Justice League Dark #23 Review

Writer: Jeff Lemire
Artist: Mikel Janin

This series has been amazing ever since Jeff Lemire took over, and although it has been variable over just how good it is as of recent, it has always been at least good. The Trinity War story that it is in the now has also been great, as although the last part wasn't spectacular the story has a whole has been.

Plot

Madame Xanadu is coming to terms with what is actually going to happen, while there is a fight for Pandora's Box, with Shazam (Billy Batson) makes a dramatic return.

Review

This was a brilliant issue, and much better than the last part of Trinity War, but not quite as good as the last issue from this series. Jeff Lemire did an amazing job of continuing from where the last part left off, creating a very exciting issue. I've really enjoyed how Lemire has managed to keep the Justice League Dark feel about this series during this storyline, as although it ultimately follows on with that story, it still feels very much like a JLD issue, having all the characters present. I also loved the action that Lemire added to this issue, and found it to be very spontaneous, and exciting, being very entertaining, and unique.

The art from Mikel Janin was absolutely amazing, and although there was one thing that I didn't like about the art in this issue, that was more due to Jeromy Cox's colours, as the red on Shazam wasn't as slick as it's been in the previous parts of this story. The detail in Janin's art was however brilliant, with everything looking perfect, and crisp. I especially loved how he drew the characters, and more so how he showed their facial expressions throughout this struggle, feeling that the change in their attitudes caused by the box was perfectly shown. The action was also explosive, and exciting, with a very dynamic layout throughout.

This issue would show would be narrated by Madame Xanadu, and show her starting to understand what's about to happen. I've always found Madame Xanadu interesting throughout this series, and I was very happy when I first noticed what her role in this story would possibly be. This however has shown us more, and her narration in this issue was very gritty, and interesting, adding a brilliant overtone to the issue. Xanadu's role in this issue also added more mystery as well, creating brilliant build-up.

This issue would also see the return of Shazam, as following his encounter with John Constantine, and how Constantine tried to steal his powers in Constantine #5, he hasn't featured in the story. I was happy to see him return, but I was more happy that it managed to quickly sum up what happened in Constantine #5 for anyone who hasn't read it, as although I read it myself, it's nice to have that for people who haven't. I also loved the new attitude that Shazam brought in this issue, as following the way he was treated by Constantine he has a very different view of being told what to do, and that was obvious in this issue.

The most exciting part of this issue would have to be the huge fight that would take place between all the heroes around Pandora's Box, and even Shazam once he arrived got involved, with the box having an affect on anyone nearby. The dialogue during this was also great, as it was nice to see all these proud superheroes talk in such a manner, making things even more exciting, with the fighting itself being very explosive, and entertaining as well.

Final Verdict

This was a great issue, and although not the best in the story so far, a big improvement over the last part, setting the finale up perfectly. It also had great drama, and action, with explosive action, and entertaining dialogue. Due to all this it's easy to recommend this, and I'd also highly recommend the rest of the story, looking forward to the final part even more now.

Rating: 8/10

Justice League Dark #22 Review

Writer: Jeff Lemire
Artist: Mikel Janin

This has been one of the more surprising series I've read, as it's been amazing, and I have loved every issue since Jeff Lemire took over. I have however been more interested in the crossover that it's a part of, Trinity War, and am happy to see the Justice League Dark finally have a proper role in it.

Plot

As Wonder Woman goes to the Justice League Dark for help, Phantom Stranger warns the other Justice League members to stop her, whilst the Question (Vic Sage) tries to help Superman.

Review

This was an amazing issue, and a great continuation from the last issue, which was slightly slow. Jeff Lemire has done a superb job with this issue, balancing it perfectly, by having enough action to keep it entertaining, and exciting, whilst also making some shocking changes to keep the story dynamic, interesting, and even more exciting. Lemire has also done a great job of adding more mystery to the story, making me question even more about what is actually behind this, and what will happen next. He also added a lot of tension, and drama, and although this issue didn't have as much excitement as the first part, it was just as exciting due to the changes made.

Mikel Janin once again amazes me with his great artwork, as although he's always done a great job of drawing the JLD, I wasn't sure if he could keep the same level of quality when it comes to adding more characters. I however should have never doubted him, as his art was amazing, and he did a great job with all the characters, and I'm sure he'd do a great job on any Justice League title. His art was so fabulously detailed, with a nice crispness to it, as well as a very dynamic layout, which adds more drama to the story. Janin also did a great job of the small pieces of action in this issue, and overall made everything look spectacular, and intense.

Finally all of the Trinity of Sin have been shown in this series, with Phantom Stranger making his first appearance in this issue. The whole Trinity of Sin involvement was one of the key things that I was looking forward to with this series, as although Pandora is a fairly new character, I have always been interested in the Question, and Phantom Stranger, and although the later has had his own series for about a year, it's nice to see him in a story that I'm reading, as was seeing the Question in the New 52 for the first. I also found his presence in this issue to add more depth, and mystique to it, and also questioned why the JL had no problem trusting him.

This issue would continue Wonder Woman wanting the JLD's help, with every on bar John Constantine being happy to help. The conversation between Wonder Woman, and the JLD (Constantine in particular) was also interesting, and very entertaining, with tons of mood, and drama. I also stated the reasoning that the JLD were introduced last issue, which was looking for the missing Madame Xanadu, and although it was kind of obvious it was confirmed in this issue. It was also nice to see what actually happened to Xanadu, and the events shown just leave even more questions to be answered, keeping my interest.

Probably the most interesting event in this issue would be when the remaining Justice League members (from both teams), intercepted the JLD, leaving each team to decide what side they were on, forming two teams sharing members of each group. I found this very interspersing, and besides the tension it adds, it also leaves the question of what will come out of this. Another thing that I enjoyed about this entire situation was the interaction that everyone had with each other, but the one that appealed to me the most was between Constantine, and Zatanna, as I loved their interaction in the past, and have missed it since she left the JLD.

Final Verdict

This was a fantastic issue, and an fantastic continuation to the crossover. It may not have had as much action as the first part, but it made up in excitement with fabulous confrontations, and entertaining interactions. It also had a lot of drama, and mystery to it, with tons of depth as well, keeping me very interested in the further development of the story. Due to all this I'd highly recommend this issue, as well as the rest of the event, and hope that it has converted some off you into JLD fans.

Rating: 5/5

Justice League Dark #20 Review

Writers: Jeff Lemire & Ray Fawkes
Artists: Mikel Janin & Vicente Cifuentes

Although I only caught up with this series recently, I have really enjoyed it, and it's been one of my favourite series in the New 52, and it's stuff like this, and Swamp Thing that show why the Dark series' are just as good, if not better than the more well known series like Superman, and Green Lantern.

Plot

With the help of the Flash (Barry Allen), Frankenstein is able to save the rest of the Justice League Dark from their nightmare's, whilst Doctor Destiny keeps torturing Swamp Thing (Alec Holland) in The House of Mystery.

