Justice In The Dark Bl

[Nadia Summerhill]

JusticeLeague Dark is a 2017 American adult animated science fantasy superhero film produced by Warner Bros. Animation and distributed by Warner Home Video. Featuring the DC Comics team of the same name created by Peter Milligan and Mikel Jann, the film is the 28th of the DC Universe Animated Original Movies and the eighth of the DC Animated Movie Universe. Unlike most installments in the DC Animated Universe Movies series, Justice League Dark features an original premise. The film stars Matt Ryan as John Constantine, Camilla Luddington as Zatanna and Jason O'Mara as Batman. Ryan and O'Mara reprised their respective roles from previous media. It was released on Digital HD on January 24, 2017, and on DVD and Blu-ray on February 7.[1]

Law-abiding citizens begin to murder people, believing their victims to be demonic creatures. The Justice League concludes that magic is the source of the crimes, but Batman is skeptical. Later that night at Wayne Manor, he finds a written message on his walls: "Constantine".

Five days prior, occult detective John Constantine and Jason Blood engage the Demons Three in a high-stakes poker game. Constantine offers his home, the House of Mystery, in exchange for a box of artifacts, including a chipped Dreamstone. When both parties are caught cheating, Constantine magically forces Blood to summon Etrigan to dispatch the demons. Afterward, Blood reprimands Constantine and the two part ways.

In the present, Batman seeks out Zatanna to find Constantine. They are joined by Deadman, and the two lead Bruce to the House of Mystery, where they meet Constantine; Constantine reluctantly agrees to help investigate the supernatural occurrences. The team then visits Ritchie Simpson, a collector of magic relics and old friend of Constantine and Zatanna. Ritchie, who has a magical form of cancer, is resentful of Constantine for abandoning him to his current predicament, but loans them the Keshanti Key, which Constantine and Zatanna use to view one of the victim's memories. However, a mysterious figure summons a creature to consume the victim and cover up the crime. Constantine and Zatanna manage to find how the victim was possessed and narrowly escape, with Constantine retrieving the image of a ring the spirit was wearing.

They return to Ritchie's to identify the ring, but find him close to death with Blood standing over him. Constantine pursues and captures Blood while Batman administers adrenaline to revitalize Ritchie. They take Ritchie and Blood back to the House of Mystery, and Constantine charges Black Orchid, the House's spiritual embodiment, with tending to Ritchie while the rest interrogate Blood. Blood explains that he sought to access the House of Mystery and retrieve the Dreamstone, and found Ritchie dying at the scene. He reveals that, centuries ago, the sorcerer Destiny created the Dreamstone in an attempt to overthrow Camelot, forcing people to see their worst nightmares and feeding off their torment. Blood was mortally injured in the battle, prompting Merlin to summon Etrigan to defeat Destiny, whose soul was imprisoned in the Dreamstone. After the battle, Merlin bound the dying Blood and Etrigan together, knowing that they would be needed in the future.

Ritchie briefly wakes and claims Felix Faust was his assailant. With Swamp Thing's help, the group locates Faust's observatory, defeating him in battle and concluding that he is innocent. Ritchie awakens and is revealed to have the other piece of the Dreamstone, which has been keeping his cancer in remission; he takes over the House and forces Black Orchid to burn her own body to ash. Constantine tries to convince Ritchie that Destiny is manipulating him, but Destiny uses the Dreamstone to take control of his body.

Destiny destroys the House and departs; Zatanna saves the group, but passes out from exertion. The Justice League tries to fight Destiny, but his magic forces them to turn on each other. Etrigan attacks, but is separated from Blood. Constantine summons Swamp Thing, who engages Destiny while Batman and Zatanna subdue the League. Destiny rips Alec Holland's corpse from Swamp Thing, breaking his will and forcing him to withdraw. Constantine tricks Destiny into bringing him and Deadman within his shield, allowing Deadman to control Destiny long enough for Blood to fatally wound him with Etrigan's sword. Constantine and Batman destroy the Dreamstone, bringing back Ritchie, who is dragged to Hell for his sins, ensuring that Destiny cannot come back. Blood succumbs to his original wounds, and is buried near the site of his old village. Zatanna, having agreed to join the League, offers Constantine a position as well. He declines, claiming that Batman would not approve, but Zatanna states it was Batman's idea. The two return to the reconstructed House of Mystery to discuss their League applications, and Deadman joins the restored Black Orchid as her soulmate.

