Justice League Odyssey #12 Review

Add another ghost to the Ghost Sector

Writer: Dan Abnett

Artists: Will Conrad, Rain Beredo, Andworld Design

Cover Price: $3.99

Release Date: August 14th, 2019

Review by Joey Casco of TheWineStalker.net

Darkseid claims to be the only real hope for life to survive the fall of the Source Wall, but survival of life may not actually be in the best interest of life. He's gone back in time to manipulate the histories of our Odyssey team members to become gods of the planets in the Ghost Sector, and he's created a planet called Sepulkore to replace the destroyed planet of Apokolips.

The maelstrom surrounding the Ghost Sector can protect everything within from the damage that engulfs the entirety of existence, but Darkseid must become a fully powered Darkseid again... and you know that will just allow him to rule over all of remaining life like a tyrant. In the last issue, things really fell apart when our team tried to fight back, and it's about to get even worse. Like, really worse.

Vic has gone complete machine, just like Darkseid had planned, and he's attacking the rest of the team. More specifically he's going right after Azrael while Jessica tries to protect him with a shielding construct. But Cyborg attacking Azrael just makes him use his stupid voice power to call his followers, and when they come to his rescue they're immediately turned into para-angels (which we saw in, what, issue #2?) and servants of Darkseid. Azrael goes to the "Darkside" too, bleeding from his nose and saying "Darkseid is", while Jessica realizes that $#!+ is really going down.

Starfire attacks Darkseid but he's still able to calibrate the relics and start Sepukore's system. It only needs one thing to really kick it into gear... Starfire herself. He blasts her into one of the unlit firepits and her fire causes the firepits across the entire planet to light up. Sepulkor now looks like a giant metal Apokolips.

The entire Ghost Sector lights up. Darkseid smiles. He's been planning for this moment his entire life, to survive the fall of the New Gods, and he has succeeded. He's surrounded in light and Kirby Krackle and becomes... Darkseid. Classic, ENORMOUS, Darkseid. Starfire has come out of the pits in an entirely new look, and even Azrael seems to be wearing new threads. Cyborg pings while Starfire, Azrael, and the para-angels greet him with "Darkseid is".

"Indeed I am", says Darkseid. But Jessica won't have any of that and replies "Like Hell." And that's all I'm going to say about it. I can't spoil this ending. I just can't. It's just so good and so painful that you have to read it for yourself. Sorry, not sorry.

Bits and Pieces:

Woah, this was heavy. Darkseid's plan falls into place perfectly, he's scary and menacing as $#!+, and then there are the last few pages that totally broke my friggin' heart and I'm still sad about. We finally have a relevant issue where the important stuff happens, in a book that should have been relevant with important stuff happening this whole time, and it's sooooo gooood. And that art? Amazing. Anyways... I'm going to curl up in the fetal position and cry in the shower now.

9/10