James Tynion IV's Justice League Dark coming July 2018

[Agent Z]

It felt so good to see Nightshade and Witchfire. Hopefully Nightshade joins the team.

If that happens, this really will be Shadowpact in all but name.

[kjn]

Tynion hints on upcoming Justice League issues on Twitter. I'm not sure how deep a pipeline DC runs for their comics production though, so we might be talking about stuff that's not coming out for half a year or so.

Pulling reference for an upcoming issue...

[Frontier]

Tynion hints on upcoming Justice League issues on Twitter. I'm not sure how deep a pipeline DC runs for their comics production though, so we might be talking about stuff that's not coming out for half a year or so.

Ah, the Demons Three. Classic .

[kjn]

Ah, the Demons Three. Classic .

And the verse is a catalectic trochaic tetrameter, also a classic. Not that it makes the poetry better.

[kjn]

The preview for Justice League Dark and Wonder Woman: The Witching Hour #1 is up now!

Mostly reaction shots to the last event of the previous issue, but the Oblivion Bar has been locked out from reality, and both Swamp Thing, Zatanna, and Constantine are facing their imminent death.

[kjn]

Some thoughts on the final issue of The Witching Hour.

I'm not sure Tynion managed to do a landing worthy of the setup work he did; partly I think it's an issue with the perpetual status quo that much serialised storytelling is forced into. The fact that DC is running how many events right now also dilutes whatever impact each of them can and will have. Meet the new world, just the same as the old world.

I called it when I guessed that Hecate herself had been corrupted, though I think the setup work could have been done better, and I'm not sure the various background tales told and the background elements really fit together.

Brettc1 called it with his guess that spoilers:

Circe would betray everyone or do a power grab.

end of spoilers

[starduck]

The finale was boring, and just as I thought Zatanna will remain unable to use magic for another arc at least. Who thought having her be incapable of magic for so many issues was a good idea

[kjn]

The finale was boring, and just as I thought Zatanna will remain unable to use magic for another arc at least. Who thought having her be incapable of magic for so many issues was a good idea

I'm more than a little unsure about the state of magic (including Swamp Thing), and what the "union" between Hecate and the Upsidedown Man means here. I do think Zatanna has been characterised well, but I do agree that she needs to become a greater player within these stories going forward.

In any case this, despite the huge setup, more felt like a prologue than anything else.

ETA: Now that I think of it, Tynion has created a comic that feels truly Pérezian in epic scope and in using mythology. That's no mean achievement, and it has many of the same virtues and flaws of Pérez's run.

[starduck]

I'm more than a little unsure about the state of magic (including Swamp Thing), and what the "union" between Hecate and the Upsidedown Man means here. I do think Zatanna has been characterised well, but I do agree that she needs to become a greater player within these stories going forward.

In any case this, despite the huge setup, more felt like a prologue than anything else.

ETA: Now that I think of it, Tynion has created a comic that feels truly Pérezian in epic scope and in using mythology. That's no mean achievement, and it has many of the same virtues and flaws of Pérez's run.

I don't know, to me it seemed really predictable, the action was really lacking and did we really need that flashback. Also while Zatanna's been given a lot of focus, she's helpless and the best she can do is distract people or parrot about magic and Bobo and Man-Bat might as well not exist

[kjn]

Tynion has been dropping a few hints on what's coming in JLD in an impromptu Q&A session on Twitter:

Q: Anything you can tell us about your plans for Swampy?
A: The Parliament of Flowers is not a very nice Parliament.

Q: Not really a question, but I am really looking forward to what your plans are for Circe in JLD
A: I am looking forward to everyone seeing them, too

Q: Any chance the JLD roster will expand in the next year?
A: Yes. Team rosters should always be a little bit in flux. Every arc of my TEC run had a roster shift in one way or another. JLD will be the same.
Q: But Diana will always stay in the team right ??!!
A: Diana is CRUCIAL for the story I'm telling and isn't going anywhere any time soon!!

Q: Since you did Clayface, what other villains are due for redemption? And for villains who have killed, do they deserve the opportunity or should they serve time for their crimes?
A: Everyone deserves redemption, but now that I've had two goes at it within the Gotham rogues, I'd honestly be more interested in the similarly sympathetic character who decides hard against redemption, just for a change of pace. (Man-Bat is safe, tho, don't worry)

Q: How integral is Dr. Fate moving forward in Justice League Dark?
A: Phenomenally. The major arc running from Feb-June next year is called "THE LORDS OF ORDER."

[sirmarkus]

Read my first issue of this series in issue #5. Loved it. Great pacing to the story and it felt like every character got a small spot to shine. I really enjoyed how excited Man-Bat was to study magic. And Constantine felt and looked better here than he did in the Hellblazer series.

https://sirmarkussite.wordpress.com/...league-dark-5/

[sirmarkus]

I don't mind the roster, but they certainly left out tons of my favorites (Black Orchid, Amethyst, Frankenstein, Etrigan) for characters I wouldn't have included at all (Man-Bat). And even thought I love WW and Swamp Thing, the first already has a team and the last doesn't work as a team member in the long term.
I'm pleased this isn't another disguised Constantine solo like the last JLD, thought.

I liked Man-Bat in the book. He's got a sense of wonder about the arcane that I find endearing. I also agree with your last two points maybe at some point Constantine and Swamp Thing get a series together?

[Frontier]

Q: Any chance the JLD roster will expand in the next year?
A: Yes. Team rosters should always be a little bit in flux. Every arc of my TEC run had a roster shift in one way or another. JLD will be the same.

That was always kind of my problem with 'Tec in that the team roster was so in flux that it never felt stable enough to really see the group develop and come together as a team.

[Factor]

I liked Man-Bat in the book. He's got a sense of wonder about the arcane that I find endearing. I also agree with your last two points maybe at some point Constantine and Swamp Thing get a series together?

I have to say Tynion's take on Man-Bat is winning me over. I still wish we saw more of some of the other characters I mentioned, thought. Black Orchid should definitely have stuck around after Witching Hour.

[SJNeal]

Black Orchid should definitely have stuck around after Witching Hour.

Agreed, she's a great fit!

Although I'm skeptical that anyone besides Milligan can write him well, I'd also love to see Rac Shade show up at some point.