This Dark Crisis is taking its toll on the DC Universe and its heroes. Pariah took out the Justice League and Justice League Incarnate at the start of this event. He then forced the Multiverse to return, so now the next generation of heroes will have to step up to save their Earth from being the sacrifice that ensures the Multiverse stays. Joshua Williamson and Daniel Sampere lay it out before the following issue’s conclusion and the Dawn of the DC Universe.
Daniel Sampere and the rest of the art team are this issue’s stars, bringing so much to each panel and page. Starting with the Crisis on Infinite Earths #12 homage cover, we are treated to a “Where’s Waldo” on each page as you search for your favorite characters. This cover fills me with such hope when it comes to the Green Lanterns – for example, you can see the character’s legacy and family members. You can see Alan Scott and his children, Jade and Obsidian, along with the Green Lantern Corps showcasing legends from Hal Jordan to Jo Mullein. Using a character family like the Green Lanterns is an excellent showcase that everything and everyone in the DCU will matter again.
Taking advantage of this first look from the preview, you can see that Daniel Sampere poured a lot of work into these pages. I love that the very start has all the Green Lanterns waiting to see what will come out of the Black Lantern, and finally, it spills its shadowy guts. Then, leaving outer space and heading to Earth, we can see that the Dark Army is bringing chaos to which the heroes will have to rise. That battle scene in front of the Hall of Justice is so grand that it reminds me of the Battle of Metropolis from Infinite Crisis. I know some might not like that comparison or feel that it is redundant, but I think that it raises the stakes for the heroes.
Joshua Williamson does manage to help Daniel with some breaks, as we see with the dark two-pager featuring Pariah’s thoughts. I like the mystery of this as it could be his inner demon or the Great Darkness itself. No matter how you look at it, Pariah is a character in a lot of pain, which he has shared with Deathstroke. Their exchange in the preview pages cements the idea that they are suffering from their actions and that the Great Darkness or something else is making them pay. I can’t wait to see how that will reveal in the last part.
The fans of Superman (Jon Kent) will be happy with the moment he gets in this issue. I loved how Joshua and Daniel played it with flashbacks that drove the feelings. Jon’s moment speaks to how much the young character has endured and grown since becoming Superman. I also enjoyed that he is just as inspiring as his father with how the heroes rally to his advance. Pariah also gets a big moment, and I will be very interested to discover how other fans feel about this and what it could mean for the conclusion. This issue felt a little duller than the others and was a fast read, but it doesn’t stop my hype for the big finale.
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