Posted By Dan Greenfield on Mar 18, 2020 | 4 comments

EXCLUSIVE: The artist pays tribute to the 1940s for his Joker 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular cover…

When DC Comics introduced decade-tribute variant covers with 2018’s Action Comics #1000, the idea was that each one would honor a particular era by using similar-style artwork and trade dress that matched the time period.

Check out Mike Allred’s groovy ’60s cover, for example:

Since then, the publisher appears to have loosened the reins some. There are still the era-appropriate logos and whatnot but the art has hewed closer to modern sensibilities, while still paying homage to an era past.

Kaare Andrews’ superb 1970s cover for the new one-shot Robin 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular #1 is a perfect case of that:

Anyway, DC recently released most of its decade variant covers for April 29’s one-off The Joker 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular #1 by some of the top artists working today. (Click here to check out the line-up at the publisher’s website. UPDATED: And click here to see Jim Lee’s just-released salute to the ’70s.)

But far and away the best Joker selection I’ve seen so far is Arthur Adams’ tribute to the 1940s — which homages Jerry Robinson’s artistic obsession with having the Dynamic Duo face off against a gigantic Joker.

Dig this EXCLUSIVE FIRST LOOK:

Oh, how I do love this cover, from the concept to the coloring by Sabine Rich. And Joker-mask wearing orangutans bearing weapons are always welcome.

The giant Joker motif has been lifted many times over — perhaps most famously by Neal Adams — but also just last year by Bruce Timm for the Detective Comics #1000 ’40s cover:

Eight decades after he helped create the Joker, Jerry Robinson is still inspiring artists.

How cool is that?

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MORE

— DC to Release JOKER and CATWOMAN Masks For 80th Anniversaries. Click here.

— DC to Release JOKER 80th ANNIVERSARY 100-PAGE SUPER SPECTACULAR. Click here.