Dark Nights: Death Metal #5 Review

 

Think Small

Writer: Scott Snyder

Artist: Greg Capullo

Cover Price: $4.99

Release Date: November 18, 2020

Death Metal has been a very polarizing story, and while people argue about it, I have been sitting in the middle, hoping there is a light at the end of the tunnel that gives us better books.  Yea, I know Scott Snyder can't do that all by himself, but he can set up the foundation for it, and the "everything matters" slogan seems like a good start.  I still want a good story, mind you, and that's why I am here to review this issue.  So, is Dark Nights: Death Metal #5 good?  Let's find out...

We start with the Robin King, and while it took me a bit to get sick of the Batman Who Laughs, I have already had way too much RK to last me a lifetime.  Unfortunately, the dark multiverse schtick is so over, and here is the Robin King prancing around like a hair metal band in 1993.  He then makes way for the transforming Castle Bat, and again, I am so ready for these Dark Knights to be a thing of the past!  Things pick up when Lex shows up in the Legion of Doom ship/HQ and saves the day, and tries to convince the heroes to "think small."

While that is going on, Snyder goes big and shows the ongoing battle between Perpetua and the Darkest Knight.  Well, kind of.  With a couple of issues still left, the two insult each other a bit and not much else.  The big stuff is going on with the heroes who have gathered to hear what Lex has to say.

If you are hoping not to get another "wishing machine" at the end of this story, you may be disappointed.  It may not end up precisely like that, but boy, it is looking like it right now.  As for how we will get to that, we get more talk of Crisis and Anti-Crisis energy and Death Metal straight out of the Exxxtreme Lobo one-shot.  How it all works together and against it, I am still a bit in the dark, but I did get excited when Lex and Diana dropped hints of fully opening up the timeline to win this war.

The issue continues with Batman and Superman coming clean with Diana, Lobo finding strength in numbers, and Superman gathering his dark wrecking crew or crüe since it is Metal!  They will need all hands on deck because the big battle has arrived, and they will have to handle more than Batmen this time!

I like the feeling of this issue more than the actual story.  I like the promise more than the reality.  The details like the Crisis Energies are not as impressive as the amount of space given to them seems to suggest, and even Perpetua and the Darkest Knight haven't been engaging for quite some time.  Greg Capullo's art and the promise of our heroes fixing the universe we love is what keeps me coming back, and this issue did get me excited for that by the end.  This is a setup issue for the final stretch run, and I did like what it seems to be setting up, so I ended up more positive by the end.  Still, there is a lot left to unpack before this is over, and I just hope it will end up being worth it.

Bits and Pieces:

Dark Nights: Death Metal #5 continues to frustrate with a sometimes overly complicated story that does promise better days ahead for DC fans.  I like seeing my heroes win, and while that hasn't happened much yet, it looks like we may finally get there.  Greg Capullo's art is good as usual, and overall, this was one of the better Death metal issues even if it's all about the light at the end of the tunnel.

7.3/10