Forever Evil: A. R. G. U. S. 1
Sterling Gates, Philip Tan, Neil Edwards, Javier Pina
Forever Evil Crossover
Spoilers ahead! You have been warned!
I know I can’t be alone with my hopes for this book. I mean, come on. It’s about the mysterious behind-the-scenes organization in the New 52 of the DC Universe, features Steve Trevor (who is actually one of the more complex and interesting of the world’s heroic characters post-Flashpoint) in a starring role, and it’s written by a criminally underrated writer. Sterling Gates works (quite well, I might add) alongside artists Philip Tan, Neil Edwards, and Javier Pina in what is yet another thrilling first issue of the miniseries spinning out of the pages of the main Forever Evil title.
The plot is fairly complex for a premiere issue, but nothing that is too confusing that it would warrant dropping the title. If nothing else, it’s lofty in its goal to tell a parallel story that not only references the main one, but actually adds to it. Building off previous Justice League storylines, we’re shown that Steve Trevor survived the “death” of the Justice League(s) because Zatanna sent him away from harm at the last second. We’re thrown back and forth between flashbacks and the present, where Etta Candy and Steve are trying to save the world. Witnessing and hearing of the Secret Society’s not only infiltration, but utter and all-but complete destruction of A. R. G. U. S., the all-knowing and all-seeing eye in the sky. And even though there is a lot going on, at its core, this is really a character-driven piece. And Steve Trevor has never been cooler.
Some personal favorites and highlights of the issue for me were the fight between Trevor and Slade Wilson, Deathstroke. he former Team 7 comrades (who had a, shall we say, falling out) is nothing short of incredible. I can’t wait to see more in the issues to come. It was also a nice touch with a quote about Amanda Waller’s location being currently unknown because, after all, she’s not exactly the type of person who would ever let anyone keep tabs on her. But perhaps the best scenes where it’s just Steve talking to (and holding his own) with people of high rank or power. Seeing the President of the United States and Wonder Woman juxtaposed with this “everyman” was not only refreshing, but gave this event a much-needed sense of realism. After all, in a world of capes and superpowers, it’s always nice to see that the true heroes, the ones who actually end up doing all of the work, are not only relatable, but actually likeable. And political commentary aside, it was nice to see a different and brave approach to giving a real person dialogue that actually affects the plot and overall tone of the story. Count me in for the rest of the series.
My Rating: 4/5
I thought the issue was kind of scattershot and all over the place but there was a lot of potential here. Thank god Brett Booth didn't do the interior art. His cover was pretty bad.