DARK NIGHTS: METAL #2 By Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo, Jonathan Glapion, and FCO Plascencia Art Characterization Plot Summary Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo reteam for DARK NIGHTS: METAL #2, a comic which answers the central questions about the Dark Multiverse! Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo reteam for DARK NIGHTS: METAL #2, a comic which answers the central questions about the Dark Multiverse! 98 % DC Fan Fantasy

When Scott Snyder announced “The Dark Multiverse,” he promised fans the biggest DC Comics event of the summer. It’s not summer anymore, but that doesn’t negate the fact that DARK NIGHTS: METAL #2 is the most exhilarating, ambitious comic book DC has released in several months. Scott Snyder is able to unite countless storylines, characters, and events for this extraordinary event. Each come together in this breathtaking comic book.

The work of Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo flow together beautifully in another terrific comic. Over only twenty-three pages, almost all of DC Comics’ most popular heroes appear in exquisitely rendered pages. Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo effortlessly navigate around any feeling of being crammed. Each character shines and is represented with love and reverence. If you are a true fan of DC Comics, you’ll squeal with delight as I did reading DARK NIGHTS: METAL #2!

Scott Snyder Takes On The DC Universe

Most people probably know Scott Snyder from his now classic New 52 BATMAN run. While he has written several other DC Comics, most of them center around the Caped Crusader. So how exactly would Scott Snyder accomplish a story involving the entire DC multiverse?

It turns out he has crafted a fantastic story that brought together elements from each corner of the DC Universe. The entire Justice League, most of the Bat-family, Kendra Saunders and her Blackhawks, several other Immortals, and Dream appear. Those are just the characters whose presence won’t spoil anything. This plethora of DC favorites could easily give a reader a headache, but I never felt like Snyder tried forcing characters down my throat. Instead, he managed to introduce characters in fun, stylized ways that make it a blast to see which next hero will pop up next! Even though this comic centers on Batman, Snyder nails all of the DC legends’ characteristics and personalities perfectly! Superman’s nobility, Nightwing’s wit, and Flash’s cleverness are all on display.

It also helps that the story opens with an action-packed adrenaline rushing sequence. The opening twelve pages in this issue involve a high-speed chase through the wilderness that is simply exhilarating. Here the Justice League try to stop Batman from making a rash decision that could affect the whole multiverse. It’s the perfect popcorn spectacle as almost all of the characters appear for some epic moments and snappy dialogue.

The Nexus of The DC Universe

DC Comics published issues for over 80 years, so it’s fair to say some of the characters have extensive histories (to put it mildly). Hardcore comic book fans love nothing more than when writers weave the gaps in stories from the past into a cohesive singular narrative. Scott Snyder masterfully accomplishes this in DARK NIGHTS: METAL #2.

Once DARK DAYS: CASTING #1 revealed Barbatos as the primary antagonist, we, the reader, instinctively knew we’d be put through the ringer.

If you are a DC Comics buff, there’s no question this comic is an early Christmas present. Whereas earlier comics in “The Dark Multiverse” were overly rife of foreboding and secrecy, DARK NIGHTS: METAL #2 reveals precisely how Scott Snyder worked for years to set this event up. It’s exceptionally impressive!

The World’s Crazed Detective

A story is only as good as its protagonist. Scott Snyder has a strong grasp of what makes Bruce Wayne tick.

For those familiar with Scott Snyder’s BATMAN, whether it’s in his New 52 BATMAN or the current ALL-STAR BATMAN, certain aspects stand out from previous interpretations of the character. Snyder’s Batman walks the line between sanity and insanity. No better example of this exists than in ALL-STAR BATMAN. There, Bruce is nothing short of ruthless and teeters on the brink of insanely stubborn.

Snyder’s Batman is only enhanced by Greg Capullo’s depiction of Bruce’s physicality. Capullo renders Batman differently from the idealized Polykleitan Jim Lee versions. Greg Capullo draws Bruce hunched over, with realistic bruises, and a bulkiness. It feels right for this Batman who often serves as a one-man army.

Darkness aside, at times, Scott Snyder writes Batman with a whimsicality. In this issue, his sarcastic and dry sense of humor powerfully operates. This puts him at odds with some of the more joyless and overly serious depictions of the Dark Knight of recent. However, what defines Bruce Wayne in DARK NIGHTS: METAL #2 is his obsessions. Bruce Wayne continues on a crusade to stop Barbatos, and he will do whatever it takes. Batman’s tough decisions to save the multiverse cause others to consider him inflexible at best and reckless at worst. A possibility exists that these traits will be his undoing.

Art in DARK NIGHTS: METAL #2

DC Comics tasked Greg Capullo with accomplishing a lot all at once in this issue. He has to create a gritty and Gothic style in the vein of his more classic BATMAN art. However, it must be balanced in order to capture the cosmic and mystical themes of the Dark Multiverse. Additionally, he has to capture the DC House Art when depicting the Justice League and other characters who require a different artist identity than his typical darker Batman characters. Unsurprisingly, Greg Capullo masterfully pulls the metaphorical rabbit out of the hat at such a difficult task.

It doesn’t hurt that Capullo has Jonathan Glapion as a secondary artist and FCO Plascencia as colorist, both of whom helped him on Snyder’s New 52 BATMAN. The team is clearly so experienced at bringing the Dark Knight’s world to life. Much of this comic reflects Batman’s shadowy, murky aesthetic. So when characters like Aquaman or The Flash bring their unique flare to a panel, they really pop out. I give a lot of credit to Plascencia who really finds a way to make color work against the dreary or dingy backgrounds of this issue.

There’s also a point in which the story takes a horrific turn. The panels become truly frightening. Greg Capullo and Jonathan Glapion accomplish this by heightening the sense of powerlessness and claustrophobia panel by panel. After reading this comic, I was shuddering from some of the nightmarish images I witnessed.

Final Thoughts

DARK NIGHTS: METAL #2 is literally everything you need it to be. It’s the best issue in all of the Dark Multiverse thus far. It represents an unparalleled artistic triumph for Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo, Jonathan Glapion, and FCO Plascencia.