Justice League Dark, Vol. 1: The Last Age of Magic

Justice League Dark (2018) (Collected Editions) #1

by James Tynion IV, Alvaro Martinez (Illustrator)

After the events of NO JUSTICE, Wonder Woman guides the misfit team of Justice League Dark against enemies too fantastic for even the Justice League. Plus, what awful things are coming through the Tree of Wonder? Dark days lie ahead in these stories from JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #1-3 and 5-6.

Genres: Comics, Dc Comics, Graphic Novels, Horror, Fantasy, Superheroes, Comic Book

146 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 12, 2019

About the author

Prior to his first professional work, Tynion was a student of Scott Snyder's at Sarah Lawrence College. A few years later, he worked as for Vertigo as Fables editor Shelly Bond's intern. In late 2011, with DC deciding to give Batman (written by Snyder) a back up feature, Tynion was brought in by request of Snyder to script the back ups he had plotted. Tynion would later do the same with the Batman Annual #1, which was also co-plotted by Snyder. Beginning in September 2012, with DC's 0 issue month for the New 52, Tynion will be writing Talon, with art by Guillem March. In early 2013 it was announced that he'd take over writing duties for Red Hood and the Outlaws in April.

Tynion is also currently one of the writers in a rotating team in the weekly Batman Eternal series.

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you want to get the most out of this volume, make sure you have a copy of Wonder Woman & Justice League Dark: The Witching Hour ready to go. That comic interrupts this one after issue #3, and I think it's well worth putting The Last Age of Magic down for a second so that you can get the complete story before continuing.



There are a whole slew of new faces on the team that I wouldn't have immediately thought of to be on JLD, including Wonder Woman & Detective Chimp. But it works!
This is actually way better than I thought it had any right to be, honestly.



The basic plot is that magic is broken (nothing new there) and this ragtag group of weirdos is the only hope of fixing it (also nothing new). And yet...?
Somehow, against all odds, I really enjoyed this.
I wasn't all that thrilled to see Wonder Woman on the cover because I figured she was the fill-in for Batman (who usually gets stuck into the mystic comics to make them seem more legit or something), and I'm honestly not all that interested in any of the regular DC characters right now.
There's no real reason for it, but I'm just more in the mood for the oddballs at the moment.



I said that to say this: WW was cool.
I mean, I'm sure it didn't hurt that Mystic DC is my jam, but even so, I was impressed with the way she was incorporated into the story as a real mystic character instead of just a normie who is following the magic users into the supernatural fray.



If you're on the fence but you enjoy Mystic DC, hop off and read this.
Recommended!

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tynion takes more of a horror approach with this new incarnation of Justice League Dark. The creators of magic are returning from beyond the source wall and are looking to take magic away. Wonder Woman is heading up this new team, playing up her magical roots. The book is the closest thing DC has to a Vertigo comic in the DCU. The villains are creepy and a long time DC character is working with them. It's all done very well. My one complaint is that The Witching Hour story isn't included and it occurs right in the middle of this book. The last three issues reference it frequently which is frustrating.

I was pleasantly surprised to see Blue Devil return. He's been forgotten about since Shadowpact ended. I hope he joins the team eventually. I thought Man-Bat was an odd addition to the team, but he turned out to be my favorite character in the book. I love his wide-eyed enthusiasm and innocence. Alvaro Martinez and Daniel Sampere provide some great DC House style art.

Received a review copy from DC and Edelweiss. All thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the aforementioned.

[Lyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

OK, this is a graphic novel I can sink my canines into.

A YUMMY bit of throw down served up HOT by messers Tynion and Bueno.

A little backstory, I’m actually not a huge fan of the Justice League, it’s just a little too cutesy poo and mainstream for this fringe element. It’s not like I haven’t tried, but I just never seem to pick up what they’re laying dow;, like the animated series, it’s pretty to look at, but just eye candy, no real meat on the bone.

So, add the DARK suffix, with occult and macabre themes, oh and John Constantine? Swamp Thing? Yes, yes, Lynny likey – Detective Chimp??? OK, I’m in.

And in I was from the opening bell. We follow WW around getting the band back together and queuing up for some Stephen King sized OULANDISH villainous badassery.

And Wonder Woman? In a DARK novel? YES! I think ordinarily the script is to have Batman with the nighttime duties, but NO! Diana was the right fit for this and I was pleasantly surprised by the way they wrote her in.

