Constantine’s Notes – What Do They Mean For the Future of the New 52?

It seems as though there might be some connection between the events currently unfolding in Justice League Dark and those we saw in Justice League International Annual #1 a while back.Last week’s Justice League Dark#14 features Orchid, Frankenstein and Amethyst wandering lost through the House of Mystery when they find themselves in an office.Booster Gold, former leader of the JLI, pictured alongside some of the DC Universe’s most influential and important characters. Booster is the only member of the JLI pictured–but more than that, he’s part of a Justice League collage that includes nothing but members of the main Justice League team and Green Arrow, who will lead the Justice League of America.And, oh yeah, the whole tableau–which was apparently being put together in secret by John Constantine (see all those cigarette butts in the ashtrays on the desk?), recalls a similar scene in 52, when Booster Gold himself broke into Rip Hunter’s “Time Lab” and found a pair of blackboards scrawled with a series of notes about heroes, teasers for the rest of the story and indications that something was really wrong in the DC Universe.Hunter, as it later turned out, isn’t really named Hunter. In fact, that’s a false name he’s given himself to prevent time-traveling bad guys from killing him in his crib, or worse, killing his defenseless parents before he’s ever born. Those parents? Well, we don’t know who the mother is–but his father is Booster Gold himself.All of this makes a kind of sense, actually, since it was Johns who invented (or at least most often and effectively used) Rip Hunter’s chalkboard, Johns who is writing Justice League and Justice League of America…and Johns with whom Justice League Dark writer Jeff Lemire confessed to working closely back in May.But the presence of such a board, and the absence of Justice League Dark member Tim Hunter, begs the question: is Rip Hunter secretly working with Justice League Dark? Or, at least, is Tim Hunter also not really called Hunter? Could he be employing a similar ruse?What does John Constantine have to say about the heroes of the DC Universe? Well let’s see:SUPERMAN:

• Vulnerable to magic?
• Science freak?
• How many of his kind are there?
• Look into Daily Planet connection?

BATMAN:Gothamite. Has wealthy backer. Who?JUSTICE LEAGUE:Does Trevor know who they are?

• Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor. Possibility to exploit this.
• Green Lantern clearly has a military background. Is the ring a government weapon?
• Flash is a bigger threat than anyone realizes. Magic connection?
• Cyborg: RED ROOM!
• Aquaman: Who cares?
• Who/What is PANDORA?
• New GL: Terrorist…or worse?
• WHO is organizing all the super villains? Why??
• Need to find Booster Gold
• he has to know something

ADAM ONE:Is he the Big M?[No Heading]

• Is the balance in danger?
• THE ROT is RISING.
• Maxine is not ready. Baker can’t handle it.
• Sunderland?
• WHAT IS PROJECT ASCENSION??

MARTIAN MANHUNTER:

• Keeps trying to wipe his existence from my memory.
• WHAT IS HE HIDING?

FRANKENSTEIN:

• Connection to THE ROT?
• Possible “cure” for it?
• Ask BELROY for all his notes on VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN’S work.

FATHER TIME:

• (Same person/regenerates)
• Different people?
• Is S.H.A.D.E. as insane as it seems?
• Who the hell is in charge there?

[No heading]

• Is Shazam returning?
• Who will be chosen?
• How much does Sivana know?
• The Circle of Wizards: Shazam, The Apache, Who else?
• Need to check out Cold Dog Apache Reservation: Arizona. Find the new kid.

That’s a lot of information to digest. There are certain things that are definitely leading to specific stories or events, though, and so let’s isolate those.