Review

This was a brilliant issue, and it continued to show me why this has become one of my favourite series' out at the moment. Jeff Lemire, and Ray Fawkes continue to amaze me with their weird, and wonderful stories, and although this would appear to be just a filler story in the build-up to Trinity War, it's as good as many stories that have been out recently, and although this issue, along with last issue haven't been the best in the series, they're far from being the worst. The way that Lemire, and Fawkes handle the magic in this series has been phenomenal, and very clever, and that doesn't change in this issue, as although we're seeing the continuation of the House of Mystery's nightmare's, like we saw in issue 14, Lemire, and Fawkes have made it much more exciting, and unique. Lemire, and Fawkes have also did an excellent job with the dialogue in this issue, and I especially loved whenever Flash interacted with people, especially with Frankenstein, and John Constantine, but I'll talk more on that later on in my review. The action in this issue has also been handled perfectly, and Lemire, and Fawkes really know how to add as much drama as they can to this series, which is brilliant, and I hope they can continue this in Trinity War.

The art in this issue was also brilliant, and Mikel Janin once again did an excellent job, this time only doing the layouts, and Vicente Cifuentes did a brilliant job of the finishes. Now I still don't exactly know the difference between the layouts, and the finishes, as I always thought that the layout artist would give a very rough sketch of what he wants, whereas the finishes artist would re-draw that in full detail. I'm not entirely sure however if this is the case, as like when Janin only did layouts before, it looks very similar to his normal artwork, which makes me think that finishes here really means inker (but I may be wrong). Anyway onto the art itself. The layout was as usual phenomenal, and the thought put into it, as well as the drama that comes out of it is amazing, and really makes the issue that much better. The detail is also brilliant, and I especially love how the Flash's speed has been handled in this artwork, as it looks just like you'd expect the Flash to look which is nice. The facial expressions were also handled perfectly, with the character's emotions easily showing through, which really helps the reader to understand what the character is feeling. I also really liked how both the action, and nightmare's were handled, as they both looked outstandingly phenomenal, and added yet more excitement, and drama to the issue.

One of the things that I was most looking forward to with this story was the addition of Swamp Thing. To be honest I'm slightly disappointed with Swamp Thing's appearance in this story, and mainly this issue, as he's not really done much, and I was really looking forward to either him fighting the JLD or preferably working with them, and potentially becoming a member sometime in the future. I do however think it's good for the story overall, as it gives Doctor Destiny a powerful hero as a hostage, showing that if he can capture Swamp Thing easily, he could probably do the same with the rest of the JLD.

Early in the issue, the Flash, and Frankenstein get to know each other, and I really enjoyed the interaction between these two character's, seeing it as one of the more interesting parts of this issue. The fact that Flash didn't know whether Frankenstein was a friend or foe to start with was a brilliant addition, as to be honest if you'd never met Frankenstein before it'd be easy to mistake him for a villain, especially considering he's literally a monster. I also liked how Frankenstein saw Flash as a strange individual, and how you could tell that he was slightly annoyed about Flash not being able to stay in on place for more than a minute.

In continuing with the Flash, I really enjoyed his appearance, and more than just his conversation with Frankenstein, as he was a real asset to the team in this issue. Besides this I've been a fan of the Flash for a few years now, and am currently loving his solo series, and when I noticed that he'd be featuring in last issue I was ecstatic. I was however disappointed when it landed up being a very brief appearance at the end of the issue. This issue however made up for this, as his presence was amazing, and the way he ran about the place helping, whilst also slightly annoying certain individuals was also entertaining. I also loved how he interacted with the rest of the JLD, and especially Constantine, who initially hated the fact that Flash was here.

Talking of Constantine, his nightmare was probably the best, and most interesting in this issue, and I really enjoyed it. Now I won't go into much more detail as to avoid spoilers, but I will say some of my thoughts on the nightmare. Although it was much simpler than the other nightmare's shown in this issue, it was still by far the cleverest, and I feel the simplicity had a lot to do with that. I also loved how Constantine handled it, and how Flash wasn't as well prepared for this nightmare as he was for the rest.

Final Verdict

This was an excellent issue, and although it's not the best that the series has seen so far, it's far from being the worst. Lemire, and Fawkes continue to give you magic in a clever, and unique way, and this along with the action, and guest appearances really made this a special issue. Due to all this I'd highly recommend this issue, along with the rest of Lemire, and Fawkes run, as it's been truly amazing.

Rating: 4/5

Justice League Dark #19 Review

Writers: Jeff Lemire & Ray Fawkes
Artist: Mikel Janin

I only caught up with this series recently, having gotten every issue since Jeff Lemire took over writing, and I'm glad I have as it's been phenomenal, and although since Ray Fawkes became co-writer it's not been consistently phenomenal, it's still been outstanding, and had it's moments of brilliance.

Plot

After getting blown up at a race course John Constantine has lost his connection to The House of Mystery, and after telling the rest of the Justice League Dark about this he summons Swamp Thing (Alec Holland) for help. Steve Trevor also tries to enlist the help of Deadman.

Review

This was an amazing issue, and although it started a little slowly it was the perfect start to what I'm hoping will be a phenomenal filler before Trinity War starts. Jeff Lemire, and Ray Fawkes once again show why the Dark side of the New 52 is more interesting, and now that they've basically brought my two favourite Dark series (this and Swamp Thing) together, whether it's a one of thing or not is brilliant, and makes it all the more interesting. Besides the fact that this story's already oozing with interesting possibilities, it also continues to show the mystical side of this series perfectly, also adding for more drama, and excitement. Lemire, and Fawkes also continue to write the characters perfectly, showing their characteristics brilliantly, and they've also done a terrific job of writing Swamp Thing, and I'd happily see either writer have a shot at writing Swamp Thing sometime in the future, although not soon as Charles Soule is doing a very good job after his first issue on that series. This story also had some brilliant character emotions in it, and Lemire, and Fawkes handled them well, making it very dramatic.

Mikel Janin continues to amaze me with his artwork, and although Lemire, and Fawkes give him phenomenal scripts to work with, it's his art that I love the most about this series. His style of art is amazing, and the smooth, crisp lines are what I like the most about his art, as although there are fabulous artists out there that use a more rougher style, I always love when an artist is able to show as much detail, whilst also making the finished work neat, and smooth. The way Janin lays his artwork out is also brilliant, and I really love the way it's bordered, as like most New 52 series it gives it it's own unique style, and tone. The thing that really stood out to me from Janin's art in this issue was the way he drew Swamp Thing, as it was brilliant, and I'd be more than happy if he ever worked on that series, but even more so if Swamp Thing became a current feature in this series as well. Janin also draws the little action that's in this issue, and the character's emotions brilliantly giving more drama, and suspense to the issue. Jeromy Cox's colours were once again amazing, and gives the right tone that this series needs.

This issue started with Constantine being blown up at a race track. This was an interesting, and explosive way to start the story, and was very unique. The thing I probably liked most was that this was the first time since Lemire started on the series that it didn't carry on directly from the previous story, which was nice as even superhero's need a rest. It was also interesting that Constantine won a 100/1 bet, as he's usual quite unlucky with stuff like that, and it made the set-up of the explosion even more suspenseful, as it was obvious that not everything was as it seemed.

Due to Constantine protecting himself from the blast he was disconnected from the House of Mystery temporally, giving change for someone to steal it. Now this was the main part of the story, and what the rest appears to be focused on. It was actually a little surprising as although I was expecting it to be involved, from the cover it looked to be in a different way. The mystery, and drama that would come out of this was also brilliant, and it has me really interested in the future of this story, as well as who took the House of Mystery.

