Topages, Justin :: 1994 DC multi-pack COSTCO/SAM's CLUB

DC Showcase '94 #1 “The Great Pretender” p.12

Artists: Judy Johnson (Colorist) , Christian Alamy (All) , Ken Bruzenak (Letterer) , James Robinson (Writer)

3 Comments - 1,079 Views - 1 Like

DC Showcase '94 #1 “The Great Pretender” p.12 Comic Art

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Artwork Details

Title:	DC Showcase '94 #1 “The Great Pretender” p.12
Artist:	Judy Johnson (Colorist)
Artist:	Christian Alamy (All)
Artist:	Ken Bruzenak (Letterer)
Artist:	James Robinson (Writer)
Media Type:	Pen and Ink
Art Type:	Splash Page
For Sale Status:	NFS
Views:	1,079
Likes on CAF:	1 2
Comments:	3
Added to Site:	6/23/2019
Comic Art Archive:	Showcase '94 Issue: 1 Page: 12 View

Description

A personal grail piece for me

When I was barely in double digits of age, I got a Costco multi-pack of 20 DC comics sometime in 1994. I read several of those issues over and over but the one that stood out to me the most was DC Showcase 94 #1. It had a bright pink background and Jokers' devilish smile on the front cover.

"The Great Pretender"; scripted by James Robinson and drawn by Christian Alamy (inked by Rudy Nebres in part 2, ish. 2) Set in a paleo-post-apocalyptic time when Gotham City has devolved into a psychotic, feverish-dreamscape. Park Metamorphosis, part Through the Looking Glass. Demon Batman & King Joker are more monsterish-gods than the humans they once resembled. Perhaps having been forced by desperation, Batman seems to have abandoned all lines of morality that once held him back from the brink, becoming more alike his arch enemy than not. So routine is the eternal power struggle between them, that the helpless citizens of Gotham appear trapped in a collective, waking nightmare. But do these two demons also struggle within themselves? At first glance it's an entertaining read and an alternate look at what if...Batman and Joker pulled out all the stops? But reading onto issue 2 and there seem to be layers of psycho-analysis beneath the scabs of carnage.

Not until much later in life was I able to track down the second issue which completes the story. Still, I like #1 best, more for nostalgia than anything but I think that Alamy's inks in #1 work slightly better over his pencils for me than Nebres' do in #2.

I have been very fortunate to track down a couple of these pages already, having had a few slip by me, (much gratitude be to those who've helped) but I am always hoping to find more from both issues.

The impact was profound enough it seems that when the very rare opportunity came around, I commissioned a semi-reluctant but gracious Christian Alamy do a convention sketch for me of Joker in the Showcase 94 style, the resulting piece is in my Sketch Covers gallery. https://www.comicartfans.com/gallerypiece.asp?piece=1559023

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About the Owner

	Justin Topages ( 6 ) Premium Gallery Owner
Joined:	September 2015
Last Login:	September 2025
Ebay Id:	silveriderblackghostpanthersurfer
Country:	UNITED STATES
On CAF:	Premium Member Q&A Justin's Want List Artworks Commented On Liked Art Site Activity on CAF

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Comments on this Artwork

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Daryl R
Member Since 2015

1 - Posted on 6/23/2019

Oh yeah! I still love this page! Looks great in your collection and I'm glad it ended up somewhere where it is truly appreciated.

Justin Topages
Member Since 2015

Posted on 6/24/2019

Daryl R wrote:

Oh yeah! I still love this page! Looks great in your collection and I'm glad it ended up somewhere where it is truly appreciated.

Thanks again Daryl! It is definitely a grail piece for me.

Vik V
Member Since 2016

Posted on 7/5/2019

Fantastic Joker splash page. Congrats

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