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Dark Nights Saga #0
Dark Days: The Road to Metal
The prologue to the next great DC epic starring Batman, Green Lantern and the rest of the Justice League is here from Scott Snyder, Jim Lee, Andy Kubert and John Romita Jr., with DARK DAYS: THE ROAD TO METAL!
Aquaman, The Flash and more of DC's pantheon of heroes suspect Batman of hiding a dark secret that could threaten the very existence of the multiverse! It's an epic that will span generations--but how does it connect to the origins of one of DC's most legendary heroes?
The unforgettable team of Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV, Jim Lee, John Romita Jr. and Andy Kubert combine forces to set the stage for the epic Dark Nights: Metal. Leading directly into this blockbuster event, DARK DAYS: THE ROAD TO METAL collects DARK DAYS: THE FORGE #1 and DARK DAYS: THE CASTING #1, as well as classic DC stories that built the foundations of METAL, including FINAL CRISIS #6-7, THE RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE #1, BATMAN #38-39, NIGHTWING #17 and more!
Aquaman, The Flash and more of DC's pantheon of heroes suspect Batman of hiding a dark secret that could threaten the very existence of the multiverse! It's an epic that will span generations--but how does it connect to the origins of one of DC's most legendary heroes?
The unforgettable team of Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV, Jim Lee, John Romita Jr. and Andy Kubert combine forces to set the stage for the epic Dark Nights: Metal. Leading directly into this blockbuster event, DARK DAYS: THE ROAD TO METAL collects DARK DAYS: THE FORGE #1 and DARK DAYS: THE CASTING #1, as well as classic DC stories that built the foundations of METAL, including FINAL CRISIS #6-7, THE RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE #1, BATMAN #38-39, NIGHTWING #17 and more!
244 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 22, 2018
157 people are currently reading
1782 people want to read
About the author
Scott Snyder
1,779 books5,121 followersScott Snyder is the Eisner and Harvey Award winning writer on DC Comics Batman, Swamp Thing, and his original series for Vertigo, American Vampire. He is also the author of the short story collection, Voodoo Heart, published by the Dial Press in 2006. The paperback version was published in the summer of 2007.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 275 reviews
May 21, 2019
Some fun art, but mostly a smorgasbord of stuff more designed to amplify sales rather than readers’ understandings, methinks. Perhaps I’ll revisit after I’ve read METAL itself.
And, come on, DC—it’s hard enough trying to figure out what the hell is happening in a Grant Morrison-penned series when you read it from the start; trying to jump into the last two issues of a seven-issue series is like asking a toddler or a sitting president to offer a cogent explanation of the full ramifications of implementing tariffs on major trading partners.
And, come on, DC—it’s hard enough trying to figure out what the hell is happening in a Grant Morrison-penned series when you read it from the start; trying to jump into the last two issues of a seven-issue series is like asking a toddler or a sitting president to offer a cogent explanation of the full ramifications of implementing tariffs on major trading partners.
April 10, 2020
This is a collection of preludes of things to come. This is a real mixed bag. I did enjoy the Road to Metal stories the Forge and the Casting, but mist of the other back issues in this collection were my least favorite Batman stories ever.
If I was going to rate the Forge and the Casting I would have given this 4 stars because the artwork was great, lots of guest stars but a little lacking in the action department for me.
I really did not like Final Crisis, it felt too rushed to me and I am not a fan of the DC terminology that I had the buy ever DC book at the time to fully understand every aspect of it. Though I was happy Batman got a decisive role in it. The Return of Bruce Wayne was a better storyline for me, but this only contained issue 1 of the six part mini series. I saw the thin thread to Metal in it but still not impressed.
Towards the end, I get Batman Endgame part 4 and 5, then Nightwing 17? Why was the last story there? I would have preferred if they swapped that one for the Endgame part 6. Why not give the ending to the Endgame which does relates Metal instead of a story of the first and last Robin arguing about their legacy?
The final story though short I really. It reminded me who Tom/Red Robin is my fave as far as the Robins go. Also shows his is the closest one to actually be able to think like Batman/Bruce Wayne.
A good beginning and ending, but no matter how they relate not my favorite Batman stories in the middle. I did like the variant covers at the end of every issue. It. Oils have been better but an overall OK.
If I was going to rate the Forge and the Casting I would have given this 4 stars because the artwork was great, lots of guest stars but a little lacking in the action department for me.
I really did not like Final Crisis, it felt too rushed to me and I am not a fan of the DC terminology that I had the buy ever DC book at the time to fully understand every aspect of it. Though I was happy Batman got a decisive role in it. The Return of Bruce Wayne was a better storyline for me, but this only contained issue 1 of the six part mini series. I saw the thin thread to Metal in it but still not impressed.
Towards the end, I get Batman Endgame part 4 and 5, then Nightwing 17? Why was the last story there? I would have preferred if they swapped that one for the Endgame part 6. Why not give the ending to the Endgame which does relates Metal instead of a story of the first and last Robin arguing about their legacy?
The final story though short I really. It reminded me who Tom/Red Robin is my fave as far as the Robins go. Also shows his is the closest one to actually be able to think like Batman/Bruce Wayne.
A good beginning and ending, but no matter how they relate not my favorite Batman stories in the middle. I did like the variant covers at the end of every issue. It. Oils have been better but an overall OK.
April 24, 2018
Magic metal has somehow been secretly guiding humanity for years apparently. And of course Batman knows about it. A war or something is coming. This is Dark Days: The Road to Metal aka Scott Snyder Does A Crappy Grant Morrison Impression!
You know a DC book is going to suck donkey balls if Hawkman sticks his beak in - and guess who’s beaking it up on page 1? Though, to be fair, this one is terrible even without the Hawkman elements (I gather that his Nth Metal armour is the “magic metal”).
Heads-up to anyone thinking of buying this sight unseen - DC is taking the piss. In a 256 page book, only 70ish pages (just over a quarter of the book) is new material – Dark Days: The Forge and Dark Days: The Casting – the rest are all reprints. The filler is: Final Crisis #6-7, The Return of Bruce Wayne #1, Batman #38-39 (Endgame Parts 4-5), Nightwing Rebirth #17, and the double-page map of the Multiverse from The Multiversity Guidebook.
The reprints are meant to have some relevance to the main event (and maybe they do, I haven’t read Dark Nights: Metal yet) kinda like The Black Casebook, which was a collection of classic comics that influenced Grant Morrison’s Batman run. The difference is that The Black Casebook was sold as an optional accompaniment and wasn’t cynically tacked on to a couple of issues that anyone wanting to read the complete event would have to get! These two issues really should’ve been included in the main event rather than as its own separate book.
