DC Comics’ ongoing Metal event finally came to a dramatic finish yesterday, but the epic ended with a lot more than the defeat of a squad of evil, broken Batmen (and one woman) from the alternate, dark universes devoid of hope. It’s also made some significant developments for the DC comics multiverse that are going resonate in some pretty major ways — and here are the biggest.
Wonder Woman, Batman, and Superman showing up to save the day in Dark Nights Metal # 6.Illustration: Greg Capullo, Jonathan Glapion (DC Comics)
Plastic Man doing the most.Illustration: Greg Capullo, Jonathan Glapion (DC)
Plastic Man Is Back… and Ready to Kill
Because comic books are weird and series come out of order, it’s not really a secret that Plastic Man’s finally making his triumphant comeback to DC’s books, but his return is notable because of what it means for the character. Snapped out of the coma that left him trapped in an egg-like form, Plastic Man emerges as one of the most important members of the Justice League specifically because of his ability to resonate with various universal frequencies.
When Plastic Man wakes up in Dark Nights: Metal #6, he comes back in a big way — manifesting all of his transformative powers to turn himself into a savage killing machine to take on the Dark Knights from across the Dark Multiverse.
Wonder Woman taking on the evil teams from the dark multiverse.Illustration: Greg Capullo, Jonathan Glapion (DC)
Wonder Woman Is Now the Justice League’s Badass Leader
Because Metal was chiefly concerned with breaking Batman down in order to give the people around him a chance to shine, it’s not surprising that Wonder Woman becomes the champion who leads the League to victory.
Over the course of the series, it’s Diana who’s able to keep the most level head and ultimately triumphs over Barbatos — the otherworldly commander of the evil Batmen — setting the stage for leading her own Justice League in DC’s upcoming No Justice event.
Two buds just hangin’ out.Illustration: Greg Capullo, Jonathan Glapion (DC Comics)
Batman and the Joker Became Pals
In the waning moments of Metal, Batman finally goes toe-to-toe with the Batman Who Laughs, his evil counterpart from an alternative universe where he ends up becoming the Joker. Bruce isn’t able to outsmart the Batman Who Laughs on his own — it’s by working with his own Joker that he’s able to take down his doppelgänger and acknowledge the fact that they’re all interconnected even though they might not want to accept it.
Hawkman recuperating.Illustration: Greg Capullo, Jonathan Glapion (DC)
Hawkman and Hawkgirl Are Back
Hawkman and Hawkgirl have been largely missing from DC’s comics after the New 52 revamp, but the duo comes back in a major way in Metal. It’s the very metal of Hawkgirl’s mace that ultimately clears a path for her and Wonder Woman to take on Barbatos and free Hawkman, who had been transformed into an unwitting pawn working for Barbatos at the darkened Forge of Worlds.
Batman’s plans for the future.Illustration: Greg Capullo, Jonathan Glapion (DC Comics)
The Hall of Justice Is Back!
Unsurprisingly, Metal is just the beginning of the adventures that DC’s heroes are about to go on. With Barbatos out of the way, the League realises there’s a tear in the Source Wall, a protective energy surrounding their universe that kept it hidden from the kinds of multiversal threats that they might not be able to handle. When Batman realises the even greater danger that he’s inadvertently put the universe in, he reasons that it’s time for the Justice League to level up with a change of scenery.
Rather than orbiting the planet from the watchtower, Bruce has plans to construct a new Hall of Justice.
Though it may seem like a bit of a scaledown compared to what the League’s been up to during Metal, the Hall’s reintroduction heralds the beginning of a new kind of Justice League that understands just how many dangers there are to protect the universe from — and places them among the people they have sworn to protect, instead of remotely watching over them from above.
With Metal under their belts, DC’s heroes know that they’re a vital part of making sure that reality doesn’t implode on itself. Just how they will manage to deal with the other threats beyond the Source Wall — and what those threats actually are — remain a mystery… for now.
Comments
4 responses to “The Most Important Changes Dark Nights: Metal Has Brought To The DC Comics Universe”
Six was batshit crazy.
This is how comics should be, ridiculous to the extreme, but in a way that sells the story. A lot of the time it feels like both DC and Marvel take themselves too seriously when it comes to their big events, but Dark Days was just so mental. Even the delay couldn’t make me annoyed with the series.
The correct answer to the title is: None.
Because the only thing publishers like more than the status quo is temporary variations thereof to generate brief hype before subsiding back into that same old formula within a few months.
But how else are DC supposed to do a continuity reboot twice per decade if they don’t fondle their staus quo to varying degrees of success?
Honestly, I used to be wary of the “old formula” you speak of until I realised it was the key to keeping titles consistently monthly and familiar enough to jump in and out of reading at our leisure.
Occasionally stuff that changes the status quo sticks (Damian Wayne for example), but for the most part we all like the stuff that makes it familiar. At the moment, for example, DC have been hinting towards revealing who the Joker is/was and that he may be slightly more cosmic than one would assume. The notion is enticing, but no one is going to actually enjoy the outcome and it will never stick, so it will come to nothing.
Because comfort and familiarity.
It certainly was a pretty crazy event.
Honestly I just wish they had fleshed it out a bit more, it felt like so much plot was plopped out in a sentence, making it feel rushed.
The lead up, the start and the origin stories of the badmans (and woman) were bloody amazing and then the main comics just kicked along so bloody fast it seemed forced at the best of times.
About issue 3 Superman turns around and just casually throws out the idea that maybe if they used the phantom projecter, an antenna charged with the speed force and Steels link with the metal they should be able to open a portal to the dark dimension to save Batman.
I couldn’t help but laugh and cringe, knowing the lazy macgyvering was obviously going to work to keep things moving along, not to mention Batman constantly figuring everything out behind the scenes. “Oh hey Clark, I figured out all the secrets!!”