Things are looking pretty grim in the DC Universe lately, what with all but one member of the Justice League being annihilated by Pariah in the recent Justice League #75. But there is a glimmer of hope as DC kicks off its massive Dark Crisis crossover. The first issue introduces a brand new incarnation of the Justice League to fill the void left by the old one.
Warning: this article contains spoilers for Dark Crisis #1!
As the Crisis event in the DCU, Dark Crisis is about the fallout of the Justice League's destruction and Pariah's attempt to destroy reality and restore the multiverse as it existed prior to the original Crisis on Infinite Earths. Of the many heroes who confronted Pariah and his brainwashed team of villains in Justice League #75, only Black Adam has survived. In the absence of Kal-El, Bruce Wayne, Diana of Themyscira, Barry Allen and the other elder statesmen of the DCU, new Superman Jon Kent is forced to shoulder his father's heavy burdens.
Jon wastes little time after the Justice League's collective funeral before attempting to build a new Justice League. Surprisingly, though, that new roster doesn't include a Wonder Woman, a Batman, a Flash or a Green Lantern. New Wonder Girl Yara Flor makes it clear she already has her hands full. And as for Luke Fox, the newly minted Batman of New York City? He views teaming up with other heroes as a mistake that got Bruce Wayne killed.
In the end, Jon assembles a surprisingly eclectic bunch of heroes that includes both established veterans and young up-and-comers. And if the new League can't have a Batman, at least it has Robin and Harley Quinn.
For those keeping score, the new Justice League roster includes:
This might just be the most unusual Justice League lineup since the classic Justice League International series from the late '80s (which, fittingly, also featured Blue Beetle and Booster Gold).
It quickly becomes clear this new team has its work cut out for it, however. Even as Pariah himself continues plotting to rewrite reality, Deathstroke is leading an all-out war against any heroes still foolhardy enough to put on their costumes in the wake of the Justice League's defeat. Issue #1 ends with Deathstroke's army launching an attack on Titans Tower and Deathstroke himself executing a defiant Beast Boy. It seems Justice League #75 was just the start of a very bloody year in the DC Universe.
What do you think of the new Justice League roster? Is Harley Quinn cut out for the biggest super-team around? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Elsewhere in the DCU, an upcoming Batman comic will showcase "the scariest Riddler of all time," and Joker artist Lee Bermejo is returning to Gotham City in the graphic novella Batman: Dear Detective.
Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.
Continue reading...
Warning: this article contains spoilers for Dark Crisis #1!
As the Crisis event in the DCU, Dark Crisis is about the fallout of the Justice League's destruction and Pariah's attempt to destroy reality and restore the multiverse as it existed prior to the original Crisis on Infinite Earths. Of the many heroes who confronted Pariah and his brainwashed team of villains in Justice League #75, only Black Adam has survived. In the absence of Kal-El, Bruce Wayne, Diana of Themyscira, Barry Allen and the other elder statesmen of the DCU, new Superman Jon Kent is forced to shoulder his father's heavy burdens.
Jon wastes little time after the Justice League's collective funeral before attempting to build a new Justice League. Surprisingly, though, that new roster doesn't include a Wonder Woman, a Batman, a Flash or a Green Lantern. New Wonder Girl Yara Flor makes it clear she already has her hands full. And as for Luke Fox, the newly minted Batman of New York City? He views teaming up with other heroes as a mistake that got Bruce Wayne killed.
In the end, Jon assembles a surprisingly eclectic bunch of heroes that includes both established veterans and young up-and-comers. And if the new League can't have a Batman, at least it has Robin and Harley Quinn.
For those keeping score, the new Justice League roster includes:
- Superman (Jon Kent)
- Supergirl
- Blue Beetle (Jaime Reyes)
- Doctor Light (Kimiyo Hoshi)
- Killer Frost
- Blue Beetle (Ted Kord)
- Booster Gold
- Frankenstein
- Aqualad (Jackson Hyde)
- Harley Quinn
- Robin (Damian Wayne)
This might just be the most unusual Justice League lineup since the classic Justice League International series from the late '80s (which, fittingly, also featured Blue Beetle and Booster Gold).
It quickly becomes clear this new team has its work cut out for it, however. Even as Pariah himself continues plotting to rewrite reality, Deathstroke is leading an all-out war against any heroes still foolhardy enough to put on their costumes in the wake of the Justice League's defeat. Issue #1 ends with Deathstroke's army launching an attack on Titans Tower and Deathstroke himself executing a defiant Beast Boy. It seems Justice League #75 was just the start of a very bloody year in the DC Universe.
What do you think of the new Justice League roster? Is Harley Quinn cut out for the biggest super-team around? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Elsewhere in the DCU, an upcoming Batman comic will showcase "the scariest Riddler of all time," and Joker artist Lee Bermejo is returning to Gotham City in the graphic novella Batman: Dear Detective.
Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.
Continue reading...