Anyway, the rules of magic are getting sideways with some Order vs. Chaos issues (ode to Moorcock), add some Zatanna, a little spice of Doctor Fate, OH! and a pinch of Blue Devil (where did that come from?) and we’re cooking with gas and our gumbo is getting spicy!

Towards the end of this collection, Man Bat starts narrating a House of Mystery type of third-party story and I was really digging where this was going.

So four stars, an eye of newt, tie on a carrot for a nose, scream SHE’S A WITCH! three times in the mirror at night, and enjoy.

[Scott Rhee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I seem to be always on the cusp of angrily throwing in the towel with DC’s Justice League Dark, but, like the mafia, it keeps sucking me back in for dubious reasons.

I haven’t enjoyed (or understood) the last couple volumes, and much of that has to do with the fact that DC loves these giant cross-over events. I’m bored of all these “crises”. How many times can the world be destroyed and resurrected? I long for the day when superheroes get back to fighting bank robbers and serial killers: no alien invasions, cosmic supervillains, or an army of demons escaping from Dimension X. Simple, old-fashioned superhero stories. That’s not gonna happen any time soon.

I hesitantly picked up James Tynion’s take on JLD, “The Last Age of Magic”, hoping that this iteration would be slightly better than previous attempts.

It’s not bad. Saving graces: fantastic artwork by Alvaro Martinez Bueno and Daniel Sampere.

Potential negatives (for me): John Constantine is no longer the leader of the JLD, and while he makes an appearance, it’s a brief cameo at best. It’s almost like nobody likes him or something.

Anyway, Wonder Woman inexplicably joins the JLD (I guess to add some legitimacy to the group), and the two newest members are Man-Bat and Detective Chimp. (???)

I swear to God, these writers must smoke a lot of weed.

So, bad things are happening to magicians around the world. Magic is broken, and entities calling themselves the “Otherkind” are attempting to invade our world.

I’m not gonna lie: I have no fucking clue what is going on in this story. Apparently, there is a cross-over series called “The Witching Hour” that would explain it all. I’ve reserved it from the library, rather than just bitch and moan about how I fucking loathe cross-over events.

Because I know all of you out there who read my reviews love when I fucking complain about shit…

[Gianfranco Mancini · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes, on my weekly trip to nearest comic-book shop, I make totally random purchases of totally unfamiliar titles  based on gorgeous eye-candy artworks.



This first volume of the new Justice League Dark was one of them, a funny and entertaining read about Wonder Woman leading DC greatest supernatural champions against lovecraftian abominations out from somewhere like popular Dungeons and Dragons  Far Realm nightmarish plane.



I'm more a Marvel Zombie than a DC Fanboy so my knowledge of many characters starring here is just limited, and having not read Justice League: No Justice it was like arriving late for the show, but I totally enjoyed the ride, and loved a lot author's depiction of Dr. Langstrom aka Man-Bat, a fan favourite of mine since I used to read every Bat-Man comic released in my childhood/teen days.



It seems JLD is going to break 4th wall and became an HBO Max tv series produced by J. J. Abrahams, sadly Guillermo Del Toro's project about it died together with Hellboy III and At the Mountains of Madness related ones, so meanwhile waiting for them it was nice learning more about the characters reading this well written/drawn supernatural comic-book blockbuster.



Kudos for the Gandalf "Run Fools" and H.P.L. "Miskatonic" easter-eggs, I think seeing Raistlin Majere from Dragonlance popping up too, but probably I'm wrong.

[Oscar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Magic mixed with Horror! The soup was disgusting!

[Wing Kee · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really nice start to the series, sure Witching Hour is not in this book but it's still pretty great.

World: The art is fantastic! The splash pages, the characters, the colors, the action, the art looks gorgeous. The first three issues are way better but this is still a lovely book to look at. The world building is pretty dense and there is a lot of info dumping here but wow do I ever like it. This is a travel into DC's magical realm and all the pieces are here at play and all of it is unified and tied together. It's dense, it's rich in history and lore and also tied brilliantly to character. There is a chunk missing in this book cause it goes straight into Witching Hour which is a separate book, but the world at large created here is pretty fantastic.

