REVIEW: Justice League Dark, Volume Two: The Books of Magic

PLOT: Vampires across the world have gone berserk, attacking anything with a pulse. Fearing her apocalyptic vision of the future has come to pass, Madame Xanadu mobilizes the team to intervene. But everything the Justice League Dark members know about how to slay a vampire is useless, for the world has changed.

REVIEW: So what can you add to Justice League Dark that could make it any better than it was the first time? Apparently the answer is Jeff Lemire, writer for DC Comics' New 52 Animal Man. Lemire comes in after Peter Milligan opened up the series with a pretty big bang, and there's no one better suited for this world that Jeff Lemire. I was so happy to see his name on the cover of the book, and boy was I right about the chemistry he has with this book. Where the first volume finds the characters and puts them together as a loose team, this one utilizes all of that and starts to create the world that our dark Justice League will battle. One of the things I love is that in this book, John Constantine sort of becomes the unofficial leader of this squad and his character is just so perfectly written for it, I was surprised. With my recent journey into Hellblazer, I wasn't really that sold on Constantine but this book is by far the best John Constantine story I've ever read. The title of this volume also has some relevance in the universe as Neil Gaiman's The Books of Magic child protagonist makes a return to the page. I recently read that book and so seeing this character come out of obscurity for me and tie up again with Constantine and some new heroes was pretty cool. The art again was superb in this second volume, but the writing is so much better here. It's no wonder Jeff Lemire is one of the greater writers currently writing for New 52, and now I simply cannot wait for the conclusion of this current storyline that he has woven. Also, John Constantine bears an uncanny resemblance to the Doctor of Doctor Who in this volume of Justice League Dark, which I found cool as a recently converted Whovian but also slightly odd.

WRITING : ( 10 / 10 )

ARTWORK : ( 10 / 10 )

STORY : ( 10 / 10 )

COVERS : ( 8 / 10 )

AWESOME : ( 10 / 10 )

FINAL RATING : ( 10 / 10 )

REVIEW: Swamp Thing, Volume Two: Family Tree

PLOT: Alec Holland is back as the Swamp Thing, fully formed as the protector of The Green. Immediately upon his return, he must battle his way through the Bone Kingdom and The Rot to free his ally - and ex-girlfriend - Abigail Arcane. But will the cost of freeing her be...fighting her? Nothing, not even this titanic battle, will prepare Swampy for what he has to face next--a resurrected and even more dangerous Anton Arcane!

REVIEW: I loved the first volume of the New 52 Swamp Thing, and there are so many reasons for that love. One, it's written by Scott Snyder who in recent years has proved himself to be one of the better new talents in comic writing. Currently working on the main title for Batman, he's frequently proven capable of blending dark elements into super hero stories that make them beautiful on the page and in your mind. Also, Swamp Thing has been one of the better drawn titles of the New 52 behind only Batwoman in my mind. The excellence continues in the second volume of Swamp Thing and the story gets even wilder. I loved the story with Arcane and the threat that he presented not only to Alec, but to others as well and the horror that he brought with the rot. What I love about Swamp Thing and the adjoining hero, Animal Man, is that the story is so dark and the art is so gruesome that it provides for a truly unique comic book experience. You could classify these as horror comics, and they do kind of come off the page a little on the adult side because the artwork is just so vivid but haunting. You can read superheroes everyday, but you can't always get this world that you have with Swamp Thing. I would highly recommend reading this title of New 52, as it is easily my favorite behind Batman and most of us know how much I enjoy Batman titles. Pick this up, and observe the perfection in artistry from this team of talented artists and take note that you aren't going to see panels as breathtaking as you see here too often, so enjoy them while we can.

WRITING : ( 9 / 10 )
ARTWORK : ( 10 / 10 )
STORY : ( 9 / 10 )
COVERS : ( 10 / 10 )
AWESOME : ( 10 / 10 )
FINAL RATING : ( 10 / 10 )