Posted in: Comics, Recent Updates | Tagged: Comics, dc, geoff johns, jim lee, justice league

David Graves – The Big Bad Of The New DCU

If there is a Big Bad of the Justice League, comprising Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Flash, Wonder Woman, Aquaman and Cyborg, then you can be sure he's going to be the Big Bad of pretty much everyone. And Geoff Johns has been seeding him for a few issues now.

In issue 3 of Justice League, we get a history of Atlantis written by one David Graves. Who seems to have quite a track record in this sort of thing.

In issue 6 of Justice League, the comic is narrated by David, and we see him for the first time, being rescued with his family by the Justice League.

Which gives him a new purpose in life.

And a new book.

Justice League – Gods Amongst Men, as the first in-story use of the name Justice League. It was a throwaway thing, to show the effect of the League on the world as a whole. Or was it?

Something went wrong. Very wrong.

In issue 7 as we jumped to the modern day, as the Orb Of Ra has been stolen from the Black Room…

We then see that book, as well as a number of other books in David's posession.. as well as that stolen Orb of Ra. And Steve Trevor, just introduced, as the man to take down the Justice League, somehow, by David, a man with a lot of comp copies of that book, and a number of other books in his name.

And in the New 52 Free Comic Book Day, we learnt that the book had been sent, as Steve gets involved in his own Black Room adventure.

But in today's Justice League #9, we start to understand the power of the pen. Four years ago, in Augusta, Maine, we see that bookshelf and those comp copies again. And a family photo – a family that is missing.

It doesn't end well.

It appears we have a new big bad in the Justice League behind all their woes. One David Graves, superhero fan and conspiracy theorist, turned evil villain and master manipulator, facing his own death and presumably finding a way to escape from it.  Using Steve Trevor to set it all up. And keeping the rest of the League distracted from his actions… What happened to him? What happened to his family after they were saved by the League? And how did he end up looking like this on the Justice League #9 variant cover? The Orb of Ra or something else? And will it take the Justice League #0 in September to explain it all?

Of course in terms of other seedings, back in issue 6 we saw this fellow casting an interesting shadow, with a certain jewelled skull image.

A skull which popped up a little later in the Black Room, inside Pandora's box.

Is the figure with the shadow David Graves? Or someone else joining the party? And that's even before we get to Doctor Sivana in the Shazam backup…

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