It has finally happened: the heroes recognize that more than just one thing is happening, and they start to rally the forces and go after this Crisis. Joshua Williamson and Daniel Sampere are packing quite a punch in this installment. There are some exciting reveals and significant elements of drama that will test the newer heroes. Just how far will Williamson and Sampere take us into the Multiverse?
One of the big things I like about this series is just how meta it can get. I’m sure we can see how some of the characters were echoing statements from readers, but in this case, we see the Multiverse Map. Take time to study it and watch its dark elements to see how impactful this attack is. Speaking of attacks, the opening of the issues deliver just that, and I enjoyed the reaction of the “newish” hero, Sideways. You can grasp how new he still is and how crazy everything is from his response.
I appreciate how much of the DCU is showcased in this event. Sideways was a character from the post-DC Metal age and hasn’t had too many moments. It shows a good mix of heroes from all eras, even ones that weren’t as highlighted as the Silver Age or Rebirth eras. Daniel Sampere earns his keep this issue as he draws handfuls of good and evil characters. He does such a great job with the groupings that you can see lots of potential with making new lineups or teams, and even for Daniel’s future, he would be fantastic on a team book.
One great example is a page of Pariah looking at the new Multiverse set of worlds and an excellent addition of a DNA sequence there, too. It’s a great representation of how these wild imaginations are at the core of DC Comics. The issue also does a great job intersecting with other parts of the Dark Crisis as we see Superman, Jon Kent, come back with some vital information and Robin, Damian Wayne, get ready to start his adventure in Dark Crisis: The Dark Army. Jon comes from the Dark Crisis: The Deadly Green tie-in, which I recommend reading before this issue.
Going back to those “meta voices,” there was some great play between Nightwing and Black Adam. Black Adam has been a naysayer of this new generation of heroes, and it has weighed on Nightwing. After that pep talk from Alan Scott, you can see that Nightwing has found his way and is ready to take the fight to the villains. Daniel Sampere revealed the page on his social media, but to see it fully finished and placed in the comic was such a sight.
We witnessed our Justice Leaguers back together, and I appreciated how their designs came out from their solo adventure tie-in issues. Here we get another depiction for Superman, and I have to say I am impressed. I know when I first read DC One Million back in the day and saw that Golden Superman rise out of the sun, I was impressed; this had that same vibe for me. There was also a page where the villains gathered, and it felt like a dark echo of the JSA page from issue three when hope arrived. The pieces are setting up for some great rematches, and the heroes know a lot is happening everywhere, so the following two issues will be intense.
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