In last month’s Justice League #75, every active member of the Justice League—yes, even Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman—is seemingly killed in a battle with Pariah and the Dark Army, leaving the rest of Earth’s heroes to mourn and try to figure out what happens now. After all, death in the DC Universe isn’t anything new. Heck, even death within the ranks of the Justice League is fairly commonplace. (We’ve run articles about it and everything.) But death hitting all of the World’s Greatest Super Heroes all at once? That’s unprecedented.
As such, it’s not exactly surprising that the heroes who survived are unsure how to react. Should they be mourning and remembering the fallen? Should they be preparing to face the Great Darkness themselves? After all, if the Justice League wasn’t able to stop it, then it’s still coming. Or should they simply be continuing on as usual, certain that the so-called “dead” heroes of the Justice League will soon return, just like they’ve all done in the past? It’s clear that even for superheroes, death and the feelings that surround it are complicated.
This is the compelling subject that’s explored in next week’s Dark Crisis prologue, Justice League: Road to Dark Crisis, an anthology one-shot featuring the work of some of the hottest names in comics, including Dark Crisis writer Joshua Williamson. Road to Dark Crisis boasts five distinct stories that each tie directly in with Dark Crisis, providing some crucial context and detail on many of the event’s most important characters. One of these stories, the Willamson-written and Dan Jurgens-drawn “Team-Up” looks in on Dick Grayson and Jon Kent shortly after the League’s demise. For these young heroes, the death of the team is frighteningly personal—and yet, their ways of responding to it couldn’t be more different. Yes, everyone deals with death differently, but is it possible that Nightwing isn’t taking things seriously enough?
Feel free to decide for yourself, as we’re pleased to present this opening tale for you here in full. Give it a look, then hit up your local comic shop next week so you can grab the full issue. After all, with the Justice League gone and a Dark Crisis on the way, you’re going to want to be as prepared as you can…
Justice League: Road to Dark Crisis #1, featuring “Team-Up” by Joshua Williamson, Dan Jurgens, Norm Rapmund and Hi-Fi, is available Tuesday, May 31 in print and as a digital comic book.
