In 2017 I read a mind-blowing story by comic creators Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo called Dark Nights: Metal. It was massive in scale and involved the multiverse in its entirety and shook up the foundation of the DC Comic Multiverse. The series and Metal crossovers involve Batman discovering a dark multiverse that exists beneath the core DC multiverse. It is revealed that both multiverses are connected through mysterious metals that Batman has encountered over the years. His investigations eventually result in him releasing seven evil versions of himself from the dark multiverse, led by the dark god known as Barbatos, who plans to unleash darkness across every Earth.
The series was a huge undertaking that left more than a few unanswered questions about the Source Wall and what was beyond the existence of the multiverse. After the heroes deal with Barbatos in Dark Knights: Metal, all there is has changed so Snyder has created again a massive storyline to solve the conflicting issues caused by the release of the 2017 comic book series.
The new series is called Dark Knights: Death Metal. I have read through Dark Knights: Death Metal #6 and I am intrigued by what I have read thus far. Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo are at it again with a great story and art. Snyder said about the series: “Everything is coming back, we want to pay it forward. The Omega Titans, Barbatos, the Forge, it’s all coming back. Everything you read, our goal is to reward. All of it culminates in like a year is like a Metal event.” Death Metal will not only conclude the three-year spanning Dark Multiverse narrative that began with Dark Nights: Metal but will bring an end to the New 52/DC Rebirth continuity that began with 2011’s Flashpoint by Geoff Johns, Andy Kubert, and Sandra Hope.
These are big promises for a series not call “Crisis”. I have read Dark Knights: Death Metal #6 and can’t wait for the conclusion in #7 on January 5th, 2021. I have included the recommended reading for the series for those of you who might have missed this comic event by DC Comics. There is a lot of the build-up to Dark Nights: Death Metal happens in Year of the Villain, a year-long meta-story that has two major threads involving Lex Luthor and The Batman Who Laughs. This is not mandatory reading but will help in the understanding of the actual series.
Justice League: No Justice
Justice League #1-7
Justice League #12
Justice League Annual #1
The Source Wall falls, and issues with the multiverse begin to arise
Justice League #17-18
These comics will directly lead into the Year of the Villain storylines.
The Flash #65
The Batman Who Laughs #1-7
Year of the Villain #1 is a 25 cent issue that kicks off the Year of the Villain storyline. If your local comic book store is out of copies, you can also read it for free digitally. Just Click the title below:
Dark Nights: Death Metal Reading Order
Dark Nights: Death Metal #1
Dark Nights: Death Metal #2
Dark Nights: Death Metal #3
Dark Nights: Death Metal Guidebook (one-shot tie-in)
Dark Nights: Death Metal – Trinity Crisis (one-shot tie-in)
Justice League #53 (tie-in) [Doom Metal Part 1 of 5]
Dark Nights: Death Metal – Speed Metal (one-shot tie-in)
Dark Nights: Death Metal – Multiverse’s End (one-shot tie-in)
Justice League #54 (tie-in) [Doom Metal Part 2 of 5]
Dark Nights: Death Metal – Robin King (one-shot tie-in)
Dark Nights: Death Metal #4
Justice League #55 (tie-in) [Doom Metal Part 3 of 5]
Dark Nights: Death Metal – Rise of the New God (one-shot tie-in)
Justice League #56 (tie-in) [Doom Metal Part 4 of 5]
Dark Nights: Death Metal – Infinite Hours Exxxtreme! (one-shot tie-in)
Dark Nights: Death Metal #5 (of 7)
Dark Nights: Death Metal – The Multiverse Who Laughs (one-shot tie-in)
Dark Nights: Death Metal – The Secret Origin (one-shot tie-in)
Dark Nights: Death Metal – The Last Stories of the DCU (one-shot tie-in)
These issues I have not read yet but they are important:
Dark Nights: Death Metal – The Last 52: War of the Multiverses (one-shot tie-in)
Available December 29th
Dark Nights: Death Metal #7 (of 7)
Available January 5th
After Dark Nights: Death Metal:
One thing that we do know is that Generations Shattered will pick-up on threads from
Dark Nights: Death Metal and Detective Comics #1027.
Generations Shattered #1 (One-shot)
Available January 5th, 2021
Generations Forged #1 (one-shot)
Available February 23rd, 2021
If you like Snyder’s creative talents then check it out and let us know what you think.