JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #25

[ SWAMPED IN A SALE ] 

Sniff-Sniff! Can you smell that, folks? Can you smell that nasty odor which whiffs of stale vomit mixed with Chanel Number Five and asparagus? Yeah. That's right. It also smells like this adventure too. One devised by J. M. DeMatteis, Mikel Janin, plus the Publisher: DC Comics, in November, 2013. Then again, it may just be wind.

Using GENERAL terms, answer the following 4 questions about this STORY entitled 'The Rebirth of Magic'.

• WHAT'S THE MAIN THRUST OF THIS TALE: 'Oi! Stop f*cking about you two', says John Constantine to Nightmare Nurse and the Swamp Thing. 'We've got to find and save the other members of Justice League Dark, don't we?' he continues, 'Or else we'll be as buggered as a half-price rent boy standing smack-dab in the middle of gang-bang central!!.
• ARE THE MAIN OBJECTIVES ACHIEVED: Well, let's just say that a start is made, until the gang gets sidetracked into engaging a beast that exists within the collective unconscious of the human race.
• ANYTHING ELSE HAPPEN: Yeah. Two things actually. Firstly, we see the watery return of that blonde haired hippy from Atlantis. And secondly, some spell caster called Cassandra is whisked away from her boyfriend by a hoard of rabid demons.
• HOW DOES THIS STORY END: With the Trinity of Sin hanging loose somewhere within the House of Mystery.

All in all, what is the most memorable SENTENCE OR CONVERSATION spoken in this issue?

Now for those of you who are not of the British persuasion, the term coined by John Constantine in this issue -- 'Bristol's' -- refers to the parts of a woman's cleavage which are shaped like two humongous watermelons protruding from her chest.

Yes. I'm talking about tits. Got it? Good. So did I. Hehehehe!

What are the BEST bits about this issue?

(+) I know I say this every single month, folks, but God damn it, Mikel Janin is one amazing artist. Month in, month out, he's able to lavish this book with some really spectacular visuals. Heck. Just take a look at the page provided and you can see what I mean straight away! Mikel, you're an artist amongst artists my friend. Please may your reign on this series continue for quite some time to come.  

(+) Is it just me, or can you see Nightmare Nurse becoming a regular player on this book? I hope so. Cause she seems like a very poignant counterpoint to John's pious character.

(+) Am I right? Was that blonde haired chap who I think it was? Please tell me it was... errr... hmmm... that man I can't mention for the sake of spoiling a surprise? Please tell me it was him. Pretty please. I'll be your friend! Ha!

(+) At the moment I'm sitting on the fence where that whole Cassandra sub-plot is concerned. On the one hand I can't say I hate it because I don't know what it's all about. Whilst on the other hand I can't say I like it for the said same reason. 50 / 50.

(+) Again, without giving too much away, I did get a kick out of how this tale ended, despite it coming across very brash and sudden within the confines of the overall narrative.

What are the WORST bits about this issue?

(-) Even though I did enjoy following this tale an awful lot, in the same breath, my biggest gripe with it would have to be how the overall narrative was structured in a very loose and care free manner. Well, not only were the two initial 'introduction scenes' very disposable in hindsight. But in addition to this, the tale then proceeded with a number of segways and diversions that didn't make much sense when you take into consideration with what has been presented to us so far.    

Choose TWO CHARACTERS out of this comic book, and then compare them to FRUIT.

A COCONUT AS JOHN CONSTANTINE: OK. So maybe this is my more satirical side speaking. But whenever the mixture of a Brit and some fruit comes to mind, I can't help but think of those coconut shells seen in 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail'. Niii!

AN AVOCADO SWAMP THING: Alright. I know I could have compared Swampy to any fruit grown within the food chain. But come on. Let's face it. They're both green. And they both smell funny too. Sniff-Sniff? Did you fart?

What QUOTE would be appropriate to sum-up this story?

'An insincere and evil friend is more to be feared than a wild beast; a wild beast may wound your body, but an evil friend will wound your mind' -- Buddha

What SONG, THEME-TUNE, or MELODY, would complement this tale, as well as add and extra dimension to it by default?

'EVIL' BY STEVIE WONDER: Hey! Do I have to write anything here? Anything at all? The name of this song says it all, doesn't it? What more do you want? Blood?

ANYTHING Else?

One of the things I've failed to mention previously was how this issue dealt with the concept of evil and fear inhabiting the known universe. Should I hate the way in which it was presented, because it was nothing more than a shadowy figure looming in the ether? Or should I praise its presentation instead, because it managed to visualize a sentient being for our heroes to fight against?

Well, personally speaking, I'm siding towards the former option more than the latter option myself, mainly due my own distaste for surreal and superfluous components that I know will be forgotten in an issue or two's time.

I'm sure you know what I'm talking about, folks. You must have seen it in the past yourselves. Sometimes concepts such as these are too troublesome for a comic book to handle. And that is why 'those on high' try to dissuade the creators from dwelling on this type of concept, or otherwise people might think of evil as a thing, or fear as a person, who is able to exist on the earthy plane.

OK. OK. I know I've rambled on for far too long without mentioning the word 'tits'. But lets face facts, evil isn't a collective entity that we can all point at and say 'There. That's the b*stard that made me do bad things'. It's something that we become through nature or through nurture, despite whatever anyone else might tells us.

And with that, my friends, all I have left to say it is... Nuff said.