Over the last few months, DC Comics has been publishing their Dark Nights: Metal mini-series, along with a bunch of one-shots that spin out of the main title.
Dark Nights: Metal, written by fan and critical favourite, Scott Snyder and illustrated by the wonderful, hard-rocking, Greg Capullo, is essentially their last, big Batman story that began when the two first started their monthly Batman run a number of years ago.
This Batman-starring story was so big, so all-encompassing, and so senses-shattering, it needed its own title! And indeed, Dark Nights: Metal, involves the entirety of the DC Universe.
Essentially, the series establishes the dark-sided universe of DC’s fifty-two distinct universes. Bear with me, as I’ll attempt to explain that physics-cosmos-philosophical conundrum after the jump.
Chiefly, however, this particular column will shine a light on that darkness, highlighting the most anticipated of the spin-off one-shots with the Batman Who Laughs #1, released today!
The Batman Who Laughs #1
Written By: James T. Tynion IV
Illustrated By: Riley Rossmo
Published By: DC Comics
The main Dark Nights: Metal series, or, actually, the dark universe from which a whole host of new villains erupts, is actually a product of Batman’s psychosis. It’s built on the Dark Knight’s fears.
Wait.
Batman fears nothing. Right?
Wrong.
Batman fears LOTS of things. And generally, those fears are aspects of himself – and what, given the right climate, the proper occurrence, he may become.
The dark-sided universe of Dark Nights: Metal is a bubbling morass of nebulous possibility that is given real form and function based on the fears of the people that inhabit the real fifty-two universes that make up the DC Universe. If there’s enough fear, those fears manifest in the dark-sided universe – and they want to break free and control the flip side of their reality.
Batman, as mentioned, has a number of fears. Over the last few months, DC Comics has been exploring each of them via Dark Nights one-shot issues. Each fear is represented in the dark universe as a slightly different, and altogether terrifying, version of Batman.
So far, we’ve seen Batman: The Red Death #1 (where he has the powers of the Flash), Batman: The Dawnbreaker #1 (where he has the powers of Green Lantern), Batman: The Murder Machine #1 (where he has the powers of Cyborg), Batman: The Drowned#1 (where she has the powers of Aquaman), Batman: The Devastator #1 (where he has the powers of Doomsday), etc. There are more fears, more twisted Batmen and more one-shot issues to come!
These are all skewered versions of the Batman we know and love, with twisted origins that show how our Batman can so easily go off the rails. They are nightmare varieties that are crazed, murderous and unstoppable. And they’ve bled into our DC Universe.
And now comes the most eagerly anticipated nightmare version of Batman:
A Dark Nights: Metal one-shot tie-in, The Batman Who Laughs #1, written by James T. Tynion IV and illustrated by Riley Rossmo, shows us a diabolical and perverse version of Batman who looks like a cross between a Judge Dredd character and the Mouth of Sauron from Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King film.
This is a version of Batman who became a deadly and maniacal Joker.
Fear indeed!
You need to be experience this! Make the run to your local comic book shop today and pick up The Batman Who Laughs #1.
You won’t be laughing through the story, but you will be entertained in so many unique and dark ways!
Reblogged this on JP Fallavollita.