It’s also not satisfying to read this assortment of random comics. Aside from the Nightwing issue (which was garbage – an embarrassing mirror baddie to Nightwing called Deathwing fights Dick and Damian), I’ve read the others already so I wasn’t totally lost but what about new readers who haven’t got that context? Those issues, like the conclusions to Final Crisis and Endgame – none of which were that great to start with – are gonna read like a pure clusterfuck of nonsense to them!
Oy. So, onto The Forge/The Casting. At no point did I have any idea what was happening in them or why. Green Lantern and Duke discover Batman’s been keeping someone prisoner in a secret cave within the Batcave. Batman’s storage unit in Superman’s Fortress of Solitude contains something bananas. Magic is everywhere from the wizard Shazam to the titular metal to the flaming sword Wonder Woman gives Batman for reasons. Wha… ?
I didn’t mind the formless mystery as this is all a lead-in to the main event so I don’t expect answers at this point. But I wanted to encounter something to make me excited to keep reading – and there’s nothing here. Every scene was blah. The comics weren’t entertaining or attention-grabbing. Worse, they’re not well-written and are barely comprehensible.
What happened to Scott Snyder? This was a dude who, not that long ago, wrote one killer Batman book after another and then after Zero Year started churning out one crappy book after another, and hasn’t been able to stop and turn it around. It’s at the point now where I feel like he’s overstayed and should just leave DC - he’s that incapable of writing a worthwhile DC comic! Besides the many Morrison stuff included in this book, it seems like Snyder’s trying to get the acclaim Morrison gets by being as weird and wacky as some of his superhero comics are. Dude, just don’t. You’re not Grant Morrison. Just be Scott Snyder. That’s enough.
Snyder’s stories now are silly and near-unreadable. I really hate that Metal looks to feature a series of characters I can’t stand: Duke, the new “Robin-But-Don’t-Call-Him-Robin” who’s never been good, the ever-boring flying caveman without a personality Hawkman and Snyder’s tediously verbose Joker. His Batman has become oddly charmless too and the way he writes the rest of the swelling cast is unremarkable. And speaking of unremarkable, for a book boasting big artistic names like Jim Lee, John Romita Jr and Andy Kubert, there’s surprisingly little that’s special to see here.
I haven’t read Dark Nights: Metal yet so I can’t say whether or not reading this prologue is necessary but, from past experience with superhero events, I’m gonna say it probably isn’t. It’s certainly not much fun to read even if it is! Avoid it if you can.
It’s disappointing too as I was kinda looking forward to reading Metal – it seems unusual, original and amusingly chaotic – but what little enthusiasm I had for it has gone if it’s gonna be more of this crap. I’m still gonna read it though it’s looking to be like a chore now. Dark days indeed!
You know a DC book is going to suck donkey balls if Hawkman sticks his beak in - and guess who’s beaking it up on page 1? Though, to be fair, this one is terrible even without the Hawkman elements (I gather that his Nth Metal armour is the “magic metal”).
Heads-up to anyone thinking of buying this sight unseen - DC is taking the piss. In a 256 page book, only 70ish pages (just over a quarter of the book) is new material – Dark Days: The Forge and Dark Days: The Casting – the rest are all reprints. The filler is: Final Crisis #6-7, The Return of Bruce Wayne #1, Batman #38-39 (Endgame Parts 4-5), Nightwing Rebirth #17, and the double-page map of the Multiverse from The Multiversity Guidebook.
The reprints are meant to have some relevance to the main event (and maybe they do, I haven’t read Dark Nights: Metal yet) kinda like The Black Casebook, which was a collection of classic comics that influenced Grant Morrison’s Batman run. The difference is that The Black Casebook was sold as an optional accompaniment and wasn’t cynically tacked on to a couple of issues that anyone wanting to read the complete event would have to get! These two issues really should’ve been included in the main event rather than as its own separate book.
It’s also not satisfying to read this assortment of random comics. Aside from the Nightwing issue (which was garbage – an embarrassing mirror baddie to Nightwing called Deathwing fights Dick and Damian), I’ve read the others already so I wasn’t totally lost but what about new readers who haven’t got that context? Those issues, like the conclusions to Final Crisis and Endgame – none of which were that great to start with – are gonna read like a pure clusterfuck of nonsense to them!
Oy. So, onto The Forge/The Casting. At no point did I have any idea what was happening in them or why. Green Lantern and Duke discover Batman’s been keeping someone prisoner in a secret cave within the Batcave. Batman’s storage unit in Superman’s Fortress of Solitude contains something bananas. Magic is everywhere from the wizard Shazam to the titular metal to the flaming sword Wonder Woman gives Batman for reasons. Wha… ?
I didn’t mind the formless mystery as this is all a lead-in to the main event so I don’t expect answers at this point. But I wanted to encounter something to make me excited to keep reading – and there’s nothing here. Every scene was blah. The comics weren’t entertaining or attention-grabbing. Worse, they’re not well-written and are barely comprehensible.
What happened to Scott Snyder? This was a dude who, not that long ago, wrote one killer Batman book after another and then after Zero Year started churning out one crappy book after another, and hasn’t been able to stop and turn it around. It’s at the point now where I feel like he’s overstayed and should just leave DC - he’s that incapable of writing a worthwhile DC comic! Besides the many Morrison stuff included in this book, it seems like Snyder’s trying to get the acclaim Morrison gets by being as weird and wacky as some of his superhero comics are. Dude, just don’t. You’re not Grant Morrison. Just be Scott Snyder. That’s enough.
Snyder’s stories now are silly and near-unreadable. I really hate that Metal looks to feature a series of characters I can’t stand: Duke, the new “Robin-But-Don’t-Call-Him-Robin” who’s never been good, the ever-boring flying caveman without a personality Hawkman and Snyder’s tediously verbose Joker. His Batman has become oddly charmless too and the way he writes the rest of the swelling cast is unremarkable. And speaking of unremarkable, for a book boasting big artistic names like Jim Lee, John Romita Jr and Andy Kubert, there’s surprisingly little that’s special to see here.
I haven’t read Dark Nights: Metal yet so I can’t say whether or not reading this prologue is necessary but, from past experience with superhero events, I’m gonna say it probably isn’t. It’s certainly not much fun to read even if it is! Avoid it if you can.
