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REVIEW: DC’s Justice League: Road to Dark Crisis #1

Justice League: Road to Dark Crisis #1 brings readers back to Earth after the Justice League has fallen and shows what the world is like without its iconic heroes. Featuring five separate stories, told by five different creative teams, Justice League: Road to Dark Crisis #1 features heroes that have to come to terms with the deaths of their mentors while villains seek to take advantage of a world without the Justice League.

This new installment in DC's next event is told in five different stories. Bringing together Nightwing and Jon Kent's Superman in "Team-Up," written by Joshua Williamson with art by Dan Jurgens and Norm Rapmund and colors from HI-FI. Williamson writes Dick Grayson as a character who is no stranger to grief, and when it comes to Batman, Dick tells himself he's never gone forever. Jeremy Adams, Rosi Kämpe, and Matt Herms tell the story "Life of Purpose," which shows how Wally West struggles with the unknown whereabouts of his fellow Flash, Barry Allen, and reminds those around him of the importance of being a hero.

"Survivors," written by Chuck Brown with art by Fico Ossio and Sebastian Cheng, brings together Green Lantern, Hal Jordan, and Jackson Hyde, also known as Aquaman, as they fight an ever-evolving enemy. Both Hal and Jackson have to learn how to defeat this new enemy together while teaching each other about what has happened to the Justice League. Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Leila Del Duca, and Jordie Bellaire tell the story of "The Pariah." The story explores the ways in which Kell Mossa, the titular Pariah, is tormented by his past mistakes. But being the only person who can save the multiverse helps him put his past in perspective. Finally, "Because the Night," written by Stephanie Phillips with art by Clayton Henry and Marcelo Maiolo, establishes a constant cycle of good and evil in the world.

All of the stories in Justice League: Road to Dark Crisis #1 approach the loss of the Justice League in different ways. Each character deals with these deaths differently. In "Team-Up," Williamson explores the stories that Dick uses to help Jon calm down and to reassure him that death is often temporary in the DC Universe. In "Life of Purpose," Wally realizes that just because Barry is lost doesn't mean he can't count on him for strength and inspiration even when he's not around. Justice League: Road to Dark Crisis #1 plunges into the hearts of these heroes and doesn't stop even when it feels like all is lost.

With five different creative teams behind each story, Justice League: Road to Dark Crisis #1 creates a beautifully tragic setting in each tale. Each artistic style demonstrates how different yet similar each story is. All five pieces use color tremendously. Jurgens, Rapmund, and HI-FI all work to capture the courage and uncertainty on the faces of Dick and Jon with the use of bright colors and intense shadows in "Team-Up." Later, Sebastian Cheng's colors burst with light in the far reaches of space and are drenched with the darkness of the depths in "Survivors." Each story comes together visually to keep the reader's attention. And Josh Reed's lettering helps the stories flow into one another.

Justice League: Road to Dark Crisis #1 features numerous art styles and narratives. Each creative team conquers the task of putting the pieces of a broken world back together. The multiple perspectives of a grieving Earth help paint a holistic portrait of the DC Universe as it heads towards the Dark Crisis. Although each story in this anthology is told by a different team, each one teaches a lesson about how the surviving heroes must unify together in a world without the Justice League.

Cover of Batman Beyond The White Knight #3
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About The Author

About The Author

Violet Issa