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Justice League Odyssey
Justice League Odyssey, Vol. 2: Death of the Dark
The Odyssey team are shown a dangerous secret that makes one thing clear—they must escape the Ghost Sector!
A threat is rising in the Ghost Sector and the Odyssey team must decide—do they escape or do they face it? The fate of the entire Multiverse could hinge on their decision! Cyborg, Starfire, Azrael and Jessica Cruz learn to work as a team against some of the largest threats in the universe. Dark powers are gathering, and Darkseid is on their heels. The team must make difficult decisions as the lives of trillions hang in the balance! Collects issues #6-12.
A threat is rising in the Ghost Sector and the Odyssey team must decide—do they escape or do they face it? The fate of the entire Multiverse could hinge on their decision! Cyborg, Starfire, Azrael and Jessica Cruz learn to work as a team against some of the largest threats in the universe. Dark powers are gathering, and Darkseid is on their heels. The team must make difficult decisions as the lives of trillions hang in the balance! Collects issues #6-12.
176 pages, Paperback
First published November 26, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
January 31, 2020
To be honest, I was a bit bored with this. The outcome of the story was telegraphed from the beginning. The characters are all flat with little personality. There. is. so. much. exposition. Abnett's work at DC the last few years has not been very good. This trend continues.
December 13, 2019
SO. MUCH. FILLER. There are literally whole issues in here where the characters do nothing but stand around and exposit for the entire thing. Also, some of the art was kind of weird; characters would sometimes stand in strange or overly expressive positions. In one panel, two characters hug with their hips way too far apart from each other.
November 29, 2019
A creative shake-up five issues into the series doesn’t bode well…usually. But Justice League Odyssey manages to flourish under Dan Abnett’s pencil as he turns his cosmic craziness experience towards the DC Universe instead.
With the Ghost Sector well and truly sealed off, it’s up to the remaining Justice League members to investigate the planets within it, but the conspiracy that they uncover stretches back to the beginning of time, and Darkseid’s machinations might even go back beyond that. There’s a lot of intrigue to go with the cosmic crazy, so at times this feels more like a mystery book than a sci-fi one.
The way that Abnett runs with everything Joshua Williamson set-up in the first five issues makes it seem like he knew what was going on all along. There’s a lot to like, not least of which the characterisations that he lends to the Leaguers; his Darkseid reads like Thanos (as well he should), always one step ahead, and the clashing perspectives from Azrael, Starfire, Cyborg, and Jessica Cruz as they get closer and closer to tipping point is just great. They’re all individual characters, and never get lost in the shuffle.
The art’s the most inconsistent thing, to be honest. With the loss of Stepjan Sejic, nothing’s really going to compare, but these seven issues are pencilled by Daniel Sampere, Will Conrad, and Carmine Di Giandomenico, who are a solid stable of artists. I’m not surprised that the book’s a bit inconsistent on this front, given what happened behind the scenes, but it’s definitely a shame that we don’t get one artist for more than two issues in a row. None of them are bad by any stretch, it’d just be nice.
Justice League Odyssey could have easily stumbled into the abyss here, but it manages to land on its feet and soar higher than it has before. Abnett’s long-term story looks suitably intriguing, and coupled with some excellent character work and an unbelievable cliffhanger, this book easily establishes itself as more than just ‘that other Justice League book’.
With the Ghost Sector well and truly sealed off, it’s up to the remaining Justice League members to investigate the planets within it, but the conspiracy that they uncover stretches back to the beginning of time, and Darkseid’s machinations might even go back beyond that. There’s a lot of intrigue to go with the cosmic crazy, so at times this feels more like a mystery book than a sci-fi one.
The way that Abnett runs with everything Joshua Williamson set-up in the first five issues makes it seem like he knew what was going on all along. There’s a lot to like, not least of which the characterisations that he lends to the Leaguers; his Darkseid reads like Thanos (as well he should), always one step ahead, and the clashing perspectives from Azrael, Starfire, Cyborg, and Jessica Cruz as they get closer and closer to tipping point is just great. They’re all individual characters, and never get lost in the shuffle.
The art’s the most inconsistent thing, to be honest. With the loss of Stepjan Sejic, nothing’s really going to compare, but these seven issues are pencilled by Daniel Sampere, Will Conrad, and Carmine Di Giandomenico, who are a solid stable of artists. I’m not surprised that the book’s a bit inconsistent on this front, given what happened behind the scenes, but it’s definitely a shame that we don’t get one artist for more than two issues in a row. None of them are bad by any stretch, it’d just be nice.