It’s disappointing too as I was kinda looking forward to reading Metal – it seems unusual, original and amusingly chaotic – but what little enthusiasm I had for it has gone if it’s gonna be more of this crap. I’m still gonna read it though it’s looking to be like a chore now. Dark days indeed!
September 10, 2018
Metal is coming!!!
This metal-foil dustcover hardcover TPB features: “Dark Days: The Forge” #1, “Dark Days: The Casting” #1, “Final Crisis” #6-7, “Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne” #1, “Batman” #38-39, “Nightwing” #17, “Detective Comics” #950, plus the Map of the Multiverse.
DARK DAYS
If the TPB only had the Dark Days issues, certainly I’d give it a full 5-stars rating without thinking twice.
Batman knows that something is coming.
Something dark, dangerous and like nothing that they have faced before…
…but the problem is that he doesn’t know what the heck is.
Batman only knows that that for some reason, this obscure menace is tied to a strange foreign metal that it’s been around Earth since the dawn of humanity, not only forging many of the most powerful ítems but also modifying the DNA of humankind.
And of course, Batman being Batman, he doesn’t trust the proper channels to perform the investigation, he recruits a new member for the Bat-Family but with hidden purposes beyond of being just another “Robin”, he forms a superhero team responding only to him, he is constructing extra Batcaves (along with secret rooms inside) and also he is investing Wayne Enterprises’ resources to make secret geological research…
…clashing with Aquaman, Wonder Woman and Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) in the process, and even asking Superman for a room inside the Fortress of Solitude where no one can enter, not even Superman or Batman themselves!
Batman has been doing all this for a while…
…but the fearful thing is that he is still…
…in the darkness.
Honestly, DC should include the Dark Days issues along with the Dark Knights Rising TPB or the The Resistance TPB…
…but no, DC was greedy and invented another TPB, “The Road to” for the Metal event…
UNNECESSARY STUFF
Oooooh! Let’s do a TPB with past published stuff to make us look clever!
Yeah, right.
And just they chose several of the failures of the past like Final Crisis, The Return of Bruce Wayne and (at least to me, also was) Endgame, but just some issues, to boost again the sales of those mediocre events.
Bravo. I fell for that. But at least I am warning you about it.
Try your best to get Dark Days: The Forge and Dark Days: The Casting on single issues (as long you can get them cheaper than the price of this TPB), and you won’t miss anything important…
…if you can’t find those issues…
…well, welcome to the club and buy this TPB.
That by the way, I can’t understand why they published this TPB (that barely introduced to the event in only two issues) on metal-foil dustcover hardcover presentation, and instead The Resistance that it’s about several plots, right in the middle of the Metal event, was published in regular softcover presentation… geez!
This metal-foil dustcover hardcover TPB features: “Dark Days: The Forge” #1, “Dark Days: The Casting” #1, “Final Crisis” #6-7, “Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne” #1, “Batman” #38-39, “Nightwing” #17, “Detective Comics” #950, plus the Map of the Multiverse.
DARK DAYS
If the TPB only had the Dark Days issues, certainly I’d give it a full 5-stars rating without thinking twice.
Batman knows that something is coming.
Something dark, dangerous and like nothing that they have faced before…
…but the problem is that he doesn’t know what the heck is.
Batman only knows that that for some reason, this obscure menace is tied to a strange foreign metal that it’s been around Earth since the dawn of humanity, not only forging many of the most powerful ítems but also modifying the DNA of humankind.
And of course, Batman being Batman, he doesn’t trust the proper channels to perform the investigation, he recruits a new member for the Bat-Family but with hidden purposes beyond of being just another “Robin”, he forms a superhero team responding only to him, he is constructing extra Batcaves (along with secret rooms inside) and also he is investing Wayne Enterprises’ resources to make secret geological research…
…clashing with Aquaman, Wonder Woman and Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) in the process, and even asking Superman for a room inside the Fortress of Solitude where no one can enter, not even Superman or Batman themselves!
Batman has been doing all this for a while…
…but the fearful thing is that he is still…
…in the darkness.
Honestly, DC should include the Dark Days issues along with the Dark Knights Rising TPB or the The Resistance TPB…
…but no, DC was greedy and invented another TPB, “The Road to” for the Metal event…
UNNECESSARY STUFF
Oooooh! Let’s do a TPB with past published stuff to make us look clever!
Yeah, right.
And just they chose several of the failures of the past like Final Crisis, The Return of Bruce Wayne and (at least to me, also was) Endgame, but just some issues, to boost again the sales of those mediocre events.
Bravo. I fell for that. But at least I am warning you about it.
Try your best to get Dark Days: The Forge and Dark Days: The Casting on single issues (as long you can get them cheaper than the price of this TPB), and you won’t miss anything important…
…if you can’t find those issues…
…well, welcome to the club and buy this TPB.
That by the way, I can’t understand why they published this TPB (that barely introduced to the event in only two issues) on metal-foil dustcover hardcover presentation, and instead The Resistance that it’s about several plots, right in the middle of the Metal event, was published in regular softcover presentation… geez!
June 17, 2018
Save your cash and go buy Dark Days: The Forge and The Casting instead. That's the only new content in a book that will run you $30 (That's 70 new pages out of 258. Grr!). The rest is just issues from Final Crisis and beyond that touch on what Scott Snyder is putting together. If you really want to read those, go get the full trades they are in and read them in context. You will be very confused reading them here. I don't know why DC just didn't collect these with Metal instead of going for the cash grab.
If I was just reviewing the two Dark Days books, I would have given it 4 stars. Snyder's setup is pretty cool. Batman appears to be preparing for some kind of multi-dimensional war. I am looking forward to reading Metal next.
Received an advance copy from DC and NetGalley. All thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the aforementioned.
If I was just reviewing the two Dark Days books, I would have given it 4 stars. Snyder's setup is pretty cool. Batman appears to be preparing for some kind of multi-dimensional war. I am looking forward to reading Metal next.
Received an advance copy from DC and NetGalley. All thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the aforementioned.
December 2, 2020
Reading grant morrison's multiverse helps understanding this, so yea I would have been way more confused than I already was if I didn't read that before this. It also would be wise to read Scott Snyders other Batman run because it gets referenced a lot. Before I forget it add Final Crisis to that list! In my opinion as a standalone going in blind this does not work.
But if you read those things this really is a cool storyline, and the switching artstyle across the multiverse was just awsome. A really dark chapter well written and I thought it could not get darker than arkham asylum.
4.0 out of 5.0 stars
But if you read those things this really is a cool storyline, and the switching artstyle across the multiverse was just awsome. A really dark chapter well written and I thought it could not get darker than arkham asylum.
