Dark Nights: Metal is a 2017 - 2018 monthly
crossover
Crossover may refer to:
Entertainment
Albums and songs
* ''Cross Over'' (Dan Peek album)
* ''Crossover'' (Dirty Rotten Imbeciles album), 1987
* ''Crossover'' (Intrigue album)
* ''Crossover'' (Hitomi Shimatani album)
* ''Crossover'' (Yoshino ...
comic book
A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...
storyline published by
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.
DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
, which consisted of a core eponymous miniseries, and a number of other tie-in books. Premiering in June 2017 and lasting until April 2018, the plot was written by
Scott Snyder
Scott Snyder is an American author. He is known for his 2006 short story collection ''Voodoo Heart'', and his comic book writing, including '' American Vampire'', '' Detective Comics'', '' Batman'', '' Wytches'', '' Swamp Thing,'' and ''Justice ...
, with art by
Greg Capullo
Gregory Capullo (; born March 30, 1962) is an American comic book artist and penciller, best known for his work on ''Quasar'' (1991–1992), '' X-Force'' (1992–1993), ''Angela'' (1994), ''Spawn'' (1993–2000, 2003–2004) and ''Batman'' (2011 ...
, Jonathan Glapion and FCO Plascencia. The story closely links with Snyder and Capullo's run on ''
Batman'' during ''
The New 52
The New 52 is the 2011 revamp and relaunch by DC Comics of its entire line of ongoing monthly superhero comic books. Following the conclusion of the " Flashpoint" crossover storyline, DC canceled all its existing titles and debuted 52 new serie ...
'' DC relaunch.
The story involves
Batman discovering a Dark Multiverse that exists beneath the core
DC multiverse
In DC Comics, the Multiverse is a "cosmic construct" composed of the many fictional universes the stories of DC take place in. The worlds in this multiverse share a space and fate in common, and its structure has changed several times in the h ...
. It is revealed that both multiverses are connected through mysterious metals that Batman has encountered over the years. His investigations eventually result in him releasing seven evil versions of himself from the Dark Multiverse, led by the dark god known as Barbatos, who plans to unleash darkness across every Earth.
A soundtrack featuring songs inspired by the graphic novel was released as exclusive vinyl picture disc on September 28, 2018. The six-track
EP features
heavy metal songs by
Jerry Cantrell
Jerry Fulton Cantrell Jr. (born March 18, 1966) is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. He is best known as the founder, lead guitarist, co-lead vocalist, and main songwriter of the rock band Alice in Chains. The band rose to internation ...
,
Chino Moreno
Chino Moreno (born Camillo Wong Moreno, June 20, 1973) is an American musician who is best known as the lead vocalist, primary lyricist and contributing guitarist of the metal band Deftones. He is also a member of the side-project groups Team S ...
,
Brann Dailor
Brann Timothy Dailor (born March 19, 1975) is an American musician, best known as a member of heavy metal band Mastodon, in which he is the drummer and one of three vocalists.
Career
Dailor first started playing in a band called Eviscerati ...
,
Maria Brink
Maria Brink (born December 18, 1977) is an American singer and songwriter, best known as the frontwoman of the metal band The band has gone on to release seven studio albums and receive four nominations, two from Alternative Press Music Awards, ...
,
Alexis Krauss
Sleigh Bells is an American musical duo based in Brooklyn, New York, formed in 2008 and consisting of vocalist Alexis Krauss and guitarist/producer Derek E. Miller. They became known for their overdriven style of noise pop, which incorporates ...
and
Jason Aalon Butler.
Publication history
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.
DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
first announced the details of "Dark Nights: Metal" at
Fan Expo Dallas
Fan Expo Dallas, previously known as Dallas Comic Con (or DCC for short), is a three-day speculative fiction, (including comic books and gaming) fan convention held annually in the Dallas, Texas area. Larger in scale than the Dallas Fan Days even ...
in April 2017. The company revealed that the event would feature the reunion of
Scott Snyder
Scott Snyder is an American author. He is known for his 2006 short story collection ''Voodoo Heart'', and his comic book writing, including '' American Vampire'', '' Detective Comics'', '' Batman'', '' Wytches'', '' Swamp Thing,'' and ''Justice ...
and
Greg Capullo
Gregory Capullo (; born March 30, 1962) is an American comic book artist and penciller, best known for his work on ''Quasar'' (1991–1992), '' X-Force'' (1992–1993), ''Angela'' (1994), ''Spawn'' (1993–2000, 2003–2004) and ''Batman'' (2011 ...
after their widely acclaimed
New 52
The New 52 is the 2011 revamp and relaunch by DC Comics of its entire line of ongoing monthly superhero comic books. Following the conclusion of the " Flashpoint" crossover storyline, DC canceled all its existing titles and debuted 52 new series ...
