When Constantine and his band of magical misfits are recruited by a government organization for a rescue mission, they uncover an artifact that will reveal the location of the ancient Books of Magic. These legendary tomes are said to hold the very essence of magic, which means that this ragtag Justice League must find them before anyone else can.
Justice League Dark Volume 2: The Books of Magic collects issues #7-13, 0 of the titular series and Justice League Dark Annual #1, written by Jeff Lemire and illustrated by Mikel Janin.
Picking up right where the previous volume left off, Constantine and his allies are pulled into a conflict agains the vampire Cain after the death of the vampiric champion Andrew Bennett. In these two issues, the Justice League Dark dukes it out against a horde of vampires in the muddy streets of Gotham City.
The inclusion of these issues is both exciting and frustrating. Peter Milligan handles the writing, penning some incredible action, while Admira Wijaya and Daniel Sampere knock it out of the park with their art. The cameos of Batgirl and Batman are a nice touch as well. On the downside, the story itself is disjointed. These are two pieces of a larger crossover and, since the conclusion isn't found in this volume, this means that the narrative goes unresolved.
Canadian writer Jeff Lemire takes the reigns following this crossover, beginning the epic "Books of Magic" storyline. This multi-part narrative sees the aforementioned Justice League Dark battling it out against Felix Faust for control of the map to the location of the Books of Magic. Where Milligan struggled to give the characters depth and the story scope, Lemire provides snappy dialogue and a fantastic globe-trotting adventure.
Reading Lemire's work here is truly like watching a movie. His cinematic sensibilities allow the story to unfold like a great adventure film, giving readers the feel of an Indiana Jones epic with a twist of Harry Potter. Beyond the story itself, Lemire excels at writing the characters. He digs deep with Constantine, giving him a layered and complex personality that translates well in his dialogue. He also seems to understand Zatanna in a way that allows her to be that much more captivating as a character. He allows her to become the heart of the team without forcing it. New addition Black Orchid is also a welcome change to the team's dynamic. Her aggressiveness and take-no-prisoners attitude is refreshing in contrast to the more laissez-faire attitude of the others.
Another major plus in this trade paperback's favour is Mikel Janin's art. In the previous volume, his work often felt stiff and traced. However, his work is vastly improved here. The characters, Zatanna especially, are so much more expressive and truly pop out of the page. He is also to be praised for his composition, as he isn't afraid to try out different layouts and perspectives, as well as putting together some rather impressive action scenes.
As a whole, Justice League Dark Vol. 2: The Books of Magic is practically flawless. The characters are vividly written and the art is both whimsical and gritty. Still, the inclusion of the "Rise of the Vampires" issues feel unnecessary as they have very little bearing on the rest of the collection.
Furthermore, Lemire inundates readers with the introductions of new characters. While it was understandable for him to replace the newly departed Mindwarp and Shade (good riddance!), the introductions of Steve Trevor, Dr. Mist, Felix Faust, Black Orchid, Tim Hunter, Nick Nero, Frankenstein and Amethyst become tedious and overwhelming. He really could have gotten away with trimming the cast a little.
That said, it's really hard not to love this collection. The storytelling is impeccable and cinematic in nearly every sense of the word, the characters are relatable and Lemire gives this team a true presence within the DC Universe. For fans of the supernatural or adventure stories, this collection will not disappoint.
RATING: A
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