Justice in a Flash
This issue is a spin off from the Darkest Days: Metal series I am reviewing currently (and enjoying). Within the initial story there are the dark versions of Batman, modelled after the Justice League released into our world. This then ties into a semi confusing A plot about a dark multiverse which seems to mirror “our” known multiverse but evil. It sounds a little too simple but if some of my theories from this comic are correct, it leads to some meta revelations that I dig very highly.
The theory I’ve concocted is that not one single aspect of the multiverse is safe from having a dark counterpart. This can be seen from this comic seeming to be a dark version of Frank Millers The Dark Knight Returns (which if you haven’t read, you should read), and after seeing some exclusive* preview art from another artist doing the dark Batman/Wonder woman hybrid it seems the universe he is warping, is the animated Justice League cartoon series (which again, if you haven’t seen, you should watch, its one of the most accurate and enjoyable representations of DC comics I’ve seen).
This issues story is simple yet in some parts made me feel uncomfortable and unsettled while reading. If I could explain the story or the reasons I felt uncomfortable without spoiling the story, I would just know that it’s a Batman/Flash story and that those two characters, no matter the universe, always have interesting chemistry (see Flashpoint). No matter the content, as long I can get a deep emotional response from anything, I’ll enjoy it no matter what. That isn’t to say that it doesn’t deserve praise as the art and writing are pretty top notch and I really don’t think the head writers of the overall event were going to allow subpar work to affect their main idea.
The main reason I feel that this is set in the Frank Miller universe is that the artist Carmine Di Giandomenico (from current The Flash run) has lifted almost exact panels from the seminal work of Frank and just redrawn them in his own style while transforming them into his own context. It obvious (once you compare) and does not draw you out of the comic, if anything I feel that it enhanced the experience and I feel that could’ve easily been the main goal that Scott Synder envisioned when planning this. Enjoyment through new concepts mixed with nostalgia.
Now ill be the first to admit I’m a sucker for nostalgia and not even be ashamed, I think it’s human nature and that’s why all the things I loved as a child are popular and amazing again… for the most part (I’m looking at you TMNT 2: Michael Bays the Reckoning). That means, if these one-shots that introduce evil Batmans keep coming hard and fast with the feels and reference things I’ve loved for years, ill keep loving this right back.
*I follow the artist on Instagram and he posts semi-spoilers as he works.