these historical moments I’ve learned about, I think a fascinating recurring theme is that real-world cities are sometimes more dangerous than fictional Gotham, a terrifying and sobering prospect. Several stories in the anthology, particularly Spain and Brazil, emphasize this theme, as Joker returns to Gotham so he can take center stage. WHERE another villain.

Since there are 13 stories in this anthology, I won’t rate them all individually for this review, but overall I would definitely say that Joker: The world is worth a read if you’re a fan of the Joker, international comics and perspectives, or fascinating art. Or, if you were a big fan of Geoff Johns’ Three jokersthe first story is an interesting prologue to the tragic story. If you’re feeling a little exhausted by the oversaturation of Joker in DC Comics, then this anthology probably isn’t for you, but it does provide a different lens through which to view the Crown Prince. Featuring beautiful, unique art and interesting stories that offer a fresh take on the decades-old villain, Joker: The world is a fun romp that explores the Joker’s impact on the world, and how the world has influenced him.