Justice League #75
The Justice League fights its first battle against Pariah and the Great Darkness in Justice League #75, by writer Josh Williamson, artist Rafa Sandoval, inker Jordi Tarragona, colorist Matt Herms, and letterer Josh Reed. The front cover of the book says it all-the Justice League dies.
All around the universe, members of the Justice League are teleported away. They find themselves in the Hall of Heroes, where President Superman and Doctor Multiverse warn them about the Great Darkness. Along with the Justice League Incarnate, the team goes to the frontline of the battle and encounters Pariah, a survivor of the first Crisis, and his dark army. They battle it out against the most powerful enemies the team has ever faced, trying to stop Pariah from completing his machine. Green Arrow is able to do so, but he’s also the first to fall. Pariah unleashes his power on the two teams, burning them away. Black Adam tackles, and the two fight before Adam says his magic word and disappears. On Earth, the remainder of the League tries to figure out what happened to the others when Black Adam crashes into the conference room, telling the rest of the team that he was the only survivor.
So, the thing about this issue is that the reader’s enjoyment will depend heavily on whether they are into the whole Dark Crisis idea. Many fans aren’t exactly happy with it, so those fans probably aren’t going to like this issue. However, as far as it goes, from the standpoint of just a comic to read that leads into the next big event, it serves its purpose well.
Williamson crafts a good story out of the whole thing, filling readers in on the events of Infinite Frontier and Justice League Incarnate in one page. The book just goes into the battle, and it’s an exciting, well-paced fight. Green Arrow getting a big hero moment is nice because usually, that would be Batman. There are also a few interesting things in the issue, like when Darkseid is able to break through the Great Darkness’s control to try and give the League a clue on how to end the whole thing, and Pariah makes a much better villain than most people would have imagined. It’s not the most incredible story in the world, but it hits all of the right beats.
The art by Sandoval, Tarragon, and Herms is what really sells the issue. For example, the page that explains past events hinges on their art as much as it does President Superman’s dialogue. The double-page reveal of Pariah’s dark army looks terrific, really selling how intimidating the group is. The moment where Green Arrow is killed captures the emotion of the moment. Beyond that, the action is well-choreographed, the page layout is great, and it really sells the battle.
Justice League #75 is a good prelude to Dark Crisis. It does exactly what it advertises and does it in an entertaining fashion. Williamson supplies an action-packed script, and the art team knocks it out of the park. It’s not a perfect comic, but it’s entertaining, which is really all that matters in the end.