Justice League Odyssey could have easily stumbled into the abyss here, but it manages to land on its feet and soar higher than it has before. Abnett’s long-term story looks suitably intriguing, and coupled with some excellent character work and an unbelievable cliffhanger, this book easily establishes itself as more than just ‘that other Justice League book’.
January 8, 2026
Jean-Paul psychosis arc, hell yeah! Very interested to see where this goes next after the ending...I've heard that the team shifts though, which I'm not looking forward to since my main reason for reading this is my beloved Jean-Paul Valley, and it looks like everyone but Jessica (who to be fair I also love) is out of the picture in Vol. 3 for, uh, understandable reasons given the ending. Loved the inclusion of a bloody and disheveled Jean-Paul in the final volume too, because I am a simple person with simple wants and seeing my favorites characters suffering is one of them.
April 30, 2021
Questo volume è un enorme filler. Di base non sarebbe neanche un problema grosso, il vero tallone d'Achille di questa serie è la sua credibilità. Non puoi trasformare Darkseid, uno dei più famigerati e temuti villain del DC Universe in un co-protagonista che cerca di "salvare il mondo". I 4 leaguers passano metà del tempo a dire che non dovrebbero fidarsi e l'altra metà a farlo... Non sto capendo quale sia il messaggio. Spero trovi un senso nella seconda metà di questa odissea.
January 22, 2021
Basic plot: The 4 Leaguers stuck in the Ghost Sector find themselves working with Darkseid in a last-ditch effort to save the Ghost Sector from destruction.
This story has twists, turns, and a surprise ending that really did shock me. The narrative develops well, with plenty of suspense. There are a lot of little clues sprinkled through the story to hint at the bigger picture. These characters are not the ones I typically read about, so they are pretty new/different to me. I found myself really liking them and the way this small team worked. The art is very good, bringing the characters and worlds to life. This arc helps pull together the Year of the Villain storyline, adding a pretty vital thread to the larger picture.
This story has twists, turns, and a surprise ending that really did shock me. The narrative develops well, with plenty of suspense. There are a lot of little clues sprinkled through the story to hint at the bigger picture. These characters are not the ones I typically read about, so they are pretty new/different to me. I found myself really liking them and the way this small team worked. The art is very good, bringing the characters and worlds to life. This arc helps pull together the Year of the Villain storyline, adding a pretty vital thread to the larger picture.
January 16, 2020
More of a 3.5 for me. The story really picks up from the last volume with Dan Abnett doing a better job IMO than Joshua Williamson. Art was also pretty good.
Storywise, it's paced a bit slowly. Abnett has some good personal moments between all the protagonists, and although I think Darkseid is not as "heavy" here, he's still up to his diabolical self. I still think the plot is a bit far fetched, and I'm not crazy about some of the things that happen here (especially that last page), but stories don't always play out the way we'd like.
I just hope the events in this series impact the regular Justice League title/DCU.
Storywise, it's paced a bit slowly. Abnett has some good personal moments between all the protagonists, and although I think Darkseid is not as "heavy" here, he's still up to his diabolical self. I still think the plot is a bit far fetched, and I'm not crazy about some of the things that happen here (especially that last page), but stories don't always play out the way we'd like.
I just hope the events in this series impact the regular Justice League title/DCU.
April 14, 2020
4.5
I've been enjoying the break from the core Justice League series. Odyssey and the Dark series with Wonder Woman are both interesting and offer different storylines. This second volume is laying the foundation for the return of Darkseid and things are not exactly what they appear to be. Dan Abnett knows how to prep space opera storytelling and DC were right to place him in the box seat. Dan Anett was the key behind Guardians of the Galaxy and Nova from Marvel.
Why the 4.5?
That ending. Wow. I enjoyed the twisting narrative and things appear to be quite grim leading into volume 3. I loved this and volume 1. The storyline and the inclusion of a weakened Darkseid were interesting choices. Darkseid sat out for the rebirth run and rightly so. This is full of the lesser characters and it's nice to have no Batman or Superman egos in the mix. Good series.