4.0 out of 5.0 stars
January 21, 2018
This was...good. But I wanted more.
This is 4 issues, two being main links to Metal, the other being more call-back or more context for the overall Metal Story incoming. So we'll focus on those two issues which is The Forge and The Casting which largely focus on the "darkness" coming. Now I've read "Dark Knights Metal" so I know what's already coming but this was a very ominous way of building up suspense. The reveal of a certain someone being alive, bringing in Hal to give a larger scale danger feel, and of course Batman who seems to be freaking out all builds towards something "big"
Good: I liked the fast paced "danger" feel the issues were giving. I also enjoyed watching the reveal of someone being alive, Hal coming to earth to find out, and signal trying to piece together everything. Also the looming atmosphere of death was great. The art is also real solid.
Bad: It is A LOT of exposition. Like a TON. So much that any person not keeping up with comics in last few years might be like "What the fuck?" and it's hard to blame them. Also, some of the story is hard to understand due to flip flopping between three different characters.
This is a good "it's coming" type of book. We know Metal is already half way through so crazy shit is happening but this is a good jump on point. You might be a tad confused, and I don't blame ya, but it'll get you set up. I'd recommend reading Snyder's run before this and maybe Morrison's (if you can get through it all) to fully enjoy it. I liked it, but could have been better. Anyway, ON TO METAL!!!
This is 4 issues, two being main links to Metal, the other being more call-back or more context for the overall Metal Story incoming. So we'll focus on those two issues which is The Forge and The Casting which largely focus on the "darkness" coming. Now I've read "Dark Knights Metal" so I know what's already coming but this was a very ominous way of building up suspense. The reveal of a certain someone being alive, bringing in Hal to give a larger scale danger feel, and of course Batman who seems to be freaking out all builds towards something "big"
Good: I liked the fast paced "danger" feel the issues were giving. I also enjoyed watching the reveal of someone being alive, Hal coming to earth to find out, and signal trying to piece together everything. Also the looming atmosphere of death was great. The art is also real solid.
Bad: It is A LOT of exposition. Like a TON. So much that any person not keeping up with comics in last few years might be like "What the fuck?" and it's hard to blame them. Also, some of the story is hard to understand due to flip flopping between three different characters.
This is a good "it's coming" type of book. We know Metal is already half way through so crazy shit is happening but this is a good jump on point. You might be a tad confused, and I don't blame ya, but it'll get you set up. I'd recommend reading Snyder's run before this and maybe Morrison's (if you can get through it all) to fully enjoy it. I liked it, but could have been better. Anyway, ON TO METAL!!!
June 10, 2018
You can find my review on my blog by clicking here.
One thing I love about DC is how they don’t restrain themselves from expanding their universe in ways that you would never have conceived yourself. Their multiverse alone is brilliant, and this event is going to do something even better. Dark Days: The Road to Metal is a prelude to the latest cosmic event and it is an absolute tease for long-time comic book readers, and even more for the Batman fan base. This volume collects the two prelude chapters (The Forge and The Casting) and tosses in extra issues of important story arcs from past stories within the DC universe to help fans comprehend the references in this Metal event. The focus of this volume should however be limited to the two main stories that sets things up for Dark Nights: Metal.
In the form of a prologue, this two-issue story invites us to explore a world where dreams and nightmares become one. It all begins with a mystery surrounding a rare metal stained in a toxic scent of despair and chaos that even Batman fears to unravel. Having proceeded with caution, the Dark Knight has been investigating the source of this enigma with complete secrecy to this day. Time has come for him to spill the beans and go to great lengths to get the finals pieces of the puzzle. With the threat becoming imminent, Green Lantern and Duke Thomas also find themselves in front of some the biggest revelations of their lives. What they didn’t know is that they are about to explore a flood of pain and misery that will consume the world.
Besides both Dark Days: The Forge and Dark Days: The Casting, the volume also spoils fans with the key issues of some of DC’s biggest moments in their canon storyline, including the last issues of Final Crisis, the first issue of Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne, two key issues of Batman: Endgame as well as one issue of both Nightwing‘s and Detective Comics‘ Rebirth runs. Regarding the inclusion of these pieces of the puzzle, I believe there is three ways to appreciate them:
1- You’re a longtime comic book reader who recognized all the references in The Forge and The Casting and see these other stories as a reminder of past events;
2- You’re a new comic book reader who only caught some or none of the references and see these extra spoiler issues as a guide to what you should check out before jumping into the main event to come;
3- You’re a longtime comic book reader or a newcomer who only caught some or none of the references and see the rest of the volume as a complete mess that gives no fluidity to the reader and ruins any possibility of enjoyment regarding what’s collected here.
Personally, it would’ve have been much better if readers had the whole story arc of each reference collected in a volume; but that would have made this collection too big and too expensive. Some of the included stories are definitely harder to understand without contextualization, and some don’t directly explain this prelude (Nightwing’s issue actually explains his facial scar that he carries throughout this event, but he doesn’t actually appear in this prelude, making it a bit confusing for readers), but they’re all great to explore. As a fan of reference-heavy stories, I found it refreshing to see how Scott Snyder tied everything together in order to create this new cosmic event. The conspiracy theory plotline caters a lot to hardcore fans, but newcomers can definitely find a lot to enjoy, given that they are patient and curious enough. The eeriness of this prologue, even if it’s incredibly short, is still what I loved the most about it all. Having something rooted deep in DC’s history and presenting us with something so complex even to the world’s greatest detective is what makes this so compelling to my eyes.
While Batman is at the core of this event, we still get Carter Hall, also known as Hawkman, narrating some important lore-building moments and teasing the epic scope of the chaos that looms in the background. The way this prelude story adds gravitas to the mystery that fascinates and frightens Batman is nothing short of staggering to me, and I think that is where the appeal to the event comes from for me. It is also worth mentioning that the artwork is wonderful, especially when it’s Jim Lee and Andy Kubert doing it. I wasn’t however a fan of John Romita Jr.’s artwork though (easily distinguishable from the others with his odd character designs; especially fan designs), but they all work towards assuring the bombastic and impressive overtone of this event.
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/
_______________________
A prelude to the latest cosmic DC event, and I loved it. The two main issues (The Forge and The Casting) are the most important ones in this, considering the other stories are just teasers that were integrated in other Rebirth series (Nightwing and Detective Comics).
