The second of three tie-ins before Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths wraps up at the end of this month, Dark Crisis: War Zone #1 is a collection of bite-sized, action-packed short stories taking place during the event’s climactic battle. This anthology does a lot of what DC’s best anthologies have done over the past couple years: provide readers with great stories from great creators in a package that’s worth your money.
The first story comes from writer Jeremy Adams and penciller Fernando Pasarin. It’s a continuation of sorts of their run on The Flash, in which Linda Park has discovered she has speedster powers. In this story, Linda jumps in to save Iris West from a fight that was not about to go her way. And while the action is fun and fast, as is typical from Adams and Pasarin, it’s the reunion of Iris and Linda that’s the heart of the story. It’s what makes the current Flash run so great – the way the Flash family dynamics play out, the hope and the joy, it’s all on the page here.
From writer Frank Tieri and artists Serg Acuña we get a Jim Corrigan Spectre story. It’s still a bit of a shock to see the Spectre show up in the modern DC Universe. He had a pretty major appearance in Infinite Frontier #0 two years ago, but I can’t say we’ve seen much of him since.
The Spectre is a part of the Dark Army and taking on Raven and the rest of the Titans. Jim Corrigan, who had been split from the Spectre, takes it upon himself to find a way to stop their apocalyptic battle. The art here is exhilarating; Acuña and colorist Matt Herms do a brilliant job bringing the intense magic battle to life.
DC Comics
Next we’re taken to Themyscira courtesy of writer Stephanie Williams and artist Caitlin Yarsky.
Wonder Woman, Nubia and Yara Flor take a back seat to some of the lesser-known and unnamed warriors. While not as action-packed as the other War Zone stories, this one showcases the Amazons’ and Esquicida’s desire to help and rescue those who cannot help themselves. In terms of the pacing for the collection as a whole, it’s a great reprieve from the action and gives readers time to breathe before alluding to an even worse threat on the horizon.
Writer Matthew Rosenberg and artist George Kambadais give a starring role to Jo Mullein in their Green Lantern short story. Mullein is the newest GL in the DCU and the breakout star of Far Sector. Here she gives a rousing speech that rallies the struggling Green Lantern Corps in the fight against the Dark Army where they have the crucial task of being the first line of defence. The story is heroic and aspirational in the way some of the best GL stories are, with a hint of Rosenberg’s dark humor by way of Guy Gardner.
The final story is a follow-up to Dark Crisis: The Dark Army and sees Robin’s team returning to the fray at the Hall of Justice. Focusing on Red Canary, writer Delilah S. Dawson and artist Tom Derenick get a chance to showcase what this newcomer is all about. Red Canary, who may be suffering from a bit of imposter syndrome, is pulled up by her idol, Black Canary. The Canaries quip and kick ass, and we’re told about how much Black Canary’s music (and her untimely demise) pushed Red into the superhero game. Given her prominence in this issue and the previous tie-in, it looks like we will be seeing more of Red Canary in the near future.
With solid art, action, and spotlights on some small-name heroes from DC’s deep bench of talent, Dark Crisis: War Zone #1 provides a cross-section of what’s going on across the DC Universe during the climactic battle at the Hall of Justice, with just a tease of what’s to come next year.
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