After Constantine was blown up it showed Deadman, in another person's body visiting Steve Trevor. Now besides the last issue being the end of the last story, it also showed that the connection that the JLD had with A.R.G.U.S. was severed, and that A.R.G.U.S. would be after the JLD. This was interesting, and to see the continuation of it in this issue was interesting, especially considering Trinity War is on the horizon. The fact that Trevor wanted Deadman to be a spy for him, even offering him a part in the Justice League of America, was even more interesting, and the overall conversion showed both character's characteristics. I did however find it interesting that Deadman didn't actually give an answer.

This issue saw the first appearance of Swamp Thing in the JLD. Now I've really been loving Swamp Thing in the New 52, and since I started getting this series I felt that Swamp Thing would be the perfect fit, especially considering he has history with Deadman, Frankenstein, and Constantine (although they can't remember). The fact that they brought this up in the issue, referencing Rotworld, and the fact that no one bar Swamp Thing (and Animal Man) remembered it. I also liked how like everyone Constantine summons that Swamp Thing wasn't happy, and actually threatened Constantine. Now I won't say much more as to avoid spoilers, but I'm looking forward to seeing more of Swamp Thing in this story, and hope that at some point he becomes a regular member.

Like the cover stated this issue also featured the Flash (Barry Allen). Now this was actually a bit disappointing, as with Flash featuring on the cover I was expecting him to have a biggish role in the issue, but he only appeared at the end. I wasn't however that bothered about this as it was the Swamp Thing appearance that I was more interested in, and the Flash was just an added bonus. I did however like the small appearance, and am looking forward to seeing what he has to offer as the story continues, and with Trinity War coming up it'll be interesting to see a member of the normal Justice League, team-up with the JLD.

Final Verdict

This was the perfect start to a new story, which looks to be a brilliant short filler before Trinity War. With the addition of Swamp Thing I expect big things from this story, and with the extra addition of the Flash even more. This issue didn't have too much action, but it was still exciting, and mysterious, as well as very unique. I would highly recommend this issue, as well as the series since issue 9, as it's been one of the best series in the New 52.

Rating: 4/5

Detective Comics #19 Review

Writers: John Layman & James Tynion IV
Artists: Jason Fabok, Andy Clarke, Mikel Janin, Henrik Jonsson & Jason Masters

I have been a huge Batman fan all my life, and although I stopped reviewing this series following Death of the Family due to not having time to review everything, I wouldn't be much of a fan if I neglected to review the 900th issue of the series that introduced Batman, whether the issue was good, or not.

Plots

The 900

The 900 block of Gotham City has been infected, turning into Man-Bat's, but without the help of the rest of the Bat-Family, Batman is relying on someone else to help him cure this outbreak.

Birth of a Family

Dr. Francine Langstrom reveals how Dr. Kirk Langstrom created the Man-Bat formula.

War Council

Bane tells of how he faced the Court of Owls, and how they're his next target in taking control of Gotham.

Birdwatching

Mr. Combustible, and more of Ogilvy's men raid Gotham during the Man-Bat outbreak.

Through a Blue Lens

An injured officer is visited by other members of the Gotham City Police Department, and they talk about what they think of Batman.

Review

Now due to this being a super sized issue, featuring five different stories I'm going to review the main story, The 900, in detail, but the other stories in a more summarised fashion, although I will still mention all my thoughts on the stories, just not necessarily in as much detail as I'd normally give.

The 900

Now I have loved John Layman's run on this series so far, and he's truly turned this series from the poor series it was into something brilliant, but although overall this was a good story, it wasn't his best. The story itself was fun, and very entertaining, and dramatic, but there were minor flaws in it which annoyed me. I usually don't mind minor imperfections in stories, as long as overall the story's fun, or interesting, but these flaws were really annoying, and one in particular actually kind of spoiled the whole story. What I did however like about Layman's writing on this story, and his run on the series in general, is how he's managed to intertwine most of the previous plots that have happened, giving a series that flows very smoothly, and I've also liked that all the things he's added have been setting up the future of the whole story, which has been a good thing. I already stated that this story was far from perfect, and that although it was fun, it did have it's flaws, and although I don't want to go into much detail overall, I will say that I felt that the ending of this story, the main story was very anticlimactic, and it kind of ruined the entire story.

The art from Jason Fabok is once again superb, and I've really enjoyed his work on this series. Although Fabok's art isn't necessarily the most beautiful artwork that I've ever seen, it is however very realistic, and it suits this series perfectly. The detail in Fabok's art is also another thing that sticks out, as everything is drawn with such precision, and it really makes everything look so much better looking. Fabok also draws every character brilliantly, whether Batman, Nightwing (Dick Grayson), Ogilvy, but besides Batman the best characters he drew in this issue were the Man-Bat, as they looked simply stunning. The layout of the drawing is also fabulous, and Fabok really has a knack for making the art feel as dramatic as possible, and although a lot of artists do this, with writers helping in how they write their scripts, I still feel that it's worth pointing out, as it really makes the story feel more alive, and vibrant. I also love the way Fabok draws the facial expressions, as it really gives a lot more emotion to the story. Fabok also does a brilliant job with the inks on this issue, as everything looks so smooth, and overall tidy, adding more depth to his artwork. I do however feel that most artists that do they're own inks are better, and although there are plenty of brilliant inkers out there, the artist is bound to know exactly what he want's and can't blame others if it's not perfect prior to the colours being added. Talking about colours, the colours from Jeromy Cox are also fantastic, and they really make Fabok's artwork look truly magnificent, making it look even better than it already does, with the tone of the colours also being perfect for this style of story.

The issue starts with a prologue that shows Dr. Langstrom looking at ton's of Man-Bat's in the sky, and although this was a cool sequence, with brilliant artwork, but it did kind of makes the following sequence a bit redundant. The following sequence shows a mother and her child turning into Man-Bat's, showing that there's a contagion that's spreading, but this wasn't as powerful as it could have been, as it's already been established that there are many Man-Bat's going about. The sequence with the mother and child was however very emotional, but it would have been even more so if the prologue hadn't been there.

Although the Man-Bat's have already featured in the New 52, having featured in Batman, Incorporated, we've not really been given any details as to how they came into existence, and now we do. I really enjoyed how Layman handled this, and although the way he involved them wasn't perfect, it was still very good. The main problem with the way that Layman introduced the Man-Bat's into this story was that you could easily tell that he had to work round the fact that they'd already been used in a previous series, and that he needed to find a way of making this an introduction story, whilst also acknowledging that the Man-Bat's have been around, and although as I said it wasn't perfect, he did do a decent job of it.

This story also featured another couple of members of the Bat-Family (Nightwing and Batgirl (Barbara Gordon), as Batman tried to contact them, asking for help, with both refusing to answer. Now I know that the Bat-Family's still mad at Batman for not telling them everything during Death of the Family, and possibly keeping secrets, but I felt that this was a bit petty, and with a crisis hitting Gotham I'd have thought they'd have put things to one side. Besides that with the death of Robin (Damian Wayne) in Batman, Incorporated #8, I'd have thought the rest of the Bat-Family would have at least forgotten about the events of Death of the Family for now, and rallied round in support of Batman.

This story also featured an appearance from Batwoman. Now she didn't really do much at all in this issue, apart from putting the final element in place (which could have easily have been done without her), but I was still happy to see her make an appearance, and after the falling out she had with Batman in Batwoman #18 you could feel tension between them. The main thing I liked about her appearance was that it was appropriate for 900th issue, as having made her first solo appearance as the main character in the pre-New 52 Detective Comics series, during the Batman: Reborn era it was only fitting that she made an appearance in the milestone issue.