Batman run.
The series, which debuted in June 2017, is the culmination of their Batman story arcs, which includes ''The
Court of Owls
The Court of Owls is a criminal organization and secret society appearing in DC Comics continuity as adversaries of the superhero Batman. The Court is described as an organization of the wealthiest and most influential citizens of the city of Got ...
'', ''
Death of the Family'', ''
Zero Year'', and ''
Endgame
Endgame, Endgames, End Game, End Games, or similar variations may refer to:
Film
* ''The End of the Game'' (1919 film)
* ''The End of the Game'' (1975 film), short documentary U.S. film
* ''Endgame'' (1983 film), 1983 Italian post-apocalyptic f ...
''. Snyder stated, "I've been writing Metal as long as I've been writing Batman."
The idea of creating a dark multiverse came from Snyder, who was inspired by watching the science documentary television series ''
Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey'' with his five-year-old son. He became fascinated with the concept of
dark matter
Dark matter is a hypothetical form of matter thought to account for approximately 85% of the matter in the universe. Dark matter is called "dark" because it does not appear to interact with the electromagnetic field, which means it does not a ...
, prompting him to question "What if the Multiverse essentially has these 52 universes, but has almost this ocean of possibility, this ocean of almost reactive matter beneath it that's like a Dark Multiverse".
Aside the seven featured Dark Knights in the finished comic book, Snyder planned more dark Batmen that got ultimately cut; these included a
Punisher
The Punisher (Francis "Frank" Castle, born Castiglione) is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita Sr. and Ross Andru. The Punisher made ...
-esque Batman, a dark magic-wielding Batman, a Batman who grew up as a patient in
Arkham Asylum after being accused of his parents' murder, a Batman who merged with his whole
rogues gallery
A rogues' gallery (or rogues gallery) is a police collection of mug shots or other images of criminal suspects kept for identification purposes.
History
In 1855, Allan Pinkerton, founder of the Pinkerton National Detective Agency, established a ...
and one who merged with
Gotham City
Gotham City ( ), or simply Gotham, is a fictional city appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, best known as the home of the superhero Batman and his List of Batman supporting characters#Bat-Family, allies and List of Batman fa ...
itself.
''Dark Nights: Metal'' also marks the first appearance of
Dream
A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around 5 to 20 minutes, althou ...
of the
Endless
Endless or The Endless may refer to:
Business
* Endless (private equity), a British firm
* Endless.com, an e-commerce website selling shoes and accessories
* Endless Computers, an American operating system company
Film
* ''The Endless'' (film ...
from
Neil Gaiman's ''
The Sandman'' (1989–1996) in the post-''New 52''
DC Universe
The DC Universe (DCU) is the fictional shared universe where most stories in American comic book titles published by DC Comics take place. Superheroes such as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Robin, Martian Manhunter, The Flash, Green Lant ...
.
According to Snyder, he wanted to make the story unforgettable and a character to help guide the superheroes through the unknown. When he realized Dream would be a good fit, he reached out to Gaiman for permission to use him. “I was so excited...
aiman
Aiman ( ar, أيمن) is an Arabic language male name. It is an alternative Latin alphabet spelling of the name Ayman. It is derived from the Arabic Semitic root () for ''right'', and literally means ''righteous'', ''he who is on the right'', ''ri ...
couldn’t have been more generous", he said. "It’s literally one of the best moments of my career, to be able to get to write a character that meant so much to me growing up and still does".
In June 2017, DC announced seven one-shot comics that tie into the story of "Dark Nights: Metal": ''Batman: The Red Death'', ''Batman: The Murder Machine'', ''Batman: The Dawnbreaker'', ''Batman: The Drowned'', ''Batman: The Merciless'', ''Batman: The Devastator'', and ''The Batman Who Laughs''. DC stated, "Each one-shot story spotlights a different, corrupted version of Batman spawned from the Dark Multiverse to wreak havoc on Earth."
