Posted By Dan Greenfield on May 12, 2021 | 1 comment

Another upside-down cover…

Neal Adams’ fourth retailer-exclusive variant cover for The Joker #4 has been unveiled — and it’s a riff on the artist’s classic Batman #244.

Dig this:

And here’s the original:

The covers — in which Adams “Jokerizes” his own famous images — are the brainchild of Ryan Hetkowski of State of Comics in Plymouth, Michigan.

We’ve had homages to Batman #251, Batman #227 and Batman #234, with one more to go after this take-off on #244.

As usual, you can get raw editions, signed editions, CGC editions, you name it. Click here for what State of Comics is doing. The book will also be available at Adams’ online store, which you should check out here.

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A few thoughts:

— When we wrote about Issue #2, I suggested three other covers that’d be really cool for this run of variants. So, I’m 2 for 2 so far! Time will tell on the last one.

— If you’re not reading the comic, it’s basically about Jim Gordon in pursuit of the Joker, hence the commissioner’s appearance here. I particularly like that even in the scorching desert, he’s wearing his trademark trench coat. I also dig that Adams chose not to give us two sets of the Joker’s pants. (Issue #244 famously has Ra’s al Ghul holding Batman’s pants — while Batman is still wearing pants. Adams says that was a Julie Schwartz decision.)

Adams’ pencils and inks

— Alert readers may recall that Adams has riffed on this cover before — back in 2016, during DC’s Neal Adams Month series of variants. I talked to Adams about it at the time and you can click here to see what he had to say. You can also click here to see what inker Bill Sienkiewicz had to say:

— The Joker #4 is due June 8.

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MORE

— Dig NEAL ADAMS’ BATMAN #227-Inspired Variant Cover for THE JOKER #2. Click here.

— Dig NEAL ADAMS’ BATMAN #234-Inspired Variant Cover for THE JOKER #3. Click here.