I've been enjoying the break from the core Justice League series. Odyssey and the Dark series with Wonder Woman are both interesting and offer different storylines. This second volume is laying the foundation for the return of Darkseid and things are not exactly what they appear to be. Dan Abnett knows how to prep space opera storytelling and DC were right to place him in the box seat. Dan Anett was the key behind Guardians of the Galaxy and Nova from Marvel.
Why the 4.5?
That ending. Wow. I enjoyed the twisting narrative and things appear to be quite grim leading into volume 3. I loved this and volume 1. The storyline and the inclusion of a weakened Darkseid were interesting choices. Darkseid sat out for the rebirth run and rightly so. This is full of the lesser characters and it's nice to have no Batman or Superman egos in the mix. Good series.
August 15, 2020
A odisseia de Liga da Justiça Odisseia é bastante complicada. Rescaldo do evento Nova Justiça da Liga da Justiça principal, a ideia original era que a série fosse desenvolvida por Joshua Williamson e com a maravilhosa arte digital de Stejpan Seijic. Mas aconteceram alguns problemas entre a equipe de criação e primeiro, Stejpan foi substituído por Carmine di Giandomenico e, posteriormente, Williamson pelo multitarefa Dan Abnett. Nesta edição, por exemplo, a maior parte dos desenhos é do brasileiro Will Conrad. A história, então, acaba ficando bastante enrolada e não entende-se bem por que Cyborg, Estelar e Azrael estão destinados a se tornarem Novos Deuses ao lado de Darkseid. Também não se entende direito qual é o papel da Estrela Negra e do exército da "ordem de São Judas" à qual pertence Azrael. Dan Abnett é um roteirista competente, mas parece que nesta Liga da Justiça Odisséia ele perdeu a mão da competência. Provavelmente todos os conflitos estabelecidos neste títulos venham de uma má administração editorial. Afinal, carisma nestes personagens não falta. Uma pena.
December 6, 2020
É gente realmente acho que vou dropar... amo a jessica cruz mas muitas informações sem pé nem cabeça nesse encadernado para no final os herois virarem violões nossa sério?! Esse ano dos violões está só descendo o nível das histórias bem n viu ficar sabendo oque acontece com a jéssica e espero que ela volte em uma revista solo que amo demaisss ela.
April 9, 2021
Boring...I can't even remember what happened save for Jessica at the end was a bit shocking. Otherwise another snoozer.
March 13, 2022
This was a bit better than volume one, but it's still a bit boring despite the action. It just doesn't seam to have any urgency.
May 28, 2021
Picked this up on a whim, mainly because Abnett was writing it. A little slow at first and overall kind-of predictable. For some reason the foregone climax was enjoyable. Art's not bad. It serves to solidify Darkseid as a true adversary and does a decent job of it.
May 11, 2020
This was a significant improvement over the previous issue in this book series, but the ending was horrible. I can only hope that it's merely an Act II of a larger story with a much more satisfying ending to come.
June 2, 2020
I'll admit when I read the first volume I was left confused but this trade ties it all up and leaves a cliffhanger that makes me want to read the next NOW. If I never read the word Sepulkore again I'll be happy. The art has moments but the coloring is so dark in parts it gets lost.
April 19, 2021
This story is really dragging.
January 15, 2020
I think maybe some folks are better at doing the "cosmic" thing than others.
When it comes to "cosmic" comic books, we probably have to start with "The King," Jack Kirby. Never mind the fact that he collaborated with Stan Lee on The Fantastic Four which introduced characters like the Inhumans and Galactus during their run on the book, but he also created The Fourth World for DC and The Eternals for Marvel and both have become firmly ingrained in the fabric of those publishers universes. Following Kirby, one probably has to consider Jim Starlin, who created the mad Titan Thanos (based off of Kirby's Fourth World villain Darkseid), wrote the original Infinity Gauntlet miniseries and also wrote Cosmic Odyssey for DC (which featured Kirby's New Gods, including as it would happen, Darkseid.) There are authors who do the "cosmic thing" (sorry B-52s) well (one thinks of the sweeping saga Jonathan Hickman took the Marvel Universe through setting up his Secret Wars) so when I see them involved with such things, I get my hopes up.
In my review for Justice League Odyssey, Vol. 1: The Ghost Sector I argued that the collection seemed like a setup to justify that it was indeed a Justice League book, especially since one of the "members" was long-time DC big bad Darkseid. The series had serious potential, but not being familiar with the writer Joshua Williamson who was part of the team that spun off this book from Justice League: No Justice , I wondered if this book could reach it's potential. After reading this collection, I think the answer is an unequivocal "yes."