Story: The story is really well thought out and done. Some will compare this to Aaron's Doctor Strange "Death of Magic" arc but at this moment counting "Witching Hour" I like this more. Where that arc is about Technology v Magic, this is about humanity and stealing magic and trying to contain it and the consequences of these actions. I like the horror tone and angle which the art informs and I love the pacing, the banter and the stakes and beats that this first three issues and then the second two issues gives readers. That first three issue arc leading into Witching Hour was fantastic cause it brings together a really interesting team and gives readers a reason for this team to work together, it's really well done, from the quiet moments to the giant action pieces it's great. The second two issue story is also really well done with Bobo being at the center of it, it's got heart, its' got high stakes and interweaved with it is the larger magical threat which has been brewing since the first issue, good stuff.

Characters: These characters are really fantastic. I love how Tynion IV has brought Wonder Woman into this team and really emphasized her magical nature, her arc was fantastic. The rest of the team with Z and Bobo and Swamp Thing and Kurt also makes sense and is a wonderful dynamic for the story. Each of the characters are complex and have a lot of backstory which I know that Tynion IV will get into, I'm hoping to do more Swamp Thing soon! I really love what they did with Doctor Fate and his actions leads readers to have expectations on the threat and how it would play out, Fate makes sense as he's a God of order and his actions are really interesting, good choice!

I really like this first arc, there is a gap but readers need to read Witching Hour, it's not perfect but also really dense and fun if a bit rushed. I like this new series!

Onward to the next book!

*read individual issues*

[Artemy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have covered my thoughts on most of this volume in my review of The Witching Hour, but here I'll just say — despite Witching Hour feeling quite rushed, I still am very much enjoying James Tynion's Justice League Dark. It has an awesome cast of some of DC's best and yet criminally overlooked characters, and it works together so well that most of my other complaints feel insignificant. But I'll still say this: Tynion's storytelling here is very dense and there's a lot of buildup to a bigger story, so I think this run is going to read best in a collected form when it's all done. It's hard to keep all of the important bits and pieces in mind month to month, and every time I get a new issue I feel a bit lost as a result. For now I honestly can't decide if I should leave the series here and revisit it when it's all wrapped up, or stick with the singles and then do a big re-read. Either way, I really like this book, and I am so happy to see Zatanna, Wonder Woman, Swamp Thing, Constantine and Bobo the Detective Chimp all on one team in a book that doesn't suck.

[James DeSantis · Rating 4 out of 5]

The end is coming...we need the Justice League. No, not Batman, Superman, and Won...well actually, yes we do need Wonder Woman. Add on Zatanna, Swamp Thing, Man Bat, and more and we have the new Justice League DARK.

What happens when a new creature of the dark arrives? Strong enough to take attacks from the likes of Wonder Woman, Swamp Thing, and Constantine? Well we need them to come together to stop it all. This is a more horror/mystery approach to a Justice League team. Take away the punching and kicking and this team is more focused on stopping a mystical force from destroying the world.

James Tyrion does a great job of giving us perfect character interactions. Never liked Manbat? Don't worry, James will make him interesting. Detective chimp not just the butt of the joke? Nice. Some great art too with amazing fight scenes and scaling battlefields is wonderful. I also enjoyed the pacing. The only negative is the last issue didn't really end in a way that made it interesting like the arc before it.

Overall, Justice League Dark is great, hell better than the main series. A 4 out of 5.

[Subham · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was so good omg!

We see the origins of this new JLD team post death metal and well its awesome and their first threat being: The upside down man and the otherkind and we learn who they are and the threat they represent and how they will be a challenge to JLD and Diana's connection with magic and Hecate at large and I love the reworked origins here and then the fun story set in Myrra with Bobo maybe becoming thhe new "Nightmaster" and it was a fun story and makes you love Bobo. Also the story with Constantine and ST vs Nabu was so cool and has heroic moments for them both and the last one being narrated by Man-bat was a cool collection of stories!

So yeah overall a good start and I love the dark undertones and the horror element but also the different ways of story telling, its awesome and sets the whole thing for a massive run down the line and I like the way they work Diana in here which was awesome and the art here is just next level and the whole thing is a read because of that only!

[Malum · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted this to be good, but unfortunately it's not. Here are a few of the problems with this:

Magic isn't working right, magic has a cost, and magic is going to die because of the big bads. This is the exact plot of the recent Dr. Strange books over at Marvel.

Waaaaaaay too much talking, flashbacks, and general digression. Very little action.

The cliché where someone says "They are coming!" just before they die. DC loves to use the ambiguous "they".

Zatanna reads some carvings in some flesh and says "This is John's handwriting!". Wait, do people have "handwriting" when hacking into flesh with a knife?

The art was fine but overall this was very unoriginal and boring.

