Throwback Thursday: Forever Evil #1 Review (2013)

Oh Shit Just Got Real...Real Evil!

Written by: Geoff Johns
Art by: David Finch, Richard Friend, Sonia Oback and Rob Leigh
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: September 4, 2013
Reviewed by: Eric Shea

We started our site in July 2013 and were just getting used to this whole review thing when Villains Month and Forever Evil hit in September.  Eric didn't even have internet when he wrote this review, but instead would get the issues on Saturday, write the reviews that afternoon, put them on a zip drive and drop them in my mailbox on the way to the bar that night.  Crazy times!  I can still smell the alcohol and shame coming off this review... -Jim


We open up this issue with Lex Luthor, flying around Metropolis with the owner of Kord Industries. Thomas Kord?  Where the hell is Ted?  Anyway, Lex wants to buy Kord Industries but Thomas has no plans for that.  Lex gives him another offer, which includes killing Thomas, getting his son hooked on smack, getting his wife to fall in love, and then have the man she fell in love with leave her the day that her son overdoses.  Now that's some good Lex.  But all at once a blur surges throughout metropolis knocking out all electronics.  The helicopter goes down, and crashes in the side of LexCorp.  Lex crawls into an office away from the helicopter, and sees a man fly in wearing a cape.  Superman?  Oh he wishes.  Ultra Man comes in breaking into a vault and finding the one thing he came there for.  Kryptonite.  Ultra Man crushes up the rock, and then heat visions it into a vapor and inhales it.  Afterward claiming he is the strongest once again.

Throughout the issue we have a lot going on.  Grid is systematically shutting down all electronics, and communications.  Nightwing is returning Victor Zsasz to Arkham Asylum, when the power goes out in Gotham.  Sadly for him anyways.  Super Woman is at Arkham Asylum, and Nightwing decides to take her on.  Oh poor Nightwing.

The Rogues are out in the yard in Iron Heights Penitentiary, just hanging out playing a game of escape from prison, reminicing about what life was like before they had the burden of super powers.  But the conversation is interrupted when Johnny Quick busts through the gates and takes out all the guards.  At Belle Reve, Amanda Waller is trying to convince Black Manta to join Suicide Squad, but Manta aint buying.  The conversation is interrupted again by the Crime Syndicate, when DeathStorm, and Power Ring come through the ceiling.  Scare Crow is trying to convince Poison Ivy, Mr. Freeze, Two Face, and the Riddler to join the Secret Society.  All it takes for a yes, is a flip of a coin.

All the villains gather in Happy Harbor, where the Watch Tower has been physically pulled out of space and lies in ruins.  Okay apparently Despero did this.  Why didn't he do this earlier when he got his ass handed to him?  Anyway, all the villains meet up to meet the Crime Syndicate.  The Earth 3 baddies show up and introduce themselves, and tell everybody what their favorite color is, oh and give Black Manta Aqua Man's trident, gives Metallo Superman's cape, and Cheetah Wonder Woman's lasso.  But Monocle isn't buying the fact that the Justice League is dead, and also claims that the Crime Syndicate is the Justice League, it's all a trap.  Then Monocle had a sudden case of head melting.

Well with no more naysayers, the Crime Syndicate brings out the main attraction, Nightwing.  beaten, and bloody Nightwing is held up in front of all the villains as Super Woman unmasks him, and tells them that he is really Richard Grayson. (Gasp!)  In the end the Crime Syndicate gives the standard "join us or die, your world is ours, blah blah blah.  You know.  But as the sun comes up, Ultra Man is hurt by the rays, and he flies off.  Lex back in Metropolis, watches as the sun rises, and begins to be eclipsed.  The earth rumbles as Ultra Man moves the moon in front of the sun.  Lex falls to his knees knowing that this is a job for Superman.  But where is he?

There is a lot going on in this book, and I'm afraid that in the future it will be hard containing all these villains in a single story without them just becoming redundant and just there for villains sake.  But at least this issue doesn't seem to have that problem.  Everything flows real nice, and leaves you wanting more.  I just hope that each issue isn't there just for a single shock factor like we had with Nightwing.  But even if that is the case, who can deny that villains are just so cool.

Bits and Pieces:

Geoff Johns knows how to write a great villain, and David Finch just makes them look awesome. Well so far so good, hopefully after Villains Month, the title will continue to be strong.

8/10