For whatever reason, DC changed the creative team as of issue #7, which is the first issue reprinted in this trade. Williamson was replaced by Dan Abnett, who with frequent writing partner Andy Lanning previously wrote cosmic fare for both Marvel and DC in the form of Guardians of the Galaxy and Legion of Super-Heroes for the respective companies (in fact, Abnett and Lanning were the guys who came up with the idea of Knowhere, which was an interdimensional way station that happened to be a Celestial's severed head.) If I was going to list one of the comics creators out there that can do "cosmic" right, Abnett would be at the top of my list. Sure, I was a little concerned that he didn't have Lanning in tow (I'm always used to their collaborations) but as this collection unfolded it was obvious that DC had made the right call in having Abnett take over this book. The uncertainty of the previous collection is completely gone here and the plotting and action makes sense. And while the end of this volume ends in a satisfyingly unsatisfying way (think of how you feel about the end of The Empire Strikes Back), it's a good stopping point.
Unfortunately the next collection won't be out until August of 2020, so I'm going to have to wait a while to see where this goes, but I'm anxiously awaiting the next volume, and really as a fan of these sorts of sweeping cosmic epics, that's all I can really ask for.
When it comes to "cosmic" comic books, we probably have to start with "The King," Jack Kirby. Never mind the fact that he collaborated with Stan Lee on The Fantastic Four which introduced characters like the Inhumans and Galactus during their run on the book, but he also created The Fourth World for DC and The Eternals for Marvel and both have become firmly ingrained in the fabric of those publishers universes. Following Kirby, one probably has to consider Jim Starlin, who created the mad Titan Thanos (based off of Kirby's Fourth World villain Darkseid), wrote the original Infinity Gauntlet miniseries and also wrote Cosmic Odyssey for DC (which featured Kirby's New Gods, including as it would happen, Darkseid.) There are authors who do the "cosmic thing" (sorry B-52s) well (one thinks of the sweeping saga Jonathan Hickman took the Marvel Universe through setting up his Secret Wars) so when I see them involved with such things, I get my hopes up.
In my review for Justice League Odyssey, Vol. 1: The Ghost Sector I argued that the collection seemed like a setup to justify that it was indeed a Justice League book, especially since one of the "members" was long-time DC big bad Darkseid. The series had serious potential, but not being familiar with the writer Joshua Williamson who was part of the team that spun off this book from Justice League: No Justice , I wondered if this book could reach it's potential. After reading this collection, I think the answer is an unequivocal "yes."
For whatever reason, DC changed the creative team as of issue #7, which is the first issue reprinted in this trade. Williamson was replaced by Dan Abnett, who with frequent writing partner Andy Lanning previously wrote cosmic fare for both Marvel and DC in the form of Guardians of the Galaxy and Legion of Super-Heroes for the respective companies (in fact, Abnett and Lanning were the guys who came up with the idea of Knowhere, which was an interdimensional way station that happened to be a Celestial's severed head.) If I was going to list one of the comics creators out there that can do "cosmic" right, Abnett would be at the top of my list. Sure, I was a little concerned that he didn't have Lanning in tow (I'm always used to their collaborations) but as this collection unfolded it was obvious that DC had made the right call in having Abnett take over this book. The uncertainty of the previous collection is completely gone here and the plotting and action makes sense. And while the end of this volume ends in a satisfyingly unsatisfying way (think of how you feel about the end of The Empire Strikes Back), it's a good stopping point.
Unfortunately the next collection won't be out until August of 2020, so I'm going to have to wait a while to see where this goes, but I'm anxiously awaiting the next volume, and really as a fan of these sorts of sweeping cosmic epics, that's all I can really ask for.
November 2, 2020
Although this is "Justice League Odyssey", this really should be "Justice League Dark - Cosmic"... because this might be the craziest DARK team of JL ever...
Highlights:
- The team (Cyborg, Starfire, Azrael, and Jessica Cruz) finally arrive at Tamaran, only to be turned away by Blackfire, who turns the whole army against Starfire. Unable to hold back, she unleashes a strong blast of her rapidly increasing power, forcing Cyborg to stop her.
- Leaving Tamaran, Starfire shows remorse for her abilities, and Azrael is able to calm her down.
