Writer: Scott Snyder / Artist: Greg Capullo / DC Comics
Let’s keep this all the way real: DC events have been less than great in recent memory. Like, landfill. Small events like the Lazarus Contract or even Monster Men have been tolerable quick hitters, but stories like Convergence (save the side books) and even Rebirth may have held a functional purpose, but their execution wasn’t the highest grade. Snyder and Capullo, the team that gave us one of the best Batman runs, ever, to be honest, are trying to buck that trend. Snyder has been teasing Metal as a storyline for a while now, with important elements tying back to his run on Batman proper and in All-Star Batman as well. Metal is nothing if not ambitious as hell, and there are few writers in comics that could pull this off with these well worn characters.
After The Forge and The Casting, Metal #1 begins with the mystery starting to unravel, but more so, seeing all the players involved in it. Some DC staples show up in appropriate fashion and the inclusion of the Justice League makes this story and the threat already feel bigger than one can wrap their arms around. I’m reminded that the endgame storyline began with the inclusion (actually the attack) of the Justice League, but became so much bigger than that. I have a similar feeling here, that the inventive storytelling that Snyder deploys means we don’t have any real idea of where this story is going. I can only assume that we will continue to see a lot more characters get involved in the action and the bizarre properties of this Nth Metal all the while awaiting the big beast that is supposedly coming.
It is good to see Capullo drawing Batman again. This was like slipping on an old and comfortable coat that instantly reminded you of a time you remember fondly. He still draws one of my favorite Bruce Wayne / Batmans but excels in action and just kinetic movement in general as well.
Between Metal, Snyder’s All Star Batman, and King’s Batman, if is a pretty incredible time to be a Batman comics fan.
Metal starts with some more setup, but some big revelations and cool reveals. It sets an ambitious stage that I seriously doubt any of us can predict the destination for.
Reading Dark Knights Metal? Find BNP’s other reviews of the series here.
Are you following Black Nerd Problems on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr or Google+?
Show Comments