Verdict

This was an interesting, and fun story, but it had it's flaws, and the anticlimactic ending kind of spoiled the story, although besides that it was a good read.

Rating: 4/5

Birth of a Family

WARNING: MAY SPOIL THE MAIN STORY!

Again this was a very good, and interesting story, and fitting considering what happened in the main story, and once again Layman did a good job of the writing. To be honest, although I prefer the first story overall, the writing in this one was probably better, as although it wasn't quite as exciting as the first story, the structure of the story was better, and overall it was more interesting, also not having as many flaws. This was also a much more emotional story than the main story, and Layman did a good job of showing not only the sadness that Francine has over what has happened, but the joy she has from fonder memories.

The art from Andy Clarke was brilliant, and although I personally still prefer Fabok's art from the main story, Clarke's art was still very good, and really suited the style of this story. I've always enjoyed Clarke's artwork, especially on Bat titles, so I was very happy to see him featuring on one of the back-up stories. Clarke's art is very detailed, and I love the way he adds shading to the characters, as the lines are brilliant, and don't look as rough as most artists that use shading, which was very nice. I also felt that his art was very emotional, and for the type of story that this was that's what's really needed, as although most Batman stories are dark, this one wasn't so needed a more lighter tone, which Clarke's art more than provided.

This was a nice origin story, and although not the best that I've ever read, it is still one of the better ones that's featured in the New 52. What I liked most about the origin is that it comes after the main story, and that it's told by Dr. Langstrom's wife, Francine. As I said earlier this was a very emotional story, and that's probably what made it as good as it was, as despite being interesting, it was also slightly dull, simply re-telling something that's already been told, and although I don't mind the re-telling of origins, they still need something else to make them unique, and the emotion in this one, along with the fact that it's told from Francine's point of view was what did that in my opinion.

Verdict

This was an interesting follow-up story from the main story, and was a brilliant re-telling of the Man-Bat origin. Besides that it didn't really do much, and was a bit dull, and it wouldn't have been as good if not for the brilliant art from Clarke, and the emotional tone to the story.

Rating: 4/5

War Council

This was the only story to feature in this issue that wasn't written by Layman, being written by Talon writer James Tynion IV. This was probably the best story to feature in this issue, and I would have rated it more, but it felt more like it should have been in the Talon series, as opposed to being in this. I say this as the story appears to be a set-up for a future issue of Talon, and although I don't read Talon I still think that it belongs in that series, as it means that people who follow Talon may need to get this issue (which I personally wouldn't like). Besides that small detail this story was still brilliant, and it had a lot of excitement, and action in it, as well as being interesting. Although I don't get Talon, I will say that this story has made me more incline to possibly get the issues that have been out, or get the trades when they're released, and although that's probably the main intent of this being added to this issue (besides filling in the extra pages needed), but I still felt that it could have been put into the Talon series.

The art in this story was brilliant, and Mikel Janin did a phenomenal job, and I was very happy when I noticed he was doing the art for a story in this issue. I've loved Janin's art in Justice League Dark, and have felt that Janin is a very talented artist, having a very unique style, and I was happy to see that he could do a good job on something that wasn't JLD (although I knew he would). The detail throughout Janin's art is magnificent, as all the muscularity of Bane, and his army are brilliant, and it really shows the power that these characters have, especially Bane. I also loved how Janin handled the action in this short story, as although I've loved the way he's handled the action in JLD, it's nothing compared to the way he's drawn the action in this story, as it's nothing short of phenomenal. What I liked most however about Janin's art was the reference to when Bane broke Batman's back, way back in Batman #497, and although I sometimes feel that this has been referenced too much, it was fitting for this story, as it's not just a milestone for Detective Comics, but the first proper appearance of Bane in the New 52 (he briefly appeared in Batman: The Dark Knight, but it's best to try and forget that).

Although I felt that this story wasn't necessarily appropriate for this issue, I can't complain about how good it was, as it was brilliant, and the perfect re-introduction for Bane. With Bane being one of my favourite Batman villains I've been annoyed that he's not had a fitting appearance in the New 52, and although there are others that I'd like to see a proper appearance from more (like Riddler), I'd still love to see Bane used right in the New 52, as his appearance in Dark Knight was terrible (as was the series at the time). I liked how Tynion wrote Bane in this story, as it showed the determined character that I loved in his earlier appearances, but it also showed that he needed a little persuasion as well, which was nice, so I have every faith that Tynion will handle Bane right in the Talon series, and may actually get the series to find out. Another thing that interested me in this story was that Bane was approached by a mysterious man that persuades Bane that going after the Court of Owls is the right thing. I found this man intriguing, and although I don't know who this person is, and having not read any of Talon I can't make a judgement from that, but I'd find it interesting if it was someone like Ogilvy that told Bane, as although this isn't very realistic, and that it will most likely be someone from the Talon series, it would make the addition of this story in this issue more significant.

Verdict

This was a very fun, and action pact story, that was very interesting. Talon fans in particular will probably like this, as it appears to be setting things up for that, and although it's goal appears to be to get more readers onto Talon, I personally feel that it shouldn't have been in this issue (even though I've probably been persuaded to get Talon). Besides that it was however a very good issue, and a very good read (even if not necessary for this issue).

Rating: 4/5

Birdwatching

After a small break from Layman's writing in the previous story, we're back with the remaining two stories being written by him. Once again this was a very good story, but ye again it wasn't anything special. This was however probably Layman's best story in this issue, and it showed the quality of storytelling that I loved from his run so far, and although it's still nothing too startling, it's still good, and shows signs of things to come. Like the end of the main story this story shows that Layman is far from done with the whole Ogilvy story, and I'm not surprised, as that's been the basis for all his work on the series so far, and it's been good. Although this story wasn't necessarily very entertaining, it had it's moments, and besides that it was very interesting, I loved the way he developed things that will happen in the upcoming issues, without giving too much away.

The art from Henrik Jonsson was good, but it wasn't the best in this issue, and actually probably the worst. In saying that, that shows how much talent's actually working on this issue, as with five different stories, with five different artists, and this being the worst art wise, that's got to say something, as this art was good, and most multi-story issues have at least one artist that doesn't quite make the grade. Anyway the detail in Jonsson's art was brilliant, and the only real thing that I didn't like about his art was that it was a little too rough, and although I don't mind rough artwork, it just didn't feel as good as the other artists that featured on this issue. The characters that I felt Jonsson drew the best were, Mr. Combustion, and the man that turned into a Man-Bat, as both looked brilliant. I really liked how he handled the character transforming into a Man-Bat, as it wasn't as simple as here he is as a human, and here he is as a bat, as he showed the in between. What impressed me the most however was the Man-Bat stage, as Jonsson really made the Man-bat look grotesque, which was brilliant.

Mr. Combustion was introduced in this series by Tony Daniel, in Detective Comics #6, but to be honest he hasn't really done much, and I don't really like him as a character. I don't mind the look of him, and although he looks very unrealistic, I still think that that's the best part about him, but at the end of the day I don't see him being remembered for very long, and although Layman has continued to use him a couple of times in this story, I personally don't see him lasting for too long, and if he does it'll be as nothing more than a Z list villain. I did however like that his involvement in this story revealed the reason behind the Man-Bat toxin outbreak in the first place, and that it filled some of the questions that were left from the main story. Another thing I liked about Combustion's appearance was that it showed that he was loyal, and although I won't say any more than that to avoid spoiling the story, it was something that I found noticeable, and helped to develop the possible future story of this series.

