Forever Evil 6
Geoff Johns, David Finch
Spoiler alert! You have been warned!
So here it is. The issue we’ve all been waiting for. And don’t let the cover fool you, as is true to form for most comic books nowadays, it’s awfully misleading. I’ll start off right away telling you that we don’t know Nightwing’s fate at the end of this issue. This should come as no surprise to anyone who has ever read a comic book. But that being said, it is by no means a bad issue. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Writer Geoff Johns and artist David Finch ramp up the crazy action in this issue and it certainly feels like it’s starting to come to an epic ending. As it should. I mean, it’s an epic event. It’s only fitting that it spirals out of control in the penultimate issue leading to what will most assuredly be an amazing and shocking finale.
The issue starts off with Lex narrating and reluctantly working alongside Batman, much to both of their chagrins. In this new “justice” league, we’ve got Lex and Bats, sure, but we also have a bunch of other fan-favorites. Black Manta, Captain Cold, Sinestro, Catwoman, Bizarro, Black Adam, and Deathstroke. This team should have its own book after all is said and done, and we might get that wish (in one form or another). The Crime Syndicate is starting to panic when the Big Bad they escaped (sort of) finds them on Earth 2. Then we see Nightwing attached to an Apokoliptian “death machine,” which is essentially a giant bomb that only stops when his heart does. Then we flash to the Outsider disobeying Owlman’s direct order and attempting to free the Crime Syndicate’s mysterious hooded prisoner, only to be brutally murdered by Black Manta in one of the best scenes of Finch’s already stellar career. Bruce and Dick are in the middle of what should be a heartfelt and emotional scene when the Syndicate attacks, resulting in an Owlman betrayal, a rematch between Black Adam and Ultraman, and a well-done death sequence for the villainous Johnny Quick. But as Lex Luthor seemingly murders Dick Grayson to save the world and Batman proceeds to begin beating Lex to death, the shit really hits the fan when we learn that (surprise, surprise) the hooded and now freed prisoner from Earth 3 is their greatest hero, Alexander Luthor is not only a badass, but also their version of Shazam!
So I’m pretty sure absolutely no one saw that coming. I don’t really have an analysis, to be completely honest. It was that shocking. That good. Well done, Mr. Johns and Mr. Finch. This is the best issue of the Forever Evil saga so far. I can only imagine what you guys have in store for us with the last issue and beyond. This is how you do a comic. This is how you do an event. And this, ladies and gentlemen, is by far my pick of the week. Possibly even month.
My Rating: 5/5
Great Review. Some thoughts of my own:
-I totally saw Alexander Luthor coming, but I did not see Mazahs coming at all. That was a good twist in a predictable reveal
-The Johnny Quick – Captain Cold fight, while oddly short, was everything I wanted as far as dialogue and actions go. Quick pointing out he killed Snart on his earth and that he was a cop, and then Cold going “I’m not a cop”, explaining the way his gun works, and then just kicking Quick’s leg off. It’s a capsule version of a perfect fight scene.
-The stuff with Manta and the rest of the LoD is great as well. Outsider’s death was shocking and it really captured who Manta is and what his character is all about
-man, forever evil has been ploddingly slow, but Johns jam-packed this issue with content bringing the story up to speed perfectly. I can’t wait to see where it goes
-Finch’s art has been ranging from bad-great throughout the series, but here, he, his inker, and his colorist really brought their A-game. Everything is gorgeous here, and nothing looks out of place or rushed. I’m still in shock over how good this issue looks after dramatically varying art in the past five issues.
Loved the issue. Love the series. Good review, dude!