[Molly™☺ · Rating 4 out of 5]

The DC Universe contains a wide array of magic and mystique, but unsurprisingly, much of it is put aside in the mainstream narrative in favour of superpowers. Justice League Dark shows why it should be focused on more. Toeing the line between horror and fantasy, the freedom of magic allows Tynion IV and Bueno to flex their creative muscles and produce an exciting adventure that sees the fate of the magical world in the hands of the most unlikely of teams. Whilst the character choices may seem odd on paper, they work very well off each other, and it is the differing personalities which make it so entertaining to watch them interact. It is important to note that the volume does not feature Wonder Woman & Justice League Dark: The Witching Hour which is a story-line that interrupts the flow around issue 3. Had it told the complete story, this may have been a solid four stars, however, it is still a worthy experience as is and well worth picking up for fans of darker DC entries.
actual rating 3.5 stars
triggers body horror

[L. McCoy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, this I kinda dig a bit more than some other stuff I tried by this author... but still didn’t entirely like it.

What’s it about?
Something has been fucking up magical stuff in the DC universe! Wonder Woman knows this and is trying to form a team to figure out why it’s happening and how to un-fuck it up.

Pros:
The story is fun. A good superhero adventure with supernatural elements, I certainly liked that.
There’s some pretty cool artwork throughout, fantastic job there! Several cool panels throughout.

There’s some solid action scenes throughout.

Cons:
This book attempts humor a fair bit and doesn’t quite achieve it. That’s not to say I didn’t chuckle a couple of times, a few of the jokes are decent but a lot of them are just cheesy.
This story is a very predictable, standard superhero tale.
The villains are pretty meh. Nothing particularly interesting.

Mixed thoughts:
The characters. So it’s a solid lineup but the way they’re written just... I dunno... okay, let’s go over it. Wonder Woman is a very meh “we better stop the bad shit and that’s most of my entire character” type in this but she’s also kinda bad-ass. Zatanna (who is a character that I’m happy to see showing up more because she often seems pretty cool in other things I’ve seen her in) unfortunately just talks backwards while looking cute and sometimes being angry in this. Detective Chimp is really cool because... umm... do I even need to explain that? DETECTIVE CHIMP! Man-Bat... this actually annoyed me because it’s just a repeat of the same shit that Tynion did with Clayface in Detective Comics. Swamp Thing is kinda cool. Constantine (who I tend to usually either really like or dislike) is just kinda there because it’s Justice League Dark so of course he has to be there.

Overall:
This comic isn’t anything I’d necessarily consider good but it’s fairly entertaining and I might read more of this series... so yeah more than I can say for any other Tynion stuff I’ve read but still not exactly my taste. That being said if you wanna see the more magic-y, supernatural side of DC there’s no reason to avoid this, you could certainly pick worse books.

3/5

[Sud666 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Justice League Dark was surprisingly good. A great blend of top-notch artwork (kudos to Alvaro Bueno) and a good story make for an entertaining comic.

Something is seriously wrong with magic. Since the Justice League isn't that great with dealing with magic, the LJD was formed. Consisting of Wonder Woman (this I don't get..she's magical?), Swamp Thing, Man Bat, Bobo, Zatanna and John Constantine they fight against a terrible foe that wants to destroy all magic on our world. Their fight will take them through a variety of worlds and they will encounter some powerful characters like Phantom Stranger and Dr. Fate. But no spoilers.

A fun read which makes this a good comic. The artwork is also very good and the coloring for both the light and dark scenes is excellent. It was nice to see some characters I am not used to interacting with. The JLD is interesting and hopefully the quality continues in the next volumes. If it does, then you can count me in as a fan.

[Lashaan Balasingam · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can find my review on my blog by clicking here.

What happens when magic is on the brink of extinction? Fear takes over among those who wield its powers and embrace its existence, death surges from realms that none has ever thought existed and war settles in to test everyone’s fate and determination. Following the aftermath of DC’s latest cosmic event Dark Nights: Metal, Scott Snyder and James Tynion IV teamed up to deliver Justice League: No Justice to introduce the latest ramifications of the new multiverse and the unknown threats that have crawled their way into the reality of our beloved heroes. Splitting ways, Scott Snyder now writes the ongoing Justice League series while James Tynion IV takes on the mantle of writing its dark and magical counterpart, Justice League Dark. Originally a series that ventures in the realm of magic and horror, James Tynion IV brings his story-telling talents into new territory and delivers one of the most tantalizing and enchanting series in the market today.

