Mild Mannered Reviews - Specials Comic Books
Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #5
Scheduled to arrive in stores: October 4, 2021Cover date: December 2022
"Chapter Five: Together"
Writer: Joshua Williamson
Artist: Daniel Sampere
Cover: Daniel Sampere and Alejandro Sanchez
Variant Covers: Ivan Reis, Danny Miki, and Brad Anderson; Ariel Colon; Mikel Janin; Mateus Manhanini; Sampere and Sanchez
Reviewed by: Craig Boehmer
Click to enlarge
Black Adam continues his fight against Deathstroke's army. Mr. Terrific's group pulls him out of the battle to safety. The Flash, meanwhile, is facing off against Batman, trying to break him out of his fantasy. Hal does this by creating constructs of the Batfamily, reminding Bruce of what he has left behind. Back on main Earth, Dick rallies the remaining heroes at the Hall of Justice to fight Deathstroke's army. Black Adam attempts to prevent the conflict, due to his witnessing the deaths of the Justice League, and the defeat of the Legion of Doom, but Dick leads the heroes to battle anyways. Finally, Clark is on his fantasy farm looking at a picture of his family. He realizes things are wrong and is able to break his fantasy without the aid of the other heroes. He then goes Universe Level Superman to confront Pariah. But Pariah escapes and joins the battle on Earth.
Story - 3: The story is heating up. My own dislike of Crisis stories and the Multiverse aside, it is a well written adventure. Watching the original Justice League get back together has been fun, but I wonder if they should have more fully committed to the Justice League being gone for a longer period, like how Superman was dead for around a year. I also love the "Universe" level Superman that shows up after Clark returns. And that last page has me pretty excited for the penultimate issue. Also, we get to see Sideways, a character that I enjoyed from yesteryear. However, so much is being juggled here that many of the poignant moments are lost in the shuffle. This would have been a much more interesting story if it had not been saddled with the Infinite Crisis rehashing.
Art - 5: Daniel Sampere is an incredible talent, every book he touches is beautiful. I want more of his work.
Cover Art - 5: I love the image of the grey hair Superman leading the Justice League into battle. Fantastic.
Variant Cover Art - 4: I like the emphasis on lesser-known characters and heroes in this image. Yara Flor riding Jerry front and center is a great image.
Variant Cover Art - 2: This cover has a very nice concept. Memorializing the Justice League seems a little unnecessary at this point though. Plus, I think the faces are poorly drawn.
Variant Cover Art - 4: The multiple earth image has become familiar in DC history. I think it loses its appeal, the more often we see it, like how the term "Crisis" has lost its' allure. I do like the inclusion of Harbinger's deathly hooded face, especially with the pained image of Anti-Monitor's face in her hands.
Variant Cover Art - 3: This cover runs into the same issue as the previous cover. The multiverse is just overplayed.
