Justice League Dark #4

Title: Justice League Dark
Issue: 4
Date: February 2012
Publisher: DC Comics
Writer: Peter Milligan
Artist: Mikel Janin
Colorist: Ulises Arreola
Letterer: Rob Leigh
Editor: Rex Ogle
Cover: Ryan Sook

Four issues and and the team is still being assembled.

At least the heroes were acting a bit more heroic this time around, although Zatanna continues to be pretty much useless in every situation. Deadman, surprisingly, is actually pretty effective. Constantine is a jerk, as usual, but at least he's staying in character.

This issue also gave some attention to Madame Xanadu's personal problems, interspersed with occasional glimpses of mayhem that the Enchantress is causing, which seem strangely out of place. I felt like we needed to see some news reports or at least some more extended reactions to all of this random horror that is being inflicted on the world. Instead, it feels like Milligan is just brainstorming shocking ideas and presenting a few panels of each without follow-up (Look! Children turning evil and stabbing their caretakers! Look! People being driven insane by banal music that they hear in their heads! Look! Mass murder at the mall!). The reader is meant to be shocked by the images, but not to actually spend time contemplating the long-term repercussions of these events, because we need to get back to assembling the team to defeat the Enchantress.

Can we just assemble to team, already?

Better issue than the last couple, but STILL operating way below potential.

Rating: 5/10