Justice League: Dark Tomorrow Special #1
Kevin Rossi
Recap
In the wake of the We Are Yesterday crossover epic, a mysterious Quantum Quorum has emerged... stalked by a lethal enemy that takes no prisoners. The League deputizes a rag tag group of time displaced heroes like Batman Beyond, Gold Beetle, and Helena Wayne to fill the void left behind by the Time Masters and save the quorum from the mysterious threat that's picking off time-travelers one by one. These Legends of Tomorrow are the only ones standing in the way of this cascading chronal Armageddon with the past, present, and future teetering on the brink in this oversized special leading to the next big DC All In event!
Review
The fantastic climax of the We Are Yesterday crossover certainly left a lot of questions for readers, but luckily they did not need to wait long for some answers in the most recent issue of Justice League Unlimited and now Justice League: Dark Tomorrow Special #1. The special– written by Mark Waid and Marc Guggenheim, drawn by Cian Tormey, colored by Romulo Fajardo Jr., and lettered by Dave Sharpe – follows a mystery time-traveling hero that goes by Legend, for now, as they flee omega demons hunting and killing other time travelers. Today’s Justice League puts together a ragtag group of displaced heroes to assist Legend in getting to the bottom of things.
Mark Waid and Marc Guggenheim’s script is packed cover to cover, but does an excellent job getting readers caught up and right into the thick of it. The breakneck pacing of the issue is successful partly due to letterer Dave Sharpe, who does a masterful job of balancing so many characters with Legend’s narration. Fans of Guggenheim’s Arrowverse will be pleased to find that this sets up a version of the Legends of Tomorrow, with a team of heroes jumping through time on a ship. The team consists of Legend, Plastic Man, Batman of the Future, Huntress, Jonah Hex, Marilyn Moonlight, Gold Beetle, Air Wave, and Amazing-Man. One of the highlights of this issue is the team chemistry and dynamics. Many of these characters haven’t been seen in some time, so fans will be happy that they all get their moment.
Artist Cian Tormey and colorist Romulo Fajardo Jr. do an excellent job balancing the team dynamics in Justice League: Dark Tomorrow Special #1. This team is packed with unique characters, and Tormey’s style captures the distinct personalities and abilities of each member perfectly. The majority of the issue has the team jumping to various points in time to fight off omega demons, but each scene feels fresh and never cluttered. Fajardo Jr.’s coloring enhances the action and reminds readers that there are supernatural elements to this issue. Both artists keep the ensemble visually cohesive, which is much appreciated in the larger battles. Their work captures the unexpected synergy of the team, the same way the writing does.
Final Thoughts
As is the case with many specials, this is just the start, with the last page of the issue declaring, “The story of The Legends continues in Justice League Unlimited and DC K.O.! and the Legion of Darkseid continues their assault in Superman #28!” There are certainly some exciting takeaways from Justice League: Dark Tomorrow Special #1, with the big one being that Darkseid is somehow returning. Another is that Legend mentions that there may be an evil version of the Legion of Super Heroes behind what is happening. If the We Are Yesterday crossover did not catch the attention of readers, this special certainly will.
Justice League: Dark Tomorrow Special #1: Just a Jump to the Left
- Writing - 9/109/10
- Storyline - 9/109/10
- Art - 9/109/10
- Color - 9/109/10
- Cover Art - 9/109/10
