| "Endless Winter" | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Publisher | DC Comics | ||
| Publication date | December 1 – December 29,2020 | ||
| Genre | Superhero | ||
| |||
| Main character(s) | Justice League Justice League Dark Teen Titans Black Adam Swamp Thing Viking Prince Hippolyta Frost King | ||
| Creative team | |||
| Writer(s) | Andy Lanning andRon Marz | ||
| Artist(s) | Howard Porter, Phil Hester, Jess Merino,Brandon Peterson, andCarmine Di Giandomenico | ||
"Endless Winter" is a 2020crossover event inDC Comics publications. Written byAndy Lanning andRon Marz, the story follows the Frost King's efforts to cause an eternal global winter and theJustice League's efforts to stop him. Taking place in theNew Justice relaunch, the story appeared in nine issues spread across five comic titles published over five weeks in December 2020.
DC first announced the storyline in July 2020.[1] Initially planned to last two months as part of a major relaunch/rebranding effort by the publisher,[2] by September it had been compressed to a five-week event.[3] DC further advertised the story in a special 6-page section of their comics released on November 17.[4]
The crossover was spread across nine issues of various comic book titles, beginning and ending with the two-issuelimited series titledJustice League: Endless Winter. Additional chapters appeared in issues of theongoing seriesFlash,Aquaman,Justice League, andJustice League Dark and in threeone-shot specials focused on the characters ofSuperman,Teen Titans, andBlack Adam.[3] The comics were all released between December 1 and 29, 2020.
At apanel discussion during the October 2020New York Comic Con, writerRon Marz said the story came together around "Justice League Viking", a 10th-century version of the modern superhero team.[5]
In the distant past, there was a man named Edwald Olaffson who developed ice powers after saving his son from apolar bear attack inGreenland in the 10th century. He attempted to used his powers for good, but accidentally caused famine and eventually became a being known as the Frost King.
In the 10th century,Hippolyta,Swamp Thing, and Viking Prince freeBlack Adam to deal with the Frost King when he threatens to destroy the world. Adam discovers Frost King's identity and uses his family as bait to distract the Frost King, but the Frost King accidentally kills his family and escapes.
In the present, theJustice League (Batman,Superman,Wonder Woman,Flash,Green Lantern,Martian Manhunter, andAquaman) thwarts an attempted bank robbery byMultiplex,Icicle, andCatman. Meanwhile in Greenland,Simon Stagg's son Sebastian discovers a new ice strain that can achievecold fusion. The workers on the Snow Crawler inform Sebastian that a storm will hit in an hour and he orders them to pick up the pace despite their reluctance. The Justice League arrives to help deal with the ice beings, but the Frost King emerges and attacks the heroes.[6]
Flash runs around the world trying to help everyone while the other heroes deal with the Frost King's monsters. Flash passes out after being ambushed by the monsters, but Black Adam rescues him and Flash savesIris West.[7]
In the present,Jimmy Olsen andLois Lane are about to be killed by ice monsters on top of theDaily Planet building when Superman saves them. After making sure they are safe, Superman goes out to help people, but is soon overwhelmed. In Gotham City, Sebastian Stagg and his research team are still trying to uncover the secrets of the ice sample taken from the Arctic Circle. They have discovered that the ice containsKryptonian crystals and a mysterious energy signature. They have also discovered that there are people buried underneath the ice and they are still alive.[8]
Meanwhile, theTeen Titans allow children to stay in Titans Tower to wait out the snowstorm. The Teen Titans decide to go toBrooklyn to deal with ice monsters and help a metahuman named Summer Zahid deal with an ice monster. While recovering, Flash,Cyborg, andStarfire travel to Titan Tower to check on the heroes.Donna Troy realizes the Frost King is the story that Hippolyta told her when she was in Themiscyra and tells Cyborg to teleport her and Flash there to help the Amazons.[9]
Zatanna tells Wonder Woman that they need to go to New Myria to find Swamp Thing. They succeed, but learn that the Frost King is weakening Swamp Thing's powers. Back on Earth, Hippolyta summons the spirit of the Viking Prince, who explains that they need to find Frost King's family to find him. Wonder Woman and Zatanna arrive holding an empty vessel of Swamp Thing that possesses the Viking Prince.[10]
Silver Banshee, Icicle, Catman,Rampage, Black Adam, and the Frost King arrive at Stagg Enterprises to take the frozen Frost King's family. Multiplex tries helping Adam, but is killed by Frost King. Adam threatens to kill Frost King's family. Before Adam can be killed, Superman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Batman, and Green Lantern arrive.[11]
Batman reveals that he let Sebastian Stagg be used as bait to find the Frost King, the heroes start fighting against him. Batman and Hippolyta find the Frost King's true body in theFortress of Solitude. Black Adam nearly kills Frost King, but Superman stops him and they both fight while the Frost King regains his strength.Aquaman arrives with Fire Trolls to help turn the tide, ultimately defeating the Frost King. In the aftermath, Sebastian Stagg is arrested, the Viking Prince returns to the afterlife, Swamp Thing finds a new avatar, and Superman rebuilds the Fortress. It is revealed that the Frost King is still alive, but has entered stasis until his family is freed.[12]
The story received positive reviews from critics for its action and art style, but there was criticism of the underdeveloped plot. According toreview aggregator Comic Book Roundup, the crossover received a score of 7.7 out of 10 based on 52 reviews.[13]
The second chapter appeared inThe Flash #767.Bleeding Cool criticized it for not revealing new information nor moving the plot along, and found it lackluster compared to previous work by the writers and art team.[14]
| Title | Material collected | Published date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Justice League: Endless Winter | Justice League: Endless Winter #1-2,The Flash #767,Superman: Endless Winter Special #1,Aquaman #66,Justice League #58,Teen Titans: Endless Winter Special #1,Justice League Dark #29,Black Adam: Endless Winter Special #1 | November 2021 | 978-1779511539 |
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