Mild Mannered Reviews
2022
Note: Except for digital first releases, the month dates are from the issue covers, not the actual date when the comic went on sale.January 2022
- Batman/Superman: Authority Special #1
- Action Comics #1036
- Action Comics #1037
- Superman: Son of Kal-El #5
- Superman '78 #3 [of 6]
- Superman '78 #4 [of 6]
- Superman vs. Lobo #2 [of 3]
- Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow #5 [of 8]
- Justice League #69
- Justice League: Last Ride #7
- Justice League Infinity #5
- Justice League Incarnate #1 [of 5]
- DC vs. Vampires #2 [of 12]
- Dark Knights of Steel #1
- Action Comics #1038
- Superman: Son of Kal-El 2021 Annual #1
- Superman '78 #5 [of 6]
- Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow #6 [of 8]
- World of Krypton #1 [of 6]
- Justice League #70
- Justice League Infinity #6
- Justice League Incarnate #2 [of 5]
- DC vs. Vampires #3 [of 12]
- Dark Knights of Steel #2
March 2022
- Action Comics #1039
- Superman: Son of Kal-El #6
- Superman: Son of Kal-El #7
- Superman/Robin Special #1
- Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow #7 [of 8]
- Justice League #71
- Justice League Infinity #7
- Justice League Incarnate #3 [of 5]
- Justice League vs The Legion of Super-Heroes #1 [of 6]
- Superman '78 #6 [of 6]
- World of Krypton #2 [of 6]
- Dark Knights of Steel #3
- DC vs. Vampires #4
- Action Comics #1040
- Superman: Son of Kal-El #8
- Nightwing #89
- Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow #8 [of 8]
- Justice League 2022 Annual #1
- Justice League #72
- Justice League Incarnate #4 [of 5]
- World of Krypton #3 [of 6]
- Dark Knights of Steel #4
- DC vs. Vampires #5
- Action Comics #1041
- Superman: Son of Kal-El #9
- Superman vs. Lobo #3 [of 3]
- Batman/Superman: World's Finest #1
- Justice League #73
- Justice League #74
- Justice League Incarnate #5 [of 5]
- Justice League vs The Legion of Super-Heroes #2 [of 6]
- World of Krypton #4 [of 6]
- Dark Knights of Steel #5
- DC vs. Vampires #6
- Action Comics #1042
- Superman: Son of Kal-El #10
- Batman/Superman: World's Finest #2
- Justice League #75
- Earth-Prime #2 - Superman and Lois
- World of Krypton #5 [of 6]
- Dark Knights of Steel #6
- Action Comics #1043
- Action Comics Annual 2022 #1
- Superman: Son of Kal-El #11
- Batman/Superman: World's Finest #3
- Justice League: Road to Dark Crisis #1
- Justice League vs The Legion of Super-Heroes #3 [of 6]
- World of Krypton #6 [of 6]
- Jurassic League #1
- Action Comics #1044
- Superman: Son of Kal-El #12
- Batman/Superman: World's Finest #4
- Justice League #75 (Special Edition)
- Dark Crisis #1
- Multiversity: Teen Justice #1
- Dark Knights of Steel #7
- Jurassic League #2
- Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen's Boss, Perry White #1 (One Shot)
- Dark Crisis: Young Justice #1
- Earth-Prime #6: Hero's Twilight
- Action Comics #1045
- Superman: Son of Kal-El #13
- Batman/Superman: World's Finest #5
- Superman: Space Age #1
- Dark Crisis #2
- Dark Crisis: Worlds Without a Justice League - Superman #1
- Dark Crisis: Young Justice #2
- Multiversity: Teen Justice #2
- Justice League vs The Legion of Super-Heroes #4 [of 6]
- DC vs. Vampires #7
- Jurassic League #3
- DC: Mech #1
- Young Justice: Targets #1
- Action Comics #1046
- Superman: Son of Kal-El #14
- Superman: Warworld Apocalypse #1
- Batman/Superman: World's Finest #6
- Dark Crisis #3
- Dark Crisis: Young Justice #3
- DC's Saved by the Belle Reve #1
- Multiversity: Teen Justice #3
- Justice League vs The Legion of Super-Heroes #5 [of 6]
- DC vs. Vampires #8
- Jurassic League #4
- DC: Mech #2
- Young Justice: Targets #2
- Action Comics #1047
- Superman: Son of Kal-El #15
- Batman/Superman: World's Finest #7
- Superman: Space Age #2
- Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #4
- Dark Crisis: Young Justice #4
- Multiversity: Teen Justice #4
- Justice League vs The Legion of Super-Heroes #6 [of 6]
- Dark Knights of Steel: Tales from the Three Kingdoms #1 (One Shot)
- DC vs. Vampires #9
- Jurassic League #5
- DC: Mech #3
- Young Justice: Targets #3
- Superman: Son of Kal-El #16
- Action Comics #1048
- Batman/Superman: World's Finest #8
- Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #5
- Dark Crisis: Young Justice #5
- Multiversity: Teen Justice #5
- DC vs. Vampires #10
- Jurassic League #6
- DC: Mech #4
- DC's Terrors Through Time #1 (One Shot)
- Young Justice: Targets #4
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