Justice League Dark #23 - A Review

The artwork of Mikel Janin would be reason enough to pick up Justice League Dark #23, even if one had not read a single book in the Trinity War crossover before now.  Janin delivers a number of single-page splashes and double-page spreads that, on this rare occasion, do not feel gratuitous.  You welcome every glorious page, rejoicing at how clearly the action is depicted and how amazing everything looks.  


Jeff Lemire's script is equally impressive.  Commendably, he recaps the entire storyline thus far in the first few pages, not presuming for a moment that the regular Justice League Dark readers are reading the rest of the crossover.  As in the other Trinity War books, the best moments in this chapter have little do do with the combat over Pandora's Box and more to do with the interplay between the characters.  The greatest of these moments has the group of heroes being lead by Superman and Martian Manhunter learning just how far Amanda Waller went in her plans to pit the various Justice Leagues against one another.  Lemire's take on Superman, who is unwilling to put the lives of others before justice for himself, is particularly gratifying. 


I hadn't been reading Justice League Dark before this crossover.  I think I may have to reconsider that once it is over.  I've been enjoying Jeff Lemire's writing on other series and the artwork of Mikel Janin is some of the best on the shelves today.  That may change once the book goes back to more magic-based storylines but for now this is a must-read title for all fans of good superhero stories.