Justice League Dark 2021 Annual #1 – Ram V, Dan Watters, Writers; Christopher Mitten, Artist; Romulo Fajardo Jr, Colorist
Ray – 8.5/10
Ray: Before the backup concludes in a few weeks, the Justice League Dark gets their own dedicated annual. Regular writer Ram V has done a good job establishing a complex mythology for these characters and their world, but he’s delving into some darker Vertigo territory this issue—which is why he brings in Sandman Universe veteran Dan Watters as his co-writer here. The League is licking their wounds after a tense battle against Merlin, and that asks one big question—how did the benevolent sorcerer of Arthurian lore become one of the biggest villains in the DCU? A series of flashbacks explain this somewhat, starting with Diana experiencing a vision that takes back to a mystical version of ancient Egypt. There she encounters a notorious Titan and discovers that there has been a change in leadership under the Helmet of Fate—one that indicates the balances between chaos and order may be shifting.
This issue has a lot of intriguing beats, but also a lot of exposition. The backup, parceled out in ten-page segments for the better part of a year, has to move fast. That means the annual has a lot of heavy lifting to do. We get a surprise appearance by a new main villain from DC lore, but the biggest x-factor is the mysterious Mister E. Punny name aside, this Vertigo player is one of the most enigmatic and menacing players from Constantine’s lore and he’s no less creepy here. As an agent of the Lords of Order, he’s looking to put magic back into a box, and the deal he makes with Zatanna at the end of the issue has the chance to backfire spectacularly. I’m just worried that with only a few short installments left, there is way too much going on here for this story to wrap up in a satisfying way before the hiatus. If Ram V wants it, this is definitely a book that deserves a full revival.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
