This is no manipulation, Justice League Dark #13 is a masterful retelling of Kent Nelson and Constantine's origin stories that pushes the narrative forward while providing new insight. Read Full Review

I loved this issue, but you may have guessed that already. It delivers everything I could ever want in a comic, including yet another tribute/homage to Alan Moore's Swamp Thing run (still the greatest ever DC horror comic, IMHO, and grandaddy to everything that Followed it). It succeeds as a standalone comic, as part of the ongoing series AND as a crossover. Very few comics manage this, and even fewer do it as successfully as this one. Read Full Review

Justice League #13 continues to build off the momentum of its predecessors and continues to be a highlight of the pull. You're going to want to keep an eye out on this series going forward. There's a lot of exciting elements that are all crashing together in a hauntingly beautiful story of the impossibilities of magic. Read Full Review

Another solid, entertaining outing from Tynion, Justice League Dark continues to be the best Justice League book out on the stands today. Read Full Review

Justice League Dark #13is a satisfying bridge and wrap-up from a fantastic arc while laying the groundwork for what is to come. Read Full Review

This wasnt the titles best installment, but Tynion keeps adding welcome layers to the characters that make them more than just the DCUs magic corner of the universe. Read Full Review

The aftermath of the Chaos-Order War brings a lot of questions now that the Justice League Dark has literally broken magic, and Justice League Dark #13, a breather issue,tackles the biggest question " what to do with Doctor Fate and his near-unimaginable power? Nabu is now locked inside the helmet, waiting for a suitable bearer to harness his power for good. Read Full Review

Buckingham and Sampere have some beautiful art in this issue. I really enjoyed Buckingham's classic style when highlighting Kent Nelson's story. His character designs were great and featured some awesome character designs. Sampere also delivered some gorgeously detailed character designs and the tone of the art served the dark nature of the story. Read Full Review

Justice League Dark has moved from one epic storyline to the next. This issue gives us a moment to catch our breath before diving into the Year of the Villain, which is shaping up to hit this team pretty hard. They've already been through some tough trials and tribulations, so I can only imagine what's in store for us next. This is what we get when we explore the darker side of the DC Universe. Read Full Review

Justice League Dark #13 served as more of an informative issue following the battle of chaos versus order. This may have been a slower issue, but not one scene was wasted setting this story up for what comes next between the fight for the fate of magic, and what doom now has to offer the world of magic. Read Full Review

If you wanted some backstory to Kent Nelson and Constantine than this issue is for you because it really does little to push the story forward and decides instead to give you a history lesson.  At least there was an interesting offer from Lex Luthor because besides for some decent moments between characters and some great art, there's not much to this issue of Justice League Dark. Read Full Review

Little happens plot-wise this issue but, thankfully, the conversations that do happen are necessary and meaningful. Read Full Review

This was a pretty good breather issue with some character moments.

A nice epilogue to The Lords of Order. We get more backstory on Kent Nelson, and also Constantine's relation to Zatanna's father. This was a good issue but mostly rehashed origins for readers who are already familiar with these characters (with some new info sprinkled in to make it feel fresh).

Really liked chapter 1, not a huge fan of the retcons in chapter 2, ain’t give a shit about Circe.

"You knew. All this time you knew. All this tension between us... You've been waiting for the next round. For the darkness to rear its ugly again."

All very well done, but did we need John's origin again? It might be retold as much as Batman's now.

This was okay, I guess. I didn't really know Kent Nelson's origin beyond the very basics, and now I still really don't know his origin that well. I knew Constantine's, though, and I feel like the version here was a bit watered down. Just a little. I still really don't like the idea of him working for Zatara since he got out of the asylum. The Year of the Villain tease wasn't exciting because Circe's entire presence annoys me after the regrettable Witching Hour cliffhanger.

Another trip into the world of the most exciting, creative part of our favorite superhero universe...turned incredibly dull and listless by James Tynion IV.

Case in point: Chapter 1, the Dr. Fate origin chapter. This is a scene with actual action, and it's exciting stuff. I'm genuinely excited to see Dr. Fate back in action!! But then, we switch to the present day, and Wonder Woman, Kent Nelson and Khalid are sitting around, literally talking about and over a cup of coffee. Total narrative buzzkill. Thanks, Tynion.

Chapter 2, the Constantine "secret origin" chapter, is a train wreck. Putting the (again) sitting around -- because they sit a lot in JLD -- over drinks and smokes part aside, we are told the origin story of John Constantine. Why? Why would DC Comics want to pull back the curtain on one of its most slick, underhanded and mysterious characters? Constantine is a cypher. A manipulator. A wild card. A man with entirely hidden motives. He now is just another cog in the machine. Thanks, Tynion.

On the bright side with Constantine, a more capable writer can brush the entire chapter off as Constantine messing around with Zatanna's mind...and lying through his teeth. THAT would be good Constantine.

The Year of the Villain chapter is, so far, a throwaway. Let's see what happens.

The art, overall, is fair to middling. I enjoyed the less detailed, almost Golden Age look of the Dr. Fate opening stanza, but the rest did not excite. Of course, the poor art team had to draw a bunch of supremely talented characters....sitting around.

For the life of me, I don't get Tynion's approach to this book. A little exposition is OK, but every single issue? This is magic...sorcery...it should be SPECTACULAR. Tynion gets to write stories that the Bat-writers cannot even dream about. But he doesn't.

It's as if he's trying to kill this book.

4.5/10, only that high because the opening Dr. Fate scene was so strong. more