The craziness continues in DC Comics’ current event, Dark Nights: Death Metal. Major spoilers for the first issue of Dark Nights: Death Metal and Flash Forward ahead.
The second issue of Dark Knights: Death Metal begins shortly after the events of the first issue, with Wonder Woman, Wally West (now Dr. Manhattan) and Swamp Thing. After the death of the Batman Who Laughs, the evil Batmen across the Earth are left without a true leader. The issue sees the Justice League finally reunite with the Justice Society of America. The two superhero teams will have to join forces to stop Perpetua and rebuild the multiverse. The whole issue features lots of fun moments, such as seeing the bat-dinosaur again. However, there are also a whole slew of new Batmen including Batom (an amalgamation of Batman and the Atom) and Batmobeast (the Batmobile with Bruce’s mind inside).
Getting to see the Justice Society in a comic again, especially Jay Garrick, was the highlight of the issue for me. Jay’s reunion with Wally nearly brought tears to my eyes. Wally is my favorite DC character, so seeing him in an event as big as Death Metal brings me joy. It is interesting that we have not seen Wally use any of Manhattan’s powers yet. Is writer Scott Snyder saving them for a more climatic moment in the later issues?
This issue is calmer than the first, focusing more on character interaction than bombastic action. Wonder Woman talking to Batman about his recklessness in the first issue felt very organic, especially considering the torture that the Batman Who Laughs and Perpetua put them through. Bruce does not take Diana’s words well, but luckily Swamp Thing and Wally are both there to calm the situation down.
The gothic-style character designs for Wonder Woman, Swamp Thing and Batman shine in this issue, especially with the dark backdrop of the Batcave. Greg Capullo’s designs fit the absurdity while still fitting the more serious tone of certain scenes. Jonathan Glapion’s inks and FCO Plascencia’s colors further add to the craziness presented within the issue and further define the personalities of each character, especially the villains. This is expressed particularly well in the jaw-dropping reveal at the end of the issue.
Dark Knights: Death Metal is gearing up to be the most ridiculously fun story DC Comics has told in years. I could not be more excited for the rest of this event, especially after that ending. I will not be getting off Snyder and Capullo’s wild ride anytime soon.
Rating: 8.5/10
Buy the comic here: https://www.comixology.com/Dark-Nights-Death-Metal-2020-2/digital-comic/875250