The following month, DC announced ''Batman: Lost'' written by Scott Snyder with art by
Olivier Coipel
Olivier Coipel (; November 7, 1969) is a French comic book artist, known for his work on books such as ''House of M'', ''Legion of Super-Heroes'' and ''Thor''.
Career
Olivier Coipel started as a movie animator, working as an assistant on '' Balt ...
and Bengal. Snyder states, "the single issue story will strand Batman alone in the Dark Multiverse, where he will face his greatest fears."
At the 2017
Comic-Con International, an additional tie-in one-shot was announced called ''Hawkman Found'' written by
Jeff Lemire
Jeff Lemire (; born March 21, 1976) is a Canadian comic book writer, artist, and television producer. He is the author of critically acclaimed titles including the ''Essex County Trilogy'', '' Sweet Tooth'', and ''The Nobody''. His written work in ...
with art by
Bryan Hitch
Bryan Hitch (born 22 April 1970) is a British comics artist and writer. Hitch began his career in the United Kingdom for Marvel UK, working on titles such as ''Action Force'' and ''Death's Head'', before gaining prominence on American titles ...
and
Kevin Nowlan. As the title implies, it focused on the connection between
Hawkman and the events of "Dark Nights: Metal" and it is positioned as a sequel to ''Batman Lost''. Lemire revealed that it "re-positions one of DC’s oldest, most iconic and most confusing characters ahead of a possible new ongoing in the new year."
In September 2017, DC announced, without a specific reason, that issue #4 would be delayed by a week. This led to the one-shot comic, ''Hawkman Found'', being delayed by a week as well.
DC announced another delay without reason in October 2017 and issue #5 was released three weeks later than the originally scheduled date.
The series' sequel, ''
Dark Nights: Death Metal'', by Snyder and Capullo, was announced for May 2020.
Synopsis
Prelude
Hal Jordan is summoned by
Ganthet
Ganthet is a character in the DC Comics universe, who first appeared in 1992 in Larry Niven and John Byrne’s graphic novel ''Green Lantern: Ganthet's Tale'' (). He is also the husband of Sayd.
Fictional character biography
Ganthet is one of t ...
to investigate a dark presence that he senses on Earth, the location of which is revealed to be the
Batcave
The Batcave is a subterranean location appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. It is the headquarters of the superhero Batman, whose secret identity is Bruce Wayne and his partners, consisting of caves beneath his personal r ...
. Upon his arrival, he meets
Duke Thomas. As they investigate, they stumble upon a hidden room in the Batcave, where they hear a mysterious voice that lures them in. This leads them to a cell where
Batman has imprisoned the
Joker.
[''Dark Days: The Forge'' #1 (2017)]
Meanwhile, Batman has been investigating random frequencies that have appeared across the Earth, which he believes are a part of a bigger mystery that he has been investigating for years regarding mysterious metals and dark energy. He enlists the help of
Mister Terrific to collect more data from
Earth-Two. After conferring with him, he realizes that he needs to use the
Anti-Monitor tower at
Superman's
Fortress of Solitude
The Fortress of Solitude is a fictional fortress appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with Superman. It is the place where Superman first learned about his true identity, heritage, and purpose on Ear ...
to further his investigations.
Batman continues his investigation by seeking
Hephaestus
Hephaestus (; eight spellings; grc-gre, Ἥφαιστος, Hḗphaistos) is the Greek god of blacksmiths, metalworking, carpenters, craftsmen, artisans, sculptors, metallurgy, fire (compare, however, with Hestia), and volcanoes.Walter B ...
, the Greek god of blacksmiths, in
Athens
Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
, but learns from
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a superhero created by the American psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston (pen name: Charles Moulton), and artist Harry G. Peter. Marston's wife, Elizabeth Holloway Marston, Elizabeth, and their life partner, Olive Byr ...
that the
Greek Gods
The following is a list of gods, goddesses, and many other divine and semi-divine figures from ancient Greek mythology and ancient Greek religion.
Immortals
The Greeks created images of their deities for many purposes. A temple would house th ...
have abandoned Earth. However, she has been given a weapon forged for Apollo called the Sunblade that she has been instructed to give to Batman. This leads him to an encounter with
Talia al Ghul
Talia al Ghul ( ar, تاليا الغول; ) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with Batman. The character was created by writer Dennis O'Neil and artist Bob Brown (comics), ...
