Vera Drew’s *The People’s Joker* is remarkably inventive and features a touching story, demonstrating that an impressive film doesn't require a massive Hollywood budget. Created in just five days with a $25,000 investment, utilizing volunteer animators and visual effects artists recruited through Drew's YouTube show, this DIY trans coming-of-age tale disguised as a Batman parody surpasses anything produced by Marvel …

It's hard to know where to begin when describing this strange, eccentric, and over-the-top parody of superhero films, centering on a transgender harlequin comedian who is also an edgy crusader battling the oppressive forces of a prejudiced society. Even that explanation sounds pretty unusual, but seeing it play out onscreen takes things even further into the realm of the bizarre and shocking. Vera Drew’s first featur…