Justice League Dark # 0 2012 NM-

Justice League Dark #0, published by DC Comics on September 19, 2012, is a prequel that details the disparate origins of the team's core members and how a mystical crisis forced them to reluctantly come together. It was part of the "Zero Month" event in "The New 52" relaunch, where all #0 issues provided backstory for their respective series.

Storyline Overview: "Origins"

The issue provides individual vignettes that establish the history, motivations, and powers of the characters who would later form the team. The story is an anthology of origins rather than a single continuous narrative.

• John Constantine: His segment explores his history of trickery and survival, highlighting the tragic event where he "damned" a young girl's soul to Hell to save himself from a demon, establishing his self-loathing nature and magical expertise.
• Zatanna: Her origin focuses on her complex relationship with her father, John Zatara, and her struggle to manage her powerful yet dangerous backward-speaking magic.
• Shade, the Changing Man: The story touches upon his arrival on Earth and his unstable connection to his M-Vest, which allows him to control a pocket dimension of madness.
• Madame Xanadu: Her segment delves into her ancient origins, starting from the time of Camelot, chronicling her eternal punishment for betraying Merlin and her centuries of mystic work.
• Deadman: The issue summarizes his life as a circus acrobat Boston Brand and his murder, followed by his transition into a ghost who can possess the living.

Key Themes

The issue establishes a core theme of the series: these are not typical superheroes. They are broken, flawed individuals haunted by their past mistakes and a world of magic that mainstream heroes like Superman and Batman cannot comprehend.

Creative Team

• Writer: Jeff Lemire.
• Artist: Mikel Janín.
• Publisher: DC Comics.
• Characters: John Constantine, Zatanna, Shade (the Changing Man), Madame Xanadu, Deadman, and the introduction of the villain Papa Midnite.