DC has announced their next big “Crisis” crossover series, following on a long tradition of using the term, whether said crisis is Infinite, on Multiple Earths, Final or, um, “Identity.” (Maybe it’s best to skip that last one).
This particular crisis ties back to Crisis on Infinite Earths, the landmark 1980s series by Marv Wolfman and George Perez that reduced the multiverse to a single Earth and introduced us to Pariah, who watched multiple universes die after his own did. It also has roots (appropriately) in one of my favorite stories from Swamp Thing, issue #50 by Alan Moore and Stan Woch, which saw Swamp Thing and his allies attempting to save Heaven from “The Great Darkness.” Finally, it’ll spin out of Justice League #75, due out in April, where the team will die at the hands of “a new Dark Army made up of the DCU’s greatest villains.”
Dark Crisis will run for seven issues and is written by Joshua Williamson, featuring art by Daniel Sampere, colors by Alejandro Sánchez and lettering by Tom Napolitano.
“Dark Crisis is an epic DCU event about legacy,” said writer Joshua Williamson. “It will have all the giant, fun cosmic battles and Multiversal set pieces, but it’s not about reboots, retcons, or rewriting time and space. At its core it’s about the characters and the relationships that we’ve seen built over DC’s great history. Dark Crisis spins out of Justice League 75 ‘Death of the Justice League’ and connects all the story threads across the DCU since Infinite Frontier #0 in a major way. Unifying the new legacy of the DCU as we honor the classic. You can’t miss it!”
Here’s a teaser trailer:
The event will kick off will kick off with Dark Crisis #0 FCBD Special Edition, available on Free Comic Book Day on May 7. A special one-shot, Justice League: Road to Dark Crisis #1, will be available on May 31.
“To me, Dark Crisis is a big celebration for all DC fans,” said Sampere. “It’s a huge event full of epic heart, an event that embraces the past while looking to the future. Joshua and I are the biggest DC fans, and this is our love letter to these characters and this universe.”
Here are the covers to the Dark Crisis FCBD issue and Justice League: Road to Dark Crisis #1:
And here’s the cover to Dark Crisis #1, which comes out in June:
And some interior art:
And finally, here’s the solicitation info for the two May books:
DARK CRISIS #0 FCBD SPECIAL EDITION
Written by JOSHUA WILLIAMSON and more!
Art by JIM CHEUNG, DANIEL SAMPERE, and more!
Cover by DANIEL SAMPERE
32 pages | Standard periodical 6 5/8″ x 10 3/16″
ON SALE 5/7/22
Witness the rise and fall of the Justice League! The event years in the making is here with Dark Crisis. The Justice League is comics’ greatest super-team—made up of DC Comics’ legendary Super Heroes, they have saved the world countless times. No crisis was too much for them to handle…until now! The Justice League has been defeated by the Great Darkness and its army of DC’s most dangerous villains—now a new generation of heroes must rise to protect not only the Multiverse…but also the legacy of the DC Universe! A prelude to DC’s biggest story of 2022!
Includes a preview and art from Dark Crisis #1, coming in June! Don’t miss out on this Free Comic Book Day special featuring the blockbuster talents of Joshua Williamson, Jim Cheung, and Daniel Sampere! For free!
JUSTICE LEAGUE: ROAD TO DARK CRISIS #1
Written by JOSHUA WILLIAMSON, JEREMY ADAMS, BRANDON THOMAS, CHUCK BROWN, STEPHANIE PHILLIPS, and PHILLIP KENNEDY JOHNSON
Art by CLAYTON HENRY, DAN JURGENS, FICO OSSIO, EMANUELA LUPACCHINO, LEILA DEL DUCA, and more!
Cover by DANIEL SAMPERE
Variant cover by CHRIS BURNHAM
1:25 variant cover by RAF SARMENTO
$5.99 US | 48 pages | One-shot | Variant $6.99 US (card stock)
ON SALE 5/31/22
The Justice League has tragically fallen in battle, and now we see the aftermath. How does the world react to the Justice League being gone? Which heroes rise up…and which villains try to take advantage? And what dark forces are lying in wait to attack? An all-star roster of DC talent showcases a world without a Justice League and sets the stage for next month’s Dark Crisis event!
Fans can pick up Dark Crisis #0 FCBD Special Edition on May 7, 2022, for free at their local comic book shop. Justice League: Road to Dark Crisis #1 will be available on May 31, 2022. Dark Crisis #1 (of 7) will kick off in June 2022 with a new issue each month.
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