Justice League Dark #8 Review
Written by James Tynion IV
Art by Alvaro Martinez Bueno
Inking by Raul Fernandez
Colouring by Brad Anderson
Lettering by Rob Leigh
I really have to commend this creative team, perhaps particularly James Tynion IV. There's always a dialogue about the price of comics and how they might not be worth your hard-earned money, but he's really going all-out when it comes to the story in these issues. They're very chunky, plot-wise, and they're a bang for your buck. I never talk about this so it's weird that I am. And it's doubly weird that I'm both complementing this and criticising it; this issue is just too much, all at once.
First, the art. This art team is fantastic and is one of the best in comics, period. I've been saying it for months but that doesn't make it any less true. Bueno's style really fits into the horror genre in ways I didn't expect. His facial expressions are consistent in all his work but the way he uses them for looks of shock or horror are very impactful for me. The inking and colouring by Fernandez and Anderson are such integrals parts in what makes Bueno's art work for me. It's bright and it's moody at the same time.
Onto the plot. Tynion uses a whole bunch of double-page spreads, and I'm beginning to detest them unless they're being handled well. In Tynion's case, they're just too much for me. Two different scenes are happening in the pages sometimes and it's genuinely difficult to keep track of what's happening. The impact of story developments is lessened since I want to get away from these pages so quickly that I find myself skimming them for important information. Bueno and his team do the best they can with this but these pages are so cramped and devoid of energy that I can't stand them. They're ways in which Tynion can inject so much story in one issue, but maybe he should stand back and truly understand what he's doing to the pace of the issue.
The Otherkind are coming, which is something we've been hearing for a while now. They're here, but they're also not here right this minute. Luckily, they finally make a significant appearance in this issue and the tension is palpable. I do think, again, that Tynion is throwing too much on the wall. We're dealing with the Otherkind and Doctor Fate, and I genuinely can't tell which way is up sometimes. It's almost like they're both negative energies and they simply cancel each other out when they interact. It's just too much for me right now.
This should be an enjoyable issue but I found myself slogging through it. There's too much of everything, but the art is amazing.
Art by Alvaro Martinez Bueno
Inking by Raul Fernandez
Colouring by Brad Anderson
Lettering by Rob Leigh
I really have to commend this creative team, perhaps particularly James Tynion IV. There's always a dialogue about the price of comics and how they might not be worth your hard-earned money, but he's really going all-out when it comes to the story in these issues. They're very chunky, plot-wise, and they're a bang for your buck. I never talk about this so it's weird that I am. And it's doubly weird that I'm both complementing this and criticising it; this issue is just too much, all at once.
First, the art. This art team is fantastic and is one of the best in comics, period. I've been saying it for months but that doesn't make it any less true. Bueno's style really fits into the horror genre in ways I didn't expect. His facial expressions are consistent in all his work but the way he uses them for looks of shock or horror are very impactful for me. The inking and colouring by Fernandez and Anderson are such integrals parts in what makes Bueno's art work for me. It's bright and it's moody at the same time.
Onto the plot. Tynion uses a whole bunch of double-page spreads, and I'm beginning to detest them unless they're being handled well. In Tynion's case, they're just too much for me. Two different scenes are happening in the pages sometimes and it's genuinely difficult to keep track of what's happening. The impact of story developments is lessened since I want to get away from these pages so quickly that I find myself skimming them for important information. Bueno and his team do the best they can with this but these pages are so cramped and devoid of energy that I can't stand them. They're ways in which Tynion can inject so much story in one issue, but maybe he should stand back and truly understand what he's doing to the pace of the issue.
The Otherkind are coming, which is something we've been hearing for a while now. They're here, but they're also not here right this minute. Luckily, they finally make a significant appearance in this issue and the tension is palpable. I do think, again, that Tynion is throwing too much on the wall. We're dealing with the Otherkind and Doctor Fate, and I genuinely can't tell which way is up sometimes. It's almost like they're both negative energies and they simply cancel each other out when they interact. It's just too much for me right now.
This should be an enjoyable issue but I found myself slogging through it. There's too much of everything, but the art is amazing.
A Look Inside
