UPDATE:
After this column was released, DC Comics released to the L.A. Times another cover for Forever Evil #2. This appears to be the primary cover, as the other covers are solicited as being villain-specific, but we’ll know more this Wednesday.
Nice! Today’s column, as originally published, is below. :)
DC Comics has released interior, unlettered, uncolored art pages from October 2013’s Forever Evil: Rogues Rebellion #1 and Forever Evil: A.R.G.U.S. #1 below. These two mini-series join Forever Evil: Arkham War as three companion series to DC Comics’ New 52-spanning Forever Evil event mini-series that already had uncolored interior art from both titles released that teased five interesting developments. Subsequently, DC also released an interior in-color, but still unlettered, preview teaser for Forever Evil #2!
Spoilers follow.
Forever Evil #2 Kindle exclusive in-color teaser alongside previously released black and white page:
The previously released cover art and solicit for Forever Evil #2 are as follows:
Forever Evil #2
- The villains have taken over the world! The Teen Titans fight back! Can the inexperienced teen heroes do what the adults could not? (Answer: Nope. It goes very poorly.)
Written by: Geoff Johns
Art by: David Finch / Richard Friend
Cover by: David Finch / Richard Friend
Variant Cover by: Ethan Van Sciver / David Finch / Richard Friend
Color/B&W: Color
Page Count: 32
U.S. Price: 3.99
On Sale Date: Oct 2 2013
Forever Evil #2 hits stands this Wednesday October 2nd. Stop by Wednesday morning for our Top 5 Spoilers from the issue in the same vein as the Top 5 Spoilers analysis pieces we did for Forever Evil #1 here and the end of Trinity War in Justice League #23 here.
Forever Evil Rogues Rebellion #1 teaser interior art pages:
The previously released cover art and solicit for Forever Evil: Rogues Rebellion #1 are as follows:
Forever Evil: Rogues Rebellion #1
- The Rogues call no man boss, but a new evil threat might not leave them much choice! Will they fall in line, or refuse and risk certain death? The answer will tear the Rogues apart!
Written by: Brian Buccellato
Art by: Patrick Zircher
Cover by: Declan Shalvey
Variant Cover by: Declan Shalvey
Color/B&W: Color
Page Count: 32
U.S. Price: 2.99
On Sale Date: Oct 16 2013
Forever Evil A.R.G.U.S. #1 teaser interior art page (as in one):
The previously released cover art and solicit for Forever Evil: A.R.G.U.S. #1 are as follows:
Forever Evil: A.R.G.U.S. #1
- The villains have killed the Justice League and decimated A.R.G.U.S.’s headquarters. Only Steve Trevor and the surviving A.R.G.U.S. agents can pick up the pieces and save the civilian populace from unthinkable evil!
Written by: Matt Kindt
Art by: Philip Tan / Jason Paz
Cover by: Brett Booth / Mark Irwin
Variant Cover by: Brett Booth / Mark Irwin
Color/B&W: Color / Page Count: 32
U.S. Price: 2.99
On Sale Date: Oct 23 2013
With that, here are the Top 5 Things we learned from the interior art teases, the solicits in the post Forever Evil #1 DC Comics New 52, interviews and more.
(5) A New God in A.R.G.U.S.’ Ranks?
Forever Evil: A.R.G.U.S. will feature Steve Trevor and a band of characters, including Etta Candy, Dale Gunn (from Justice League of America’s Vibe) and the conflicted-villain Killer Frost.
The cover to issue #1 seems to also include a female character that looks an awful lot like The Duchess from John Ostrander’s 1980’s Suicide Squad run. The Duchess was actually a Female Fury named Lashina from Apokolips stranded on Earth.
With all the New God forays in the multiverse of the DC New 52, could this really be the Duchess? Let’s hope so.
(4) Cheetah, Manhunted?
In Wonder Woman #23.1, we saw the debut of Mark Shaw, DC Comics New 52’s Manhunter (sorry Kate Spencer fans). The issue ends with Shaw still on the hunt for Cheetah.
