DC Comics Rebirth Universe & Dark Nights Metal #4 Spoilers & Review: Batman, Superman, Sandman, Lady Blackhawk, Hawkman, Shazam & More Christmas Surprises?!

Spoilers, Top Story

DC Comics Rebirth Universe and Dark Nights Metal #4 Spoilers and Review follow.

Batman, Superman, Sandman, Lady Blackhawk, Hawkman, Shazam and More Christmas Surprises?!

Well open with four gorgeous covers below, by Greg Capullo, Tony Daniel, Jim Lee and Andy Kubert respectively, plus the opening five pages of the issue here.

Two of the four covers focus on Dream, Daniel Hall, the Sandman who is actually Hawkman Carter Hall’s grandson. And, both play a role in this issue. So, let’s start.

Mister Terrific and Green Hal Jordan travel to Thanagar Prime, the homeworld of the Silver Age Kator Hol Hawkman, to secure more Nth Metal / Ninth Metal for their battle with Barbatos and his Dark Knights of the Dark Multiverse. Turns out Thanagar can phase in and out existence which Green Lantern didn’t know, but Mister Terrific did.

Thanagar is ruled by Hawkman villain Onimar Synn and his pet Starro; or is it vice versa?

Synn has a Phoenix Canon that can destroy the Earth if the forces of the Dark Multiverse consume it, but it seems the metal egg covered by Plastic Man that Green Lantern and Mister Terrific brought with them is the final piece to make the canon all-powerful. So, our heroes are captured.

We then pivot to the Dark Multiverse where Batman and Superman are seemingly trapped, but are visited by the Sandman, Daniel Hall, Hawkman Carter Hall’s grandson.

Sandman gives them a history of the positive multiverse, the anti-matter multiverse – which were overseen by the brothers Monitor and Anti-Monitor – plus there was a third being who resided at the World Forge and would oversee the dark multiverse; Barbatos and a great Dragon. The dark multiverse has grown unintended with worlds – based on hope and fear respectively – that were unstable that should have pruned, but have not been. Hence the dilemma at the heart of Dark Nights Metal.

They key to Barbatos’ defeat is at the World Forge and a bright metal of hope it seems assuming the Forge has not gone dark.

The journey requires both Batman and Superman to be hopeful and full of wonder; easy for the Man of Steel, but Batman starts off believing he just a dark detective, but in the end realizes his children, his literal son and figure ones in the Batman Family, Robins, etc. give him wonder.

Back in the positive multiverse on Earth Prime, Kendra Saunders has the astral brain of the anti-monitor is ready to destroy the dark multiverse…

…she is somehow transformed into a pretty cool looking Lady Blackhawk as…

…Black Adam of Shazam lore. Turns out the Immortal Men believe that there is no chance to defeat Barbatos so Black Adam and Vandal Savage have struck a deal with him instead and they need the astral brain of the anti-monitor.

We then end back in the Dark Multiverse, but at the World Forge that looks dark with hope lost even…

…as Carter Hall Hawkman emerges as Barbatos’ great dragon?

So…

Lots going on here from writer Scott Snyder and artist Greg Capullo. Lots to digest including DC Comics mythological Easter Eggs just in time for Christmas. A really satisfying and entertaining issue to end this mini-series’ 2017 editions. Looking forward to the final issues in 2018. Complex multi-layered storytelling married with gorgeous, haunting and kinetic art. 9 out 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!