Forever Evil 4
Geoff Johns, David Finch
Forever Evil Crossover
Spoiler alert! You have been warned!
Geoff Johns. David Finch. Event. Bad guys. Teaming up to fight with other bad guys, against WORSE bad guys. Oh, and Batman. Can’t forget Batman. What’s not to love about this event? In theory, Forever Evil‘s concept alone is enough to sell a bunch of books. But only masters like Johns and Finch can make the magic something truly epic. The story, though simple, seems on the surface like one that has been being told for years: The good guys lose, the bad guys take over, evil inherits the earth. The only difference is that this time, the bad guys are taking control and some of their own are realizing that, though not exactly heroic, they aren’t inherently evil. Not in the purest sense. And this is where DC blows companies like Marvel out of the water: Their villains absolutely, unapologetically, rule. They’re complex. They’re diverse. And for the first time in what seems like decades, they’re being written in a way that shows that they really could work as heroes. But that’s another story for another time…
Black Adam is on the mend. Bizarro gets a name. Catwoman and Batman share a pretty well-fleshed-out dialogue sequence about priorities and secrets. Black Manta is trying desperately not to show his humanity. Captain Cold proves that even though he’s not a genius like Luthor, he’s brilliant in his own right. And Lex, upon breaking and entering Wayne Enterprises, has proven that he is exactly what this world needs at this point in time. But before the Batman/Luthor battle-turned-uneasy-alliance scenario can come to fruition, the Crime Syndicate’s own resident coward, Power Ring, shows up and tries to squash the rebellion. But then we get possibly one of the best endings to an event chapter in years with the re-emergence of the character that Geoff Johns single-handedly not only redeemed, but made into a personal favorite of this lifelong DC fanatic: Sinestro. Just like his exit in the pages of Johns’ last issue of his powerful Green Lantern run, this issue’s finale gave me genuine chills. Agree, disagree, love, or hate him; one thing’s for sure: Johns has a way with words. And the dialogue at the end of this issue has solidified him as one of the all-time greats.
This is, by far, not only the book of the week, but the book of the month. Buy it. You have literally no excuse with this short week. And while you’re at it, pick up Justice League 26, also out this week as well. It’s a great companion piece to this wonderfully evil comic.
My Rating: 5/5
