Justice League Volume 7: The Darkseid War Part 1 (The New 52!) by Geoff Johns, Jason Fabok and Brad Anderson (graphic novel review).
There are three volumes associated with ‘The Darkseid War’. I’m still deciding where an unnumbered volume fits into all this, but that’s why I’m here and you’re reading to let me do some of the thinking.
I initially intended to read the New 52 ‘Justice League’ volumes to examine ‘The Darkseid War’ and felt compelled to understand the events leading up to it. This is the Justice League’s second encounter with Darkseid and his people. Although Darkseid is a gloomy and sinister deity, his plans date back centuries. While Queen Hippolyta is giving birth to Diana on Paradise Island, Myrina, an Amazonian assassin, is conceiving a girl who will one day become Myrina Black, also known as Grail. Indeed, her father was none other than the legendary Darkseid. Given his height, it must have been an intriguing encounter.
In the present, Kanto and Lashina, under Darkseid’s orders, are trying to assassinate Myrina Black and working their way through whatever their version of the phonebook is. The unusual case draws the attention of the Justice League, particularly after they confirm the presence of alien DNA in the room. Metron is closely monitoring the situation. Earlier, he had successfully manipulated Darkseid and the Highfather of New Genesis into exchanging sons in an attempt to halt the war between the two planets, although his actions had minimal impact. Scot Free, the son of the Highfather of New Genesis, received a harsher fate. However, he transformed into the escapologist Mister Miracle, invaded the present, and had to rely on his motherbox to teleport away from Darkseid.
There are a lot of different sub-plots moving along at the same time. How much of it becomes a spoiler depends on how you read it. The Batman gets to sit in Metron’s chair and has access to universal knowledge from the past and present. I find it fascinating how the inability to access the future operates when there is a time difference between planets. Lex Luthor and Supermam find themselves stranded on Apokolips, with the Kryptonian gradually losing his abilities due to the absence of natural sunlight on the planet. You can’t help but wonder why there’s not just complete darkness. All of this is preparation for Darkseid to engage in combat with the Anti-Monitor. Clearly, the Justice League is involved in a war above their power station.
The plot progresses at a steady pace, and the process of connecting all the sub-plot elements remains unfinished. I will have more insights after reading the upcoming volume.
GF Willmetts
October 2024
(pub: DC Comics, 2016. 144 page graphic novel softcover. Price: varies. ISBN: 978-1-4012-6452-9)
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