Darkseid’s daughter, Grail, is not the only one spotlighted in “Justice League: The Darkseid War Special” #1. Certain characters go through some unexpected changes in the continuation of Geoff Johns’ highly enjoyable and expertly crafted epic.
Written by Geoff Johns
Illustrated by Ivan Reis, Oscar Jimenez, and Paul PelletierThe massive “Darkseid War” epic continues to set the stages for the future of the DC Universe as we reveal the secrets behind its newest major player: Darkseid’s daughter, Grail! And if the Justice League is not careful, the spoils of war will all end up with her! See the truth behind Grail’s role in this war and the future of the DC Universe as she tears her way across it. Don’t miss this extra-sized special offered at the regular price of $3.99!
As promised by the solicitation for “Justice League: The Darkseid War Special” #1, writer Geoff Johns supplies the reader with further background and fleshing out of Grail’s past and motivations. This isn’t, however, just an interlude one-shot but is instead an integral part of the overall “Darkseid War” tale. Interspersed among Grail’s story are the beginning of major transformations for three members of the Justice League family. As Johns has promised in the past, each part of this War is an event unto itself. Johns balances, yet again, the ideal amounts of the personal and the epic that gives his writing a magnetic and consequential aura.
Combining New Gods characters with that of Wonder Woman’s history is something that many readers would find obvious. We’re lucky that someone like Geoff Johns has taken these characters and shown that he can work with both established characters in a new way while introducing new ones in an established setting. Grail’s motivations in this “Darkseid War” special unveil the future perils that could befall not only our heroes (and aforementioned “villainess”) but also their entire world. By struggling with their very natures, Johns demonstrates his expertise with high drama in a way that urges us to empathize with larger than life characters because he infuses them with humanity.
Three artists are involved in this twenty four page issue. The pages that each artist is assigned are not haphazardly chosen but instead fit the three different stories that are occurring throughout the special. Artist Ivan Reis and inker Joe Prado are tasked with present day scenes involving Jessica Cruz and her struggle with Power Ring’s ring. Reis and Prado create a haunting world and, especially in one double page spread, show the daunting future that lies ahead for Cruz. Reis and Prado have worked with Johns in the past and both writer and artists are an obvious fit for the amount of emotion they put into their work. Reis’ unique style, coupled with his affinity for nuanced emotional reactions in his faces, is perfectly suited for the otherworldly scenes with Cruz. Colorist Alex Sinclair’s palette beautifully transform Reis’ simple pencils into a world with so many hues of green that it appears as if you’re drowning in the pages.
The scenes with Myrina and her daughter Grail have a much rougher artistic style in comparison to the smoother stylings of Reis and Prado. The dirt and filth of the past have tainted this twosome and the dank surroundings are just begging for artist Oscar Jimenez to dirty them up even more. The claustrophobic setting is shrouded in shadow by means of Jimenez’s stark pencils and heavy (though not overwhelming) inking. Jimenez portray a different type of horror than the one given to us in the Jessica Cruz scenes. The horror here has a texture that is blunter and all too real when compared to the surreal Reis scenes. Sinclair demonstrates he’s a versatile colorist by using shades of red and yellow pop off the page and stand out from the dirty, real world feeling of the rest of his more subdued colors in these scenes.
The last storyline that threads its way through this eventful War special are flashback sequences drawn by Paul Pelletier and inked by Tony Kordos. Like Reis and Prado, Pelletier and Kordos have a much smoother style than Jimenez. Pelletier’s pencils lend an innocence to the scenes that then turn much darker in a way that prophesies the complicated future that will befall two family members. Small touches, like a close up on widening eyes in two panels and a roiling sea in another, build emotion in subtle ways. Unlike the other artists on the issue, Pelletier is more traditional with his layouts. This is not a dig at the artist but is instead a testament to the storytelling prowess Pelletier brings to his character work. Like in Reis’ art, the eyes are truly the entrance to these characters’ souls. The most powerful scenes within the flashbacks involve one color (which might ruin the awesome nature of them if revealed here). Sinclair’s natural colors are once again upended in these scenes and uses to highlight vicious yet iconic actions and stares.
“Justice League: The Darkseid War Special” #1 could have been just another issue of “Justice League”. It was a better idea to have a special for this particular set of stories, however, because it feels like an interlude. Geoff Johns still serves us a heaping slice of excitement and regular “Justice League” artist Jason Fabok is given a chance to catch his breath for what is promising to be a an action-packed and character-filled final chapters in “Justice League” #49 and 50.
Final Verdict: 8.0 – Geoff Johns furthers the “Darkseid War” machinations while working with three distinct and capable sets of artists in this War special.