, where he is able to trade the Sunblade for a dagger forged by the wizard
Shazam. It is made of one of the metals Batman has been searching for.
[''Dark Days: The Casting'' #1 (2017)]
Back in the Batcave, the Joker has escaped his cell and appears to have deeper knowledge of the unraveling mystery. He proceeds to smash a machine that Batman has built, claiming that it will herald the end of the world. A fight ensues, where it is revealed that Duke is a
metahuman with the power to become luminescent and see light constructs of his surroundings. It ends when the Joker suddenly disappears. Batman returns and explains that he needed the machine to peer into the source of visions he had been seeing from the Dark Multiverse. Duke is able to use his newfound ability to see a blueprint of the machine. Hal gives him his
power ring, so that he is able to reconstruct it. This ends with Batman receiving a vision of complete darkness, while a group of dark figures exclaim that the seal has been broken and that the Dark Knights are coming, implying that Batman opened up a door to the Dark Multiverse.
Plot
The story is framed around the journals of
Carter Hall
Carter(s), or Carter's, Tha Carter, or The Carter(s), may refer to:
Geography United States
* Carter, Arkansas, an unincorporated community
* Carter, Mississippi, an unincorporated community
* Carter, Montana, a census-designated place
* Carte ...
, who reveals a mystery that spans centuries revolving around divine metals that have landed on Earth.
He gradually reveals a conflict that has existed since the beginning of time between four tribes: the wolf, the bear, the bird and the bat.
[''Dark Nights: Metal'' #1 (2017)]
After the
Justice League
The Justice League (also known as The Justice League of America) are a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). The team was conceived b ...
defeats
Mongul
Mongul () is a supervillain appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. Writer Len Wein and artist Jim Starlin created the first version of the character, who debuted in ''DC Comics Presents'' #27 (November 1980). Jerry Ordway created the sec ...
on his war moon, they return home to find Challengers Mountain, the headquarters of the superhero team the
Challengers of the Unknown
The Challengers of the Unknown is a fictional group of adventurers appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The quartet of adventurers explored paranormal occurrences while facing several fantastic menaces.
The characters' provenance is ...
, has mysteriously appeared in the middle of
Gotham City
Gotham City ( ), or simply Gotham, is a fictional city appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, best known as the home of the superhero Batman and his List of Batman supporting characters#Bat-Family, allies and List of Batman fa ...
. When they get into the mountain they are met by Kendra Saunders, otherwise known as
Hawkgirl
Hawkgirl is the name of several superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original Hawkgirl, Shiera Sanders Hall, was created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Dennis Neville, and first appeared in ''Flash Comics' ...
, who warns them of a full-scale invasion. She explains the concept of a Dark Multiverse, a multiverse that exists beneath the
DC Multiverse
In DC Comics, the Multiverse is a "cosmic construct" composed of the many fictional universes the stories of DC take place in. The worlds in this multiverse share a space and fate in common, and its structure has changed several times in the h ...
, that contains a dark beast named Barbatos. Through her investigations, she has discovered a connection between Barbatos and the
Wayne family. Batman is revealed to be part of a prophecy in which he will be treated by five divine metals that will open a door to the Dark Multiverse and allow Barbatos to invade the Multiverse. It is further revealed that Barbatos first marked Batman when he was sent back in time by
Darkseid's Omega Beams during the events of the ''
Final Crisis'' storyline. Despite this, Batman steals Kendra's sample of Nth metal, one of the divine metals. In bringing it to the
Batcave
The Batcave is a subterranean location appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. It is the headquarters of the superhero Batman, whose secret identity is Bruce Wayne and his partners, consisting of caves beneath his personal r ...
to study it, the metal leads Batman to the journal of Carter Hall, discovered to have been in
Wayne Manor
Wayne Manor Estate (or simply Wayne Manor) is a fictional mansion appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. It is the personal residence of Bruce Wayne, who is also the superhero Batman.
The residence is depicted as a large mansio ...
the whole time. The journal confirms Batman's suspicions regarding his role in the prophecy. He is then visited by
Daniel Hall (Dream) who warns him that the "nightmare has only just begun."
