Jessica Cruz finds herself in an unfamiliar place and learns some chilling news about Power Ring and its past wearers. Meanwhile, Grail's origin is explored, and just what does she want with Steve Trevor.
While this special issue isn't a completely necessary read for those enjoying the Darkseid War storyline, it does put a lot into perspective, mainly everything and anything involving Grail. Her entire history is highlighted in this issue. Writer Geoff Johns paces out this story exceptionally well. It's really easy to get completely immersed in the story. The Grail story has a lot of room to breathe, even though the Cruz story bookends the entire issue. We get a full, uninterrupted story (ignoring ads, obviously) that has a great flow to it.
As for Jessica Cruz, this issue really grows her as a character, and it's easy to see how she's going to eventually become a member of the Green Lantern Corps, which was announced with DC Rebirth. Her story will generate a lot of excitement, and in addition, it provides a bit more depth to what Power Ring is and how it operates.
There are multiple artists on this issue: Ivan Reis & Joe Prado, Oscar Jimenez, Paul Pelletier and Tony Kordos. The art is solid, and there are not a lot of big differences in styles which can take the reader out of the story. The glue that holds this whole issue, artistically, together is the colorwork of Alex Sinclair. He knows what he's doing and conveys tone through his colors. From front to back, Sinclair is the most consistent thing about this issue, without taking anything away from the other artists.
The Darkseid War Special was fun and gave a lot more depth to both Jessica Cruz and Grail. You don't have to read this if you're following the main storyline, but it's highly recommended, as it fleshes out Grail and Cruz as characters, while building a little bit on the plot. The art is great but Sinclair's colorwork is the shining star here. If you've been loving Darkseid War, check this issue out.