DC Comics has now (officially) unveiled its next event, and it’s called Dark Crisis.
This new monthly event is from writer Joshua Williamson and artist Daniel Sampere (with colors by Alejandro Sánchez and letters by Tom Napolitano). It will start with Dark Crisis #0 FCBD Special Edition, which will arrive (as the name implies) on this year’s FCBD, May 7. That book is (obviously) free, and it will include a preview of Dark Crisis #1, itself set to arrive in June.
In between the #0 issue and the first issue, DC will also publish a one-shot titled Justice League: Road to Dark Crisis #1, arriving May 31. That book clocks in at 48 pages with a price tag of $5.99, and there’s a long list of creators involved. In addition to Williamson, other writers include Jeremy Adams (The Flash), Brandon Thomas (Aquaman/Green Arrow – Deep Target, Aquaman: The Becoming), Chuck Brown(Black Manta), Stephanie Phillips (Harley Quinn), and Phillip Kennedy Johnson (Action Comics). The artists on the book, meanwhile, are Clayton Henry, Dan Jurgens, Fico Ossio, Emanuela Lupacchino, Leila Del Duca, and more.
From the preview information released with the announcement, these books take take place after Justice League #75, which is slated to — ahem — kill the Justice League with Death of the Justice League in April. There is a note with the announcement that the League has been defeated by the Great Darkness, which could have something to do with the current Justice League vs. The Legion of Superheroes series, or could just be something entirely unrelated, stemming from DC continuity, in which there has just been so much darkness. The preview text of Justice League #75, after all, notes that they are defeated by their greatest villains, who are amassing on the edge of the multiverse (classic greatest villain stuff).
Anyway, it’s all spinning out of the work Williamson and collaborators have been doing across a couple titles, specifically Infinite Frontier and most recently Justice Incarnate. Those books draw heavily from Grant Morrison comics like Multiversity, standing directly on the shoulders of the ideas in there.
Another key note in the announcement today is that the League is being replaced by “a new generation of heroes”, and, indeed, you can see the Jon Kent Superman prominently in the preview art, along with legacy heroes like Nightwing, the Jessica Cruz Green Lantern, the Jo Mullein Green Lantern, and Damian Wayne. From the look of things, it’s all leading to the version of the Justice League we saw in Future State, which was also written by Williamson. Although, there may also be some tension, given this line in the announcement, “In DC’s next big event, DARK CRISIS, the heroes left behind must come together to combat this great evil and save the lost Justice League, but what happens when not everyone agrees to join the fight?”
Also, if the name Dark Crisis sounds familiar, it might be because it was previously thrown around as the title for Dark Nights: Metal. What’s perhaps interesting about this book, though, is that it’s the first gigantic DC event with crisis in the title in I don’t know how long that doesn’t promise to fix or align or do whatever else to DC continuity (which might be a sticking point). Although, it’s also true we don’t know where this story is going…yet.
So yes, lots to process. Anyway! Full quoted previews from both books can be found below, along with the artwork shared by DC Comics and a video of Williamson discussing the event…
DARK CRISIS #0 FCBD SPECIAL EDITION
Written by JOSHUA WILLIAMSON and more!
Art by JIM CHEUNG, DANIEL SAMPERE, and more!
Cover by DANIEL SAMPERE
32 pages | Standard periodical 6 5/8″ x 10 3/16″
ON SALE 5/7/22
Witness the rise and fall of the Justice League! The event years in the making is here with Dark Crisis. The Justice League is comics’ greatest super-team—made up of DC Comics’ legendary Super Heroes, they have saved the world countless times. No crisis was too much for them to handle…until now! The Justice League has been defeated by the Great Darkness and its army of DC’s most dangerous villains—now a new generation of heroes must rise to protect not only the Multiverse…but also the legacy of the DC Universe! A prelude to DC’s biggest story of 2022!
Includes a preview and art from Dark Crisis #1, coming in June! Don’t miss out on this Free Comic Book Day special featuring the blockbuster talents of Joshua Williamson, Jim Cheung, and Daniel Sampere! For free!JUSTICE LEAGUE: ROAD TO DARK CRISIS #1
Written by JOSHUA WILLIAMSON, JEREMY ADAMS, BRANDON THOMAS, CHUCK BROWN, STEPHANIE PHILLIPS, and PHILLIP KENNEDY JOHNSON
Art by CLAYTON HENRY, DAN JURGENS, FICO OSSIO, EMANUELA LUPACCHINO, LEILA DEL DUCA, and more!
Cover by DANIEL SAMPERE
Variant cover by CHRIS BURNHAM
1:25 variant cover by RAF SARMENTO
$5.99 US | 48 pages | One-shot | Variant $6.99 US (card stock)
ON SALE 5/31/22
The Justice League has tragically fallen in battle, and now we see the aftermath. How does the world react to the Justice League being gone? Which heroes rise up…and which villains try to take advantage? And what dark forces are lying in wait to attack? An all-star roster of DC talent showcases a world without a Justice League and sets the stage for next month’s Dark Crisis event!Fans can pick up Dark Crisis #0 FCBD Special Edition on May 7, 2022, for free at their local comic book shop. Justice League: Road to Dark Crisis #1 will be available on May 31, 2022. Dark Crisis #1 (of 7) will kick off in June 2022 with a new issue each month.
