Written by Scott Snyder.
Art by Greg Capullo; Jonathan Glapion; FCO Plascenia; Tom Napolitano; Yanick Paquette; Bryan Hitch; Nathan Fairbairn; & Alex Sinclair.
Collection Cover Art by Greg Capullo; Jonathan Glapion; & FCO Plascenia.
SUMMARY:
In this sequel to Dark Nights: Metal, DC Comics released this 232-page trade paperback collecting Dark Nights: Death Metal # 1-7.
On a post-apocalyptic Earth, the Batman Who Laughs, along with the cosmic deity, Perpetua, now dominates DC’s multiverse in every bleak detail. Only Wonder Woman’s makeshift strike force stands a remote chance of restoring the legendary multiverse to what it should be. Among those joining their perennial Justice League teammate are Wally West, Batman and Superman – each is guarding a devastating secret, as to his true nature.
Come the end, an ultimate sacrifice must be made to resurrect DC’s entire multitude of parallel Earths, each evidently different from prior incarnations. Ultimately, Death Metal is meant to serve as DC’s precursor to its Infinite Frontier continuity re-launch.
Note: This title is also available in hardcover and digital formats.
REVIEW:
Previously, 2018’s Justice League: No Justice – a ludicrous storyline with generally crummy artwork – was seemingly the worst event dreck DC has produced this century. Dark Nights: Death Metal dubiously rivals No Justice for pure nonsense.
Aspiring to be DC’s answer to a heavy metal/goth opera, this bizarre cosmic epic overdoses on high-concept style vs. treading any semblance of storytelling substance. Case in point: an epilogue scene where the heroes and villains share a rock jam concert (with Superman as lead vocalist and Batman on guitar, no less) tells astute readers how glaringly misguided Death Metal is.
While the art squad’s visuals are generally high-caliber, writer Scott Snyder’s plot coherency stumbles from the get-go. After the halfway mark, no matter how Crisis-related homages are pitched, Snyder’s grandiose storyline is incomprehensible. It’s like Snyder is trying to one-up fellow scribe Grant Morrison’s playbook on how to leave hapless DC readers baffled one sequence after another, with too little or no helpful transition. Short of setting up DC’s Infinite Frontier era, the most tantalizing scene is between a M.I.A. Wonder Woman and an ethereal version of her Golden Age incarnation.
Beyond that, the tone-deaf Dark Knights: Death Metal is strictly geared for DC’s current hardcore teen fanbase. Any effort on DC’s part to engage an all-ages audience (whether it be kids or mainstream adults) appears otherwise coincidental.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
In a full-page format, the original cover precedes each issue. Artist Greg Capullo includes a four-page sketchbook. A four-panel evolution depicts the creation of Dark Knights: Death Metal # 1’s cover image (it doubles as s also the collection cover image). Artists Doug Mahnke & David Baron’s variant covers for Issues # 1-6, in a half-page format, are presented. Their Issue # 7 cover variant appears as a full page.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 3½ Stars
