DC and Marvel crossover events are the worst.
For people invested in the stories of their favorite characters, these huge crossover story arcs means that the current storyline is interrupted so it can tie into a story that will “change the DC / Marvel universe forever”! You know, like Forever Evil, where an evil Superman crushed and snorted kryptonite rocks, or Secret Empire, where Captain America became a genocidal Nazi until he doesn’t feel like it anymore and everyone forgives him, even though he killed all of Las Vegas.
Again, the worst.
But DC’s recently concluded Dark Nights: Metal was something different. As someone who regards crossover events with contempt (and as someone who is a self-avowed Marvel Zombie), I could only have one reaction to it:
I loved it.
Metal manages to deliver on the ambition and bombast that is always promised with these events but is never executed by sticking to one core tenant: it’s fun. Positioned as the culmination to Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s stellar New 52 Batman run, Metal goes all the way to eleven to deliver the most batshit crazy Batman story in years.
It begins with Batman trying, and failing, to prevent the Dark Multiverse from accessing the New 52 Multiverse, with a baby Darkseid. Instead, the Court of Owls (from Snyder and Capullo’s initial Batman run) end up tricking him into trading places with the Barbatos, an evil Batman god, and his Dark Knights, a twisted version of the Justice League’s big seven, comprised of corrupted Batmen from across the Dark Multiverse. Each of the Dark Knights represents different aspects of fear and inadequacy that Batman has shown in the past 79 years, and all are fascinating explorations of Batman’s relationships with his League teammates.
The story only escalates from there, but what makes it a blast is its loving embrace of the DC Universe’s weirdest and most over-the-top elements. Metal also serves as the other side of the coin for Grant Morrison’s excellent The Multiversity series, using brand new incarnations of beloved characters to explore their psyches. And, despite its dark tone, there are truly jubilant moments in this story. Whether it is Wonder Woman facing hordes of her evil doppelgangers with a battle cry, the interdimensional ship from The Multiversity countering the Dark Knights with its own league of Batmen (led by Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns Batman) and the hotly anticipated return of the monkey Justice League from JLApe.
What makes Metal succeed is its greater concern for telling a story rather than selling another earth-shattering event that sets the next status quo for these characters. We all know that in our heart of hearts Batman is going to pull through, but the stakes here feel real. Detective Chimp struggling to send a multiversal SOS while losing his intelligence, Batman being tormented into giving up over and over, Carter Hall losing himself to Barbatos’ will. These work for the story because they double as excellent character beats. Scott Snyder knows these characters intimately, and he knows how to make us cheer for them when they perservere.
But the story is by no means perfect.
While the Dark Knights are all intriguing characters in their accompanying one-shots, they’re relegated to sidemen to the Batman Who Laughs in the main story. And, while the ending does feature Alfred playing a sick Neil Peart drum solo, it doesn’t quite stick the landing as Barbatos’ invasion is basically undone by a “power of friendship” deus ex machine we’ve seen a million times over. But this should by no means dissuade you from picking up this story. The lead-up is definitely a wild ride that stokes excitement for what comes next, following the news that Snyder takes over the Justice League book this year.
