Throwback Thursday Reviews: Justice League Dark #22 (2013)

The Phantom Psycho

Writer: Jeff Lemire
Artist: Mikel Janin
Publisher: DC Comics
Release Date: July 24, 2013
Cover Price: $3.99

Alright, part 3! We see that Madame Xanadu is still alive after the explosion at her place, by Plastique. Madame Xanadu is strapped to a chair with her eyes blindfolded. She is in the presence of the Outsider. He explains that she had to be taken off the board because of her ability to see the future. He goes on to say that there are so many pieces playing on the board that by the time the heroes have figured it out, he will already have won. Meanwhile, at A.R.G.U.S. HQ Firestorm has successfully created Kryptonite, and the rest of the team looks over Dr. Light's body trying to figure out if some outside factor made Superman kill him. Enter the Phantom Stranger.


Stranger tells them that they have to stop Wonder Woman who has recently recruited The Justice League Dark to seek out Pandora. He tells them that if she finds her all will be lost. Back down in Superman's holding cell, The Question gives Superman information on who really killed Dr. Light. Superman breaks free and informs Cyborg that there was a villain in Kahndaq named Psycho Pirate who was there around the time Dr. Light was killed and that this villain's specialty is mind control. Back at the House of Mystery the amalgam Justice Leaguers (with Shazam and Phantom Stranger) confront Wonder Woman about what she plans on doing.

Wonder Woman very physically gives her side of things and the team breaks up some following Wonder Woman, some staying with Batman. At the same time, another set of heroes battles the soldiers of A.R.G.U.S. The JLA ers decide that they are done following Waller and leave with Superman to follow the new lead. As the issue ends we go back to where we started with The Outsider and Madam Xanadu. The Outsiders tells us that he has a mole within the Justice League. (cue dramatic music)

Bits and Pieces:

This issue had us all over the place giving us a little more answers and a lot more of our heroes fighting each other, which is sadly half the reason we want the book. Who says that gimmicks are always bad? I loved Mikel Janin's take on the rest of DC heroes, and Jeff Lemire is really making a go at this arc with Geoff Johns. Another great installment to this story arc.

8.9/10