The Croning (2012, Night Shade Books)
by Laird Barron
Don Miller has a memory problem. Throughout his adult life he has had strange experiences and encounters, yet now an octogenarian, they are only just returning, spurred on by a series of bizarre events occurring at his rural home in Washington state. His wife, Michelle, is an anthropologist who, even though retired, still jets off to attend lectures and academic conferences. His adult children are busy in their own lives, and this all leaves Don time to reflect. He begins to recall conversations with his grandfather, a man seemingly involved in clandestine affairs. He remembers weird encounters with a young man while milling about the home of a recently deceased colleague. Then there was the incident in Mexico back in 1958…
John Constantine, the titular Hellblazer, has just arrived back in the U.K. after an extended stay in the States. As soon as John hits the shore, he is pulled into a battle of wills with a demon. This particular conflict involves John succumbing to a curse or figuring out how to pass this evil onto the entire population of London. I bet you can guess which route he goes. Swamp Thing shows up as a support and the petitions John’s help to finding the missing Abby Arcane. A conspiracy of supernatural beings is revealed, and it turns out Abby is deeply involved. Along the way, John pisses off bookies and demons alike, as he is wont to do.
Robin, the Boy Wonder, now a college dropout is pulled down a critical path that will redefine his life forever. The mysterious Raven calls on him as well as Wonder Girl and Kid Flash to join a new group of teenage superheroes. As is stated in one story, this isn’t the junior Justice League. Filling out the ranks are Changeling (formerly Doom Patrol’s Beast Boy), Cyborg, and Starfire. They take down the Gordanian menace that holds Starfire in bondage and quickly follow that up with their first encounter against Deathstroke the Terminator. Raven’s real purpose is revealed shortly after that, as she explains she needs to prevent the demonic menace Trigon the Terrible from breaching the walls between universes and conquering Earth. He uses the Fearsome Five, a team of B-tier villains to herald his arrival and Raven must find a way to hold together a frequently splintering team.
After a year-long absence, Terry McGinnis returns to take on the identity of Batman in a futuristic neo-noir Gotham City. This time an entire borough of the city has fallen into the hands of The Jokerz, a cult that worships the deceased villain. Another enemy, Terminal, has taken advantage of this religious fervor and is using the cult for a mysterious purpose. Without Bruce Wayne to guide him any longer, Terry must strike out on his own and prove his worth to continue the legacy of Batman.
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