Forever Evil: A. R. G. U. S. 4
Sterling Gates, Neil Edwards
Forever Evil Crossover
Spoiler alert! You have been warned!
We had two more issues of Forever Evil this week. And they were both pretty good. This month’s issue picks up right where it left off, but the cover completely and utterly destroys the twist ending. That’s right. We get a pretty good surprise cliffhanger of a last page, ruined by the cover. Granted, the Brett Booth cover is pretty awesome. But still. I don’t blame writer Sterling Gates (who does an excellent job crafting a complex and fun read) or artist Neil Edwards (who makes the entire issue fast and enjoyable to look through) at all, though. Not even the editors, really. Is this a marketing mistake? Or maybe even a way to sell more books? After all, it does have a popular hero, a fan-favorite villain, and a giant Justice League logo. If that’s not enough to sell more copies, I don’t know what would be. (That’s a lie. I know what would sell more books. Batman.)
The issue continues where we left the “team” last. Etta Candy and the President are in the Green Room, and she may or may not have just gotten the promotion of a lifetime from both the leader of the not-so-free world and the mysterious man who lives in said room. Does anyone have any theories as to his identity? Steve Trevor, Professor Stein, and Killer Frost work on their uneasy alliance just as the Secret Society’s less-than-impressive members burst in to fight (and get their butts handed to them again). But we also get a scene with someone from the secret A. R. G. U. S. prison, a telepath who tells (with her mind!) Trevor how to save the society. He needs to get Wonder Woman’s lasso of truth. For some reason. From Cheetah. Thanks, cover.
So there you have it. Another good issue, kind of ruined by a great cover. There are still quite a few questions left unanswered, but that’s okay. There are a couple issues still left, after all. I want to know who is in the Green Room. I want to know why the lasso of truth is going to play such a pivotal role in the inevitable saving of the various Justice Leagues. I want to know what Etta’s new job title and responsibilities will be. And most of all, I want to see just how villainous (or maybe even heroic) Cheetah and Killer Frost end up being by the end of this miniseries. All in all, this was a fun read. Just like the last several issues. Well done, guys. Don’t let the big wigs at DC ruin any more of your endings for the sake of a cool cover.
My Rating: 4/5
Comic publishers seem to have this weird passive aggressiveness when it comes to spoilers.