What is Justice League Dark: The Last Age of Magic about? This first volume collects issues #1-3 (The Last Age of Magic) and #5-7 (The Shadow Pact). This brand-new team is composed of Wonder Woman, Swamp Thing, Zatanna, Man-Bat and Detective Chimp, and brings them to explore a brand new supernatural foe who has been unleashed into their world ever since the status quo was ruptured in Dark Nights: Metal. This new threat looks to take back the magic that was once Earth’s possession and will stop at nothing to get what they desire. In a search for answers, the team seeks help to those who are known to be a source of great magic but the realization that their magic is ineffective against what they’re up against, their worries grow exponentially. With Wonder Woman’s leadership, this new team of misfits looks to save Earth from losing its grasp on magic indefinitely.

Similar to his accomplishments in Batman: Detective Comics (Vol. 1): Rise of the Batmen, James Tynion IV continues to strive in handling a squad of heroes and in brilliantly developing each of its members’ story arcs through meticulous and subtle attention to their characterization and in tossing at them personal challenges that lead them to think beyond their selves. His ability to create an authentic dynamic with a wonderful mix of comical banter with serious introspection with these heroes is staggering as he successfully gives this quest its undeniable gravity and shows how much this team has a mission of capital importance within their hands while still keeping each character’s personality intact.

The artwork is also what helps in selling this story so perfectly thanks to Alvaro Martínez Bueno’s and Daniel Sampere’s artistic vision. Their character designs and world-building are incredible, coupled with Raul Fernandez’, Juan Albarran’s, Brad Anderson’s and Adriano Lucas’ inking and colouring, the whole volume shows consistency and doesn’t struggle with multiple artistic personality disorder. The absence of conflict in style, as well as their ability to darken and to add weight to the story through the art, helps in portraying the much more depressed, gloomy and dark atmosphere of this story. It’s even more impressive when they introduce a brand-new villain who easily sends chills down everyone’s spines at the mere sight of him.

It is very unfortunate, however, that this volume excludes Justice League Dark #4 and forces fans to pick up the upcoming volume of Wonder Woman & Justice League Dark: The Witching Hour if they are to know what happens to Diana Prince. It doesn’t help either when the second story arc within this volume takes place after The Witching Hour and multiple characters have been affected by the events in that story. If they had just included that story within this volume, this could’ve easily turned out to be one of the best Justice League Dark story arcs to have ever been written so far. Despite this flaw, the story still remains captivating and introduces us to a darker, gorier and much more mystical facet of DC.

Justice League Dark: The Last Age of Magic is a bewitching and atmospheric expedition with a cast of misfit heroes who endeavor to save magic from its impending obsolescence.

Yours truly,

Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com

[Scott Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This version of the "Justice League Dark" is, in my opinion, already leagues ahead of its predecessor from the New 52. Tynion's decision to go with a horror vibe, although relatively mellow compared to either the gore of Image titles like The Walking Dead or the sheer creepy weird factor of Vertigo series like Gaiman's Sandman, works surprisingly well in a mainstream book. The decision to limit traditional JLA characcters to Diana was inspired, but so was including her as a bridge for fans who otherwise have no one they really know to root for and invest in.

It also proves the idea I've heard commonly tossed about and attributed to various authors associated with the horror genre, although I've only ever seen it from Stephen King--that the closed door with something threatening/creepy (we don't know what) on the other side is far more disturbing than the revealed horror. Tynion pulls that off beautifully, particularly in the initial arc (issues 1-3) and in the final stand alone issue "Tales of the Otherkind."

Speaking of that middle mini-arc about Myrra and Detective Chimp having inherited the role of the NIghtsword and initially blown it, the portion where Diana comes to talk to Bobo in prison is as effective a spate of characterization through dialogue as I've seen in many a comic in years. Powerful, powerful stuff, and a model of advancing/relating plot through active character interaction rather than tons of exposition. I'm really excited to see more of Detetive Chimp. I've never said that before.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started as a 5 star, levelled at 4 stars for a while but finally dropped to 3.

[Shaun Stanley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Justice League Dark Vol. 1 The Last Days of Magic collects issues 1-3 and 5-7 of the DC Comics series written by James Tynion IV with art by Alvaro Martínez Bueno and Daniel Sampere.

Having visions of a magic-based catastrophe, Wonder Woman puts together a new magic/supernatural based Justice League team featuring Zatanna, Swamp Thing, Man-Bat, and Detective Chimp.

