I recently learned that the Joker briefly served as the Iranian ambassador to the UN. Have any other supervillains served in governmental roles working for nations that the United States considers adversarial?
Not often, particularly in the sense of real countries. The storyline featuring Joker as Iranian ambassador, Batman: A Death in the Family, drew a lot of due scrutiny for that choice, and it wasn’t one DC has ever really been eager to repeat. It’s left out of most retellings of the story entirely. When a supervillain has represented an enemy nation to the US since then, it’s always a fictional one.
One exception that comes to mind is the Japanese Imperial Princess Maru, who opposed Wonder Woman in the Golden Age during World War II as Doctor Poison.
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wasn’t Superman a commie at one point ?
You’re probably thinking of Superman: Red Son, which was an “Elseworlds” story set outside of main comics continuity proposing an alternate timeline where Superman’s rocket had landed in the Soviet Union instead of Kansas. Mark Millar wrote it.
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yeah that must be what I have in mind, and the message I’m getting is that particular series doesn’t apply to the question at hand, correct?
Inasmuch as Superman is not a supervillain, no.
huh I guess I just assumed that would have been the conceit of a Soviet Superman, that he would then be a villain in that telling.
It’s actually more complicated than that! Lex Luthor becomes the President as Superman ascends to power in the Soviet Union, so it’s a situation where there’s not really a clear hero or villain.
A strange one for my first time here: my son picked up a kids book of DC female superheroes and in it featured Black Canary, which he thought was the coolest one by far.
I know almost nothing about her, can you advise any child friendly stories about her (he’s almost six) which show just how cool she is please? And if not, another female hero you’d recommend that wouldn’t be too much at his age to understand.
Book he chose for context
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Aw yeah, Black Canary rules.
Your six-year-old may enjoy the 2015 BLACK CANARY 12-issue series, where she’s part of a crime fighting rock and roll band. Judd Winick’s first 14 issues on GREEN ARROW/BLACK CANARY from 2007 are quite lovely too. The most iconic comics showcasing Black Canary have always been BIRDS OF PREY, but that can run a little cheesecakey. My last rec would be BLACK CANARY & ZATANNA: BLOODSPELL, a great graphic novel teaming up two of DC’s most underrated heroines.
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Because I haven’t mentioned it here, my new home for answering all DC questions is the official DC Discord. Just check the #ask-the-question channel for troublingly constant access to my font of knowledge and discernment.
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Thank you for that recommendation. I shall find a copy of the first issue (which so far has very positive feedback from him) and let you know.
Your kindness is only beaten by your genius!!!
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I finally got my hands on a copy of this and we loved it. Moving on to Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam which is thankfully at our library. Much appreciated, Jaffe, thanks again!
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Hi Jaffe!
What do you think of the current Flash Spurrier run?
Excited for any of the Absolute titles?
I really love the Spurrier run! Reminds me a lot of the late 80s and early 90s Vertigo takes on established characters, getting really experimental formally and injecting more mature themes.
To your second question, uhhhh. I don’t know, not really.
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Followup question, who is the best b/c-tier speedster?
I like Avery Ho, China’s resident Flash.
what are some of the better superman stories that don’t usually make the top 10 lists (man for all seasons, all-star, up in the sky etc)
bonus question: what are your personal top 3 elseworlds stories?
Some of my favorites:
- Superman Smashes the Klan
- Superman: Strength
- Superman Adventures #11-12
- Superman: Miracle Monday (a novel)
- Smallville Season Eleven
- The Trial of Superman
- Superman: Lois and Clark
- Superman: Secret Identity
- Superman: The Secret Years
- The Warworld Saga
Top 3 Elseworlds:
- Superman & Batman: World’s Funnest
- JLA: The Nail
- Batman: Masque
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I can second Superman Smashes the Klan as being absolutely gorgeous, a great story, and fully self-contained if you just want to pick it up and read it all in an hour or two. Love that book
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