***Contains Spoilers***
Eclipso: The Darkness Within is a 1992 DC Comics crossover event that pits heroes across the DC Universe against Eclipso, the malevolent spirit of vengeance. The central plot revolves around Eclipso’s scheme to use enchanted black diamonds to possess heroes, villains, and civilians alike, plunging the world into chaos. While the main story is relatively brief, spanning a two-issue miniseries bookended by the larger event, the bulk of the narrative is carried forward through various tie-ins across DC’s monthly titles.
I have to admit, the premise of Eclipso’s black diamonds and his ability to take over DC’s biggest heroes was intriguing. There’s an inherent drama in watching normally steadfast figures like Superman or Batman wrestle with their inner darkness, and these moments add some intensity to the event.
The concept of an antagonist like Eclipso, whose power lies in exploiting humanity’s flaws, has potential. Certain tie-ins did manage to deliver entertaining moments—though they were more of a mild amusement than anything groundbreaking. I also liked that the series leaned into the horror elements, with Eclipso being genuinely unsettling in design and demeanor, which is different from the usual superhero punch-fests.
The biggest issue with Eclipso: The Darkness Within is its lack of cohesion. The main story feels too short and rushed to truly build the tension or stakes necessary for a universe-spanning crossover. Instead of a focused narrative, the event largely relies on tie-ins to fill in the gaps—and unfortunately, most of these tie-ins boil down to the same repetitive formula: Eclipso takes over a hero, they cause some havoc, and the status quo is restored by the end of the issue. This repetition drags the event down, making it feel bloated and shallow at the same time.
Additionally, the nature of crossovers in this era often meant that the story was spread out across too many books, making it difficult to follow unless you were reading everything as it was released. While I did read these issues as they came out, it was still frustrating to juggle multiple titles without the payoff I was hoping for.
On top of that, I never felt Eclipso, as a villain, was compelling enough to sustain the weight of the entire event. While his concept is solid, his execution is often underwhelming, especially compared to other DC heavy-hitters like Darkseid or the Anti-Monitor.
Overall, Eclipso: The Darkness Within is a mixed bag. While mildly entertaining in places, it never truly delivers on its promise of an epic, universe-shaking story. The repetitive nature of the tie-ins and the underwhelming main story make it an event I’m unlikely to revisit anytime soon. It’s not bad enough to earn a lower rating, but it doesn’t hold enough substance to make me want to reread it. 2 Stars.
Feature Image Eclipso: The Darkness Within #2 cover art by Bart Sears, Mark Pennington, Ray Kryssing and Randy Elliott