Dark Nights: Death Metal #4 – Scott Snyder, Writer; Greg Capullo, Penciller; Jonathan Glapion, Inker; FCO Plascencia, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: After a month off and a trio of one-shots by Snyder, Tynion, and Wiliamson, Dark Nights: Death Metal returns with an explosive issue that follows up from all three as the remaining heroes battle to save the multiverse. Sgt. Rock’s head, in increasingly poor condition, recaps things for us as the Lanterns battle to take down the antenna, the Flashes outrace the Darkest Night, and most importantly, the trinity find themselves trapped in the twisted worlds where the three big Crisis events went the other way. Batman finds himself at the mercy of a victorious Anti-Monitor who is determined to be the last being of matter in the multiverse, while Superman is confronted by an ancient and all-powerful Darkseid who intends to convert him into his ultimate heir—a twisted version of Superman with the agenda to spread Anti-Life across the Multiverse. But as seems to be a pattern for this event, it’s Wonder Woman who gets the starring role, as she faces off against a deranged Superboy Prime.
Prime has always been an intriguing villain, as he represents the worst instincts of many comic book fans—driven to extremes by a desire for things to go back to the “good old days.” Here he’s on the verge of destroying the multiverse and leaving only his own ideal world—or so he thinks. Diana takes a different route, appealing to his sense of logic and the small bit of decency left in him to get him to help against a much bigger threat—one who wants nothing to be left from the old world. The story also includes a chilling showdown with the Robin King, who continues to establish himself as the creepiest child in the DCU. All the plots converge in a mad dash to the finish as the heroes try to transfer Doctor Manhattan’s powers into Wally West—only for the plot to hit a dramatic record scratch at the last second and end with a gut punch of a final cliffhanger. With only three issues to go, I have no clue how this is going to end—or what the DCU is going to look like when it’s over. That’s what I call a good event comic.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