Verdict

This was a very interesting story, that answers questions left from the main story, as well as developing the Ogilvy story that has been the main theme of Layman's run.

Rating: 4/5
Through a Blue Lens

Although Layman once again did a good job on the writing of yet another story, I personally felt that this was the worst story in this issue. I really wanted to love this story, as I love it when we get to see the police against Batman, but this time it felt a bit tame, and the overall story just felt like a filler for the issue, and it doesn't appear to have much affect on future events. In saying that it was still very interesting, and Layman did a brilliant job of writing both sides of the argument, showing a lot of emotion, but it did feel like a filler. On another positive note it was nice that this story, like most of the stories featured in this issue, continued from the original story, and although it didn't really contribute anything new, it was still interesting, and an decent read.

The art from Jason Masters on this story was brilliant, and although I'm still not a huge fan of his work, I am starting to like it more, and feel that it suited this story brilliantly. Master has been making appearances in the Batman Inc. series, drawing two to three pages each issue, for the last few issues, and although it's not been perfect on that series, it has been nice to see, so when I saw that he was working on the art for one of the stories in this issue I was actually happy, as I've wanted to see more of his art, but not on a series that already has a brilliant artist, so this is the best way to see more. Anyway, I liked the detail in Master's art, and although some of the fight sequences between Batman and a Man-Bat (the injured officer who was affected by the toxin) looked awkward, it overall looked brilliant. I especially liked how Masters drew the facial expressions in this story, as although it wasn't much for most of the time, when he showed emotion it was brilliant, as it added a lot of drama, as you could feel what the characters were feeling.

Although I felt this was pretty much a filler story, there were elements of it that I really liked, mainly the way that most of the officers seemed to hate Batman. I can kind of see why some people, especially cops would hate Batman, as there's the clear argument that not as much bad stuff would happen in Gotham if it wasn't for his influence. What was however a bit questionable was how the cops talked about Batman, only really stating the negatives, and although there were a couple of cops that praised Batman, there wasn't actually any that had a neutral opinion, seeing both the good, and bad of Batman, only really having one opinion. In saying that the argument was written well, and it was very bold with the character emotions. Now I may be wrong (although I don't think I am), but I'm sure one of the characters that featured in this story has appeared in this series before. If I'm write that's a nice thing, as I like it when a writer re-uses a minor character that featured in a previous issue, and although he may not have done much with him, it did show that he wasn't forgotten.

The fight between the officer that turned into the Man-Bat, and Batman was also good, and although I'm glad that it didn't take up much of the actual story, it was nice to see, and it gave more fuel for the argument that was shown between the officers.

Verdict

Although this was the worst story in this issue, it was still very interesting, and it showed the argument over whether Batman's a hero, or a menace brilliantly. It did however not really give anything new, and felt mostly like a filler story, which was a shame, and what made the story the worst in the issue.

Rating: 3.5/5

Finally I'll talk about the additional art that featured in this issue, from Alex Maleev, Brett Booth, Chris Burnham, Jason Fabok, Andy Clarke, Francesco Francavilla, Cameron Stewart, and Dustin Nguyen. All the artists that contributed to all these lovely artwork did a brilliant job, but there were some that stuck out. My favourite out of these was from Booth, as he made Batman look fun, something that you don't see a lot, and although I enjoy Booth's art in general, having loved it on Anita Blake comics, and Teen Titans, whilst also looking forward to seeing his art on Nightwing, I'd love to see him work on Batman at some point. The other two pieces of art that really stood out were Nguyen, and Maleev's, as Maleev's gave a brilliant, dark feel, showing Batman next to the Bat-Signal, which just embodied everything that Batman is, and Nguyen's was a brilliant tribute to my favourite Batman story, The Killing Joke, showing Batman grabing Joker by the cuff of the neck, whilst laughing. The rest of the art was still very good, it was just these three that stood out more too me.

Final Verdict

Overall this was a brilliant issue, and although the stories weren't perfect they were all fitting, and went perfectly with the main story (besides War Council). They were however all very different styles of stories, as some were more fun than others, and some were more interesting, but overall they were all good, and although I'm not sure if this was a fitting issue to have for the 900th issue landmark (especially considering the price), it was however a good issue, and I'd highly recommend it, whether you're a Batman fan or not.

Overall Rating: 4/5

Justice League Dark #18 Review

Writers: Jeff Lemire & Ray Fawkes
Artist: Mikel Janin

After all the nice things said about this series, as well as the release of the new Constantine series I finally decided to try this series, and I'm very glad that I did, as the Books of Magic storyline was phenomenal, and this series as a whole as been one of the most unique series I've read from the New 52, and I look forward to seeing what comes next.

Plot

This is it, the battle between magic and science... so who will win? Plus how will the Justice League Dark fair in all this?

Review

I have to admit this story overall hasn't been as good as I'd hoped it would, but it has been better than a lot of other stories out at the moment, and it has ended phenomenally. After the events of last issue I was expecting a lot from this one, and I wasn't disappointed. Jeff Lemire has done a fantastic job throughout his entire run on the series, and although it's not been quite as good since Ray Fawkes became the co-writer, it's nothing to do with his abilities, as the story still had a fabulous start, and end, with the middle taking too much time in developing the story, but it's been worth it as it really helps this issue, as with everything all explained, and set-up we get this epic battle. Lemire and Fawkes do however continue to keep it very interesting, whilst keeping this excitement in full gear, and although the mysterious nature of this series has been put to the side for this issue, there are still some shocks (all be it minor ones), and things to question.

As ever the art from Mikel Janin is outstanding, and this issue is no different, and in a lot of ways even better than most of his art. What I've loved about Janin's art has been how smooth and realistic it looks, and how all the lines are very crisp, with not much roughness to it. The best thing about Janin's art this time however had to be the way he handled the action, as everything was phenomenal on epic proportions, and it was easily some of his best work on the series to date. I also loved how he drew the characters as despite still having the physical changes from entering Epoch, he's also done a marevllous job of showing the scars of battle, and mainly in the likes of the more mortal John Constantine. The detail in Janin's art is also brilliant, and he also does a fabulous job of showing the character's emotions, which also helps make the series more realistic, as well as making the art overall better. Jeromy Cox also continues to do a brilliant job on the colouring of this series, and I've really enjoyed it on this story, and although I wasn't fond of the colouring to start with, I've started to like it more, and more throughout, feeling that it really helps set the tone of this story.

I'll say now that this review may be a bit shorter than my others on this series as with most of the issue focusing on the battle, and the few bits that don't contain spoilers, and although I will mention them, I won't specify details as to avoid spoilers. Anyway what a battle it was in this issue, and it was as good if not better than the final battle in the Books of Magic story, although with all the build up it'd need to be. The main battle has Tim Hunter's army of magical creatures battling the science enforcers. What I liked most about the fight that despite being epic, and exciting, it also had lots of emotion, as you had the likes of Vikar torn between saving the civilians, and fighting the magical creatures, whilst at the same time Tim, and Zatanna question if they're doing the right thing, and overall it made for a much deeper fight than just the excitement.