What I enjoyed the most about this, event if it's incredibly short, is how mysterious it is. There's something rooted deep in history that Batman is only finally starting to piece together, but fans have yet to truly understand what it is. We have Carter Hall's storyline that adds some perspective to it all by giving it all even more importance, Green Lantern and Duke Thomas's storyline that adds even more gravitas to the mystery, and even their role, as well as Batman's own storyline to spice things up even more. There's also a lot of cameos from a bunch of DC heroes that are fun to spot.
The artwork is pretty good, especially when it's Jim Lee and Andy Kubert. Wasn't a big fan of John Romita Jr.'s artwork though. You'll recognize it whenever it's his turn to draw.
Looking forward to the rest of this event.
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/
One thing I love about DC is how they don’t restrain themselves from expanding their universe in ways that you would never have conceived yourself. Their multiverse alone is brilliant, and this event is going to do something even better. Dark Days: The Road to Metal is a prelude to the latest cosmic event and it is an absolute tease for long-time comic book readers, and even more for the Batman fan base. This volume collects the two prelude chapters (The Forge and The Casting) and tosses in extra issues of important story arcs from past stories within the DC universe to help fans comprehend the references in this Metal event. The focus of this volume should however be limited to the two main stories that sets things up for Dark Nights: Metal.
In the form of a prologue, this two-issue story invites us to explore a world where dreams and nightmares become one. It all begins with a mystery surrounding a rare metal stained in a toxic scent of despair and chaos that even Batman fears to unravel. Having proceeded with caution, the Dark Knight has been investigating the source of this enigma with complete secrecy to this day. Time has come for him to spill the beans and go to great lengths to get the finals pieces of the puzzle. With the threat becoming imminent, Green Lantern and Duke Thomas also find themselves in front of some the biggest revelations of their lives. What they didn’t know is that they are about to explore a flood of pain and misery that will consume the world.
Besides both Dark Days: The Forge and Dark Days: The Casting, the volume also spoils fans with the key issues of some of DC’s biggest moments in their canon storyline, including the last issues of Final Crisis, the first issue of Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne, two key issues of Batman: Endgame as well as one issue of both Nightwing‘s and Detective Comics‘ Rebirth runs. Regarding the inclusion of these pieces of the puzzle, I believe there is three ways to appreciate them:
1- You’re a longtime comic book reader who recognized all the references in The Forge and The Casting and see these other stories as a reminder of past events;
2- You’re a new comic book reader who only caught some or none of the references and see these extra spoiler issues as a guide to what you should check out before jumping into the main event to come;
3- You’re a longtime comic book reader or a newcomer who only caught some or none of the references and see the rest of the volume as a complete mess that gives no fluidity to the reader and ruins any possibility of enjoyment regarding what’s collected here.
Personally, it would’ve have been much better if readers had the whole story arc of each reference collected in a volume; but that would have made this collection too big and too expensive. Some of the included stories are definitely harder to understand without contextualization, and some don’t directly explain this prelude (Nightwing’s issue actually explains his facial scar that he carries throughout this event, but he doesn’t actually appear in this prelude, making it a bit confusing for readers), but they’re all great to explore. As a fan of reference-heavy stories, I found it refreshing to see how Scott Snyder tied everything together in order to create this new cosmic event. The conspiracy theory plotline caters a lot to hardcore fans, but newcomers can definitely find a lot to enjoy, given that they are patient and curious enough. The eeriness of this prologue, even if it’s incredibly short, is still what I loved the most about it all. Having something rooted deep in DC’s history and presenting us with something so complex even to the world’s greatest detective is what makes this so compelling to my eyes.
While Batman is at the core of this event, we still get Carter Hall, also known as Hawkman, narrating some important lore-building moments and teasing the epic scope of the chaos that looms in the background. The way this prelude story adds gravitas to the mystery that fascinates and frightens Batman is nothing short of staggering to me, and I think that is where the appeal to the event comes from for me. It is also worth mentioning that the artwork is wonderful, especially when it’s Jim Lee and Andy Kubert doing it. I wasn’t however a fan of John Romita Jr.’s artwork though (easily distinguishable from the others with his odd character designs; especially fan designs), but they all work towards assuring the bombastic and impressive overtone of this event.
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/
_______________________
A prelude to the latest cosmic DC event, and I loved it. The two main issues (The Forge and The Casting) are the most important ones in this, considering the other stories are just teasers that were integrated in other Rebirth series (Nightwing and Detective Comics).
What I enjoyed the most about this, event if it's incredibly short, is how mysterious it is. There's something rooted deep in history that Batman is only finally starting to piece together, but fans have yet to truly understand what it is. We have Carter Hall's storyline that adds some perspective to it all by giving it all even more importance, Green Lantern and Duke Thomas's storyline that adds even more gravitas to the mystery, and even their role, as well as Batman's own storyline to spice things up even more. There's also a lot of cameos from a bunch of DC heroes that are fun to spot.
The artwork is pretty good, especially when it's Jim Lee and Andy Kubert. Wasn't a big fan of John Romita Jr.'s artwork though. You'll recognize it whenever it's his turn to draw.
Looking forward to the rest of this event.
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/
June 4, 2018
I can't say I understood everything in this story, but it was entertaining, had great art, and promised some amazing things in the future. Can't wait to read the next part of the story.
June 16, 2018
A little disappointed. I like what I read with the first 2 issues. It provides a good introduction to the world that snyder is creating. As a whole though the compilation contained much to many old issues that most fans would have consumed years ago. Solid but skip the 2nd half, you may have already read it in other volumes.
February 7, 2019
This starts off well then it just goes...fuck it... Stick some pages in here and then puts some anthropomorphic tigers over here, chuck in some different timelines and universes without telling the reader and bam! We're done.
May 30, 2018
Oh DC, you're so silly sometimes. And you were doing so well.
Let's get this out of the way to start with - The Forge and The Casting are the main draw here, two prelude issues to Dark Nights: Metal which are excellent set-ups and have some of the industries best artists on them. But they're not worth buying this entire collection for.
Also included here are Batman #38-39, Nightwing #17, a story from Detective Comics #950, the Multiversity map from Multiversity, Final Crisis #6-7, and Return Of Bruce Wayne #1. The rationale is that these stories all inform parts of Dark Nights: Metal, which is in theory a good idea.
But collecting them like this, with no explanation, no context, and no frame of reference is just weird. Each issue should have had a page from Scott Snyder explaining why these issues were important, and framing what had happened during their respective series at the time. I mean, Final Crisis is incomprehensible at the best of times, but two of eight issues being collected with no supplementary material is just asking for people to be confused.
