Review: Dark Nights: Metal #4

Quick Summary

Pros: This issue is just as enjoyable as the rest of the series so far. The information we learn here makes the entire series deeper and more interesting. The story is just plain fun and has its fair share of comedic moments.

Cons: Aquaman fans might not like one extremely tiny aspect of this story.

Overall: Chalk up another point for Dark Nights: Metal, as this issue is just as good as the last. It continues the story right where the previous one left off and gives readers a better appreciation for the situation at hand. Nonstop action, deep exposition, and comedy make this an issue that is fun and entertaining while simultaneously building upon the story as a whole. If you have been reading this series so far, now is not the time to stop.

Story

To no one’s surprise, Dark Nights: Metal #4 is another hit. The action packed-thrill-ride is back again, bringing heroic battles, over-the-top weaponry, and even a little dash of comedy to the fray. Plus, the information in this issue causes this entire saga to have more meaning and further explains exactly what kind of situation our heroes have gotten themselves into. This is a great comic book that anyone reading the series will love.

(spoilers start here)

Two separate stories are told in this issue, one involving the heroes seeking out the lost pieces of Nth Metal and the other involving Superman and Batman escaping the Dark Multiverse. The first one mostly serves to deal up some more stereotypical action and comedy, while also subtly setting up for future events. Here we get to see Wonder Woman beat up some bad guys and Starro take on a group of heroes with his mind. These are scenes that are both interesting and fun and are sure to provide the “summer blockbuster” feeling that this series is going for.

The other storyline sees Batman finally able to free himself from the Dark Multiverse. He and Superman are saved by Dream, who has come to assist them because his realm is also threatened. This is where we receive more information about Barbatos’ origin and why he is set on destroying the multiverse. This exposition is well done and interesting in a way that deepens the story as a whole and certainly made me more interested. It also establishes Barbatos as a more well-rounded villain rather than just a being with some sort of grudge against the Dark Knight.

After this, the duo travel to the Forge of Worlds, which Dream claims is the key to stopping Barbatos. This Forge’s status as a “place of creation” is interesting as it has the potential to fit perfectly with the themes that Snyder has been setting up throughout this series. Creation and destruction are referenced a lot, in a way that has meaning outside of the literal sense, and this Forge could connect in that as a potential place of birth for new comic book characters and new storylines. We know that this event will provide the set-up for a multitude of future comic series, which could be what this Forge is designed to represent.

The final moments in this issue are also climactic and are sure to get readers excited for the future. Both Hawkman and Hawkwoman appear, in separate portions of the story, as monstrous beasts ready to strike down the heroes. Neither one of these transformations is given a full explanation, though both are equally exciting in terms of what they could bring to the fold. I’m ready to see the fight that both characters put up and the reasoning behind their enigmatic status as villains.

Another overwhelmingly positive aspect of this work is the humor interwoven throughout; Plastic Man’s status as an egg is mocked, Starro is ridiculous, and Aquaman literally talks to a fish (Aquaman fans may not like this last part but the humor from that scene was worth it). These moments offer some brevity to an otherwise serious book. They are also just fun to have and would be entertaining no matter what else is going on.

(spoilers end here)

Art

When reading through the Dark Nights: Metal series, I am so amazed by Greg Capullo’s artwork in each issue that I think there is no way the next one will be able to impress in the same way. Yet, again and again, Capullo manages to surprise me. In this issue, we see a beautiful looking book that presents a multitude of characters in some of the best ways possible. Plus, Capullo gets a chance to get creative with the cosmic side of the DC Universe, a job he does very well.

The best part about the artwork in this particular issue though, is the way that it helps to make mundane moments better. There are a few moments in this issue where some exposition is necessary and things need to be explained to characters or the reader. Instead of leaving the reader a lengthy wall of text with little else to appreciate, every bit of exposition here is accompanied by some of the more spectacular pieces of art that this series has to offer. Even the series recap at the beginning of this issue is presented through an amusing series of drawings which match the storybook theme while helping to disseminate information. This helps the work overall and is sure to assist in keeping the reader engrossed in this fantastic series.

Continuity

Dark Nights: Metal #4 is the fourth issue in the Dark Nights: Metal series. Fans should read the first three issues in order to understand what is going on here (our reviews/breakdowns of these issues can be found here). Unlike other issues in the Dark Nights: Metal series, this one does not make many references to the tie-in issues for this series.

The story here will continue in Dark Nights: Metal #5.

This issue also references stories from other comic books, all of which are detailed below:

• The blue Superman who appears in this issue is a reference to the Superman Red/Superman Blue storyline, which started in Superman #122. This storyline is set to be collected in the Superman Red/Superman Blue trade paperback.
• Starro references a past storyline that we could not find. The commentary from the issue suggests that this reference may be a meta joke about continuity.
• Dream’s appearance in this book marks one of the few times the Justice League has ever interacted with him. The other happened in JLA Vol. 3.
• The story of the two brothers sent to “monitor” the universe is further detailed in Crisis on Infinite Earths.
• The character Lucien is mentioned multiple times. This is a character who’s backstory is first expanded upon in The Sandman Vol. 1: Preludes & Nocturnes.
• The “cosmic being” mentioned by Dream seems to be the villain from Multiversity.