The secrets of Metal are revealed.
Was there ever any doubt that Dark Nights: Metal would live up to the hype. Even ignoring the impressive track record writer Scott Snyder and artist Greg Capullo established during the New 52, the recent Dark Days prologue issues have already established this conflict as one of the most epic and intriguing cases in Batman's career. But if neither of those things was enough to sell you on Metal before now, the actual contents of the first issue should do the trick.
Reading Metal #1 doesn't exactly feel like a return to the New 52 Batman, even if the whole gang is back (including inker Jonathan Glapion and colorist FCO Plascencia). For one thing, the scope is much, much bigger this time around. The whole Justice League is involved, and the conflict is one that spans thousands of years and the full width and breadth of the multiverse. For another, the tone is more bombastic. The New 52 Batman series tended to be pretty dark, with every arc revolving around various existential threats to Gotham City and Batman repeatedly flirting with death. Even with the much higher stakes here, there's a clear desire to emphasize the fun, over-the-top side of Batman' adventures. The opening sequence makes that apparent enough, with the entire League participating in an epic showdown with Mongul. The craziness only continues from there. Metal reads like Snyder and Capullo are trying to craft a story that would appeal to their 10-year-old selves as much as their adult brains, and that balance works. Better than it has any right to, probably.
It really helps that Capullo's art style so naturally fits that approach. He's not just a skilled storyteller, but one capable of rendering whatever wacky or outlandish concept Snyder throws at him. Capullo delivers a very satisfying and very eclectic range of imagery in this issue. There are pages marked by epic action and crazy plot twists. There are more intimate moments of character drama. There's even a splash of psychological horror where appropriate. It's also a real treat seeing Glapion teamed with Capullo on a Batman book again. Glapion was replaced by Danny Miki midway through the New 52 series. And while the Capullo/Miki collaboration is strong, no one does a better job of bringing out the finer details of Capullo's pencils than Glapion. And with Plascencia's bold color work heightening the intensity of this story, this really is a well-rounded visual package.
Granted, this issue does chug somewhat in the middle act as the emphasis shifts towards exposition and establishing the framework of the grand cosmic conspiracy plaguing Batman. It's probably all necessary background information for those coming into Metal cold, but the exposition feels redundant in light of the work already done in the Dark Days one-shots. It's also strange to see the plot momentum come to such a screeching halt when Snyder and Capullo take such pains to open this issue in the heat of the moment. That all being said, this exposition does serve to connect a few dots and better establish the true nature of the threat facing the DCU.
The Verdict
Apart from a surprisingly sluggish middle act, Dark Nights: metal #1 is a terrifically enjoyable read. This issue crams in all the adventure and bombast that was promised, but also makes it clear that Batman is confronting one of the most dire and all-encompassing threats of his career. But for fans of the Snyder/Capullo Batman run, all you really need to know is that the old gang is back together.
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