Secrets are
revealed as the new Night Force comes together against a common enemy – and
it’s not Baron Winters. Despite his deceitful, manipulative ways, he remains
their best chance against the Shadow Riders. Think of them as akin to the
Dementors in Harry Potter. But Raven learns their history, and a disturbing
truth behind their purpose, which makes it difficult to separate friend from
foe. And of course, Winters is no help.
Given the level of magical
happenings, I’m surprised we haven’t seen high profile magical characters like
Dr. Fate, the Demon or Phantom Stranger. At the same time, I understand such an
appearance would over-shadow Raven, who is arguably on the same tier. I like
the idea of her finding a place with Night Force. It seems a natural fit, given
that Marv Wolfman created both. Raven’s history with the Teen Titans may enable
Night Force to find a firm footing within the DC Universe; sort of a lower
profile Justice League Dark.
Pop Mahn’s artwork is
still a bit iffy to me. I consider it to be journeyman work, but perhaps it’s
just a bad fit for the project at hand, or maybe in need of a different inker
to bring out Mahn’s strengths.
Only three issues remain
in the 12-issue limited run. If the series becomes an ongoing, there is a great
deal of opportunity, if DC can cultivate it properly. Some of the characters
have yet to impress me, but they’ve barely been introduced, so there’s still
time for them to develop, if not here, perhaps elsewhere.
Rating: 6/10