Aprilis!

What's the Joker laughing at? Well, if I know him, he's not only guffawing at the situation he's got the Batman in symbolically on this outstanding Neal Adams cover, but he also giggling about all the gloom and mayhem ahead this month at the Dojo. But we'll get to that. The first day of April is the time for jokes and pranks and an ideal time to take note of Batman's worst best baddie -- The Joker!

The Joker was created by Jerry Robinson way back in the Golden Age and battled Batman countless times through the decades. But I kick off the month later today with perhaps the Joker's most odious prank in all that time, as related in Alan Moore's and Brian Bolland's The Killing Joke. After that, I want to take a gander at the Joker's brief but rather fun comic book series from the late 70's. So, it's a day full of Joker. Be sure to check back in later. 

Who would've imagined we'd be dealing with Nazis again? I have lived my life comfortable that, save for a handful of nutjobs, the Nazis were relegated to the ash heap of history and to nostalgic comic books where the likes of Captain America and the Human Torch could bash on them with glee. But they're back. I am going to spend a few days this month looking Hitler and his gang and their loathsome ideas in some classic science fiction that speculates about what might've happened if things had gone differently so long ago.

I've been indulging in some other dystopian classics as well. The fragile nature of our present-day society is showcased most effectively in these modern myths that present dark reflections of what we might become when the bad guys win. God knows, our society sucks enough when the good guys win. 

But it's not all gloom and doom. Expect more reviews from the Deep Woods as I wrap up my readings of Charlton's The Phantom. This time we get not only more of Pat Boyette, but a host of other talents including the great Don Newton. 

We head back to Astro City to enjoy the latest MetroBook from Kurt Busiek, Brent Anderson, Alex Ross, among others. 

And we make another whimsical journey to the land of OZ, where we'll check in on our favorite characters in all of their naive childlike glory. 

But shifting gears back to less rosy possibilities, another strange world is that of Kamandi, the Last Boy on Earth. This dark future has humanity all but squashed with a madhouse array of animals are ascendant. This was Jack Kirby's most successful work in terms of sales during his third tenure with DC. And it always surprises me when I read it. 

And I want to pay respects to Neal Adams again by looking at the one and only Batman, one of the greatest DC creations. The refinements to the character wrought by Adams helped the character survive the onslaught of camp brought on by the successful TV show and even thrive. I'm especially eager to revisit the introduction of Ra's al Ghul the Demon and his enticing daughter Talia. 

And who knows what else might come lurching into view as the month rolls along. So, it's a little gloomy this month, but there are a few rays of sunshine to warm a comic book fan's heart this spring. 

Check back later today for The Killing Joke. 

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