Review: Dark Nights: Metal #6
Quick Summary
Pros: The entire issue is packed with moments of action that are epic and memorable. One moment, in particular, is surprising and amazing. The finale works well and delivers a nice message. The epilogue is a wonderful way to end the series and will get readers even more excited for future comics.
Cons: The beginning of the issue is a bit rough. The Dark Knights’ don’t receive much of a meaningful sendoff.
Overall: The conclusion to this series is every bit as epic and fun as it promised. The final battle against Barbatos is fantastic and has a number of moments that are more exciting, on their own, than some entire comic book series. There are a few pages where the narrative stumbles, though these moments are incredibly minimal. Anyone who has been reading this series should be satisfied with the contents of this comic.
Story
I was very nervous going into the final issue of Dark Nights: Metal. The series had been great so far and I was worried that the conclusion would have trouble living up to the hype it had generated for itself. After finally reading it, I can happily report that Dark Nights: Metal #6 is the finale fans have been waiting for.
Writer Scott Snyder packs this issue full of moments that range from humorous and lighthearted to epic and serious. This is a comic with high stakes action, unexpected twists, and a solid message at the end. Though there are a few points where the issue stumbles, especially at the very beginning, it is still a huge success overall. Fans have nothing to fear going into the last issue of Metal.
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Honestly, the beginning of this issue starts out a little rough, more so than many of the previous issues did. Here, all of the open plot threads come together and meet with the fallout from Dark Nights: Metal #5 and Dark Knights Rising: The Wild Hunt #1. Having all of this open and up in the air is a bit much and makes the issue’s opening seem somewhat chaotic and confusing.
However, the confusion only ends up lasting for a few pages, thus allowing the rest of the issue to remain clear and coherent. From here on out, the focus in on the epic final battle against Barbatos and his Dark Knights. There are a TON of epic moments in this battle but the highlights including Plastic Man’s emergence from his egg, the arrival of Batmen from different universes, the Justice League taking on tenth metal, and Hawkman’s betrayal of Barbatos. Each one of these moments is cool enough to be the conclusion to any average series, but together they form a conclusion worthy of this tremendously above average series.
The crazy part is that none of these small moments can compare to the true highlight of the book, Batman and Joker teaming up to face off against the Man Who Laughs. Batman claims that this partnership was the only thing he could do that even he wouldn’t expect, he was absolutely right. This was an unexpected twist that immediately kicked the epic nature of the issue up a few notches and gave every Batman fan something truly memorable to watch. I did not see this fantastic moment coming but was delighted to see it happen.
The conclusion sees the Justice League use the power of tenth metal to rewrite creation itself and put an end to Barbatos’ mechanisms. The finale delivers a wholesome message about humanity’s propensity for hope and the ability to create something special out of even the darkest darkness. This is something Snyder has written about before, specifically in Batman Vol. 7: Endgame (Review) but the way it is approached here feels unique even to readers who have read Endgame (Review). My only complaint is that I would have liked to see a bit more resolution for the individual Dark Knights, though I was still very happy with how things worked out.
The issue’s epilogue is a celebratory moment of decompression for the heroes we have seen fight throughout this series. A moment of peace like this feels earned and is a great way to top off a run filled with nonstop action. It also is a great way to tease future stories, as I left this epilogue more excited to read the No Justice than ever before.
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Art
Greg Capullo, Jonathan Glapion, FCO Plascencia, and Steve Wands do not disappoint and continue the high quality level of work they have done, throughout this series. Characters, weapons, backgrounds, and costumes all look great and are all drawn with the creativity that this series has become known for. The final issue is fun and packed with wonderful moments, something the artwork instantly reflects. Readers can expect the final issue of this series to be just as much of a visual treat as the first issue was.
In addition to Greg Capullo’s artowrk, this issue also features a few beautiful looking pages from Mikel Janín. These pages appear in the book’s epilogue and take on a dramatically different tone than the rest of the issue. Janín presents a warm and pleasant version of the heroes we have just seen go through hell. Seeing them like this is cathartic and the change in visual styles is a great way to separate this portion of the issue from the rest of what is going on.
Continuity
Dark Nights: Metal #6 is the final issue in the Dark Nights: Metal series. Fans should read the first five issues in order to understand what is going on here (our reviews/breakdowns of these issues can be found here).
The event ends here. However, the epilogue teases the upcoming No Justice event.
This issue also references stories from other comic books, all of which are detailed below:
- Hawkman’s current role is explained in Hawkman: Found #1.
- The appearance of Detective Chip, Cyborg, and Flash is explained in Dark Knights Rising: The Wild Hunt #1.
- A few different versions of Batman appear here. These include versions from:
- Superman: Red Son
- Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
- The vampire Batman stories, all of which are collected in Elseworlds: Batman Vol. 2.
- The Monitor seen here is the same monitor from Crisis on Infinite Earths.