[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]
Writer: James Tynion IV
Pencils: Alvaro Martínez Bueno
Inks: Raul Fernandez
Colors: Brad Anderson
Letters: Rob Leigh
Summary
The Upside-Down Man has arrived and he is here remind you what fear truly is. Watch as the entire Justice League Dark and John Constantine try to take down a living embodiment of magic and horror. They say fighting fire with fire only makes a bigger fire, is the same true with magic?
Positives
I cannot say enough good things about this issue. There are certain comics that are simply “final showdown comics.” Comics that are only meant to be a big battle between heroes and villains with literal story. Its a type of comic a love when done correctly, because it can convey a sense of awe-inspiring power and sense of justice that I do not think can be found in any other medium. This book transcends that type.
Zatanna’s opening story is a fantastic way to build up to the Upside-Down Man. The sense of wonder that Zatanna has as a child learning magic combined with the foreboding explanation of magic from Zatara makes readers even more fearful when everyone has the shocked reaction to the Upside-Down Man’s appearance on the next page.
The art on display here is tremendous. The body horror that comes from the Upside-Down Man and the magic he wields is legitimately scary. The sheer amount of magical ability on display simply left me in awe. From Swamp Thing at full strength to unbelievably powerful spells form John Constantine, it was all a blast to look at.
Finally, I have to talk about how well a lot of the dialogue is. The words coming from Upside-Down Man’s mouth are dripping with fear. Everything he says screams how powerful he is and that you should be afraid of him. On the other side of the coin, its very hard to convey a sense of fear in a lot of heroes, but Tynion IV did a great job doing so in this comic. It truly seems like this team is at its lowest point here, and I was fearful for them and their abilities to overcome such an insurmountable threat.
Negatives
I have no negatives. I can only look forward to the day when the Upside-Down Man returns.
Verdict
Tynion is doing amazing things with the magical DC Universe and the horror comic genre. This series is my favorite thing DC is putting out right now and I can’t wait to see how it continues.