- Darkseid has been fighting minions who do not want him to obtain more relics and is very weak. When the team confronts him, he tells a story about Sepulkore, which is an interlinked system of relics (including the Other Box found in the last Volume) which will bind the Ghost Sector together and shelter it from anything bad that will happen in the Multiverse. (Not quite New Apokolips, but basically restores Darkseid to power and puts him as the savior of a whole sector of the galaxy.
- The team agrees to help Darkseid gain these artifacts/relics so that they are doing their part to save the galaxy, even though they plan on double crossing him and taking control of Sepulkore to use for good.
- Blackfire and Rapture bring both their armies to stop the team from helping Darkseid, but Azrael finally taps into his latent power and is able to control them using his voice. Surprised at her own bowing, Blackfire teleports away.
- The team travels throughout the sector, gathering relics and bringing them back to Darkseid, all the while gaining more power... with the exception of Jessica Cruz, who is a "tag along" and not part of Darkseid's plan.
- Near the end of the Volume, we see that Jessica's suspicions were right all along. Darkseid is able to convert the other three on the team to loyal servants, and Rapture's forces into a kind of parademon force... and regains his true form... before blasting Jessica to dust with his Omega Beams
What will happen to Jessica? She's on the cover of the next Volume, so I know her time here is not done yet...
Enjoyed this Volume more than the last. Hoping the upward trend continues. Actually looking forward to the next Volume.
Recommend.... though a bit concerned about how this will affect the rest of the DCU.
Highlights:
- The team (Cyborg, Starfire, Azrael, and Jessica Cruz) finally arrive at Tamaran, only to be turned away by Blackfire, who turns the whole army against Starfire. Unable to hold back, she unleashes a strong blast of her rapidly increasing power, forcing Cyborg to stop her.
- Leaving Tamaran, Starfire shows remorse for her abilities, and Azrael is able to calm her down.
- Darkseid has been fighting minions who do not want him to obtain more relics and is very weak. When the team confronts him, he tells a story about Sepulkore, which is an interlinked system of relics (including the Other Box found in the last Volume) which will bind the Ghost Sector together and shelter it from anything bad that will happen in the Multiverse. (Not quite New Apokolips, but basically restores Darkseid to power and puts him as the savior of a whole sector of the galaxy.
- The team agrees to help Darkseid gain these artifacts/relics so that they are doing their part to save the galaxy, even though they plan on double crossing him and taking control of Sepulkore to use for good.
- Blackfire and Rapture bring both their armies to stop the team from helping Darkseid, but Azrael finally taps into his latent power and is able to control them using his voice. Surprised at her own bowing, Blackfire teleports away.
- The team travels throughout the sector, gathering relics and bringing them back to Darkseid, all the while gaining more power... with the exception of Jessica Cruz, who is a "tag along" and not part of Darkseid's plan.
- Near the end of the Volume, we see that Jessica's suspicions were right all along. Darkseid is able to convert the other three on the team to loyal servants, and Rapture's forces into a kind of parademon force... and regains his true form... before blasting Jessica to dust with his Omega Beams
What will happen to Jessica? She's on the cover of the next Volume, so I know her time here is not done yet...
Enjoyed this Volume more than the last. Hoping the upward trend continues. Actually looking forward to the next Volume.
Recommend.... though a bit concerned about how this will affect the rest of the DCU.
March 18, 2021
I feel a little mean giving this graphic novel only one star, but... I had to practically force myself to read it. I feel like Dan Abnett is doing the best with what he has, but so much of DC's canon feels bloated right now. Rather than giving us stories that feel big, they're just throwing a bunch of big-sounding stuff at us and hoping that we're engaged. But we don't read DC comics for multiverse-ending events and Source Walls, and cosmic trees, and long-lost gods resurrected, and magic door knobs, and... phew. (I think I've got all that right? I can't even explain to people what's going on in comics right now without them raising their eyebrows. There's suspension of disbelief and then there's taking logic, shooting it an alley and burying it in a shallow grave.) The same is true of this series. I don't have much of a connection to these characters except for Jessica Cruz (which doesn't help), but so much of this just feels like homework--names and places that sound important but can't foster any sort of real investment. I know DC is trying, but they're trying in the wrong way. We show up for the characters--what makes a story big isn't the multiverse ending, it's caring about the situations your characters are in. I've read stories that focus on Batman and Alfred's relationship that left a bigger impact than these crisis-centered stories that currently have DC's focus. We actually just had conversation about this at my library's comic book club--we were going through titles and trying to figure out what to read for the next month, and rather than being intrigued by the various "crisis" titles, all we did was laugh about them. What did we choose instead? "Bombshells, Vol. 1"--a tighter story with a clearer focus. Come on, DC, when you're on it, you're on fire. But right now... you're barely even a sizzle.