The film is directed by Jay Oliva, and stars the voices of Matt Ryan, Jason O'Mara, Camilla Luddington, Nicholas Turturro, and Ray Chase. It is the first Justice League film and the second DC Universe animated film and the second film by Warner Bros. Animation to be rated R by the MPAA for some disturbing violence.[2]

Dave Trumbore from Collider wrote: "Justice League Dark is a briskly paced, darkly magic adventure that gives some of DC's most shadowy heroes a chance to shine in a story that folds in mythology and mystery, while never losing sight of what it means to be a hero". Felix Vasquez Jr. of Cinema Craze also praised the film, calling it a "fun celebration of supernatural elements in DC comics".[3]

The film spawned a spin-off animated web series titled Constantine: City of Demons that was released on The CW's online streaming platform CW Seed on March 24, 2018, with Ryan reprising his role. It was originally made to be a sequel to the live-action series Constantine and a part of the Arrowverse franchise, but writer J. M. DeMatteis stated that the direction of this series was changed and that it was set in the DC Animated Movie Universe.[5]

A sequel titled Justice League Dark: Apokolips War was released on May 5, 2020, on digital download, followed by a May 19 release on Blu-ray.[6] It concludes a five-film story arc, based on DC Comics "The Darkseid War" storyline by Geoff Johns, in the DCAMU that started from Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox and its sequel Justice League: War then later revisited in The Death of Superman and Reign of the Supermen. The DC Showcase short Constantine: The House of Mystery was released in May 2022 and is a narrative sequel to Justice League Dark: Apokolips War.[7]

Justice League Dark was announced on May 31, 2011, as a First Wave title of The New 52.[1] The title and team was created by Peter Milligan, with art by Mikel Jann. The title launched on September 28, 2011.[2] The title brought several of DC Comics' occult and offbeat characters, something which had been a trait of sister imprint Vertigo, back into the main DC Universe following Vertigo's editorial change to publish purely new, creator-owned content.[3][4]

The Search for Swamp Thing, a three part miniseries released between June and August 2011 which led up to The New 52 relaunch, and followed the events of the Brightest Day maxiseries, follows Constantine's search for the resurrected Alec Holland as the new Swamp Thing, involving the cooperation of Batman, Zatanna and Superman.[5] In addition, the Flashpoint: Secret Seven miniseries, written by Milligan as part of the "Flashpoint" crossover story line, included the Enchantress and Shade, the Changing Man and introduced the character Mindwarp in the lead-up to the start of the series.[6]

Peter Milligan stated in an interview that he got the job for the book from his work on the 2011 Flashpoint: Secret Seven miniseries, and that he hoped to write something "emotionally dark" set in the DC Universe, comparing his characters to detectives, who struggle to cope with the things they see and have to do.[7] The initial anticipation for this title has been good, with critics celebrating the fact that DC are willing to bring back some of the darker elements which had moved over to Vertigo in the 1990s.[8]

The opening story line involves the Enchantress' defeat of the Justice League, leading to the necessity of a more supernatural team to assist in these events, and detailing how they have come together.[9] There is also a minor crossover story with I...Vampire.[10] From issue #9, Sweet Tooth and Animal Man writer Jeff Lemire became the principal writer on the series.[11] In his first story arc, Justice League Dark took residence in their new base, at the House of Mystery, and have started to show their links with the wider DC Universe, dealing with Steve Trevor and A.R.G.U.S.[12][13]

In August 2013, it was announced that J. M. DeMatteis would take over as series writer from Lemire in November 2013, after a solo issue by Ray Fawkes in October.[14] The series ended publication in March 2015.[15][16]

In March 2018, a new volume of Justice League Dark was announced. Spinning out of the "Justice League: No Justice" story line, the title debuted in July 2018, written by James Tynion IV and drawn by Alvaro Martinez, Raul Fernandez and Brad Anderson.[17][18] The team features Zatanna, the Swamp Thing, the Man-Bat, and Detective Chimp, and is led by Wonder Woman.[17] Additional magical characters from the DC Universe appeared in the series, like John Constantine and Doctor Fate, although initially not as members of the League.[18][19]

The second volume ran regularly for 29 issues from July 2018 to February 2021.[20][21] The team would continue to appear as a back-up feature in the mainline Justice League series from issue #59 in May 2021 to issue #71 in March 2022 with guest appearances throughout issues #72 to 74.[22][23][24][25]

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