Dark Nights: Metal was billed as the ultimate event from DC Comics. Certainly, the book is filled with every hero and villain in their stable. In addition, there are a multitude of Easter eggs and call outs (literally—they are in little yellow boxes) to other DC Comics. Maybe the buildup made me expect too much…but I didn’t enjoy the plot very much.
It appears that 52 universes within the multiverse are not enough for DC. Underlying the multiverse is a dark multiverse ruled by Barbatos. There are also a bunch of metals that are not on the periodic table that will be used to create a door into it. Around that point in the book (25%), I decided that this was not the book for me but maybe a physicist that has also read every single DC Comic will like it. I usually love Scott Snyder’s complex plots but this one was a bit much. I read the prequel first and I cannot imagine how confused I would have been if I had not.
Despite, or possibly because of, the crazy plot, the artwork was great! I don’t want to give away any spoilers but some of the League are in for some sh*t and the art definitely goes there to illustrate it! So 3 stars for the plot (and this big Scott Snyder fan has to cringe a bit to write it) and 5 for the art averages to 4 stars!
Thanks to the publisher, DC Comics, and NetGalley for an advanced copy.