January 29, 2021
After being trapped in the Ghost Sector, Cyborg, Starfire, Azrael and Jessica Cruz end up working with a de-powered Darkseid to save all the many planets and trillions of lives in the Ghost Sector from a universe-ending threat. They’ve gotten power upgrades, been praised as gods, fought techno-alien-babies and more, but Darkseid and trust don’t usually play well together...
This was so good. A marked improvement on the first volume, it went from harmless sci-fi adventure to dark, multiversal cataclysm. There was a lot more weight to this one continuity wise, I felt like there was an actual impact with the story that was unfolding. While some things felt a bit light on explanation/logical realism, there’s a load of cool concepts and I really like the way Abnett wrote the astrophysical type things. I felt the scale and magnitude, and while it started out as a treasure hunt story and the heroes plan felt pretty obvious, I like how he acknowledges that and the way he turns it.
The art is really good throughout. It does change, but just between two good artists (I preferred Sampere myself), and it’s not jarring.
If I’m to name complaints, this is definitely narrative driven and not so much character driven. All the characters definitely sound like themselves (Azrael is probably the most generic sounding), but there’s not a huge amount of character development. Though Cyborg gets a lot of the shine which I enjoyed, especially toward the end between him and Darkseid. Darkseid arguably gets the most (or most exposition, at least), but I also feel for Jessica Cruz.
This second volume really cranks it up to 11, the cosmic scale of things was felt, Darkseid . I really dug this one and can’t wait to read what happens.
This was so good. A marked improvement on the first volume, it went from harmless sci-fi adventure to dark, multiversal cataclysm. There was a lot more weight to this one continuity wise, I felt like there was an actual impact with the story that was unfolding. While some things felt a bit light on explanation/logical realism, there’s a load of cool concepts and I really like the way Abnett wrote the astrophysical type things. I felt the scale and magnitude, and while it started out as a treasure hunt story and the heroes plan felt pretty obvious, I like how he acknowledges that and the way he turns it.
The art is really good throughout. It does change, but just between two good artists (I preferred Sampere myself), and it’s not jarring.
If I’m to name complaints, this is definitely narrative driven and not so much character driven. All the characters definitely sound like themselves (Azrael is probably the most generic sounding), but there’s not a huge amount of character development. Though Cyborg gets a lot of the shine which I enjoyed, especially toward the end between him and Darkseid. Darkseid arguably gets the most (or most exposition, at least), but I also feel for Jessica Cruz.
This second volume really cranks it up to 11, the cosmic scale of things was felt, Darkseid . I really dug this one and can’t wait to read what happens.
April 14, 2023
Darkseid finally makes his intentions known in this volume, as everyone kind of knew he had a hidden angle that he was playing at.
So when we last left off, we saw that Starfire, Cyborg, and Azreal are considered gods on different planets. Because of this, they wield more power than they know and also, control of the population/armies of said planets. Now in order to get the full picture of what is going on you kind of need to know what's happening over on the Justice League title. But basically, the Source Wall has been destroyed, and the entire multiverse is now threatened. It seems that Darkseid foresaw this coming, and has plans on how to survive. Of course, his plans involve survival then domination. It was very cool to see the team battle with the knowledge that they are basically shooting themselves in the foot by helping Darkseid, but at the same not really having any other choice - really good plotting by Abnett.
I also loved the badass portrayal of Jessica Cruz in this series. She's the one facet of the situation that Darkseid does not factor into his plans. She stands up to him one on one, and while completely hopeless, it was awesome seeing her be this badass. It was definitely her Captain America vs Thanos moment, and
Definitely a good volume, with a very interesting plot. I'm looking forward to see how things progress from here in the next volume.
