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mediaevalmuse 's review for:
Justice League Dark, Vol. 1: In the Dark
by Peter Milligan
Usually, comics about the supernatural are my jam. Add to that my love for John Constantine and Zatanna, freaky imagery, and impossible plots - this comic should have been up my alley. While there were things I liked, I admittedly had some trouble getting into this volume mostly because I didn’t feel like I, as a reader, had much support from the storytellers. If you’ve got a good handle on all the characters, you may be fine, but expect a lot of jumping around plot-wise.
Things I Liked
1. Art: Janin’s art is really nice-looking. It’s got the realism that I generally gravitate towards in comics, combined with the weirdness of the supernatural aspects. Some of my favorite things, for example, were the swirling cortex of teeth (ok, gross, but weird and cool given the story) and the effects of Shade’s vest.
2. Constantine and Deadman Conflict: There’s an interesting head-to-head in this comic concerning the safety of an innocent person (June Moone): Constantine wants to essentially sacrifice this person for the safety of the world, and Deadman wants to protect the innocent and find another way. I like the way this played out in the comic, with Deadman trying to possess Constantine only to be disgusted by what he sees inside. I also liked that these two perspectives came into contact so often that it helped develop the characters a bit.
3. Deadman’s Tenderness Towards June: June initially comes to Deadman for help, and I love that throughout the comic, Deadman was fully committed to keeping her safe. It’s the kind of attitude I love in my superheroes.
Things I Didn’t Like
1. Deadman and Dove’s Relationship: The first time we see Deadman and Dove in this comic, they’re fighting about having sex using other people’s bodies. This fight happens a couple of times, and I really didn’t like it. Not only did it turn Deadman into a kind of sleaze bag, but it had some undertones of rape (if you possess a body without permission and have sex with someone in it, is that consensual for the possessed person?).
2. Lack of Support: This comic doesn’t quite do a good job of helping the reader follow what’s going on. Not only are we barely introduced to the characters in the beginning, but the storytelling itself is hard to follow. I wasn’t sure why Madame Xanadu had to call Zatanna, Shade, etc. together to fight the Enchantress when it seems like the problem was solved by Constantine (and Deadman, to an extent). Maybe it’s me misreading the story, but if that’s so - I needed more help as a reader.
3. Flow: This volume changes perspectives and scenes so quickly that I found myself frustrated. Maybe the intent was to show the reader what each member of this team-up is doing before the Big Conflict, but to me, it was too much too fast.
Recommendations: I would recommend this book if you’re interested in supernatural comics, magic, characters like John Constantine and Deadman, and team-up comics.
Things I Liked
1. Art: Janin’s art is really nice-looking. It’s got the realism that I generally gravitate towards in comics, combined with the weirdness of the supernatural aspects. Some of my favorite things, for example, were the swirling cortex of teeth (ok, gross, but weird and cool given the story) and the effects of Shade’s vest.
2. Constantine and Deadman Conflict: There’s an interesting head-to-head in this comic concerning the safety of an innocent person (June Moone): Constantine wants to essentially sacrifice this person for the safety of the world, and Deadman wants to protect the innocent and find another way. I like the way this played out in the comic, with Deadman trying to possess Constantine only to be disgusted by what he sees inside. I also liked that these two perspectives came into contact so often that it helped develop the characters a bit.
3. Deadman’s Tenderness Towards June: June initially comes to Deadman for help, and I love that throughout the comic, Deadman was fully committed to keeping her safe. It’s the kind of attitude I love in my superheroes.
Things I Didn’t Like
1. Deadman and Dove’s Relationship: The first time we see Deadman and Dove in this comic, they’re fighting about having sex using other people’s bodies. This fight happens a couple of times, and I really didn’t like it. Not only did it turn Deadman into a kind of sleaze bag, but it had some undertones of rape (if you possess a body without permission and have sex with someone in it, is that consensual for the possessed person?).
2. Lack of Support: This comic doesn’t quite do a good job of helping the reader follow what’s going on. Not only are we barely introduced to the characters in the beginning, but the storytelling itself is hard to follow. I wasn’t sure why Madame Xanadu had to call Zatanna, Shade, etc. together to fight the Enchantress when it seems like the problem was solved by Constantine (and Deadman, to an extent). Maybe it’s me misreading the story, but if that’s so - I needed more help as a reader.
3. Flow: This volume changes perspectives and scenes so quickly that I found myself frustrated. Maybe the intent was to show the reader what each member of this team-up is doing before the Big Conflict, but to me, it was too much too fast.
Recommendations: I would recommend this book if you’re interested in supernatural comics, magic, characters like John Constantine and Deadman, and team-up comics.