Comic Book Journal

Okay, a couple months ago, the last teaser for Countdown showed several heroes - include Donna Troy, Kyle Raynar, Superman, Wonder Woman and scimitar-carrying Batman - standing in the rubble of Statue of Liberty. Also among the heroes is Kingdom Come’s Red Robin - presumably Jason Todd - as well as several others.

Now DC has unleashed a villain-centered teaser which reads “And Evil Shall Inherit the Earth”. The teaser shows several villains standing on the crumbled remains of Darkseid statue - which is an odd twist in and of itself. Darkseid was supposed to be majorly bad news in DC this year . . . but is he really?

Lex Luthor, wearing his classic purple and green duds, is in the center, clearly angered and distraut. But his comrades don’t seem similarly pained.

To his left is the Trickster - one of the Rogues responsible for Bart Allen’s death - as well as a grim-looking Desaad, Darkseid’s chief advisor, and another character we haven’t seen in a while - Penguin!

Things are just as interesting on the right - Mary Marvel, having now inherited the powers of Black Adam, has seemingly become corrupted by it, wearing a hot new black costume. She is surronded by Granny Goddness - who definitely seems to have dark designs for Mary - and Eclipso, who was been hinted at having a big role in the corruption.

Above them stands a really muscular, really scary and really alien looking Martian Manhunter, along with the Joker talking to another villain who stands out in an instant - Catwoman. While it makes sense seeing as how she’s a classic Bat-villain, she’s not a stone-cold killer like virtually all the rest here - so what is she doing?

Finally, to the upper left is a trio of Supermen, including a darker Superman figure standing alongside Cyborg Superman - who is already revealed to be a herald of the Anti-Monitor and another Superman dressed in black with his back turned to us - Eradicator or Superboy Prime perhaps?

It looks like there’s going to be plenty of dark times for DC ahead . . . and I’m not sure what to make virtually anything in this teaser! For at least a few answers, try checking out IGN’s interview with artist Ethan Van Scriver.

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I’ll keep you posted on any further dark developments atop Darkseid’s head.