Don't let this put you off of reading Dark Nights: Metal, because that's really, really good. But this is just a jumbled mess of stories that make no sense on their own. Track down The Forge & The Casting on ebay and just read them instead.
Let's get this out of the way to start with - The Forge and The Casting are the main draw here, two prelude issues to Dark Nights: Metal which are excellent set-ups and have some of the industries best artists on them. But they're not worth buying this entire collection for.
Also included here are Batman #38-39, Nightwing #17, a story from Detective Comics #950, the Multiversity map from Multiversity, Final Crisis #6-7, and Return Of Bruce Wayne #1. The rationale is that these stories all inform parts of Dark Nights: Metal, which is in theory a good idea.
But collecting them like this, with no explanation, no context, and no frame of reference is just weird. Each issue should have had a page from Scott Snyder explaining why these issues were important, and framing what had happened during their respective series at the time. I mean, Final Crisis is incomprehensible at the best of times, but two of eight issues being collected with no supplementary material is just asking for people to be confused.
Don't let this put you off of reading Dark Nights: Metal, because that's really, really good. But this is just a jumbled mess of stories that make no sense on their own. Track down The Forge & The Casting on ebay and just read them instead.
September 6, 2018
نا امید شدم از شروعش
صد صفحه و یه عالمه کلمات سخت و گنده گنده و بازم دادن اطلاعات بصورت قطره ای
صد صفحه و یه عالمه کلمات سخت و گنده گنده و بازم دادن اطلاعات بصورت قطره ای
March 29, 2020
SUPER FAST REVIEW:
Conflicted.
So the first 2 issues in this collection are a pretty interesting prelude to Metal which I am going to be officially adding to my reading list... then there’s a bunch of issues from other stories that are both slightly hard to follow (or care about) out of context and quite likely not necessary for enjoying Metal (though don’t quote me on that as I still haven’t read Metal). At least the bonus content was exciting even if I feel like it was most likely reprinting a bunch of old material to increase the page count and get more money.
So yeah. Not a bad reading experience but not particularly good either. 4-stars for the first 2 chapters and exciting stuff throughout, 2-stars for out of context cash-grabbing.
3/5
Conflicted.
So the first 2 issues in this collection are a pretty interesting prelude to Metal which I am going to be officially adding to my reading list... then there’s a bunch of issues from other stories that are both slightly hard to follow (or care about) out of context and quite likely not necessary for enjoying Metal (though don’t quote me on that as I still haven’t read Metal). At least the bonus content was exciting even if I feel like it was most likely reprinting a bunch of old material to increase the page count and get more money.
So yeah. Not a bad reading experience but not particularly good either. 4-stars for the first 2 chapters and exciting stuff throughout, 2-stars for out of context cash-grabbing.
3/5
January 19, 2018
My brain just exploded.
World: The art is great, there are a couple of artists on this book but I'm mostly going to focus on the Forge and the Casting as the other issues are old issues which have great artists and I don't need to talk about it here. The art in both Forge and The Casting is great and the artist changes that occur makes sense and gives the book sense of style and grandeur. Plus there are multiple story threads and it allows to art to jump around. Good stuff. The world building, oh my fucking God I don't even know where to start without giving any spoilers away. I won't give any spoilers cause I won't do you like that. The thing that made my head explode was the wealth of lore and history and call backs that Snyder did just to paved the way to Metal. I can't even express how many amazing pieces we get, not only from his entire New52 run but also from golden age and silver age. This is not Grant Morrison who will throw things willy nilly at you cause he can, this is well thought out holy shit I didn't see the link but holy fucking shit now I do kind of thing. This is Johns turning Parallax from Hal to a manifestation of fear, this is the level of world building we are getting with just these two issues of set up for Metal. All the included issues in this arc make sense, from the 2 issues of Final Crisis, The Return of Bruce Wayne and even the Super Heavy (New52) stuff it makes sense cause it really allows for what is shown in the world building in the Forge and The Casting to hit home. That reveal of Metal and what it means and where it came from and what it has to do with DC heroes...that world building made my brain explode.
Story: Holy shit! This is 2 issues and it's only a set up for the event but it has already changed the basic understanding of all DC readers of the DC universe itself and it's workings, it's that amazing. The story is paced well, it's multiple stories crashing together, it's two issues so it does move super fast and it does hit readers like a freight train with it's denseness but man is it ever good. It can be too much I will agree for non DC readers as there is a lot to take in (find a DC friend and talk about it and it will blow your brain). The other issues that DC has attached to this trade also makes a lot of sense cause it allows for the big concepts that Snyder needs readers to understand moving forward clear and covered. I love the idea that when you look into the Abyss the Abyss looks back at you and this premise of Metal and the dark is going to be so great in the event, this only sets that up but wow it's already world changing. I've not felt change this big and a reveal this big with the metal and the heroes since...'Crisis on Infinite Earths' it's that world shattering.
Characters: Holy shit Batman is 'Tower of Babel' Batman again! I know that Rebirth Bats has been becoming more approachable in his own book but it still makes sense that this is happening with what Snyder built with Bruce since 'Court of Owls' this makes sense. Holy shit it's cool. The other cast of characters! Holy holy holy shit! I did not just get a reference to all those characters?! Don't tease me and not follow up on them Snyder!
Man these two issues blew my brain! The other issues were fantastic for context but man The Forge and The Casting forever changes the landscape of DC and it's superheroes, it's brain exploding mind changing, reality shifting good.
No spoilers! Just read it! If you don't get it than ask a DC friend!!!!!
Onward to the next book!
*read individual issues*
World: The art is great, there are a couple of artists on this book but I'm mostly going to focus on the Forge and the Casting as the other issues are old issues which have great artists and I don't need to talk about it here. The art in both Forge and The Casting is great and the artist changes that occur makes sense and gives the book sense of style and grandeur. Plus there are multiple story threads and it allows to art to jump around. Good stuff. The world building, oh my fucking God I don't even know where to start without giving any spoilers away. I won't give any spoilers cause I won't do you like that. The thing that made my head explode was the wealth of lore and history and call backs that Snyder did just to paved the way to Metal. I can't even express how many amazing pieces we get, not only from his entire New52 run but also from golden age and silver age. This is not Grant Morrison who will throw things willy nilly at you cause he can, this is well thought out holy shit I didn't see the link but holy fucking shit now I do kind of thing. This is Johns turning Parallax from Hal to a manifestation of fear, this is the level of world building we are getting with just these two issues of set up for Metal. All the included issues in this arc make sense, from the 2 issues of Final Crisis, The Return of Bruce Wayne and even the Super Heavy (New52) stuff it makes sense cause it really allows for what is shown in the world building in the Forge and The Casting to hit home. That reveal of Metal and what it means and where it came from and what it has to do with DC heroes...that world building made my brain explode.
