Mild Mannered Reviews - Justice League Comic Books
Justice League: Road to Dark Crisis #1
Scheduled to arrive in stores: May 31, 2022Cover date: July 2022
Cover: Daniel Sampere
Variant Covers: Chris Burnham and Rafael Sarmento
Reviewed by: James Lantz
Click to enlarge
"Team-Up"
Writer: Joshua Williamson
Penciller: Dan Jurgens
Inker: Norm Rapmund
Jon Kent helps Nightwing defeat Brick. Nightwing, in return, helps the panicked new Superman not lose hope that the Justice League will return somehow. The pair follow in their paternal figures' footsteps and team-up to take on Kid Amazo while Nightwing is convinced to pass his hopes on to those at a vigil for the Justice League.
Story - 4: As much as I love anthologies in comics, prose, television, film and audio, I just don't think the format works for something like this book. The stories within would work better as separate one shots to allow for more character dynamics and storytelling. As a whole, this book really doesn't use the full potential of what has been published in its pages. Does this mean these tales are bad. Not necessarily. DC just missed some opportunities releasing "Road to Dark Crisis" this way. That said, let's look at the individual sagas.
This is my favorite story in this issue. However, it proves my point in the previous paragraph. There truly are not enough pages for a Jon Kent and Dick Grayson team-up. There are so many directions that a one-shot or mini-series featuring them could go. Still, it's great we have this in spite of it being too short.
Art - 5: Dan Jurgens has always been one of my favorite comics creators. To see his art in any book again is a joy.
"Life of Purpose"
Writer: Jeremy Adams
Artist: Rosi Kampe
With the Justice League, including Barry Allen presumed dead, Wally West and Ace must make sure every villain trying to make a name for themselves knows that the Flash and Kid Flash are there to make sure Central and Keystone Cities and the world are still protected by heroes. This is to give people and themselves hope.
Story - 4: Even if I haven't read The Flash in a good long while, I really didn't need to with this one. This all-too brief story summed up Wally and Ace's adventures while giving us all an idea of what they felt about the events of "Justice League #75". My qualms about the format are really the only reasons for the lack of a perfect score.
Art - 5: The art captures the atmosphere of this story perfectly. I don't think any other style would work for it.
"Survivors"
Writer: Chuck Brown
Artist: Fico Ossio
Jackson Hyde and Hal Jordan protect Atlantis from the alien Viro. Centrifuge separates it from parasites, allowing the being to be free and leave Atlantis and Sector 2814 in peace. Jackson takes his place as the seas' protector while Hal investigates what happened to the Justice League.
Story - 4: This story is right up there with "Team-Up". Yet, its length, or lack thereof, really makes it suffer.
Art - 5: This might not have worked as well in full color, but for this series, the art is stupendous.
"The Pariah"
Writer: Philip Kennedy Johnson
Artist: Leila Del Luca
Pariah, not wanting to repeat his errors from "Crisis on Infinite Earths," decides to suicide to save the multiverse. This does not work for him as he is face to face with the Great Darkness.
Story - 3: Sadly, this is the worst of the stories in this book. That's not because it's badly written. Its reliance on continuity bogs it down a bit too much. Again, had a full one-shot been used, more could have been done to help its flaws.
Art - 5: The style isn't what I'd normally expect for the tone of the story. However, it is incredibly done.
"Because The Night"
Writer: Stephanie Phillips
Artist: Clayton Henry
Nocturna fights Batgirl at the Gotham Museum only to be interrupted by a call from Oracle. Nocturna then gets an offer from Firefly to join the latest version of the Secret Society of Super-Villains.
Story - 4: Yet again, we have story that is too short. So much could have been said and done with this and the rest of this issue's contents. What were the powers that be thinking? The story is still very good. I just feel like some poor decisions were made on an editorial level.
Art - 4: Batman looks of in the flash back, but the rest of the story's art is otherwise great.
Cover Art - 5: The image would not have been my first choice for a main cover. It is well drawn, but I'd have used another concept for it., That's just me though.
Rafael Sarmento Variant Cover Art - 2: While not completely terrible, this variant looks either rushed or like Sarmento was given the assignment at the last minute.
Chris Burnham Variant Cover Art - 5: This one puts rare fun into variants.
