Review: Justice League Dark Vol. 2- Lords of Order

Quick Summary

Pros: The main storyline is structured well and remains interesting all the way through. The main storyline also has plenty of action and excitement. The entire narrative deepens the lore behind the series, further investing fans in what is taking place. The Swamp Thing solo story is great. The artwork looks beautiful and suits the storytelling.

Cons: Readers who dislike the narrative running through this comic will miss out on many of its positives.

Overall: This is a fantastic comic book that really raises the bar for what this series is capable of. The volume contains a consistently interesting and exciting story arc that is fun on its own but even better given the setup from previous volumes. It also does a great job in connecting to past titles while continuously building excitement for the future. This volume will appeal to most fans of DC’s approach to magic but will particularly appeal to fans of the story already running through this series.

Story

The first two Justice League Dark volumes provided an engaging start to the new series but, unfortunately, had a few problems that prevented the comics from living up to their full potential. Justice League Dark Vol. 2: The Lords of Order, by James Tynion IV, gives the series a chance to finally reach this level of potential. This volume has just about everything fans could want from a Justice League Dark series. It has a spellbinding narrative filled with action and secrets. It handles the characters well, with stories that connect to their past and present, and even contains a Swamp Thing solo adventure. And, it raises the stakes of the series as a whole by delivering a story arc that stands well on its own but also adds to the overarching narrative surrounding the Otherkind. All in all, this is a highly enjoyable comic and a wonderful addition to this series.

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The main storyline in Lords of Order is fantastic and remains captivating all the way through. The volume immediately capitalizes on past story arcs by focusing on Doctor Fate’s war against the very existence of magic. This plan is an interesting development for the series. The full details behind it are revealed slowly throughout the book, ensuring that it stays interesting as the read progresses. Meanwhile, an equally tantalizing storyline unfolds on Zatanna’s side of the coin, one that involves hidden reserves of power and secrets from her past. By the time the volume reaches its climax, these plotlines have peaked, adding to the excitement of the book’s final battle and the epilogue following it.

Speaking of excitement, Lords of Order is packed with energy. Doctor Fate’s plan poses an immediate and powerful threat while the presence of the Otherkind constantly reminds readers that an additional threat still lurks in the background. It creates a narrative where things feel like they can’t get any worse right before things actually do get worse. Then, the heroes are able to grab victory from the jaws of defeat in the final, triumphant battle. The entire fight is exciting from beginning to end.

Alongside telling a good story, Lords of Order also does an incredible job of deepening the lore behind DC’s magical community. First and foremost, it expands the narrative of this series by revealing Zatanna’s father foresaw the Otherkind’s arrival and put elaborate plans into motion in order to stop it. Then, it goes on to connect what is happening here to other “magical” themed comics from DC’s past, like the original Hellblazer and Swamp Thing comics or the most recent Doctor Fate series. The only downside is that all of this is unlikely to appeal to fans who dislike larger narratives or who dislike retcons to famous stories from the past. 

Finally, this volume closes with a Swamp Thing story, from James Tynion IV and Ram V. This solo adventure is dark but heartful in a way that suits Swamp Thing perfectly. At a time when the Guardian of the Green does not have his own solo series, giving him a starring role in this comic helps.

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Art

The artwork in Lords of Order stands out just as strong as the storytelling. Álvaro Martínez and Miguel Mendonça both produce worthwhile visuals that match the high-level of quality seen in previous collections. This allows the characters to look great, the locations to look creative, and the magic to stand out above everything. However, where the art really stands out is in the way it is structured. Throughout this volume, page structures help emphasize various aspects of what is going on in the storyline. This can range from pages that center around or even take the form of specific objects of importance to pages that contain chaotic paneling to provide a visual display of the chaotic power of magic. The volume also contains a single chapter from Guillem March, which has an excellent mix between expressive emotion and downright creepiness. In the end, the artwork in Lords of Order is beautiful and helps make this a better book.

Continuity

Justice League Dark Vol. 2: Lords of Order continues the story from Justice League Dark Vol. 1: The Last Age of Magic (Review).

The story here continues in Justice League Dark Vol. 3: The Witching War (Review).

This volume also references other comic books, detailed below:

• The events of Dark Nights: Metal (Review) (Reading Order), specifically the invasion of the Dark Multiverse and the destruction of the Source Wall, and the events of Justice League: No Justice (Review) (Reading Order), specifically the rise of the tree of Wonder and Wonder Woman’s interest in magic, are mentioned throughout this volume.
• Khalid Nassour’s connection to Doctor Fate is explained across the New 52 Doctor Fate series, collected across Doctor Fate Vol. 1: The Blood Price and Doctor Fate Vol. 2: Prisoners of the Past.
• Zatara’s death and the actions leading up to it are depicted across Swamp Thing Vol. 2 #35-50, collected in Saga of the Swamp Thing: Book Four.
• John Constantine’s history with Astra is told in Hellblazer #11, collected in Hellblazer Vol. 2: The Devil You Know.
• Justice League Dark #13 references the confrontation between Lex Luthor (Reading Order) and the Justice League (Reading Order). This conflict began in Justice League Vol. 1: The Totality (Review) and peaked in Justice League Vol. 5: Justice/Doom War (Review). Specifically, this issue references the Year of the Villain: Hell Arisen (Review) event.