The whole Justice League searches for Batman and, when
Superman finds him, he interrogates him. During this exchange, Batman reveals that he has already been exposed to the foretold divine metals in a process called mantling. It started when he faced the
Court of Owls
The Court of Owls is a criminal organization and secret society appearing in DC Comics continuity as adversaries of the superhero Batman. The Court is described as an organization of the wealthiest and most influential citizens of the city of Got ...
and was exposed to electrum. He was exposed to dionesium during the events of the ''Endgame'' story arc, when he fought to the death with the Joker. The machine that was subsequently used to resurrect him exposed him to promethium. Finally, when he used the machine that allowed him to peer into the Dark Multiverse (during the events of the lead-up), he exposed himself to the Nth metal. In an attempt to escape the last metal, Batman steals Darkseid, who has been reduced to a baby. He aims to use Darkseid's Omega Beams to go back in time again and prevent Barbatos from meeting him. Unfortunately, he is tricked by the Court of Owls and subsequently exposed to the last divine metal: batmanium. This causes him to exchange places with Barbatos and seven dark versions of himself from the Dark Multiverse.
Superman flies to the Fortress of Solitude where he encounters the dark versions of Batman for the first time as they introduce themselves as the Dark Knights. They all come from the Dark Multiverse — temporary negative realities created by the fears of people from their respective counterpart positive universes — and were recruited by Barbatos with the promise of preventing the end of their worlds.
The Batman Who Laughs
The Batman Who Laughs (Bruce Wayne) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is the evil counterpart and alternate version of Batman within the Dark Multiverse. He is depicted as a hybrid of both Batman ( ...
from Earth-22, who lost his sanity due to his world's Joker, gathered the six other Dark Multiverse Batmen after they each alter themselves to gain superhuman abilities. The Dark Knights' membership includes the speedster fusion of Flash and Batman called The Red Death, a female amphibious Batman (Bryce Wayne) called The Drowned, a corrupted, teenaged Green Lantern Batman named The Dawnbreaker, a cyborg Batman named The Murder Machine, a Batman known as The Merciless who wears the helmet of
Ares and the
Doomsday
Doomsday may refer to:
* Eschatology, a time period described in the eschatological writings in Abrahamic religions and in doomsday scenarios of non-Abrahamic religions.
* Global catastrophic risk, a hypothetical event explored in science and fict ...
-infected Batman called The Devastator. Superman is overwhelmed as he is spirited away from danger by the
Flash
Flash, flashes, or FLASH may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
Fictional aliases
* Flash (DC Comics character), several DC Comics superheroes with super speed:
** Flash (Barry Allen)
** Flash (Jay Garrick)
** Wally West, the first Kid F ...
and
Doctor Fate
Doctor Fate (also known as Fate) is the name of multiple superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original version of the character was created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Howard Sherman, debuting in ''More F ...
.
Superman meets the people who are left of the resistance, including those who are connected to the Nth metal such as Doctor Fate,
Steel, and
Plastic Man
Plastic Man (Patrick "Eel" O'Brian) is a superhero first appearing in ''Police Comics'' #1, originally published by Quality Comics and later acquired by DC Comics. Created by cartoonist Jack Cole (artist), Jack Cole, Plastic Man was one of the fi ...
's egg.
Nightwing explains how major cities around the world have fallen to the dark versions of Batman: The Red Death attacked
Central City
In urban planning, a core city, principal city metropolitan core, or central city, is the largest or most important city or cities of a metropolitan area. A core city is surrounded by smaller satellite cities, towns, and suburbs. A central city ...
, The Drowned attacked Amnesty Bay, The Dawnbreaker attacked
Coast City, The Murder Machine attacked
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...
, The Merciless attacked
Langley Langley may refer to:
People
* Langley (surname), a common English surname, including a list of notable people with the name
* Dawn Langley Simmons (1922–2000), English author and biographer
* Elizabeth Langley (born 1933), Canadian perfor ...
, The Devastator attacked
Metropolis
A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural center for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications.
A big ci ...
and The Batman Who Laughs takes
Gotham City
Gotham City ( ), or simply Gotham, is a fictional city appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, best known as the home of the superhero Batman and his List of Batman supporting characters#Bat-Family, allies and List of Batman fa ...
. Suddenly, Mister Terrific interprets vibrations coming from Plastic Man's egg which indicate the coordinates of four locations that need to be investigated. Wonder Woman, Doctor Fate and Kendra Saunders go to investigate the
Rock of Eternity
The Rock of Eternity is a fictional location appearing in American comic books featuring Captain Marvel / Shazam and/or his associated characters, first in publications by Fawcett Comics and later by DC Comics.