So when we last left off, we saw that Starfire, Cyborg, and Azreal are considered gods on different planets. Because of this, they wield more power than they know and also, control of the population/armies of said planets. Now in order to get the full picture of what is going on you kind of need to know what's happening over on the Justice League title. But basically, the Source Wall has been destroyed, and the entire multiverse is now threatened. It seems that Darkseid foresaw this coming, and has plans on how to survive. Of course, his plans involve survival then domination. It was very cool to see the team battle with the knowledge that they are basically shooting themselves in the foot by helping Darkseid, but at the same not really having any other choice - really good plotting by Abnett.
I also loved the badass portrayal of Jessica Cruz in this series. She's the one facet of the situation that Darkseid does not factor into his plans. She stands up to him one on one, and while completely hopeless, it was awesome seeing her be this badass. It was definitely her Captain America vs Thanos moment, and
Definitely a good volume, with a very interesting plot. I'm looking forward to see how things progress from here in the next volume.
March 4, 2024
Honestly, without the final two issues this would’ve been a 3.5 rounded down. But with those two issues it’s a 4. I loved how the ending was handled with the revelation that Darkseid was always powerful and in control as it tying in the changes we’ve seen in the Old God characters in the JLO which felt off until it started coming together. For awhile it was confusing if this was Dan Abnett as a new writer going in a new direction or misunderstanding what was previously written. But by the end it was turned into something super cohesive, strongly written, and super engaging.
Under Dan's pen the story takes on more of a cosmic lore focus with myths from the New World and such being introduced. I enjoyed how the team-up between the four become more tenuous as well with the three that are part of Darkseid’s plan adopting new attitudes and feelings after awhile as they come into their godly role in Darkseid’s plan with Jessica out of the loop. I thought it was alright though it does make characterization odd as half of the leads have changed their personality a fair amount halfway through the volume as they lean into the Old God dealio.
All artists are equally good and did grand work! As usual though I do try to point out their qualities to respect the hard work they do as well as build my recognition of each. Issue 6 and 11 are by Giandemenico who mixes more classic comic art with the tricks of digital art though with some rocky execution at times. Issue 6 in particular had some stilted art with up-close face shots. Conrad does 7 and 12 and his style feels 3d model-y in rendering but not in a bad way. Just that people are very on-model and faces are equally put in a very good poses and are drawn with “3d faces.” Hard to explain but like… full facial features and face shapes. Sampere does 8-10 and has the softest rendering style of the three. He has that simple detailed cape comic style.
Under Dan's pen the story takes on more of a cosmic lore focus with myths from the New World and such being introduced. I enjoyed how the team-up between the four become more tenuous as well with the three that are part of Darkseid’s plan adopting new attitudes and feelings after awhile as they come into their godly role in Darkseid’s plan with Jessica out of the loop. I thought it was alright though it does make characterization odd as half of the leads have changed their personality a fair amount halfway through the volume as they lean into the Old God dealio.
All artists are equally good and did grand work! As usual though I do try to point out their qualities to respect the hard work they do as well as build my recognition of each. Issue 6 and 11 are by Giandemenico who mixes more classic comic art with the tricks of digital art though with some rocky execution at times. Issue 6 in particular had some stilted art with up-close face shots. Conrad does 7 and 12 and his style feels 3d model-y in rendering but not in a bad way. Just that people are very on-model and faces are equally put in a very good poses and are drawn with “3d faces.” Hard to explain but like… full facial features and face shapes. Sampere does 8-10 and has the softest rendering style of the three. He has that simple detailed cape comic style.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 2, 2020
Justice League Odyssey continues to be the most coherent DC series, but it isn't quite the most fun. Darkseid needs to collect various doodads in the Ghost Sector to prevent those thousand planets from being burnt out by the collapse of the Source Wall. Naturally, he needs Cyborg, Starfire, Azrael, and Jessica Cruz's help to achieve that goal. Will he turn out to have a larger, more nefarious goal in the end??? One can only wonder!!!
Dan Abnett isn't a bad writer and the various artists do a decent job with the action scenes, but Death of the Dark is highly repetitive and is lacking in twists. I guess the bleak ending could be considered a twist () but it also doesn't leave much room for future plot. I certainly appreciated that I could understand the events of Death of the Dark, but the pendulum might have swung a bit too far into dull territory.
Dan Abnett isn't a bad writer and the various artists do a decent job with the action scenes, but Death of the Dark is highly repetitive and is lacking in twists. I guess the bleak ending could be considered a twist () but it also doesn't leave much room for future plot. I certainly appreciated that I could understand the events of Death of the Dark, but the pendulum might have swung a bit too far into dull territory.