With that villainess being so prominently featured on the Forever Evil: A.R.G.U.S. #1 cover and in future solicits, will Mark Shaw’s Cheetah hunt continue in this mini-series? Will Shaw join A.R.G.U.S. or just show up?
It looks like this mini may lift the veil on the shattered Advanced Research Group Uniting Superhumans a.k.a. A.R.G.U.S.
(3) No Flash In Rogues Rebellion & No Justice League in Forever Evil?
In an interview about Forever Evil Rogues Rebellion with the now shuttered MTV Geek, writer Brian Buccellato let a few interesting tidbits out:
- As far as being tied into the normal Flash run… it’s not. These events take place after Flash #24…
…This series focuses on the core group: Captain Cold, Mirror master, Heatwave, Weather Wizard, and the Trickster. Glider and Turbine will also play a major role, but those first five guys are front and center. The Rogues will also encounter a boatload of villains from around the DCU.
…The story definitely stands on it’s own, but like I mentioned before… it’s also directly tied with the CRAZY and AWESOME events of Forever Evil. Poor Flash is sitting this one out — probably for his own good.
:)In addition, issues #2 and #3 of Forever Evil Rogues Rebellion has the team travel to and tangle with villains in Superman’s Metropolis and Batman’s Gotham City.
So, with all that, we know that Rogues Rebellion doesn’t tie into the ongoing Flash series, doesn’t have the Flash – Barry Allen – appear in it, but ties into the main Forever Evil mini-series. With Flash MIA during this mini, does that translate into the Justice League being MIA for the entire Forever Evil mini-series with Lex Luthor, Nightwing and other villains / heroes saving the DC New 52?
(2) Even More Keys To The Crime Syndicate’s Defeat Seeded?
In our Top 5 Spoilers analysis of Forever Evil #1, we included as part of the #3 spoiler on the list a few key parts of that issue that were perfect set-ups for the eventual defeat of the Crime Syndicate at the end of Forever Evil 
(since, I think, they need to lose for the DC New 52 to survive).
The color preview teaser for Forever Evil #2 shows Utraman and Superwoman off to the side. In pre-Flashpoint incarnations of the Crime Syndicate, Ultraman and Superwoman were unhappily married with Superwoman having an affair with Owlman on the side. These past tales depicted tension amongst their trinity. Could this mistrust among the Earth 3 trinity, or an affair between Superwoman and Olwman, or their respective competing conspiracies and schemes, lead to the Crime Syndicate’s downfall?
With Ultraman’s scowl directed back at the table, where Owlman plans, it would appear that there is tension between him and Owlman? Pick the reason from the preceding choices. We’ll know more this Wednesday!
(1) A.R.G.U.S. Leads To Post-Forever Evil Superman / Wonder Woman Split?
Forever Evil: A.R.G.U.S. writer Sterling Gates has revealed one of Steve Trevor’s big motivations in the mini-series: find Wonder Woman. He told USA Today the following:
- “Steve and Wonder Woman have a history. He feels like, ‘If she were dead, I would know it. So he starts this hunt to try to find the Cheetah and then along the way he’s going to discover some really dark secrets about A.R.G.U.S. that even he didn’t know about and he was the director for a few years.”
- “I want to dig into what happens when this guy who is being told the love of his life is gone and he says, ‘No, she’s not and I’m going to use every resource I have — even though there aren’t that many left — to find Diana and prove the world wrong.”
Will Steve’s efforts rekindle Wonder Woman’s love for him?
In the past in discussing the new New 52 Superman / Wonder Woman relationship, DC Comics’ Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns has teased a bad break-up at BuzzFeed:
- “The thing about Wonder Woman and Superman is when their relationship ends, it’s going to end badly. There is no good way for this one to end. And then there’s other concerns. When those two start acting out together, people get nervous. Not because they don’t think they’re heroes, but because they have such incredible power, and who could stop those two?”
So, the question is how does that eventual break-up happen? Will Steve Trevor be part of a love triangle in the new Superman / Wonder Woman series by writer Charles Soule and artist Tony Daniel? It feels like Forever Evil A.R.G.U.S. may light the wick of the end of the Superman / Wonder Woman relationship. Will it be a slow burn over a year or two or sooner?
Interesting times ahead.
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