Review: Justice League Dark Vol. 2- The Books of Magic

Quick Summary

Pros: The book’s main storyline is epic from beginning to end. The villain is great and presents a serious threat to the League. The conclusion is well executed and has a twist that is guaranteed to surprise and delight. Everything looks beautiful as the art is wonderful.

Cons: The book’s initial storyline is lackluster for this team.

Overall: This is a welcome addition to the Justice League Dark series and a fantastic comic on its own. Though it starts out with a somewhat lackluster initial offering, the vast majority of the book is far more interesting. It tells an epic story featuring plenty of magical fights, unique backstories, and a finale that will knock your socks off. If you are someone who has even a passing interest in comics about magic, then this is the book for you.

Story

Justice League Vol. 2: The Books of Magic takes the Justice League Dark and enters them into a storyline with the complexity and scope worthy of a series using the Justice League moniker. This is a book that has action, suspense, and a powerful storyline that builds up excitement until it is all released in a fantastic conclusion. Jeff Lemire also manages to capture each character’s personality wonderfully and presents a great deal of potential for this series to develop. If you were on the fence or hesitant about the series after reading the first volume, this volume will assure you that this is a comic book worth following up on.

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The Books of Magic starts out in the middle of a crossover with the I, Vampire series. This crossover is pretty alright for the most part, as it has its fair share of action and excitement. However it does falter a bit on its depiction of this League. Deadman is constantly put into situations where he can provide no help whatsoever and Shade ends up being simply dismissed before his character ever became interesting.

From here the book improves massively. Jeff Lemire takes over writing and begins to craft an epic saga centered around the enigmatic “Books of Magic.” These books are mysterious and powerful relics that heroes and villains alike seem to want to get their hands on.

Part one of this storyline revolves around the quest to find these books through the use of various magical artifacts. This involves action packed fights against powerful sorcerers, a clever bit of deception, and plenty of examples of how cool magic can be when it is utilized properly. It also adds an interesting twist to the Justice League Dark, as their involvement with the government sees newcomer Black Orchid join the team. This portion of the book is clearly designed to build excitement through some fun action and entertaining theatrics, something it easily accomplishes.

Part two, of this storyline, deepens the plot by establishing its true villain and adding some real danger to the scene. Despite just being introduced, Nick Necro feels like a villain who has been around forever. Lemire establishes him through Constantine and Zatanna’s origin story and furthers his development through some excellent dialogue. He instantly poses a threat to the entire team and feels like the biggest opponent the team has ever faced. Plus, near the story’s conclusion, it seems possible that Necro might win, further building the story’s already solid well of suspense.

Then, the story’s conclusion actually comes along and the already good storyline gets better. Nick Necro has obtained the Books of Magic but cannot operate them, without being shocked, until Tim Hunter is dead. After an epic final battle, Necro is left holding Zatanna hostage. He claims he will let her go if Constantine kills Tim, which he does without question. Necro then tries to use the Books but is horribly shocked. It turns out that Black Orchid was disguised as Tim and his death was simply a ruse to trick Necro into using the Books prematurely. A clever and logical ending like this suits Constantine, and the rest of this League, perfectly and also makes for a more unique conclusion than most comic books. It was also a completely unexpected, and entertaining, twist that instantly became my favorite moment of the entire book.

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Art

In addition to a wonderful story, this volume also features some equally wonderful artwork. Mikel Janín is great at drawing beautiful characters and depicting magic, two elements which are extremely important in a Justice League Dark book. Full and two page spreads, in particular, look great because of the high level of detail Janín puts into his work. Even the paneling has a magical flair too it and helps further cement the mystic theme in which this book dwells. The visuals in this comic are guaranteed to impress and help make this book even more worthwhile.

Continuity

Justice League Dark Vol. 2: The Books of Magic continues the story started in Justice League Dark Vol. 1: In the Dark (Review).

The story here continues in Justice League Dark Vol. 3: The Death of Magic (Review).

This volume also makes references to another comic books, detailed below:

• The beginning of this collection is a tie-in with the I, Vampire series. This tie-in appears to end abruptly in this collection. It ends like this because it is continued in I, Vampire Vol. 2: Rise of the Vampires (Review).
• Constantine mentions meeting Andrew Bennett in the past. This happened in I, Vampire Vol. 1: Tainted Love (Review).
• Though not exactly the same, Timothy Hunter’s origin story is very similar to his origin story from The Books of Magic.
• Frankenstein’s appearance in this volume seems to make reference to Frankenstein Agent of S.H.A.D.E. Vol. 2: Secrets of the Dead (Review).
• Princess Amaya’s is pulled into this story from Sword of Sorcery #3, collected in Sword of Sorcery Vol. 1: Amethyst (Review).