Story: Holy shit! This is 2 issues and it's only a set up for the event but it has already changed the basic understanding of all DC readers of the DC universe itself and it's workings, it's that amazing. The story is paced well, it's multiple stories crashing together, it's two issues so it does move super fast and it does hit readers like a freight train with it's denseness but man is it ever good. It can be too much I will agree for non DC readers as there is a lot to take in (find a DC friend and talk about it and it will blow your brain). The other issues that DC has attached to this trade also makes a lot of sense cause it allows for the big concepts that Snyder needs readers to understand moving forward clear and covered. I love the idea that when you look into the Abyss the Abyss looks back at you and this premise of Metal and the dark is going to be so great in the event, this only sets that up but wow it's already world changing. I've not felt change this big and a reveal this big with the metal and the heroes since...'Crisis on Infinite Earths' it's that world shattering.
Characters: Holy shit Batman is 'Tower of Babel' Batman again! I know that Rebirth Bats has been becoming more approachable in his own book but it still makes sense that this is happening with what Snyder built with Bruce since 'Court of Owls' this makes sense. Holy shit it's cool. The other cast of characters! Holy holy holy shit! I did not just get a reference to all those characters?! Don't tease me and not follow up on them Snyder!
Man these two issues blew my brain! The other issues were fantastic for context but man The Forge and The Casting forever changes the landscape of DC and it's superheroes, it's brain exploding mind changing, reality shifting good.
No spoilers! Just read it! If you don't get it than ask a DC friend!!!!!
Onward to the next book!
*read individual issues*
June 15, 2018
The art in this book is amazing! I would have enjoyed the stories better if I had read more of the prior stories. Therefore it felt like a lot of incomplete tales. But what was there was thrilling! Batman searching for a cure to a poison the Joker infected Gotham with. Batman searching for an immortality something. Batman doing a lot of searching and almost EVERYONE from the Multiverse. So many different Superman’s.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this free book! 😊 Feel free to send me more.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this free book! 😊 Feel free to send me more.
February 27, 2020
This book is essentially what it says it is. Now there’s no real way to be prepared for the big DC summer event, Dark Nights: Metal, unless you are a DC Comics expert, but this book does a commendable job with giving bullet points. The first two stories: "Dark Days: The Forge" and "Dark Days: The Casting," are the official preludes directly leading into the event, setting the mystery of Nth Metal, Batman’s meddling, and the reintroduction of Hawkman and his connection to it all. But the book also includes a collection of random issues in fairly recent DC stories that Snyder references, stories that introduce the evil demon Barbatos, set the stage for what’s been happening with the Joker and the mysteries in Gotham, and what happened to Batman during and after Final Crisis.
Again, this is a decent primer, but don’t think that this will fully prepare you for the absolute madness that’s about to come…
Again, this is a decent primer, but don’t think that this will fully prepare you for the absolute madness that’s about to come…
April 2, 2019
I thought there would be more to this. There isn't.
The Metal story is only the first story. It's pretty much about Nth Metal (that stuff Hawkman has) and how it might have weird properties. Oh and Joker is stuck in Batman's cave. Without giving away too many spoilers, the Nth Metal has strange properties and when Batman "died" it had strange effects on him and all those who have had contact with it.
So far that is an interesting story and I will have to see how it turns out. But the rest of this is only a re-hash of previously told stories told about Batman's rebirth. So not too bad, but I expected more. Let us see what Metal turns out to be.
The Metal story is only the first story. It's pretty much about Nth Metal (that stuff Hawkman has) and how it might have weird properties. Oh and Joker is stuck in Batman's cave. Without giving away too many spoilers, the Nth Metal has strange properties and when Batman "died" it had strange effects on him and all those who have had contact with it.
So far that is an interesting story and I will have to see how it turns out. But the rest of this is only a re-hash of previously told stories told about Batman's rebirth. So not too bad, but I expected more. Let us see what Metal turns out to be.
April 25, 2023
The prelude was pretty good but utterly lost after all the extra crap that was non-essential. It was like an awkward, fumbling teenager attempting foreplay for the first time - more embarrassingly dull than building excitement for the main action. I sure zoned out a bit.
Maybe this would be more fun after the main event? The artwork is pretty amazing, but there's not really any kind of explanation between the singles that cobble together bits and pieces so it throws you off a bit. I was so confused trying to work out how everything fit, so maybe reading afterwards would help clear things up.
It was okay, but do not recommend more than the actual Dark Days stories as a precursor.
Maybe this would be more fun after the main event? The artwork is pretty amazing, but there's not really any kind of explanation between the singles that cobble together bits and pieces so it throws you off a bit. I was so confused trying to work out how everything fit, so maybe reading afterwards would help clear things up.
It was okay, but do not recommend more than the actual Dark Days stories as a precursor.
May 16, 2018
When it comes to event books, especially from the two big publishers of Marvel and DC, there is a lot of build-up in terms of placing characters into mini-adventures that teases the big event, and thus we have the preludes. As an introduction to DC’s summer event of last year, Dark Nights: Metal, this compilation of old and new stories gives readers an idea of what to expect in the Scott Snyder/Greg Capullo storyline.
Please click here for my full review.
Please click here for my full review.
June 20, 2018
Just a bit of story and a bunch of re-released filler. The main story will probably read better in an eventual omnibus.
December 13, 2018
2.5
This was a half a good book, the remaining stories are from years previous and weren't that interesting. Scott Snyder is the DC poster boy at the moment and the Road to Metal is definitely the best part of this collection. I'm eager to read the entire saga, that has multiple versions of the dark knight.
I don't know how to really review this so I will only mention the Snyder storyline. This is the buildup to the next few volumes in the saga. I have requested the entire Metal volume from the library and hopefully that arrives before the Xmas period. Snyder is a talented storyteller and the N52 was very lucky to find such a gifted writer to showcase the modern Batman. The story here is an origin and leaves us hanging for the full story. Not a great collection, but necessary. This is more a cash grab by DC for the graphic novel market and the quality of doing so lessens the great work by Snyder.
Why the 2.5?
Snyder's sections are great, but the rest of the book is meh. Half a book, so half the review. I'm eager to read Metal and would recommend everyone read the individual issues of Snyder's and ignore the other issues thrown in here. DC threw this out to the market for quick money. If I was a paying man, I would hold off for the complete collection of Metal down the line.