In many versions of the Capta ...
. Green Lantern and Mister Terrific head to the remains of
Thanagar.
Aquaman
Aquaman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in '' More Fun Comics'' #73 (November 1941). The character is a pastiche of Namor. Initially a ...
and
Deathstroke go to
Atlantis
Atlantis ( grc, Ἀτλαντὶς νῆσος, , island of Atlas) is a fictional island mentioned in an allegory on the hubris of nations in Plato's works '' Timaeus'' and '' Critias'', wherein it represents the antagonist naval power that b ...
. Finally, Superman has Steel and the Flash create a path into the Dark Multiverse for him through the
Phantom Zone
The Phantom Zone is a prison-like parallel dimension appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. It is mainly associated with stories featuring Superman. It first appeared in '' Adventure Comics'' #283 (April 1961), and was created ...
. Once he arrives, Superman realizes that it was a trap set by the Dark Knights so that they can harness the energy from his cells to power their doomsday device which would unleash their reality into the Multiverse.
[''Dark Nights: Metal'' #3]
While searching for the Nth Metal at the Rock of Eternity, Wonder Woman, Doctor Fate and Kendra Saunders face the personification of the Seven Sins. Kendra, entrusted with the mission given by the Council of Immortals, tries to fire the Anti-Monitor's astral brain into the center of the Multiverse as an attempt to stop the Dark Multiverse but is interrupted by Barbatos, who transforms her into a dark-hawk version of herself named Lady Blackhawk. Meanwhile, Dr. Fate is confronted by
Black Adam
Black Adam, real name Teth/Theo-Adam, is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He was created by Otto Binder and C. C. Beck, and first appeared in the debut issue of Fawcett Comics' ''The Marvel Family'' comi ...
, who alongside
Vandal Savage
Vandar Adg of the Blood Tribe, more widely known as Vandal Savage, is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is said to be a Cro-Magnon warrior who gained immortality and advanced healing abilities after encount ...
, have brokered a deal with Barbatos. At the outskirts of Atlantis, Aquaman and Deathstroke enter the sacred/forbidden burial ground of Atlantis' first king,
Arion. Meanwhile, Hal Jordan and Mr. Terrific reach Thanagar Prime where they find long-time Thangarian enemy
Onimar Synn has conquered the planet with the help of JLA villain
Starro. They have known of the Dark Multiverse's existence for eons and have prepared to “raze the Earth” with a doomsday device called The Phoenix Cannon. Starro neutralizes Lantern and Terrific and the two are incarcerated.
Meanwhile, in the Dark Multiverse, Superman wakes Bruce from an unending nightmare. Overwhelmed by Dark Supermen, the World's Finest are saved by Daniel Hall. Taken to Lucien's library in the Dreaming, Daniel proceeds to explain the history of the Multiverse, revealing that alongside the Monitor and the Anti-Monitor, there is a third being: a "Forger" tasked to watch over what had yet to come. Within the Dark Multiverse is a "World Forge" which hammered out universes from the hopes and fears of all living beings (the most stable forming
the Orrery of Worlds). Barbatos himself is a great dragon that the Forger kept to destroy unstable worlds. Knowing only destruction, Barbatos killed his creator and the Forge began to darken (as twisted worlds survived). Convinced that there is still hope, Superman and Batman head for the Forge of Worlds; however, they find the Forge has gone dark and are confronted by the Dragon of Barbatos — a corrupted Carter Hall. Superman and Batman evade Carter Hall's attack as they struggle to search for a spark in the darkened core of the Forge.
Exiting a portal in Arion's grave, Arthur and Deathstroke find themselves in the Earth's core. Remembering a legend of how Arion saved Atlantis by using magic from the Earth's core, they begin extracting Nth Metal only to come under attack from
Black Manta
Black Manta is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Bob Haney and Nick Cardy, and first appeared in ''Aquaman'' #35 in September 1967. He has since endured as the archenemy of the s ...
, who is allied with the Dark Knights.
On Thanagar Prime, Hal and Mr. Terrific are rescued from their cells by the Martian Manhunter (who has been exploring Thanagar Prime to learn about the secret Nth Metal deposits) and the trio proceed to rescue Plastic Man from Synn and Starro. They soon learn several Dark Knights have seized control of the Phoenix Cannon, reversing its polarity to make Earth sink further into the Dark Multiverse.