A solid start with the rebooted book following the events of Dark Nights: Metal. I really enjoy most of the characters featured on this team and I like what Tynion is doing with Man-Bat. The threat in the book seems super creepy and with Tynion at the helm, this should be a pretty consistent book so I’m looking forward to seeing what is next.

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonder Woman assembles a new team of mystic defenders as a threat from beyond our dimension threatens all of magic, and only she, Zatanna, Swamp Thing, Man-Bat, and Detective Chimp have any chance of stopping them.

I was a big fan of the previous JLD team, and I was thrilled to bits to see the excellent creative team of James Tynion IV and Alvaro Martinez Bueno transplanting across from their Detective Comics run. This volume's a bit of a hodgepodge, since there are two issues missing in the middle as part of The Witching Hour crossover event, but there's actually a 'Previously...' section for a change so that's hardly a complaint anymore.

Instead we get a three part story that introduces the Otherkind, that threat I mentioned before, who are creepy as fuck and a good foil for all of the characters. They basically break all rules of magic and physics, which makes them impossible to counter. And did I mention that they're creepy as fuck? Tynion gives each character their time to shine, as well as roping in some others for cameos like Constantine and Doctor Fate - Tynion's balancing act is perfect, and well honed after his work on previous team books like Detective Comics.

Then there's a two part story that gives us some background on Detective Chimp's sad state of affairs, and draws in Blue Devil and some old Shadowpact continuity, before rounding off with the final issue which is told in Twilight Zone fashion, giving five or so pages to each of the Otherkind as Man-Bat examines their motives and abilities. This one's especially creepy, and my favourite issue of the volume.

Martinez Bueno's art goes from strength to strength, and with JLD shipping monthly rather than fortnightly as Detective Comics did, there's plenty of lead time between issues to ensure that each one is just as solid and fine tuned as the one before it. The use of shadows is of course paramount for a horror book, and the design work on the Otherkind is especially good.

JLD is very different from the other Justice League books on the stand, and probably the closest to a Vertigo book that the DC Universe has outside of Vertigo itself. With a tried and tested creative team, superb characters and a storyline that makes no excuses and will either scare you, excite you, or both, I'd call this one a must read.

[Siona Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this as single issues originally but that was a few years ago. I still really enjoyed this. The Otherkind are really cool, and the Myrra arc was interesting. I kinda wish they hadn’t left that gap from The Witching Hour crossover but whatever. I really like this team too, but I hope in the run Dr Fate eventually joins the team.

[Ulises Estrada · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was a good idea a buy this and the witch hour comic,so i can read them and understand better the story line or ill be loss,loving the look of the bad guy,but the short story's at the end were really necessary?

[Sesana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bizarrely, this volume skips a sort of mini-crossover with Wonder Woman that happens right smack in the middle of the issues collected here. I'm not sure if I'm more annoyed at DC for deciding to collect those issues in a separate volume, or with Tynion for structuring the story that way. From where I sit after finishing this volume, he could have shifted that story later, so there'd be a full volume of issues first and we wouldn't have to skip around.

Anyways. This is a very horror-tinged take on a mystical Justice League. Having Wonder Woman as the apparent leader is an interesting choice, but it does make a certain amount of sense. She isn't really a magical character herself, but she's certainly adjacent, and she probably understands mysticism better than any of the other regular JL members. Man-Bat is a flat out weird choice, but he oddly works just fine here. He's sort of an outside perspective, and he's entirely enthusiastic, which helps.

The story itself gets increasingly creepy. The antagonists are bizarre and seemingly full of eldritch horrors to throw at the heroes. The stakes are huge. And there's a very surprising traitor in the ranks of DC's mystical characters. It takes a couple issues to really put all the pieces in place, but once that's done, it's a nice, creepy take on some largely familiar characters who are very suited for it.

[Alex E · Rating 3 out of 5]

You know I really like the premise of this book - the magic of the DC universe is severely fracturing, and Wonder Woman is assembling a team to find out how they can fix it. Ever since the problems in No Justice, the magic seems to be fading. Turns out the original owners of the magic, ancient and apparently evil beings, are coming back to take it.

And this being the first volume, we get a lot of setup - assembling the team, casting aside doubts, learning to trust, etc... which is all fine and good - but the problem is that in the middle of the story, there's an issue missing because of the " Witching Hour" event. And what really sucks is that the issues after, which are included in this volume, frequently reference the event. I mean I understand its a tough situation they were in but this was just a bad way to package the story. I think they should've included the Witching Hour storyline within this - but of course that would mean less profit overall so - yeah.