Now although the fight focused on Tim's magical army and the science enforcers for the better part, the rest of the JLD still had their fair share of trouble, also having to fight members of the science enforcers that followed them. There was two things that I liked most about the JLD's involvement, and that was the determination, and war experience of Frankenstein, and that the story in general was narrated by Constantine. I also liked that we see more humility from Constantine, as due to being changed so that he can't lie he says what he truly feels, which I'm sure will help the series' future, leading for some interesting possibilities. Besides this the JLD didn't really do much, but it was never really their battle, and that also is one of the reasons that this story wasn't as good as Books of Magic on the whole, even though this issue was brilliant.

Last issue also saw a decision maid by Johnny Peril, Steve Trevor, and more so Tim's dad Jack Hunter when Jack decides to go to the alternate dimension and try and save the JLD, Zatanna and his son. Now I won't go into any details about this sequence as it's full of spoilers, but I will say how I felt about it. Although I kind of saw the events that transpired from this happening I was still a little surprised with what actually happened, and how it effected the story as a whole. I also liked how it had a few extra surprises that although I realise now, I hadn't thought of previously, which made the story more interesting, and over all suspenseful.

The events at the end of the issue also have me really looking forward to the next issue, and more so with the guest appearances from the Flash (Barry Allen), and especially Swamp Thing.

Final Verdict

This was a phenomenal conclusion to the Death of Magic storyline, and although the story has a whole hasn't been quite as good as Books of Magic, it has still been brilliant, and couldn't have ended any better. I'd highly recommend this issue, as well as the series, and can't wait for the next issue, and the appearance of Swamp Thing.

Rating: 5/5

Justice League Dark #17 Review

Writers: Jeff Lemire & Ray Fawkes

Artist: Mikel Janin

After all the nice things said about this series, as well as the release of the new Constantine series I finally decided to try this series, and I'm very glad that I did, as the Books of Magic storyline was phenomenal, and this series as a whole as been one of the most unique series I've read from the New 52, and I look forward to seeing what comes next.

Plot

The Justice League Dark have been captured by Vikar, and are being kept captive. Meanwhile Tim Hunter needs to live up to his destiny, and Johnny Peril has to find a way to stop the crisis that's facing both dimensions.

Review

Again a very good issue, but at the same time still not as good as the Books of Magic issues. Although not as good as Books of Magic, this is still a very unique and interesting story, and in many ways more interesting than Books of Magic, but unfortunately it's also not as exciting. Jeff Lemire and Ray Fawkes do however continue to create a story that is mysterious and suspenseful, and they've done a brilliant job at setting up the conclusion in the next issue. What I've really liked about this series is that it's taken the magic element and produced some phenomenal concepts, and all the different unique ideas that have been shown throughout is what I love about the series. However like this issue, I didn't feel a great deal of excitement, and it mainly felt like a set-up issue, setting up the finale, but the excitement that was in this issue was brilliant. I did however like that Lemire and Fawkes managed to make this a very serious, and dark issue, whilst also adding humor, and keeping it dynamic, and overall this was still a very good issue.

As I've said throughout my reviews, the thing that I love each and every issue, no matter whether the issues as good as the previous is the art, and Mikel Janin continues to amaze me. Although Lemire has been producing fabulous stories since he joined the series, I still don't think it would be the same without Janin's art, and it was a big difference when he didn't do the art, even though Lee Garbett's suited issue 0. Anyway, I also feel that Janin's best work has came out of this story, as the fantasy feel, added to the mysterious magic tone, has really made for some epic artwork, and his art throughout has been phenomenal. The thing I like most about Janin's art is that it's very smooth, and realistic, and also very well detailed. I've also loved how he's drawn the characters over the series, but more so in this story, as we've seen physical changes in some, giving for a different look, which Janin's handled brilliantly. The colours from Jeromy Cox are also amazing, and although I didn't love them to start with I feel that they really suit this story as a whole, as it really suits the new fantasy, and techno elements.

The JLD were captured by Vikar, and are now prisoners of the science community. Although this sequence was mostly dull, it did have it's upsides as we get some brilliant dialogue from John Constantine, Madame Xanadu, and Deadman, but it's the dialogue from Constantine and Xanadu that interested me the most. As I said in my previous review they've all changed with Constantine admitting his feelings, and Xanadu getting real old, and appearing to be near deaths door, so you can understand why the things they say are interesting, as Xanadu wants to get a vision she had off her chest whilst she still can, and due to his true feelings Constantine wants to comfort her, telling her that they'll be alright. Black Orchid doesn't really do much, but she doesn't need to, and Deadman adds the odd humorous line every now and then as usual. Frankenstein however was kept in a different place, were scientists were trying to examine him, and the reaction Frankenstein showed was brilliant. I'm happy that Frankenstein is still with the JLD as since seeing him in this series I've started to notice that he's a much deeper character than he appears, and also a very interesting one.

Whilst this is happening Tim has to accept his fate as the King of the magical creatures, and along with Zatanna they decide to go and rescue their friends the JLD. I really felt a lot of emotion in these sequences, as it starts with Zatanna trying to warn Tim, saying that this may be a trap, but once they discover that their friends are in danger Tim decides to trust them, and Zatanna just wants to find Constantine. This also continued to show that there's still feelings between Zatanna and Constantine, and I see it as only a matter of time before they do anything about it. The scientists, and more so Vikar's response to all this was also very interesting, and I look forward to seeing the fight between magic and science in the next issue.

Last issue also ended with a major imbalance in both dimensions, and this issue shows Johnny Peril, and A.R.G.U.S. continuing to find a way to fix everything, and save the JLD. Like last issue this part of the story didn't take up much time, but at the same time it didn't need to, and if it was longer it would have spoiled the development of the story as a whole. At the same time if it was shorter it would have done the exact same thing, so it was essential. Like last issue I won't go into detail about this sequence as to avoid spoilers, but it really set the final element of the story up nicely, and with everything else that happened in this issue I'm expecting a phenomenal conclusion.

Final Verdict

This was a very good issue, but like the last issue it wasn't as good as the Book of Magic story, and it was a bit slow at times. Besides that it was still a very unique and interesting issue, and Lemire and Fawkes have done a brilliant job. I'd still highly recommend both this issue as well as the series, and hope that next issues conclusion is as good as expect.

Rating: 4/5

Justice League Dark #16 Review

Writers: Jeff Lemire & Ray Fawkes

Artist: Mikel Janin

After all the nice things said about this series, as well as the release of the new Constantine series I finally decided to try this series, and I'm very glad that I did, as the Books of Magic storyline was phenomenal, and this series as a whole as been one of the most unique series I've read from the New 52, and I look forward to seeing what comes next.

Plot

The Justice League Dark have crossed over into Epoch, the dimension that Zatanna and Tim Hunter were taken to. After being briefly alive in this dimension Deadman is dead... again, and he's not the only one that's been affected, as there are changes to all JLD members. The history of Epoch is also revealed.

