Justice League Dark #3

Title: Justice League Dark
Issue: 3
Date: January 2012
Publisher: DC Comics
Writer: Peter Milligan
Artist: Mikel Janin
Colorist: Ulises Arreola
Letterer: Rob Leigh
Editor: Rex Ogle
Cover: Ryan Sook

Boy did the pacing on this ever slow to a crawl. Enchantress babbles on the side of a road while Constantine wakes up Zatanna from the coma we left her in last issue. Apparently, that entire scene actually accomplished nothing.

Meanwhile, Deadman describes his actions in the previous issue as "I was a jerk" and then hints that it might not even have been his fault. I'll be sticking with my previous assessment that what he should be saying is "I was an attempted rapist."

But that would probably slow down the plot, wouldn't it?

Not that we're exactly going at a breakneck pace here. Shade tries to contact Deadman and Deadman does the mystical equivalent of sending his call directly to voicemail while June Moone screams, panics, falls off a roof, and requires saving. Because she's a girl, I suppose. I might be a bit harsh with that last point, but seriously, can anyone imagine them actually doing that same reaction with a male character? I can't.

The rest of the book involves Shade tracking down some guy called Mindwarp because he's an out-of-control psycho and therefore would make a great addition to the team. That scene gets as far as "We need to talk."

Then it's back to the Enchantress and just as it looks like she might actually get to do something to June and Deadman, we're done.

I really want to like this title. Really. And I was willing to give another chance even after the nonsense with Deadman last issue. But this issue consisted of that whole thing being brushed off just like I expected it would and, well, pretty much nothing else of consequence. I did enjoy the interaction between Zatanna and Constantine, but otherwise, this issue did not go far in terms of winning me back. Actually, it simply didn't go far at all.

Rating: 3.5/10