Today is Wonder Woman Day! To mark the occasion, make your plans now to curl up this this weekend and read a recent miniseries that celebrates both Diana of Themyscira and the Halloween season. Grab a fluffy blanket, a warm drink and your favorite DC spell slinger as the Witching Hour is upon us.
First things first. Here’s the reading order for the earth-shattering 2018 event, which took place in the pages of both Wonder Woman and Justice League Dark:
- Wonder Woman and Justice League Dark: The Witching Hour #1
- Wonder Woman #56
- Justice League Dark #4
- Wonder Woman #57
- Justice League Dark and Wonder Woman: The Witching Hour #1
You can find all of these comics on DC UNIVERSE INFINTE. Now, let’s escape into Wonder Woman and Justice League Dark: The Witching Hour!
The Premise:
Magic is under siege by the witch-goddess Hecate. Years ago, Hecate chose five bearers of her witch-mark in which hide a portion of her power. Among their number? Wonder Woman, who has no idea how to tap into the staggering power within her. Once it’s claimed, Hecate plans to change all magic forever.
A novice to the mystical world, Diana turns to the DC Universe’s best and brightest magical minds. The Justice League Dark, which Wonder Woman was a part of at this time along with Zatanna, Detective Chimp, Man-Bat, Swamp Thing and occasionally John Constantine, knows that the situation is beyond dire. As the other witch-marked fall one by one to Hecate’s will, what will happen when Diana is claimed by the unstoppable witch-goddess of magic?
Let’s Talk Talent:
Writer James Tynion IV is joined by a team of artists including Jesus Merino, Emanuela Lupacchino and Alvaro Martinez Bueno to make the magic happen. The event originally unfolded in just one month, but you’d never know it thanks to the top tier talent in all five issues. Perfect pacing means you have all the suspense without one moment wasted.
For some context for anyone who wasn’t reading these titles at the time, Tynion launched Justice League Dark in 2018 with the inspired inclusion of the Themysciran princess in the lineup. His goal was not just to weave magic and horror together, but also to take the unusual team somewhere it had never gone before. Wonder Woman was part of that mission, he said in a 2018 interview.
“Wonder Woman believes that she can get to the bottom of what’s disturbing the magical world and solve it in the same way that she and Justice League solve the problems they face,” he shared, “and all these magical characters don’t think it’s going to be that easy. They’re basically telling her, ‘No, no, no, you should be afraid of what’s in the dark.’”
A Few Reasons to Read:
- A Wonder Woman and Circe team-up? You know the situation must be dire. Circe drops the charade of their longstanding battle and speaks to Diana simply about the danger Hecate poses. She also gives Diana and us lucky readers the full history of the witch-goddess, which reaches as far back as time itself. And I have to give a shout-out to Circe’s modern look in this miniseries. It’s worth the price of admission by itself.
- The world is home to magic users both infamous (I’m looking at you, Constantine) and obscure. This event is an excellent way to get to meet some of them. Witchfire, Manitou Dawn, Traci 13 and Black Orchid are just some of the characters who get caught up in the crossfire of “The Witching Hour.” If you’re new to the mystical side of the DC Universe and the Justice League Dark, this is a fantastic place to jump in.
- The battle for Nanda Parbat is nothing short of stunning. The magic practically bursts off every page as Hecate begins her assault on Rama Kushna’s domain. The confrontation between the goddesses takes the mystical conflict to another plane of existence. As the blazing battle explodes across time and space, the fate of magic itself hangs in the balance.
- Detective Chimp. That’s it. How could you not love that guy?
Why It’s Worth Your Time:
It’s not often we see Wonder Woman out of her element. Her uncertainty makes the stakes feel very real for both Diana and the world of magic at large. Add to that Zatanna and John Constantine’s visible dread and before you know it, you’re completely hooked. You just have to find out what happens next. While these five issues can stand alone as a succinct dark tale for Halloween, don’t be surprised if you want to continue your journey with the Justice League Dark…and there is plenty more comic book magic where this cool crossover came from.
Wonder Woman and the Justice League Dark: The Witching Hour is now available on DC UNIVERSE INFINITE and in print as a graphic novel.
Kelly Knox writes about all-ages comics and animation for DCComics.com and her writing can also be seen on IGN, Nerdist and more. Follow her on Twitter at @kelly_knox to talk superheroes, comics and pop culture.
NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in this feature are solely those of Kelly Knox and do not necessarily reflect those of DC Entertainment or Warner Bros.
Source: DC Comics
