Review: Justice League Dark Volume 3 - The Death of Magic

When Zatanna and the young wizard Tim Hunter are spirited away to another world, the rest of Justice League Dark must make ally themselves with the government once more in order to rescue their friends. Meanwhile, Constantine’s House of Mystery is taken from him by an unseen foe, who releases nightmares to keep Constantine and his teammates busy.

Justice League Dark Volume 3: The Death of Magic collects Justice League Dark #14-20, written by Jeff Lemire and Ray Fawkes with art by Mikel Janin.

After the Justice League Dark arrives in the otherworldly dimension where Zatanna and Tim Hunter have disappeared into, they quickly discover that nothing is as it should be. Deadman is alive, Black Orchid has transformed into a hulking monster, Madame Xanadu’s immortality is gone and she’s aging at a rapid rate, and Constantine cannot tell a lie. This shift in the status quo makes the characters vulnerable, particularly since Constantine’s transparency makes it that much more difficult for him to manipulate his teammates and keep them at a distance. Similarly, we see Madame Xanadu’s stoic veneer drop. She’s exposed and defenseless, but even in this aged state she’s hellbent on using her visions to help her allies. This level of character work is as refreshing as it is touching. We get to see aspects to these characters that we’re otherwise denied under normal circumstances. Of course, not all of the changes that happen to our protagonists make them vulnerable. In fact, Zatanna is more powerful in this world and we see her kick some serious ass as a kind of dark warrior. Some of the most memorable action sequences involve Zatanna unleashing her magic upon her foes.

Beyond the strong character work, The Death of Magic has a fantastic story with compelling themes. We learn that this other world was once a place where magic ran wild, until science took over and banished it to the fringes of society. It’s reminiscent of the narratives of Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy XIII, albeit much more simplified. Lemire and Fawkes are clearly interested in the way in which science and industrialization has a destructive effect on the natural world. They intertwine this with themes concerning destiny and responsibility, as we witness characters embrace who they’re meant to be in an honest and sincere way.

Through and through, The Death of Magic is a traditional fantasy story that pulls in familiar creatures like elves and fairies. It’s a thrill to see our heroes in an environment like this, as they’d previously been surrounded by the darker elements of magic. This lightness offers a new perspective to the book, as it shows that not all magic is evil and destructive. It can heal and protect as well.

In the aftermath of the first arc in this collection, Lemire and Fawkes pen another enthralling story where a powerful warlock known as Doctor Destiny takes control of the House of Mystery and sends nightmares after the Justice League Dark. As these nightmares wreak havoc across New York City, Constantine and his allies get a little help from the Flash. It’s an interesting choice in a guest star, but in the best possible way. In fact, the chemistry between the Flash and Frankenstein is so electric that it makes me wish the former was a permanent fixture in the book.

On the subject of Frankenstein, it’s worth mentioning that his inclusion in the team was a fantastic decision. He meshes in a way that previous members haven’t (Shade, I’m looking at you) and provides a more physical presence in battle. Where the others resort to magic, it’s actually great to have someone in the group who can hack and slash.

Despite the presence of the spotlight stealing Flash, the real star of this particular collection ended up being Madame Xanadu. For nearly 20 issues, Justice League Dark has been focused primarily on Constantine and how he relates to the other characters. However, The Death of Magic shifts to provide more insight into the enigmatic Xanadu. From her heroic sacrifice in the opening arc to her flirtations with Deadman to the revelations about her past, it’s incredibly satisfying to finally see her fleshed out as a fully-formed character. Better yet, it shows that there’s still so much to learn about her.

Justice League Dark continues to impress. It has carved out a nice little niche in the DC Universe and, thanks to writers like Jeff Lemire and Ray Fawkes, readers are treated to fantastical stories that are driven by richly drawn characters. This is a book that’s atypical in so many ways to the normal output from DC Comics. Our protagonists aren’t larger than life heroes who are paragons of good, instead they’re deeply flawed individuals who are just trying to do the right thing. The Death of Magic is exceptional in every way. The two arcs collected are total page-turners and all the characters involved are extremely compelling. If anything, The Death of Magic proves why Justice League Dark is such an important book for DC Comics.

