When the dangerous sorceress known as Enchantress unleashes her magical fury on the world, Madame Xanadu assembles a supernatural task force to stop the psychotic witch.
Justice League Dark Volume 1: In the Dark collects issues #1-6 of Justice League Dark, written by Peter Milligan and featuring art by Mikel Janin.
As one of the launch titles in DC Comics' The New 52 initiative, Justice League Dark established itself as a standout with its atypical approach to the superhero genre. With a cast of magic-themed characters and its gritty tone, the book uniquely appeals to horror enthusiasts and lovers of the supernatural. While the story structure itself may be quite conventional, the characters involved and the overall aesthetic are distinct. Writer Peter Milligan strives to write deeply flawed individuals, emphasizing the notion that power does not guarantee happiness. Overall, he captures the essence of fringe comics and packages it within the realm of the mainstream.
Given the fact that this collection tells the origin of this mystical iteration of the Justice League, Milligan has a lot to contend with. He has to find a way to organically bring together the individual members of the team and succeeds by using Madame Xanadu as the catalyst for their assemblage. Unfortunately, each of these characters have their own subplots and backstories. This clutters the primary narrative. Milligan also isn't big on exposition, despite dropping references throughout about the characters' individual circumstances. For anyone unfamiliar with this cast, it'll make it that much more difficult to understand who they are and be able to root for them. Sadly, this title is actually one of the least accessible from the New 52.
Artist Mikel Janin's work in this collection is amazing. His characters are so expressive and there's a sense of realism about them. He has an excellent sense of composition and his layouts are quite creative, contributing to the book's atypical approach to comic books. Above all else, Janin's execution of the gory elements to the story is perfection.
Justice League Dark: In the Dark is undeniably one of the most distinctive and unusual books from DC Comics' New 52 initiative. It's deliciously devious and downright gruesome. While it may not be as accessible as it could be and underutilizes fan-favourite Zatanna, its potential and aesthetic is enough to make up for its shortcomings.
Rating: B
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