Review

Another good issue, but after the fabulous opening to this story I was expecting a bit more. This issue was however still very good, and Jeff Lemire and Ray Fawkes still manage to give us a very entertaining, and unique issue, that's also interesting. The thing that I felt let the issue down as a whole was that it took too much time developing the story. Don't get me wrong stories need development, and I'd much rather an over developed story than an under developed story, but at the same time it does sap a bit of the life out, slowing it down a bit. I did however enjoy how Lemire and Fawkes started to show more of this world, and the entire concept is brilliant. They've also continued to make a very unique story that's dark, and mysterious, which has been the thing I've liked most about this series. Lemire and Fawkes have also started to introduce new experiences for the characters involved, which I'm sure will change there thoughts of one another. Overall although this isn't the most exciting issue that Lemire and Fawkes has written, it's still interesting, and has it's moments.

Mikel Janin continues to impress me with his artwork, and he's really done a tremendous job on this series. What I love most about Janin's art is that it's very smooth, and realistic, and the crispness of the lines is fantastic. Janin's art is also very unique, and the detail and emotion put into it is phenomenal with everything looking fantastic. There's also a lot of new elements in this story, and Janin uses them to his best advantage, creating new and wonderful things that don't only add a new concept to the series, but also compliments it. I also love the way he's drawn the characters in this issue, and especially considering the changes that have happened to them, as they look fantastic, with ton's of detail. The layouts also continue to impress me, and I've loved how they've really suited not just the series, but the sequences within the series. Janin also did a brilliant job of all the magical characters that were awful fantasy and fairy tale like, and I also loved that they had their own layout design. The colours from Jeromy Cox are once again brilliant, and I much prefer them this time round now that I've became more used to them, as they actually really suit this type of story.

This issue started with Deadman, who was recently killed by Vikar, and has to escape the afterlife by battling Infernal Core. When Deadman was killed at the end of the last issue I was angry, but after a couple of seconds realized that he was already dead, and that he'd just be a ghost again. Either way it must have been hard for Deadman having a moment of life, just for it to be ripped away. He did however have a bit of fun with Infernal Core, as apparently he's able to touch things in the afterlife, meaning that he can fight Infernal Core without possessing anyone. The fight was fairly short, but it was very exciting, and I really enjoyed seeing Deadman let out some of his frustrations, whilst also having fun. I won't ruin the fight but I will say that the best bit about it was the ending, which was very entertaining, and slightly unexpected.

Besides Deadman's return to life, followed by death again, there were changes to every member of the JLD, apart from Frankenstein, with Madame Xanadu turning extremely old, Black Orchid turning into some kind of monster, and John Constantine not being able to lie, revealing his true feelings. It was these changes that kept the story interesting, as besides that the issue was basically all development, explaining the history of Epoch, but I'll talk more on that later. The change I actually liked best was in Constantine, as although Xanadu and Orchid's changes were more noticeable, I was still more interested in the fact that Constantine has went from this person that doesn't show his emotions, and also appears fearless, into someone the complete opposite, showing that he cares for the team, and that he truly is afraid, and that he's just had a front on. I probably liked this more as I'm a big fan of Constantine, so the change in characteristics was hilarious. Xanadu was probably the most interesting following Constanitine, as for someone supposedly immortal, the years didn't half catch up quickly, and it's the development of this that I'll be most looking forward to.

The main bulk of this issue was focused on the history of Epoch, and how it was once inhabited by many more magical creatures, until man found science and eradicated magic, killing anything with a connection to it. It also went on about Tim's ancestor, and the magical creatures King, The Hunter, and even went on to say how the Books of Magic were created. I found this sequence very interesting, and although it took away from the other sequences, slowing the issue down, I still liked it, and found it a necessary delay. What I liked most about this sequence was the art, as it was truly stunning, and I loved how everything was so magical (no pun intended), and that it made the series a bit more lighthearted, whilst also keeping a dark background nature. Again, although it slowed the issue down, I'm still looking forward to seeing the development of this part of the story, as being the main focus of the story, it's what needs to be good.

There was also a very minor appearance from Johnny Peril and Steve Trevor of A.R.G.U.S. near the end, and although I won't go into details as to avoid spoilers, I will say how I felt about this addition. It didn't really do much for the story, but this sequence did shine a light on what might happen in the next issue, and I for one am really looking forward to seeing what happens.

Final Verdict

Not the best issue in the series, but still a very good issue, and although it spends most time developing the story, essentially slowing it down, it was still very interesting, and also very unique. I would still easily recommend this issue, as despite being a bit slow it had it's moments, and is still better than a lot of other series' out the now.

Rating: 4/5

Justice League Dark #15 Review

Writers: Jeff Lemire & Ray Fawkes
Artist: Mikel Janin

After all the nice things said about this series, as well as the release of the new Constantine series I finally decided to try this series, and I'm very glad that I did, as the Books of Magic storyline was phenomenal, and this series as a whole as been one of the most unique series I've read from the New 52, and I look forward to seeing what comes next.

Plot

John Constantine, and the rest of the Justice League Dark continue to work with A.R.G.U.S. expert Johnny Peril on finding a way to find Zatanna and Tim Hunter, whilst Zatanna and Tim wake up in a mysterious place called the Wild Area.

Review

The start of a new story, and Jeff Lemire who's been doing a phenomenal job on this series now has a co-writer in the form of Ray Fawkes (who also co-writer the new Constantine series with Lemire). Although I've enjoyed Fawkes' work on Constantine and Batgirl, I've not read enough of his work to know what type of writer he is, let alone how good he is, so I wasn't sure what to expect on this. He has however made a brilliant contribution, and although I think Lemire's still doing most of the writing (with Fawkes doing most of the writing on Constantine) it's still brilliant, and from this issue, and the first issue of Constantine they appear to be a good team. Anyway, after a nice fun filler issue the series is back on track with the next big story, which follows straight from the previous. Lemire and Fawkes have managed to produce something that is once again dark, mysterious and overall interesting, and although I'm not quite as gripped with this story as I was with the Books of Magic story, I am still very excited to see how this story's developed. Lemire and Fawkes also did a brilliant job of adding new elements to this series, and it overall makes it more unique, and interesting.

Mikel Janin returns to do the artwork on this series again, and I'm very happy he has. Although Graham Nolan and Victor Drujiniu did a decent job on the artwork last issue, it's nowhere near as good as Janin's and I'm glad he's back. Everything about Janin's art is brilliant, but the thing I've loved the most about it is that the lines are so neat, and crisp, making for a very smooth image. Don't get me wrong there are artists that have a rough style that produce amazing art, but I still think that it's this unique, neat style that suits this series more. The detail in Janin's art has also been phenomenal, as no matter what he draws, whether scenery, characters, whether in the distance, or in the foreground, as everything is highly detailed, looking immaculate. Janin's layouts are also fabulous, and they continue to help with the mysterious nature of the series. I was however not as fond of the colouring this time, as although I liked it, and think that Jeromy Cox did a fantastic job, I much preferred the edgier colours from Ulises Arreola, which I felt suited this series much more, but Cox's was still brilliant.

This issue doesn't waste any time, and it finally shows us what has happened to Zatanna and Tim, and they appear to have been transported to a mysterious land called the Wild Area. There was a Wild Area that featured in DC comics a while ago, and although I don't know much about it I wonder if it has any connection to this, but either way it was one of the more mysterious settings in this series to date. We've seen magic feature a lot through this series, but although it appeared that the Books of Magic were more science than magic, this land appears to be a mixture of the two. Following that I found it very interesting that this area appears to change people, as it gave Zatanna much more power than she usually has, making for more curiosity, and mystery.