But putting editorial mandates aside, this was an interesting story, with some cool characters, and great art - I really liked the art in this book. Pick this up if you like a more occult undertones in your superhero comics, then this one is for you.

[Dr Rashmit Mishra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was dreading the thought of reading another Justice league book , but I had enjoyed the last JL dark during the new 52 days and I like James Tynion IV , so I picked it up and it was surprisingly good .

The book was very well done , starting with answering the obvious strange Team , like why Man-Bat and Wonder woman are in the team and where is Constantine .

Infact despite the absence of Constantine from the main team , he made a large contribution to this story , and as usual to him , stole the show .

The art was stunning and unlike Scott Snyder's Justice league the plot wasn't convoluted , even though this book has a more stranger plot to grasp .

The return of Blue Devil was also fun . I did have a problem , that I feel Snyder is doing well in JL books , the book seems to again revolve around one or two characters while the rest feel needless . In this volume , Zatanna, Man-Bat and Swamp Thing had no use at all . Unlike Snyder's JL run where every character contributes to the story .

That said the reading experience was more fun than Snyder's JL run , and I am looking forward to reading more JL dark and excited about Tynion taking over the Batman comics soon

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Basic Plot: Wonder Woman forms a magickal team to try to save magic from being ripped away from the world by the Otherkind.

Great story, great art. I really like the idea of WW teaming up with some of the magickal characters from the DCU. So far, her team has some really great characters. Who knew that Man Bat could be comedy relief? The bad guys are really creepy looking, too, which is well done.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this SO MUCH MORE than the previous JLD run. I wish the order was a bit clearer--I didn't really realize I should stop midway through and read The Witching Hour--but I think I followed along okay. The art in this is so much cleaner and more appealing to me and I like the team so much more. I really have developed a lot of affection for Swamp Thing and I have no real knowledge of this character at all outside of these books. Might need to change that.

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just before and right after The Witching Hour storyline.....this was okay. But due to how weak Witching Hour seemed don't have high hopes for this Other kind story development.
https://youtu.be/OyxzEO_9jCc

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love weird hodge-podge teams like this.

And, if you're assembling a magic-based Justice League team that is firmly based in the mainstream DC Universe, who better to be the superhero representative than Wonder Woman?

I've been taking a hard pass on most of DC's recent output. In fact, I've pretty much given up on all new comics coming from Marvel and DC in favor of picking up tricked-out collected editions of old favorites or storylines that I regretted missing the first time around. But the lineup of this book proved too intriguing to resist. Zatanna and Detective Chimp, PLUS Wonder Woman....? Sign me up!

I've never been a fan of writer James Tynion IV. His output, in my opinion, has ranged from awful and derivative to merely adequate. But he really shines here in JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK, VOL. 1: THE LAST AGE OF MAGIC, delivering the closest approximation to a Vertigo story that DC has seen since they rolled out "The New 52" and absorbed John Constantine and Swamp Thing back into their main superhero universe.

I won't dwell too much on the story (Massive magical threat forces The Justice League to set up a supernatural spinoff group), suffice to say that I found it to be superbly executed. Tynion IV seems to have really found his footing as a writer, or else he's just really taken with this concept and particular group of characters. The characters that he has chosen to round out this team are all excellent picks (Detective Chimp, Wonder Woman, Zatanna, Man-Bat, and Swamp Thing, who now looks like a green Alan Moore.....), and it was delightful to see DC's supernatural archives broken busted open, allowing appearances by The Phantom Stranger, Eclipso, Zauriel, Sargon The Sorcerer, Zatara, Baron Winter, Blue Devil, Nightshade, John Constantine, The Parliament of Trees, Black Orchid, and Doctor Fate, among others. The art is excellent (Sooooo many double-page spreads, though....), and I had a blast reading this book. The inevitable complaints.....

