Review – Justice League Dark #10 (DC)

Posted on April 26, 2019 in DC Reviews

Publisher: DC
Writer: James Tynion IV
Pencils: Alvaro Martinez Bueno (pencils), Raul Fernandez (inks)
Colours: Brad Anderson
Lettering: Rob Leigh
Release Date: 24th April 2019

Sometimes it’s hard to argue with the cold, hard logic of a villain. The warped perspective of a man or woman can often give us a clearer picture of what some would consider the ‘moral’ thing to do. Like Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War, or in this case The Fates, guardians of all magic in the universe, currently facing turmoil and about to eat the Multiverse from the inside out.

So what’s the simplest solution? Wipe the slate clean and start over? Well, that’s one way to stop the devilishly unstoppable Otherkind, get rid of their power source and let this failed experiment of magic finally run its course. It would certainly solve the problem, and most of the life in the Multiverse would be happier for it. But for the Justice League Dark and the many beings who would pay their lives as forfeit, they’re not going to take it laying down.

Chimp, Swamp Thing and Langstrum are filled in on the details of this coup by the Lords of Order by Dr Fate’s very own apprentice, but before they can even formulate a plan they find themselves dealing head-on with the deletion of the realm they inhabit and the magical beings containing within.

Elsewhere, Zatanna and Wonder Woman question Circe about the plan of Z’s father and find out just how deep the rabbit hole goes with his connection to the Otherkind. More than prepping her from youth, it seems that a certain chain-smoking Scouser has had his hand in keeping the world prepared too. But that’s not all, as Zatanna is finally well and truly fed up with running, and Circe clearly has her own plans for the Otherkind.

Confused yet? Well, you could be forgiven. James Tynion IV has packed in more twists, double crosses and tension in his run than your average series of Eastenders. And just when it kicks off and you think things can’t get any worse, another bowl of excrement gets hurled over our heroes. More than that however, this issue shows the amount of forethought that has gone into this story. Small details harking back across numerous Justice League, JLD and Constantine storylines all play a part in this story, motivating and driving each individual character in their own way. There’s at least five different storyline plates spinning at once, and issues like this show how Tynion IV can give each one just enough time to develop in order to keep their momentum up.

Once again, the artwork manages to balance showcases of epic magic destruction with a lovely, emotional portrayal of the characters as the plot bombs drop throughout. Whether it’s the sly smile of a character emerging in a flashback or the angry inner turmoil of Zatanna as she finally snaps and starts fighting back, these moments work beautifully alongside the intense action and otherworldly magical destruction.

JLD continues to absolutely kill it, consistently keeping the ball rolling with the action while never disappointing in the plot department.

Rating: 4/5.

[PREVIEW ARTWORK]