DC Comics Rebirth Spoilers & Review: Dark Nights Metal #2 Is Naturally Set Up By Events In Dark Nights Metal #1 (UPDATED)

Spoilers, Top Story

Dark Nights: Metal #2 looms!

It is heavily set-up by Dark Nights: Metal #1.


UPDATED with crisper pics and interludes.

DC Comics Rebirth and Dark Nights Metal Spoilers and Review follow for Dark Nights Metal #1.

The much anticipated book opens with the Justice League trapped on War World by Mongul forced to fight as gladiators.

The powers of the Justice League appear nullified by their… metal… armor.

Naturally, the Justice League defeat their gladiatorial opponents and Mongul and head back to Earth. As they reenter orbit, Alfred Pennyworth contacts Batman to tell him to come back to Gotham City as he needs to see something huge.

A mountain has appeared out of nowhere in Gotham City! It simply “popped” backed into the DC Rebirth reality.

The Flash finds a door to enter the bunker in the mountain that used to belong to the Challengers of the Unknown.


Interlude.

NEW. The Justice League find some characters in cryo-stasis. Are these the New Challengers of Dark Matter or the classic Challengers of the Unknown or part of Carter Hall’s Dark Multiverse expedition team, e.g. Starman aka Will Payton and others?

End interlude.


In the bunker the Justice League is confronted by the Blackhawks, a covert militaristic group, led by Lady Blackhawk who…

…is Kendra Saunders whom Batman recognizes and trusts. As a result, the Justice League join her on a trip to South America just because she asked them to.

They arrive at Blackhawk Island which in the past was home to Carter Hall, Hawkman. It turns out that Kendra Saunders and Carter Hall were Hawkgirl / Hawkwoman and Hawkman, reincarnated lovers from ancient Egypt. She gave up the Hawk-heroine role and turned to a different role as Lady Blackhawk. I don’t believe its ever explicitly said that Carter Hall is dead so let’s just say he’s missing.

We also learn more about Nth Metal aka Ninth Metal. It imbues its wearer or ingester with different powers depending on the person. It also broadcasts a strange energy.

We then get a lesson on the Secret History of DC. Carter Hall believed that the energy radiated from somewhere beyond the accepted cosmology and reality of DC. He recruited the Blackhawks, Starman aka Will Payton, the Metal Men, the Challengers of the Unknown and the Red Tornado, among others, to form a team and travel to the “other side”. So, these heroes and seemingly Carter Hall aka Hawkman are trapped in that other place.

Kendra Saunders shows the Justice League the map of the Multiverse and says that the new reality is on the back in the black, the Dark Multiverse. That is where the heroes are trapped and where the dark energy radiates from.

Wonder Woman says she only see black on the map and Kendra says they know more now. The DC reality isn’t only made up of anti-matter and matter, but also dark matter and dark energy that radiates from the Dark Multiverse.

We find out that the Red Tornado was the only member of Hawkman’s team to make it back from the Dark Multiverse; a place seemingly led by a beast named Barbatos.

Kendra Saunders pulls out some old parchment and effectively, summarized well by Superman, indicates that Batman aka Bruce Wayne will be the key to unlocking the door that brings Barbatos and his hordes to the DC Rebirth reality.

The Red Tornado awakens feeling that the door to the Dark Multiverse has been opened, attacks, and is subdued by the Justice League as Batman steals the the Nth Metal.

The dark energy pours into the DC Rebirth reality and some sense it like Doctor Fate, Steel and Plastic Man as the Dark Knights of the Dark Multiverse are teased.

The book ends with the four pages DC gave away for free earlier this week.

Batman, still in costume with his Bruce Wayne persona MIA, and Alfred Pennyworth are investigating the Nth Metal…

…are interrupted by vibrations from upstairs in stately Wayne Manor…

…a part of the floor opens up revealing that Carter Hall hid his journal there for Batman…

…when he is joined by the Sandman aka Dream of the Endless aka Daniel Hall who is Hawkman’s, Carter Hall’s, grandson.

And now, your Dark Nights Metal checklist.


Interlude.

Dark Nights Metal #2 is out this week. Here is the solicitation.

      DARK NIGHTS: METAL #2
      Written by SCOTT SNYDER
      Art and cover by GREG CAPULLO and JONATHAN GLAPION
      Variant cover by ANDY KUBERT, JIM LEE and JOHN ROMITA JR.

      As Superman and Wonder Woman hunt for a missing ally, Batman investigates a mystery spanning centuries. When the World’s Greatest Detective discovers a foe even greater than the Justice League could possibly imagine, will Earth’s heroes be ready?

      On sale SEPTEMBER 13 • 32 pg, FC, 2 of 6 • $4.99 US • FOIL-STAMPED, EMBOSSED COVER • RATED T+

End Interlude.


So…

[Dark Nights: Metal #1 is] A fast-paced intense tale that turns DC on its head. Compelling and layered story by writer Scott Snyder and dynamic, emotional pencils by Greg Capullo. Highly recommended. 9 out of 10.

John is a long-time pop culture fan, comics historian, and blogger. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief at Comics Nexus. Prior to being EIC he has produced several column series including DEMYTHIFY, NEAR MINT MEMORIES and the ONE FAN'S TRIALS at the Nexus plus a stint at Bleeding Cool producing the COMICS REALISM column. As BabosScribe, John is active on his twitter account, his facebook page, his instagram feed and welcomes any and all feedback. Bring it on!