In the Rock of Eternity, Kendra regains control of her body after Wonder Woman uses her golden lasso on her, restoring Kendra's memories, although she is still in her dark-hawk form. Kendra decides to operate under her original alias,
Hawkgirl
Hawkgirl is the name of several superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original Hawkgirl, Shiera Sanders Hall, was created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Dennis Neville, and first appeared in ''Flash Comics' ...
, and arms herself with Carter's mace. However, even after defeating Black Adam, both are beaten by The Batman Who Laughs, who explains that all the heroes have done is help accelerate Barbatos' plans and that Earth is now low enough for Barbatos' army to claim it. Refusing to give up, Diana and Kendra proceed to use the Rock of Eternity's core to reach Barbatos and are confronted by his Dark Army.
Clashing their metals together (Diana's bracelets and Kendra's mace), the two heroines succeed in helping Green Lantern, Mr. Terrific, Aquaman and Deathstroke fight back against the Dark Knights. Mr. Terrific convinces Plastic Man to awaken, turning the tide of battle. Reaching the Dark Forge, Kendra manages to break Carter out of Barbatos' corruption (reigniting the Forge in the process), Diana reaches Batman and Superman (donned in Tenth Metal, the prime constitute of the World Forge), and Barbatos is confronted by the Flash and Cyborg, who have gathered reinforcements from other realities (including the '53rd Earth').
Refusing to lose, Barbatos reveals his last resort; using the combined power of the positive energy of his prisoner the
Over-Monitor, the Anti-Monitor's brain's negative energy, and the Batman Who Laughs' dark energy, he plans to destroy all of creation and leave nothing but darkness in his wake. An unexpected team-up of Batman and the Joker, however, halts this plan, the Justice League defeats the remaining Dark Knights, and Hawkgirl subdues Barbatos. After the Over-Monitor explains that all living things have trace amounts of Tenth Metal, the League proceed to use this power to pull Earth out of the Dark Multiverse (which unintentionally also results in the
Source Wall
This page list the locations in the DC Universe, the shared universe setting of DC Comics.
Sites
* the Arrowcave – The former base of operations of the Green Arrow and Speedy.
* Avernus Cemetery – A burial ground located in Central City for ...
shattering). After the battle the Over-Monitor chains Barbatos down at the bottom of the Dark Multiverse with Tenth Metal chains, forcing him to watch the World Forge burn bright once more as it creates new worlds.
[''Dark Nights: Metal'' #6]
Epilogue
The Justice League, with the inclusion of the Martian Manhunter and Hawkgirl, are invited to a gala dinner at Wayne Manor. They speak of their victory against Barbatos, Hawkman recovering on Blackhawk Island and having written about mysterious glimpses of what is to come. Most importantly, they address cracking the Source Wall, which means their Multiverse just got much bigger. This is a matter of utmost importance, but for the night the League decides to enjoy themselves and start preparing the next day.
During the after-dinner party, Bruce, Diana, and Clark talk more about the possible incoming threats now that the Multiverse has been expanded, including a hidden threat they have not yet told anyone else about. Bruce tells his friends not to worry, as he has a plan. On the desk of his study lay a number of blueprints for a
Hall of Justice.
Aftermath
During the event, portals were created over Gotham City which
Derek James fell into and gained the abilities of trans-dimensional travel.
Titles involved
Reception
The
review aggregator
A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...
website Comic Book Roundup, gave issue #1 an average score of 8.8 out of 10 based on 46 critics.
Kieran Shiach of
Comic Book Resources
''Comic Book Resources'', also known by the initialism CBR, is a website dedicated to the coverage of comic book–related news and discussion.
History
Comic Book Resources was founded by Jonah Weiland in 1995 as a development of the Kingdom Co ...
(CBR) wrote "Ultimately, ''Dark Nights: Metal'' is just outright fun. Snyder, Capullo and their collaborators really leaned into the ecstatic lunacy of superhero comics towards the end of their Batman run and'' Metal'' feels like the next logical step." Jesse Schedeen from
IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
gave the issue an 8.4 out of 10 writing, "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." Pierce Lydon from
Newsarama
Newsarama is an American website that publishes news, interviews, and essays about the American comic book industry. It is owned by Future US. In June 2020, Newsarama was merged with the website GamesRadar+, also owned by FutureUS.