....as usual, DC has no idea how to collect a book. This volume collects issues 1-3 and 5-7. Where's #4, you ask? In DC's THE WITCHING HOUR collection. Which is NOT OUT YET. Yes, DC waited a whole three months before doing the mandatory epic crossover....way to roll out a new, otherwise new-reader-friendly, title, folks. This collection skips #4, and the rest of the crossover, entirely, opting instead for a small one-paragraph recap. As shitty as THE WITCHING HOUR was (It consisted of two one-shots, one JLD issue, and two WONDER WOMAN issues, all written by Tynion, who delivers the kind of bland shit that I had come to know him for), it is essential reading if you're going to keep up with this title. Hell, it is essential reading if you want to read the last half of THIS COLLECTION. I don't really see what the point of the crossover was, as it all could have been easily accomplished in the pages of JLD. It had the vibe of an editorially-mandated event, though, since Tynion IV seems to have been totally tuned-out during it. He pulls it back together once the crossover ends, thankfully, but....this is a pure cash grab, and it is bound to irritate and upset readers who pick up this collection expecting to get every issue of the series. At the very least, DC should have included issue #4, had a MUCH longer recap, and told readers where to go to get the complete story. Shit like this is why I've mostly given up on current comics.

Overall, a VERY solid first volume, marred by a pointless crossover and a senseless omission. The creepy-factor is strong here, the characters are winners, and I am dying to see more of "The Upside-Down Man". I'm in for Volume 2.

DC Comics provided a review copy.

[Will Robinson Jr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spectacular! This review is going to be short and sweet. Tynion is coming to this book with a strong run in Detective comics. What he does best is write a ragtag group of heroes without anyone over shadowing each other. Every character shines in this book and the easter eggs to past DC comics lore is done perfectly. I pick up this collection and would not put it down. The artwork and colors are also superb on this book. There are just some panels that are just marvelous to look at and this is very important when reading a series that covers the magical and darker corners of the DC universe. I have not read the JL Dark books from the New 52 era but this book has me wanting to go back a check those out as well. One the things I love most about this book is how seamlessly Wonder Woman fits so well in the magical part of the Universe. I mean Tynion's writing of her character will make you feel that Diana should have been apart of the magical books for DC for years. After all Diana is pure sword and sorcery at her core. Of course this would not be a magic book without the inclusion of fan favorite characters Swamp Thing, Constantine, Dr. Fate, and Zatanna. They are written well and Zatanna really shines in this story as well. I really enjoyed her interactions with Wonder Woman. The additions of Detective Chimp and Man-Bat fit in well and really bring a quirky and unpredictable dynamic to the team. This book is just plain good storytelling and if you team this with the Snyder Justice League book you get an epic combination. The stakes just seem really high in the Jl books. I have always been fond of the magical side of the DC universe and this book makes me fall in love with it all over again. This has definitely become a must read series for me. Some of the other magical DC books I'd recommend if you like this are Demon Knights, Volume 1: Seven Against the Dark through Demon Knights, Volume 3: The Gathering Storm, Swamp Thing, Volume 1: Raise Them Bones through Swamp Thing, Volume 7: Season's End, Doctor Fate, Vol. 1: The Blood Price, and definitely read Dark Nights: Metal. And you owe it to yourself to read Tynion's run on Batman starting with Batman: Detective Comics, Vol. 1: Rise of the Batmen.

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's hard at this point to keep track of how much magic superteams DC has failed to launch. The writing on the titles has often been middling to good, but DC can't be trusted to keep them going for much longer than two years ... so why bother?

Anywho, this is the newest attempt, likely to fail in 2020 or so. This time around DC is trying to make it more relevant by starring Wonder Woman. And, if that seems like a weird inclusion for a supernatural comic, author James Tynion IV agrees, and spends most of this volume both acknowledging that problem and trying to show us how mystical Wonder Woman really is, seriously.

Overall, this volume is pretty good. It pays good homage to the origins of these characters and their past groupings, particularly Shadowpact. It nicely melds Wonder Woman into the whole, and creates a major new mystical foe, with some surprises along the way.

The biggest problem (and it's a pretty honking huge one) with this volume is that it's woefully incomplete. Issue #4 of Justice League Dark is a big Wonder Woman crossover, and so DC has pulled it out for a big money-making opportunity in its own hardcover volume, "The Witching Hour". The problem is that it's entirely integral to the plot. DC at least provides a short one-paragraph synopsis, which is better than they've been doing in collections for several years, but the crossover is so crucial to the overall plot, that it still leaves a huge gaping hole. Without it, it feels like there's a huge backslide of the story, as things that were resolved in issue #3 are suddenly unresolved in issue #5, something that perhaps we would have understood with the #4 crossover.

So, I give my rating somewhat tentatively. Overall, the story seems pretty good, but I might be giving it the benefit of the doubt, as what's almost the most important part is missing. (Obviously, DC should have included #1-4 and the crossover elements in this first volume, not #1-3 and #5-7. I dunno why their collection department constantly fails like this, in a variety of different ways.)