This was a half a good book, the remaining stories are from years previous and weren't that interesting. Scott Snyder is the DC poster boy at the moment and the Road to Metal is definitely the best part of this collection. I'm eager to read the entire saga, that has multiple versions of the dark knight.
I don't know how to really review this so I will only mention the Snyder storyline. This is the buildup to the next few volumes in the saga. I have requested the entire Metal volume from the library and hopefully that arrives before the Xmas period. Snyder is a talented storyteller and the N52 was very lucky to find such a gifted writer to showcase the modern Batman. The story here is an origin and leaves us hanging for the full story. Not a great collection, but necessary. This is more a cash grab by DC for the graphic novel market and the quality of doing so lessens the great work by Snyder.
Why the 2.5?
Snyder's sections are great, but the rest of the book is meh. Half a book, so half the review. I'm eager to read Metal and would recommend everyone read the individual issues of Snyder's and ignore the other issues thrown in here. DC threw this out to the market for quick money. If I was a paying man, I would hold off for the complete collection of Metal down the line.
March 7, 2020
Polovicu vecí z toho už som čítala niekde inde. Chápem, že to má byť informatívne aby človek ďalej pochopil, o čo ďalej pôjde, ale je to kurva svinstvo natrepať tam zošity, ktoré už sú inde, a vydávať to za niečo nové, keď v skutočnosti stačilo kúpiť tak tretinu z toho. No nič. Každopádne, som zmätená jak hovado a zvedavá, kam sa to ďalej posunie a o čom to vlastne celé teda bude. Zatiaľ mám v hlave guláš a som zhnusená z Romitovej kresby, i keď jej tam nebolo moc. Takže tak.
May 28, 2020
Mno, DD: The Forge a DD: The Casting jsou fajn, ale potom najednou se objeví útržky z jiných komiksů a člověk z toho začíná být zmatený. Nicméně mě DD: The Road to Metal navnadilo na hlavní event.
May 17, 2020
I really like the issues included in this collected prelude to Dark Nights: Metal but I can agree with most the reviews that say this a jumbled mess without context. I feel like DC comics should have include a timeline or explanation pages with this book. In other words the reason why a more dedicated reader of DC comics may like this more than reader who is simply just trying to only read Metal related tie-ins is because reading these events in order creates a deeper story. Nevertheless a agree that as a stand alone collection this is just a mismatch collection of stories. I am still not clear why Final Crisis issues were included in this book. Morrison's Batman returns issue makes more sense to some of the events that happen in Dark Nights Metal. But I have to say that the Batman Endgame issues are awesome sauce and the Nightwing issue was amazing when I first read it. I enjoyed reading the Casting and the Forge again. The reveals in those books are still cool and I still think It was just a fun read. In short this book is more of a 3 star read but I give an extra star only because the extra content issues besides The Forge and Casting are from amazing DC comics stories. But I have to stress if you are not a DC comics continuity junkie like me this book is probably not for you. Instead I suggest before reading Dark Nights metal read the following: Final Crisis, The Multiversity, Batman: The Night of the Owls, Batman, Volume 7: Endgame, Nightwing, Vol. 3: Nightwing Must Die,& Batman: Detective Comics, Volume 4: Deus Ex Machina.
September 7, 2018
Three stars seems like low-balling, considering the good-t0-great quality of most of the material included here. I don't think it accomplishes its goal, however, if its goal is to give enough background from the Batman mythos of the last decade or so- which has gotten pretty complicated- to enable the reader to get up to speed on Dark Nights: Metal.
As I said as I was reading, the "Forge" and the "Casting" are drawn by Andy Kubert, John Romita Jr., and Jim Lee, whose alternating styles remind me (if no one else), of the famous Paul, George, and John "solo" from "The End."
(pretty cool 'knock off' version here:)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvpUr...
Apparently, the Joker is immortal now? One explanation, at least, for why Batman hasn't killed him already.
As I said as I was reading, the "Forge" and the "Casting" are drawn by Andy Kubert, John Romita Jr., and Jim Lee, whose alternating styles remind me (if no one else), of the famous Paul, George, and John "solo" from "The End."
(pretty cool 'knock off' version here:)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvpUr...
Apparently, the Joker is immortal now? One explanation, at least, for why Batman hasn't killed him already.
July 4, 2018
I received this from Edelweiss and DC Comics in exchange for an honest review.
This was pretty much all over the place, but I understand the reasoning behind it: there are several, dozens maybe, threads that are all leading to the Dark Days: Metal event.
Most of the issues included here I've read already, but the focus is different, looking at Batman and his secret research that apparently threatens the Multiverse. The really amazing thing is how the writers have gone back several years to create this storyline, and obviously, tons of research of their own to craft this event. I'm very interested to see how well it plays out.
This was pretty much all over the place, but I understand the reasoning behind it: there are several, dozens maybe, threads that are all leading to the Dark Days: Metal event.
Most of the issues included here I've read already, but the focus is different, looking at Batman and his secret research that apparently threatens the Multiverse. The really amazing thing is how the writers have gone back several years to create this storyline, and obviously, tons of research of their own to craft this event. I'm very interested to see how well it plays out.
November 1, 2018
It's times like these that I realize I should have read the entire DC Universe chronologically. This felt really jarring and all over the place. And I started reading DC comics in 2016 and I've been very active, but I still feel like I have no idea what is really going on in the grand scheme here. I am very interested in seeing what Dark Nights: Metal really is, but I just can't help feeling like I never know what's going on. Is that normal or is it just that I'm still a noob after two years?
SOS
SOS
June 7, 2018
Well, I.....uh...huh. Everything that could be said has pretty much been said about this ‘road’ to Metal. I haven’t gotten to the series itself yet, so I’ll reserve judgement until then. As others have noted, much of this trade is a curated trip (yes, a trip in the Grant Morrison sense) that leads us to the Dark Knights of Metal (we’re talking nth, not Judas Priest). The first two stories are the new ones: The Forge/The Casting.... and yeah, they’re alright. My interest is piqued. But being thrown back into the madness of Final Crisis #6-7 is not only jolting to the senses, but really unnessary. Same with the other back issues featured here. Scott Snyder couldve had a more concise and compelling short compendium if he’d just selected the scenes that he felt actually tied in to this newest event. It would ve been more coherent too. To just put these back issues together in a slap-dash way is a little disrespectful to the audience and does not do the original story arcs any justice. Oh well, the Dark Knights trade is on the way.
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