History
...
gave it an 8 out of 10 saying, "Dark Nights: Metal is a great event book because it is true to its characters and it’s deeper than just its surface “Justice League vs. Evil Batmen” premise."
Comic Book Roundup gave issue #2 an average score of 8.8 out of 10 based on 37 critics.
Jim Johnson of CBR praised the issue, and the story-line, for giving Batman a larger role in the DC Universe, saying "''Dark Nights: Metal'', though, has so far not only given his character fantastically plausible reasons to get out of Gotham, but to take a central role in a storyline that reaches much farther." Schedeen gave it an 8.5 saying "While Metal still has a few kinks to iron out before it can rival the best of Snyder and Capullo's work, the series is delivering plenty of drama and spectacle as it explores the collision between the DCU and the Dark Multiverse."
Comic Book Roundup gave issue #3 an average score of 8.2 out of 10 based on 30 critics.
Jim Johnson of CBR applauds the issue for providing Superman as a bright contrast from Batman, he says "The presence of Superman dilutes the darkness, if only a little, and is exemplified here in his optimistic, albeit false for now, hopes of finding and rescuing his crimefighting partner." Schedeen gave it a 7.2 saying "Unfortunately, this issue seems prone to biting off more than it can chew, resorting in a number of exposition-driven sequences that slow down an otherwise exciting storyline."
Soundtrack
DC and
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...
collaborated on a soundtrack featuring songs inspired by ''Dark Nights: Metal''. The soundtrack was produced by
Tyler Bates
Tyler Bates (born June 5, 1965) is an American musician, producer, and composer for film, television, and video game scores. Much of his work is in the action and horror film genres, with films like '' Dawn of the Dead, 300, Sucker Punch, H ...
and
Mike Elizondo
Mike Elizondo (born October 22, 1972) is an American producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. A protege of Dr. Dre, Elizondo has worked with 50 Cent, Eminem, Carrie Underwood, Fiona Apple, Mastodon, Ry Cooder, Skylar Grey, Twenty ...
, and was released as a six-track EP exclusively on 12" vinyl on September 28, 2018. The pressing was limited to 4,000 copies and the EP was also accompanied by a poster and a 32-page comic book.
Track listing
;Side A
;Side B
Collected editions
Follow-up lines
With the end of ''Dark Nights: Metal,'' new titles were spun out due to the aftermath:
*
New Justice: An aftermath for several DC Universe mainline comics.
*
The New Age of DC Heroes: Debuting new characters and stories related to the repercussions of ''Dark Nights: Metal''.
* ''
The Sandman Universe'': Featuring the return of several characters from ''
The Sandman'' by
Neil Gaiman.
* ''
Year of the Villain
''Year of the Villain'' is a crossover comic book event published by DC Comics. Since May 2019, the event narrates the aftermath of '' Dark Nights: Metal'' and the prelude to '' Batman/Superman vs. The Secret Six'' and '' Dark Nights: Death Metal ...
'': In March 2019, Scott Snyder announced a new event campaign titled ''Year of the Villain'', which features the repercussions of ''Dark Nights: Metal'' from the supervillains' perspective.
* ''
Tales from the Dark Multiverse
''Tales from the Dark Multiverse'' is an American superhero/anthology comic book limited series published by DC Comics, beginning on October 16, 2019. The series takes some of the most famous events in the DC Universe and puts a twist on them.
Pl ...
'': A series of one-off comics that take some of DC's most famous events and put a tragic twist on them, with ''
Batman: Knightfall'' and ''
The Death of Superman
"The Death of Superman" is a crossover story event featured in DC Comics' Superman-related publications. The crossover, which originated from editor Mike Carlin and writers Dan Jurgens, Roger Stern, Louise Simonson, Jerry Ordway, and Karl Kese ...
'' to start. DC Comics has teased other tales such as ''Teen Titans: The Judas Contract'', ''Infinite Crisis'', and ''Blackest Night''.
* ''
Dark Nights: Death Metal'' is the sequel to ''Dark Nights: Metal'', with Snyder stating: "Everything is coming back, we want to pay it forward. The Omega Titans, Barbatos, the Forge, it’s all coming back. Everything you read, our goal is to reward. All of it culminates in like a year in like a ''Metal'' event."
References
External links
Official website
{{Batman publications
Batman titles
DC Comics titles
Comic book reboots
Comics by Scott Snyder