Justice League Dark 27
J. M. DeMatteis, Mikel Janin
Forever Evil Crossover
Spoiler alert! You have been warned!
This series just keeps getting better and better. How I ever doubted the event-within-an-event of Forever Evil: Blight is beyond me. It just took a little longer than I expected to reach greatness. But believe me, it’s there. And it appears to be staying there. With two Forever Evil crossover issues this week, it was a bonus that they were both good. But there was something extra special about this issue. Maybe it was J. M. DeMatteis’ almost Shakespearean dialogue and storytelling prowess. Or maybe it was Mikel Janin’s opening pages. I think it was a mixture of both. But did you see the first half of this book? It’s some dark and beautiful stuff.
Blight has finally met his match in the newly-repurposed Justice League Dark. The Phantom Stranger and Pandora (believed dead by maybe five readers total after the last part’s cliffhanger ending) are immediately saved by the angel Zauriel. Blight is no match for them when they join forces yet again with John Constantine, the Nightmare Nurse, Swamp Thing, and Deadman (currently in the Crime Syndicate’s very own Sea King’s dead body). Finally, we get a battle that shows our heroes kicking ass. And Chris is successfully separated from Blight, ascending to Heaven and fulfilling his true role. After all, he couldn’t truly judge and forgive evil if he had not not only experienced it first-hand, but been it. This is great writing. And doesn’t seem like a cheat. It’s been planned all along and makes me really want to go back and reread the previous issues to see the hints and clues dropped along the way. But not quite yet, though. Because John knows how to save the rest of the Justice Leagues. And he’s going to jump right into his plan with the next issue.
We’re heading full-steam ahead into the conclusion, but I can’t say that I’m losing interest one bit. In fact, I think it’s going to last the perfect amount of time. It was certainly a slow burn ride, but it’s been fun so far. I can’t wait to see how John plans to save his friends. I can’t wait to see who lives, who dies, and who forms the brand new Justice League Dark. Needless to say, this issue is a must-read for any fans of DC Comics, the main Forever Evil event, or just plain good old fashioned supernatural superhero comics.
My Rating: 4.5/5
Blight is all I’ve really followed consistently in this, but it’s been worth it to me.