'Dark Crisis' Will Celebrate the Legacy of the DC Universe

For over thirty-five years, whenever an event in DC had the name “Crisis” in the title, it meant serious, world-altering business. It started with Crisis on Infinite Earths, then continued on to Zero Hour: Crisis in Time, Identity Crisis, Infinite Crisis, Final Crisis, and so on. Now, the DC tradition continues. You can’t kill off almost the whole Justice League without repercussions, right?

Well, folks, those repercussions are here. Coming in May from the creative team of writer Joshua Williamson and artist Daniel Sampere comes the seven-issue event series Dark Crisis. You can read the official description for this new event, and see several preview images, right here:

The Great Darkness Rises

“In the original Crisis on Infinite Earths by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez, the homeworld of Pariah, along with the infinite Multiverse, was obliterated. Now, this mad sole survivor has found a way to bring his homeworld and the entire infinite Multiverse back from the dead. Earth-0 must die. An ancient destructive force called the Great Darkness, first appearing in Swamp Thing by Alan Moore and Stan Woch, is the weapon Pariah will wield as he paves a path to rebirth and vengeance.”

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? Dark Crisis is a monthly event, written by Joshua Williamson, featuring art by Daniel Sampere. It will kick off with Dark Crisis #0 FCBD Special Edition, available on Free Comic Book Day. A special one-shot, Justice League: Road to Dark Crisis arrives at local comics shops on May 31.

Celebrating the Legacy of the DC Multiverse

Judging from the preview art, this will celebrate DC’s history, as well as the modern iterations of the heroes. The promo image shows the original eight members of the Justice League, training their young proteges. These are in their decidedly retro pre-Crisis looks. We also see the JLA encountering the Justice Society of America for the first time. Also, both the ’80s and 2000s’ versions of the Teen Titans. The soon-t0-be deceased Justice League stands beneath many of the heroes they inspired. And the name “Great Darkness” also alludes to the Legion of Super-Heroes’ most epic battle.

In a statement, writer Joshua Williamson said “Dark Crisis is an epic DCU event about legacy. It will have all the giant, fun cosmic battles and Multiversal set pieces. But it’s not about reboots, retcons, or rewriting time and space. At its core, it’s about the characters and the relationships that we’ve seen built over DC’s great history. Dark Crisis spins out of Justice League #75 “Death of the Justice League.” And it connects all the story threads across the DCU since Infinite Frontier #0 in a major way. Unifying the new legacy of the DCU as we honor the classic.”

Artist Daniel Sampere added “It’s a huge event full of epic heart, an event that embraces the past while looking to the future. Joshua and I are the biggest DC fans, and this is our love letter to these characters and this universe.” The one-shot Justice League: Road to Dark Crisis #1 will be available on May 31 and features artists like Dan Jurgens, Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Clayton Henry, Emanuela Lupacchino, Stephanie Phillips, and more. You can read the official solicitations for both books down below:

Dark Crisis #0, Free Comic Book Day Special Edition

Written by Joshua Williamson / Art by Jim Cheung, Daniel Sampere, and more / Cover by Daniel Sampere

“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 Great Darkness and its army of DC’s most dangerous villains have defeated the Justice League. 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!”

This issue contains 32 pages. It goes on sale 5/7/22.

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, and Leila Del Duca. Cover by Daniel Sampere

Variant 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!”

Dark Crisis #1 (of 7) will begin in June 2022 and release a new issue each month.

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