The Witching Hour Reading Guide

Overview:

The Witching Hour, a DC Comics arc published in 2018, is written by James Tynion IV with artwork by Jesus Merino, Alvaro Martinez Bueno, and others. It takes place across multiple titles, primarily involving Wonder Woman and the Justice League Dark team. The story revolves around magic-based conflicts, with Wonder Woman discovering hidden, dangerous powers tied to an ancient magical being known as Hecate, the primary adversary.

The core characters include Wonder Woman, Zatanna, John Constantine, Swamp Thing, and other members of Justice League Dark. Together, they attempt to thwart Hecate’s attempts to reshape the world using her dark magic.

Both fans and critics generally appreciated the storyline, particularly for its exploration of magic in the DC Universe and its darker tone. However, reactions were somewhat mixed. While some praised the ambitious scope and character work, others felt the narrative was weighed down by the multiple crossovers and the pacing could be inconsistent.

Overall, The Witching Hour is considered a solid supernatural story, notable for its intense magical battles and how it expands on Wonder Woman’s mythology. It offers a darker, mystical twist to the typical superhero fare, making it stand out in DC’s 2018 publications.

Best Way To Read:

• Wonder Woman & the Justice League Dark: The Witching Hour
  • Collects: Wonder Woman/Justice League Dark: The Witching Hour #1-2, Wonder Woman #56-57 and Justice League Dark #4

For crossover and significant events, I typically only read the main story the first time I encounter it. Trying to read all of the tie-ins with the story tends to make them increasingly convoluted and are not crucial to the main narrative. However, I think they are important to read, as many series-shifting plotlines can happen.

For the tie-in issues, I only read them as they come up in the reading guide that I am working through. This can become problematic because the tie-in issues are not always included in collected editions of the event. So you may need to hunt for them.

Reading Order:

References:

• Wikipedia
• Comic Book Herald

Feature Image from Wonder Woman and the Justice League Dark: The Witching Hour #1 cover art by Jesus Merino