RATING: A

Review: Justice League - Trinity War

When Superman seemingly murders one of the members of the Justice League of America,  a war is incited amongst Earth's finest heroes. His closest allies seek to prove his innocence, while the government uses the opportunity to devalue the Justice League's authority. At the centre of it all is the mysterious woman known as Pandora, whose actions may have led to the fall of Superman.

Justice League: Trinity War collects Justice League #22-23, Justice League Dark #22-23, Justice League of America #6-7, Trinity of Sin: Pandora #1-3, Constantine #5, Trinity of Sin: The Phantom Stranger #11 and The New 52 Free Comic Book Day Special 2012. It features writing by Geoff Johns, Jeff Lemire and Ray Fawkes, with art by Ivan Reis, Doug Mahnke and Mikel Janin.

At its core, Trinity War is a story of loyalty and friendship. Despite Superman's apparent guilt, Batman and Wonder Woman refuse to believe that their closest friend could truly be capable of murder. Their leadership unites the Justice Leagues, but fractures them as well. Under Batman's guidance, his group looks to the victim for answers. Wonder Woman leads her team on a crusade to find Pandora and learn the truth about the mysterious box that may have infected Superman with great evil. 

The tensions between Batman and Wonder Woman are palpable. While both have the same goal, their approach is entirely different and it's exciting to watch them butting heads. It's equally as thrilling to see Wonder Woman be given such a prominent role during a rather important event, since DC Comics' rival company is rather infamous for diminishing the role of its female characters during their events.

As far as crossovers go, this one is pretty epic. We see the clash of all three of DC Comics' Justice Leagues, giving fans a whole lot of hero versus hero action. This also means getting to see many of your favourite heroes interacting with one another when they otherwise wouldn't be. Though she has very little in the way of dialogue, Catwoman is one of the sassier characters in this crossover. Other standouts include Element Woman and Katana, as well as the aforementioned Wonder Woman. Batman is also written extremely well. Lesser writers will depict him as arrogant, always right and annoyingly flawless in battle. Here, he's sensitive and caring. His willingness to do whatever it takes to prove Superman's innocence is touching.

On top of that, a couple Wonder Woman villains get some rather impressive panel time. Giganta and Doctor Psycho's appearances within this crossover is a nice touch that any Wonder Woman fan should appreciate. At the same time, it would have been nicer to see the involvement of the villains bumped up a bit. If there was one thing Trinity War was missing in the way of its narrative, it was villainy.

While Trinity War is near flawless in theory, the execution is off. Not all issues collected in this trade are equal, with the quality varying from issue to issue. It's evident that there wasn't a lot of cohesion between the writers and artists, as the story doesn't progress as organically as it could have. The biggest problem with this particular collection is how meandering it feels due to the inclusion of Pandora's solo issues, as well as an issue of Constantine. Though Pandora's background is elaborated upon in her series, it adds very little to the ongoing story and it feels like an inconvenient interruption. The crossover is better read without these issues.

Beyond the poor pacing, there's another glaring issue with Trinity War and that is its lack of payoff. The crossover builds towards a rather impressive all-out battle between the heroes as Pandora's Box infects them with its evil, but rather than receiving a neat little resolution, the story ends with a cliffhanger. Ultimately, this diminishes the impact the story has since it means that Trinity War is little more than a lead-in for another crossover event. Despite this, the revelations made during the concluding moments of the story are pretty damn cool. There's a rather unexpected betrayal and the reveal of Pandora's Box's true origins is very creative.

There are a lot of pros and cons to Trinity War. The pacing is haphazard, the execution is a bit messy and the payoff is missing. However, characterization is strong and the action is intense. While all characters may not get to shine, those that do shine brightly. This is a testament to the strong writing from Johns and Lemire. Beyond all of that, Trinity War is just plain gorgeous! The superstar artistic talents of Ivan Reis, Doug Mahnke and Mikel Janin really elevate the story, turning each page into a masterpiece. If anything, Trinity War should be read just to see the great work these talented artists have contributed.

RATING: B

Review: Justice League Dark Vol. 2 - The Books of Magic

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

Review: Justice League Dark Vol. 1 - In the Dark

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