The inhabitants of this land are also very mysterious, and magic, as there's characters you only see in fantasy and fairy tales, and also characters that are very technological looking, which continues to show that this land clearly has a mixture of both science and magic. I also found it interesting how Zatanna and Tim reacted to these creatures/people, as they were very shocked by what they were, but due to all the weird stuff they've seen Zatanna quickly got used to it. There was one character from this place that particularly interested me, and that was a very technological looking character named Vikar, who appeared to be an officer that enforced law against people using magic. I won't go into much more detail, as to avoid spoilers, but I found this Vikar a very interesting character, and look forward to seeing more of him in this story.

Whilst this is all happening the JLD and Peril continue to work on a way of to find Zatanna and Tim, and they believe using the DNA from Tim's father, as well as Doctor Mist possessed by Deadman would help with this, and make the preparations. Due to most of this happening in the later half of the issue I'll avoid going into detail, as to once again avoid spoilers, but I will say about how I felt with the sequence. I really enjoyed it, and although the sequence with Zatanna and Tim in it was overall much more mysterious, and exciting, I still found this part of the issue to be more interesting, and that although we found out where Zatanna and Tim where, as well as what's there, I still thought that this sequence helped more with the overall development.

Final Verdict

A new story, and a new co-writer, Lemire, now with Fawkes as his co-writer have put together a brilliant opening chapter to the next part of this mysterious series that's called Justice League Dark, and it continues to be interesting, as well as exciting, and much more mysterious. I would highly recommend this issue as it was a very entertaining read, and I'd also recommend the series as a whole, as it's been very unique, and very dynamic.

Rating: 5/5

Justice League Dark Annual #1 Review

Writer: Jeff Lemire
Artist: Mikel Janin

With all the nice things getting said about this series since Jeff Lemire took over writing duties since issue 9, combined with the release of the new Constantine series, I decided to get the back issues of this, and boy am I happy I have. It's been phenomenal, and one of the most unique series I've seen in the New 52, and I'm glad I've given it a try.

Plot

After The House of Mystery crashed in the Sahara the remaining of the Justice League Dark regroup, and with the help of Frankenstein and Amethyst they to Nanda Parbat to confront Nick Necro.

Review

This was a brilliant issue, and like the entire series it was outstanding. With this being the end of the War for the Books of Magic storyline I was expecting something amazing, and I wasn't disappointed. Jeff Lemire once again gives an amazing issue, and with this being the final issue in his first big story on the series he's went big, chucking everything bar the kitchen sink into this issue. I've enjoyed everything that I've read from Lemire, and although some of the stuff has been better than others, it's all been fantastic, and I can't believe I hadn't found his work before. Lemire has managed to do everything that I love from a comic in this issue, as it's very dark, whilst also being fun, and exciting, and also having lots of emotion. It also has some amazing appearances in this issue with former JLD members appearing, and new members joining, but I'll talk more about that later on in my review. Lemire also did a brilliant job of bringing all the side stories in this story together to make a conclusion that was nothing short of phenomenal.

The art in this issue was fantastic, and Mikel Janin once again shows me why I love his art. I have never seen Janin's art prior to this series, but since reading the few issues that I have I've been loving it, and it really suits this style of series. I love that his art is very smooth, with everything being so neat, and the lines being very sharp. Janin also does a brilliant job of drawing the characters, as no matter who he draws, whether someone he usually draws like Constantine, or one of the new additions Frankenstein, everyone looks amazing. The detail in Janin's artwork is also fantastic, as everything looks perfect, with even the minor details being brilliant. The characters emotions, and expressions are also fantastic, as again they all look amazing, with nothing looking awkward, or poor, and you can really feel the characters emotions. I've also really enjoyed Janin's layouts throughout this series, as besides the panel layouts he's managed to position the characters perfectly, giving a very dramatic feel to the art. Once again Ulises Arreola adds amazing colours to this series, and I've always thought that the coulours suit this series, giving the right tone, and moood the series needs. Arreola's colours also helps make Janin's art look even better than it already is, as it makes it stand out.

This issue starts with John Constantine, Black Orchid, Deadman, and N'aall climbing out of the wreckage of the House of Mystery, and they land up bumping into Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E. Now I don't know a lot about the Frankenstein character that's appeared in DC Comics over the years, but I do know that he featured in Grant Morrison's Seven Soldiers of Victory series, as well as Lemire's Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E. series. I've not heard any bad or good things about the series that Lemire worked on, but I assume that it couldn't have done well after he left, as it got cancelled, but due to loving the rest of Lemire's work, as well as being interested in the character I'll probably get the trade volumes. I got interested in the character after seeing him in Rotworld, and I'm happy that he features in this series now, I knew he featured in the series before buying it, but you never know till you see it. I also loved how Constantine moaned about all his cigarettes being broken at the start of this sequence, finding it quite funny.

We also got some more background story involving how Necro became so fascinated with the Books of Mystery, and how he quested to get it, even finding The Eight-Dimensional Map with the giant bones of Mordru. It was nice to get more background on the character, as although I'm already liking him as a villain, he's still a new character that needs development. I also liked that at the same time you get a bit more background on the origin of the map, which was created by Mordru, and Merlin, without it taking away from the Necro flashback. It was also interesting that this flashback also shows how Necro met Faust, and how they began to hatch their plan. What I think made this entire sequence better was that Necro was telling it to Zatanna, who was ties to a chair, in a smug manour, and he'd already felt that he'd won, and that telling Zatanna everything was just like poring salt into the wound, but either way, it was an interesting flashback.

My favourite thing about the issue however had to be all the added appearances. I already mentioned Frankenstein, but this issue also featured Amethys, who at the time recently got a series in the form of, Sword of Sorcery, and former JLD member Andrew Bennett, who appeares in I, Vampire (although both these series are now being cancelled). These added appearances, along with all the other members of the JLD, apart from Zatanna coming together for the first time since I started reading the book was fantastic, and really added a lot of excitement to the series, as well as the story. I also think that the addition of these characters adds more variety to the JLD, and that it will make them stronger, as well as more dynamic. Another thing I liked about this sequence was that it talked about Madame Xanadu's vision, and how Tim Hunter is destined to wield the Books of Magic. I won't go into detail as to avoid spoilers, but this added so much more to the sequence, and besides making it very interesting, it also helped develop the story closer to it's end.

Although the added appearances were my favourite thing about the issue, the fight between the JLD against Necro, Faust, Mist, and their goons was the most exciting. It was always going to happen, and when it finally came, all I could think of was how epic it was. Again I won't go into a lot of detail as to avoid spoilers, but it was one of the best fights I've seen, and visual wise it was phenomenal, and Janin really excelled himself here, as despite already producing amazing art, he produced something even better with this sequence. I also liked the overall mentality of the characters in this fight, from both sides, as Necro assumed that he'd win no matter what, and everyone else also assumed that Constantine would do something rash. Besides the excitement in this fight, it also had a lot of suspense, and some really shocking moments, and it was overall very dramatic, and I can't think of a better way to end such a wonderful story.

Final Verdict

The best conclusion to the War for the Books of Magic story that I could ever ask for, this was a brilliant issue that had some amazing appearances, adding new members to the JLD. Lemire has done a phenomenal job throughout this story, and I'm really looking forward to the next story, ans seeing what he can do next. I would easily recommend this issue, as well as the entire series, as it's been a truly epic read.

Rating: 5/5