Dark Nights: Metal #5
As everything grows even more hopeless in this ‘Dark Crisis,’ writer Scott Snyder and penciller Greg Capullo continue to deliver the best event comic of 2017. Now bleeding into the new year, Dark Nights: Metal #5 portrays a Justice League torn apart on separate missions. While Batman and Superman have been trapped within the Dark Multiverse, the remaining members are left to face The Dark Knights and Barbatos' Dark Army alone.
Batman and Superman, now in The World Forge, face a possessed Hawkman set on bringing about Barbatos’ will. The duo must save their universe as well as their former teammate. After failing to help Carter Hall, the two opt to retreat into The World Forge and onto unknown destinations escaping Hawkman’s wrath.
While trapped on Thanagar, Hal Jordan (Green Lantern) and Mr Terrific are on a search of their own for Plastic Man’s metal egg. Running into an old ally, the trio escape and are able to overcome Onimar Synn to reclaim the egg, only to be met by three of The Dark Knights. On a hunt for metal in the center of the world, Aquaman and Deathstroke are ambushed by three more of The Dark Knights led by Black Manta. Concurrently after defeating Black Adam, Wonder Woman is shot by The Batman Who Laughs, revealing that their hunt for the Nth Metal has only helped Barbatos plan. Wonder Woman causes the possessed Hawkgirl to see the truth, with aid from her lasso, and the two continue the battle against Barbatos’ Dark Army alone.
Snyder and Capullo continue to drag the DC Universe through hell with every issue of Dark Nights: Metal. As the stakes perpetually become more hopeless, the Justice League is put through the ringer displayed masterfully with Capullo's pencils. Small Easter eggs and nuances are par for the course with Capullo’s art, he truly knows how to make each scene memorable. Jonathan Glapion’s colors highlight the sheer epicness of Capullo’s pencils as the reader is jerked from one corner of the DC Universe to another. Glapion has a way of distinguishing every location from the next without the aid of captions. By far the fastest reading issue of the series, but still managed to bring the stakes even higher while utterly torturing each respective member of the League.
Leaving a wake of epic fan moment after epic fan moment, making room for love from new and old reader alike, Dark Nights: Metal is the prime example of a great event. With two more issue remaining and a whole host of titles to come following it's conclusion, this is only the beginning.
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