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

I enjoyed myself while reading Joker: The World, mainly because it felt like a disturbing, beautiful, and educational trip through the lens of non-American comic audiences, something I am not as used to as an American who mainly consumes titles from Marvel, DC, Image, and Dark Horse. While there are of course wildly talented international creators that craft comics for the Big Two, they are often still created through the lens an American or English-speaking audience would understand, and Joker: The World expands this narrow perspective.

For me, the highlight of this anthology is the diverse and unique art that each creator brings to the world they have crafted. 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 adore the artistic styles and vibrancy in each tale. Some major artistic highlights from Joker: The World include David Rubin’s gritty art in “Spring Break,” Ingo Romling’s gorgeous cartoon style in “No Jazz,” and Jaekwang Park’s evocative illustrations in “Copycat.” However, all the art successfully captures the spirit and dignity of its story, enhancing the vision and giving each a uniquely cultural lens. One thing I was disappointed about was that Japan’s contribution was simply the first chapter of Satoshi Miyagawa and Keisuke Gotou’s One Operation Joker manga, and I do sincerely wish they had given another Japanese mangaka the opportunity to tell a unique Joker story.

The other thing that I really loved about Joker: The World, which I also felt about Batman: The World, is that I truly learned things about other countries that I had no idea about, leading me to spend as much time on Wikipedia as I did on the comic! In particular, learning 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. The population of Hospital Colônia was mainly filled with the “unwanted” of Brazil – from homosexuals to homeless folks – and the horrific practices from within the institution have been likened to conditions within 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 the Argentinian “barra brava” or Argentine hooligans, gangs of soccer fanatical soccer supporters who feverishly devout their time and energy to their teams. By 2012 there were over 200 deaths related to barra brava activities, and while the government and law enforcement have cracked down on the practices, there have still been sporadic incidents. Beyond these historical moments that I learned about, I think a fascinating recurring theme is that real world cities are sometimes more dangerous than the fictional Gotham, a terrifying and sobering prospect. Several stories in the anthology, particularly Spain and Brazil, highlight this theme, as Joker returns to Gotham so he can be the true villain once again.

Since there are 13 stories in this anthology, I will not be reviewing each one individually for this review, but overall I would definitely say that Joker: The World is worthy of a read if you are a fan of the Joker, international comics and perspectives, or fascinating art. Or, if you were a huge fan of Geoff Johns’ Three Jokers, the first tale is an interesting prologue to the tragic story. If you are feeling a bit exhausted from Joker oversaturation in DC Comics, this anthology is probably not for you, but it does offer a different lens to view the Crown Prince through. With gorgeous, unique art and interesting stories that offer a fresh take on the decades old villain, Joker: The World is a fun romp exploring the Joker’s impact on the world, and how the world has impacted him.