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Dark Nights: Death Metal #5 Review

Writer: Scott Snyder

Art: Greg Capullo, FCO Plascencia, Tom Napolitano, and Jonathan Glapion

Publisher: DC COMICS

Price: $4.99

Release Date: November 17th, 2020

Guys, I want to love this. It feels like I should like this. It’s got crazy Batmen, insane action, and Superhero comic level brutality that could level a regular human’s neurons! However, when I feel like I need to be steeped in DC lore, carry around a DC COMICS Thesaurus, all while being adverse in the minimum level of DC Wikipedia with a Doctorate in Batematics, I want to throw in the towel and give up. I feel like this event is geared toward the extremely hardcore, life long fan who has continuity memorized like the NES Contra Code for 30 lives (which by the way is UP UP DOWN DOWN LEFT RIGHT LEFT RIGHT B A SELECT START) And yes “select” so your partner could also get 30 lives!! That said, what have we really learned from DARK NIGHTS: DEATH METAL #5 by Scott Snyder? Let’s dive in and take a look.

If you’re interested in this comic or any of the others mentioned, simply click on the title/link to snag a copy through Amazon.

So, where are we in all of this… Bat-nonsense? Our heroes are trying to make a last stand against the Darkest Knight and Castle Bat. By some crazy “cheat code” (if you will) The Batman Who Laughs has become a God and is trying to take down Perpetua to remake the Multiverse in his image. Shocker of the year… someone wants to be a God! Enter Lex Luthor and a plan to use Anti-Crisis Energy (whatever the heck that is) and/or drain the power of the Darkest Knight. Realistically, this issue is mainly a springboard for what’s to come. It’s an issue for our heroes to get their footing and take their last stand. And that’s basically it!

Frankly, another aspect of Scott Snyder’s writing that burns my britches is that he continues to put the hero (or heroes) in such a corner that they look so down and out that they couldn’t possibly win. But somehow, someway, our heroes overcome inescapable odds to take down the big bad, which in this case is a Bat-God. 6-12 issues, including tie-ins, backing our heroes into a corner only to fix everything with something that’s never existed yet? Something that hasn’t ever been discussed or in the works?

And readers, here lies the problem. A true story works in the solution gradually and doesn’t slide it in at the last second. Wait … so Monarch isn’t Captain Atom?!? Mr. Mxyzptlk creates another Superman?!? A wishing machine fixes everything?!? Baby Darkseid’s Omega beams can be used to go back in time and kill Barbatos?!? You see my point. Sometimes, Snyder (as well as many writers) can get a bit too zany and complex… and DARK NIGHTS: DEATH METAL has jumped the shark, sprayed the Batman shark repellent all over it, and then took your mom out to a nice seafood dinner and never called her again!!! This sucker has gone beyond bat$&@ crazy and I don’t see a logical way out that makes sense.

Now, on a side note, the utterly outrageous storyline has always welcomed some of the best and most fantastic art this reviewer has seen in a long time. Greg Capullo is amazing and continues to create some over the top illustrations that will blow anyone’s mind. Plus, Snyder and Capullo play so well together that readers can see how fluid the storytelling is when they’re both at work concurrently. The spreads and panels are beautiful and the colors are so vibrant with such detail that each page just comes to life.

FINAL THOUGHTS

DARK NIGHTS: DEATH METAL is frustrating. It tries to be scary at times, yet humorous immediately after. It wants to be epic, yet rational and digestible all at once. Snyder has dipped his hand in too many genre cookie jars and I think that’s what’s ultimately opening the flood gates with the convoluted craziness that makes me want to turn on reruns of GROWING PAINS instead… and I only liked the theme song! Readers, this feels like a reboot, reset, restart, regardless of what DC has said. I give Snyder mad props for trying to create this huge spectacle that connects past and future DC through this massive event. His task has been to fix… EVERYTHING!!! That can’t be easy. The poor guy must be going insane with the pressure this is probably putting him under. Fix DC. Fix years of continuity. And, do it in like 6-12 issues. Ready… GO! I mean.. come on! DARK NIGHTS: DEATH METAL #5 was downright silly, totally forced, reasonably entertaining, balls to the wall, ridiculousness that just needs to stop. Can someone just show me that smile again? And while you’re at it, don’t waste another minute on your cryin’.

7.2/10

If you’re interested in DARK NIGHTS: DEATH METAL #5, click HERE to grab a copy. If you’ve been really digging the recent DARK NIGHTS: DEATH METAL event, click HERE to snag related issues and trades. Or, if you’d like to catch up on all things DARK NIGHTS related, click HERE for trades where it all began. And finally, if you’re looking for something else to read, check out my Amazon Online Comic Shop by clicking HERE. Thank you all for the read and continued support. Stay safe and stay healthy.

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