The members of the Justice League Dark have survived the events of The Witching Hour. But as the magic team starts to rebuild, Wonder Woman and the team are told they are no longer allowed to use magic on earth.

Justice League Dark #5
Written By: James T Tynion IV
Art By: Juan Albarran, Daniel Sampere
Published By: DC Comics
Price: $3.99
Release Date: 11/21/2018

The members of the Justice League Dark have survived the events of The Witching Hour. But as the magic team starts to rebuild, Wonder Woman and the team are told they are no longer allowed to use magic on earth. After this revelation, Detective Chimp takes the team to another realm called Myrra. While they are there, they encounter the ruler of the realm called The Nightmaster. While he is sinister, they find out he also has a dragon. What should have been a place to rest has become a nightmare.

James Tynion IV tells a tale on a much smaller scale than The Witching Hour and it is much needed. Not only is the team trying to protect all of reality from magical threats but they are trying to rebuild. This story like the one before it are a test of leadership for Wonder Woman. She wants to make the world a better place but in doing so put it in jeopardy. This is also a great way to put the spotlight on one of my favorite characters, Detective Chimp. Chimp is not only the comic relief in this book but he is also the glue trying to hold the team together. All of these elements show how strong of a writer Tynion is and his plans for this team and series.

The art in this book by Juan Albarran and Daniel Sampere is fantastic. Every panel is beautiful and the tone of the art fits the tone of the story. The action sequences are breathtaking and highlight magical combat in many different ways. The character designs of Detective Chimp and Swamp Thing are wonderful and pay homage to their source material. The standout for me in this book is the dragon. This creature looks like it belongs in this realm and it is menacing. This duo delivers some of the best art in comics today.

If there is one thing to take away from this book, it would be the villain. After reading The Witching Hour, this villain feels almost like a step back. He seemed a little to over the top for me and at times it started to take me out of the story. Now, I know that in upcoming issues he could become a great villain but for now he is laughable. Hopefully he will get better.

This ongoing Justice League Dark series is a breath of fresh air in superhero comics and I will continue to read it.

4 Detective Chimps out of 5