Forever Evil 2
Geoff Johns, David Finch
Forever Evil Crossover
Spoiler alert! You have been warned!
Only two issues in and all I can say is, wow. What a ride! Superstars Geoff Johns and David Finch continue to amaze this lifelong DC fan (who wasn’t originally the biggest supporter of the New 52) in their epic event, Forever Evil. Villains Month may be over, but the bad guys are still in complete control of the DC Universe and times have never been more dark. Or more fun.
The story takes place right where we were left off and we learn quite a few fun things right off the bat. We see an interesting dynamic continuing to build among the love triangle between Ultraman, Superwoman, and Owlman (what with their being the issue of an unborn child that isn’t Clark’s being thrown into the mix). We see the murderous Johnny Quick and evil gal pal Atomica killing a bunch of police officers and literally breaking the time stream, sending the Teen Titans to who knows where. We see Luthor teaming up with the brand new Bizarro (who ruthlessly murders Ratcatcher before he can truly make his debut in the New 52), proclaiming that “This looks like a job for Lex Luthor!” And last, but certainly not least, we see the return of Batman, Catwoman, and what’s left of Cyborg (their first appearance since the cliffhanger finale of Trinity War), proclaiming that they are the last of the Justice Leaguers. That’s right. You read that correctly. The Justice League, as the Crime Syndicate and the Secret Society have been saying for over a month now, truly are dead. Or so they say.
There are a few minor gripes, and I’ll admit that they are nitpicky, but I just want to say that Ultraman may be fast, yes, but he’s in one frame, leaves in another, and is inexplicably present in the next. And then there’s the issue of Luthor’s scale of necessary evilness. Or, in this case, unnecessary display of savagery. Did he really need to kill Ratcatcher? Not really. We know he’s a bad guy. But wouldn’t it have been cooler to see him as a “misunderstood but actually right” bad guy, who, in turn saves the day rather than the bad guy who hates everyone and everything that isn’t him and saves the day because he wants to rule the world? I think so. That being said, this is still a stellar event and the best on the shelves from the Big Two in years. I can’t wait for the next issue, not to mention the crossovers and miniseries. Keep ‘em coming!
My Rating: 4.5/5