December 14, 2019
This was a bit of a step up from the first volume as Darkseid's plan comes into focus. Three of the four Leaguers in the Ghost Sector--Cyborg, Starfire, and Azrael--were summoned and Darkseid has some kind of plan for them that can maybe save the multiverse from the threat posed in the main Justice League book. But can anyone trust Darkseid? I mean, no, no one should, but the question remains.
However, there is one hero in the Ghost Sector unexpectedly, namely Green Lantern Jessica Cruz. She may have to take care of the others if Darkseid does something to them, but her ring is losing its charge and she doesn't have a power battery she can use.
This one worked out better. We know what Darkseid wants. Now we just how to see if anyone can actually stop him.
However, there is one hero in the Ghost Sector unexpectedly, namely Green Lantern Jessica Cruz. She may have to take care of the others if Darkseid does something to them, but her ring is losing its charge and she doesn't have a power battery she can use.
This one worked out better. We know what Darkseid wants. Now we just how to see if anyone can actually stop him.
September 29, 2020
Dan Abnett takes over the writing chores and things get clearer. Darkseid's plan in the Ghost Sector is revealed and our heroes, Cyborg, Starfire, Azrael, and Green Lantern Jessica Cruz, begin to work better as a team. However, Darkseid has other plans for several of them that could be a threat to the fate of the Multiverse. A cameo by Lex Luthor and Braniac foreshadows how their plans could be derailed by Darkseid, a god on par with Perpetua and her sons. I'm glad that this confrontation is getting some attention; the Dark Metal epic needs Darkseid's involvement. The artwork is good, a bit less compressed than in the first volume, although there is still plenty of exposition to cram into the story. The volume ends with a cliffhanger of ominous note.
August 12, 2020
So you're one of four superheroes stranded in the middle of nowhere at the far end of the universe, when you find out the multiverse is in mortal peril. You're cut off from your allies (and for one of the heroes, your power source), when one of the biggest bads in the universe, albeit depowered, offers a plan for survival. Sure, it'll re-empower him, and the big bad's not know for his trustworthiness, but isn't saving the multiverse worth the risk? Unless you can outwit the villain at his own game...
June 1, 2024
Over a year later and I get to volume 2? Sheesh. Anyways fun outer space adventure but man it’s tough to not think you’re missing out on so much more. I haven’t read DC regularly in over a decade and even then it was only for a year or two of events. I do feel quite lost with all this Source Wall collapsing and what not. Despite all that, this does mostly make sense and has me itching to go back and read more DC, either the events that lead to this status quo, the Fourth World stuff, or just start the newest run of something at issue 1.
Superhero comics are fun!
Superhero comics are fun!
May 16, 2020
Dan Abnett continues doing DC Cosmic with a splash of Justice League thrown in.
This one was worth reading, but it's so strangely cut off from most of the rest of the DCU, despite being grounded firmly in premise in Justice League: No Justice like all JL related titles and spin offs. I'm wondering if this wasn't written exclusively for the last page's panels of this volume...
If that's all, hey, it's a fun ride...
This one was worth reading, but it's so strangely cut off from most of the rest of the DCU, despite being grounded firmly in premise in Justice League: No Justice like all JL related titles and spin offs. I'm wondering if this wasn't written exclusively for the last page's panels of this volume...
If that's all, hey, it's a fun ride...
November 3, 2020
Justice League Odyssey: Death of the Dark continues in the same loopy, unstructured way that the previous volume did. The "Darkseid has a nefarious plan" plot element finally develops some substance, but remains predictable and uninteresting. Additionally, the book bogs down with multiple references from Darkseid as to how Green Lantern Jessica Cruz is insignificant and has no role to play in his dark machinations. Foreshadowing anyone?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 14, 2020
I have traditionally liked the DC space adventure comics, but I do not particularly like any of the characters in this series.
A direct continuation of vol 1 (which was continued from somewhere else that I had not read, so not really the beginning of the story), I felt like this volume was a bit repetitive and slow moving despite all the fighting/action. Not really feeling like I will read this much longer.
A direct continuation of vol 1 (which was continued from somewhere else that I had not read, so not really the beginning of the story), I felt like this volume was a bit repetitive and slow moving despite all the fighting/action. Not really feeling like I will read this much longer.
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