The following contains spoilers for Dark Crisis #2, on sale now from DC Comics.
Jon Kent's Justice League just got a brand-new leader -- and it's not Nightwing.
The beginning of Dark Crisis introduces a new team assembled by the young Superman with the hope of filling the void left by the Justice League's death. After revealing his new Justice League and members like Harley Quinn to Black Adam, the DC villain turned hero scoffs at the group and the idea of Jon leading them, feeling that only Nightwing/Dick Grayson has what it takes. However, after witnessing the fall of Teen Titans Academy on Nightwing's watch in Dark Crisis #2, Black Adam asserts himself as the leader of the next Justice League, believing neither Dick nor Jon is fit for the job.
Written by Joshua Williamson with art by Daniel Sampere, the event's second issue sees the school teaching Earth's next generation of heroes attacked once again (something that has already happened more than once in Teen Titans Academy). Instead of the Suicide Squad, Gorilla Grodd or Red X though, this time the academy is invaded by Deathstroke/Slade Wilson and his Secret Society of Super-Villains, who deliver a violent beatdown to Nightwing, Jon and their allies. Before the villains leave, Slade tells Dick, "Spread the word. Legacy is dead. It's open season on superheroes."
Shortly after, Adam arrives on the scene to say that he was right about Jon but wrong about Nightwing, which draws criticism from Jon being that Adam doesn't even help them during fight. "If you're so great, why don't you lead a new Justice League and go after Deathstroke?" Jon yells at Adam, to which he responds, "That is exactly my intent," informing the heroes that his home, Kahndaq, also faced a siege by Slade's forces.
Adam continues, "It is my burden to lead this team... but I will turn you into the protectors you should have always been... the kind of force that this world needs."
Black Adam can now add "Leader of the Justice League" to his DC resume, which has been getting fleshed out in recent time. Since 2021, the Shazam villain has joined the Justice League, watched the team die and become its only survivor, received a solo comic series written by Christopher Priest and illustrated by Rafa Sandoval, and will soon have his theatrical debut with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson portraying the antihero in the DC Extended Universe's Black Adam film in Oct. 2022. As for the future of Dark Crisis, the solicitation for the following third issue teases that DC's young heroes are going to learn "brutal tactics" from Adam while he is in charge.
Dark Crisis #2 is written by Williamson with interior and main cover art by Sampere, colors by Alejandro Sánchez and letters by Tom Napolitano. Variant covers for the issue are contributed to by Juliet Nneka, Mario Foccillo, Prasad Rao, Lucio Parrillo and Rafael Sarmento. The issue is now on sale from DC Comics.
Source: DC Comics