Metal Men #4 – Dan Didio, Writer; Shane Davis, Artist; Jason Wright, Colorist
Ray – 8/10
Ray: This series has been a wild ride since the first issue, but its biggest issue is an inconsistent tone. Is it a dark superhero suspense thriller? Is it a high-octane sci-fi adventure? Is it an offbeat comedy? Every issue has had a different answer, some more than one. Fortunately, the stew works more often than not.
Metal Men #4 picks up off last issue’s cliffhanger, that saw Gold returned to life by the same figure who had killed him – the mysterious Nth Metal Man. Gold’s responsometer was destroyed, but the mysterious figure has resurrected him without it.
This has had the side effect of eliminating Gold’s inhibitions and making him seem more human. This includes an anatomically correct appearance, a looser attitude, and a willingness to push back against Will Magnus’ orders. The Nth Metal Man isn’t done either – he seems to set his eyes on doing the same to Iron and Mercury, taking Will’s team out of his control.
That’s all pretty heavy stuff. Less so is the plot for Lead and Tin, who are invited to be guests of honor at “Robo-Con”, an event where people dress up as their favorite DC robots. That’s the kind of thing that happens in the DCU, I guess. Watching the two most awkward members of the team bumble around their super-fans is fun, but soon the con comes under attack by an army of mind-controlled cyborgs in cheap armor. Something is targeting the Metal Men, and it’s enough to get the attention of one of Dan Didio’s past characters – Kevin Kho, aka OMAC.
The character was used earlier in Rebirth by Keith Giffen, but this seems like the original back for another go. He was a New 52 cult favorite, so this is a welcome development even if Didio follows his own personal continuity as much as Scott Lobdell. The art by Shane Davis is dramatic and vivid as always, making this an enjoyable little side story going on at the fringes of the DCU.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
