Forever Evil Event: Forever Evil 7

Forever Evil 7

Geoff Johns, David Finch

Forever Evil Crossover

Spoiler alert!  You have been warned!

Well.  Here we are.  The grand finale.  And let me tell you: it was definitely worth the wait.  DC event mastermind Geoff Johns joins the excellent David Finch in an over-sized super-villain-heavy extravaganza in the tradition of all things DC of the past… with a few twists and turns thrown in for good measure.  It is a beautiful issue.  But the beauty lies in the subtle nuances in characterization thanks to both the talented writer and the incomparable artist.

Lex Luthor continues to narrate as he brings Dick Grayson back to life in the opening pages, expressing that he is not as evil as Batman and the others would have us believe him to be.  It was all part of his plan.  Bruce and the former Robin have a touching moment, which is ruined (or improved?) by the sudden burst of empathy from the Bizarro monster.  Then Cyborg returns, recruits Bats and company to save the Justice League, and Lex is left to save the world from the remaining members of the Crime Syndicate, but only after he steals a Kryptonite ring from Batman, of course.  Mazahs is revealed to have absorbed all of the abilities of his fallen comrades, and is also (surprise, surprise) Superwoman’s baby daddy.  Ultraman gets his butt kicked, Deathstorm is killed, and Lex recognizes the “big bad” of the mega event for his very own doppelganger.  Owlman (quite creepily) wants to save his “relationship” with Dick Grayson, Captain Cold wants to not die, and the two Luthors want to kill each other.  Bizarro dies protecting his “father” and then shit really hits the fan.  Sinestro and Black Adam launch an assault on Superwoman and the power-hungry Alexander in hopes that they can destroy him and save the world.  Lex admits he’s not stronger, better, or more powerful, but that he is in fact smarter than his evil(er) duplicate.  They have the same voice, after all.  So when he mutters the magic words, rendering the villain human, he murders him.  Batman uses Wonder Woman’s lasso to free the League from the prison within Firestorm, the sun is up, and Ultraman is easily defeated.  Lex doesn’t kill him, though.  He’s got plans to watch him suffer.  Atomica, though?  That bitch gets stepped on. Then Lex saves Superman’s life, offers up some pardons to his formerly villainous allies, and has a change of heart about taking Kord Industries from a young Ted Kord.  A nice little epilogue paves the way for future tales with Wonder Woman talking to Superwoman about the red tear in their sky that led them to our Earth, just as her baby kicks.  And Lex admits to the readers that he is defined by his failures, because they make him stronger.  And, you know, the fact that he’s got Batman’s secret identity also helps.  Then we get the big reveal, which should come as a shock to no one.  Darkseid didn’t cause the Crime Syndicate’s invasion.  Nope.  It was the Anti-Monitor.  Boom.

What an ending!  We’ve got the Anti-Monitor.  We’ve got the Crime Syndicate meeting their brutal (albeit fitting) end at the hands of the world’s true greatest super-villains.  And we’ve got lots of plot threads that will have long-lasting ramifications for future stories to come.  I’m looking forward to seeing Dick Grayson’s secret missions carried out in his new upcoming book.  I’m pumped beyond belief to see Lex Luthor take over the leadership role (even if it’s only for a little while) of the newly reformed Justice League.  But mostly, I’m excited to see what this means for the future of the heroes (and villains, and not-quite-sure-what-they-ares) of the DC Universe.  The waiting period may have lost some fans, but if they’re smart, they’ll pick this book up.  It’s well worth it’s cover price.  A fantastic ending to another great DC Comics epic.  (Not to mention the potential for the New 52 to not be permanent.  That’s always a fun option.)  Great work, gang.

My Rating: 5/5