Mild Mannered Reviews
2022
Note: Except for digital first releases, the month dates are from the issue covers, not the actual date when the comic went on sale.January 2022
- Batman/Superman: Authority Special #1
- Action Comics #1036
- Action Comics #1037
- Superman: Son of Kal-El #5
- Superman '78 #3 [of 6]
- Superman '78 #4 [of 6]
- Superman vs. Lobo #2 [of 3]
- Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow #5 [of 8]
- Justice League #69
- Justice League: Last Ride #7
- Justice League Infinity #5
- Justice League Incarnate #1 [of 5]
- DC vs. Vampires #2 [of 12]
- Dark Knights of Steel #1
- Action Comics #1038
- Superman: Son of Kal-El 2021 Annual #1
- Superman '78 #5 [of 6]
- Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow #6 [of 8]
- World of Krypton #1 [of 6]
- Justice League #70
- Justice League Infinity #6
- Justice League Incarnate #2 [of 5]
- DC vs. Vampires #3 [of 12]
- Dark Knights of Steel #2
March 2022
- Action Comics #1039
- Superman: Son of Kal-El #6
- Superman: Son of Kal-El #7
- Superman/Robin Special #1
- Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow #7 [of 8]
- Justice League #71
- Justice League Infinity #7
- Justice League Incarnate #3 [of 5]
- Justice League vs The Legion of Super-Heroes #1 [of 6]
- Superman '78 #6 [of 6]
- World of Krypton #2 [of 6]
- Dark Knights of Steel #3
- DC vs. Vampires #4
- Action Comics #1040
- Superman: Son of Kal-El #8
- Nightwing #89
- Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow #8 [of 8]
- Justice League 2022 Annual #1
- Justice League #72
- Justice League Incarnate #4 [of 5]
- World of Krypton #3 [of 6]
- Dark Knights of Steel #4
- DC vs. Vampires #5
- Action Comics #1041
- Superman: Son of Kal-El #9
- Superman vs. Lobo #3 [of 3]
- Batman/Superman: World's Finest #1
- Justice League #73
- Justice League #74
- Justice League Incarnate #5 [of 5]
- Justice League vs The Legion of Super-Heroes #2 [of 6]
- World of Krypton #4 [of 6]
- Dark Knights of Steel #5
- DC vs. Vampires #6
- Action Comics #1042
- Superman: Son of Kal-El #10
- Batman/Superman: World's Finest #2
- Justice League #75
- Earth-Prime #2 - Superman and Lois
- World of Krypton #5 [of 6]
- Dark Knights of Steel #6
- Action Comics #1043
- Action Comics Annual 2022 #1
- Superman: Son of Kal-El #11
- Batman/Superman: World's Finest #3
- Justice League: Road to Dark Crisis #1
- Justice League vs The Legion of Super-Heroes #3 [of 6]
- World of Krypton #6 [of 6]
- Jurassic League #1
- Action Comics #1044
- Superman: Son of Kal-El #12
- Batman/Superman: World's Finest #4
- Justice League #75 (Special Edition)
- Dark Crisis #1
- Multiversity: Teen Justice #1
- Dark Knights of Steel #7
- Jurassic League #2
- Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen's Boss, Perry White #1 (One Shot)
- Dark Crisis: Young Justice #1
- Earth-Prime #6: Hero's Twilight
- Action Comics #1045
- Superman: Son of Kal-El #13
- Batman/Superman: World's Finest #5
- Superman: Space Age #1
- Dark Crisis #2
- Dark Crisis: Worlds Without a Justice League - Superman #1
- Dark Crisis: Young Justice #2
- Multiversity: Teen Justice #2
- Justice League vs The Legion of Super-Heroes #4 [of 6]
- DC vs. Vampires #7
- Jurassic League #3
- DC: Mech #1
- Young Justice: Targets #1
- Action Comics #1046
- Superman: Son of Kal-El #14
- Superman: Warworld Apocalypse #1
- Batman/Superman: World's Finest #6
- Dark Crisis #3
- Dark Crisis: Young Justice #3
- DC's Saved by the Belle Reve #1
- Multiversity: Teen Justice #3
- Justice League vs The Legion of Super-Heroes #5 [of 6]
- DC vs. Vampires #8
- Jurassic League #4
- DC: Mech #2
- Young Justice: Targets #2
- Action Comics #1047
- Superman: Son of Kal-El #15
- Batman/Superman: World's Finest #7
- Superman: Space Age #2
- Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #4
- Dark Crisis: Young Justice #4
- Multiversity: Teen Justice #4
- Justice League vs The Legion of Super-Heroes #6 [of 6]
- Dark Knights of Steel: Tales from the Three Kingdoms #1 (One Shot)
- DC vs. Vampires #9
- Jurassic League #5
- DC: Mech #3
- Young Justice: Targets #3
- Superman: Son of Kal-El #16
- Action Comics #1048
- Batman/Superman: World's Finest #8
- Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #5
- Dark Crisis: Young Justice #5
- Multiversity: Teen Justice #5
- DC vs. Vampires #10
- Jurassic League #6
- DC: Mech #4
- DC's Terrors Through Time #1 (One Shot)
- Young Justice: Targets #4
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