And Zatanna is still dressed like a goth stripper.

That’s just one of those little things that frustrates me about the nuDCU and makes books like Justice League Dark just a little less satisfying than they could be. Now in fairness, that has nothing to do with writer Jeff Lemire’s plot or the excellent art from Fawkes and Janin. Justice League Dark looks great, and as the first part of a multi-issue story, Lemire sets things up pretty well. Our heroes are shanghaied to a world where magic is outlawed and, to keep things interesting, it seems that the local 5-O may well be justified in putting some limitations on magic use. To wit, our heroes no sooner arrive, then this new world’s “wild magic” begins to have some strange effects on the JLD team members – including a change that may be of interest to both Swamp Thing fans and fans of the color purple. The issue also ends with a pretty good cliffhanger.

It’s just …. PG-13 John Constantine and a Zatanna bereft of her trademark top hat, tails and stage magic seem … really lame compared to their pre-Flashpoint counterparts. It’s like we used to have Ben & Jerry’s – and now we’re down to store-brand ice cream. The addition of Tim Hunter to the team is also a bit of a head scratcher. I liked it – because Neil Gaimen’s Books of Magic was da bomb — but if this is a new continuity with a “new” Tim Hunter, then it’s more of a “meh” than a “wow.”

NuDCU gripes aside, I like what this creative team is doing on JLD. Optimistic that things will keep improving.