Hot on the heels of DC’s April 2013 solicitations, Lex Luthor continues his meteoric rise through the DCU by shaming Batman to the kid’s table. That’s “Forever Evil” #5 in a nutshell.
Written by Geoff Johns
Illustrated by David FinchWith everything to lose, Lex Luthor and his Injustice League raid the stronghold of the Crime Syndicate with consequences so devastating, the DC Universe will never be the same!
It’s pretty safe to say that “Forever Evil” has gone on a bit too long. In my review of the first issue, I praised the series’ unique hook, along with the potential for some really great character interactions. Johns is a writer who, in the past, has delivered some wonderfully definitive character centered stories. While there has been some of that (Lex Luthor and Bizarro are the series’ breakout success), many of the characters have been relegated to walking plot devices spouting one-liners. Even Johns’ darlings like Sinestro, Captain Cold, and Black Adam have had the chance to do little more than grunt and punch. Furthermore, unless you’ve been following Johns’ “Justice League,” the Crime Syndicate remains a woefully underdeveloped “Dark Justice League.” (Not to be confused with that other team.)
It may seem hypocritical, having just stated that the series is being stretched thing, but the concept behind “Forever Evil” would’ve likely been better realized if it had more room and time to flesh things out. As mentioned, there’s an incredible amount of potential here, and it seems a shame that we’re (most likely) a mere two issues away from throwing much of out the window.
I could take a really long time examining the faults of “Forever Evil” #5, talking about how it is indicative of a greater problem plaguing the modern comic event model. I could talk about how, after a strong debut, these “middle issues” function only to string the reader along to the climactic finale. Sure, they might offer a few relatively big moments, or foreshadow things to come, which is something “Forever Evil” #5 does quite well. In the end, it still feels a bit like filler.
Actually, it’s quite similar to your basic serialized television model; wow the audience with the season opener, do just enough to keep them around over the course of the season, and give a finale meant to knock their socks off. We’ve been trained to look to the end result for enjoyment; the story in between is just something we have to get through.
So, here we stand, waiting for issues #6 and #7, for something big to happen. Unless you are a huge DC fan or a rampant completionist, then there’s little reason to recommend “Forever Evil” #5. However, if you do fall into one of those categories, then the issue has quite a few cool things going for it. Rather than dwell on the decompressed story or how woefully underutilized much of the cast is, I’m going to take a page from Multiversity’s TV review format. Here’s my (mostly) spoiler-free rendition of “Five Thoughts on Forever Evil #5.”
5. When the bad guys are the good guys, and the bad good guys are the bad guys, who gets to play henchman?
Lex Luthor’s “Injustice League” is arguably the cream of DC’s super villain crop. Sure, the Bat-villains are under-represented, but they’re busy doing something in Arkham or something. So, with these guys playing the heroes, who does the Crime Syndicate send when they don’t want to get their hands dirty? The most Z-list villains they can get their hands on. Between the last year’s worth of “Justice League,” “Justice League of America,” and “Forever Evil,” Copperhead and Blockbuster have easily doubled their number of total published appearances. Of course, Giganta is definitely a step above those two, and Deathstroke is in a league of his own. Still, is this seriously the best they’ve got?
4. The New 52, pfft.
Guys, I’m pretty sure Geoff Johns ignores the New 52 as much as the rest of us. This issue (and the last as well) throws up some blatant disregard for any sort of “reboot” that may or may not have happened. Luthor sure seems pretty chummy with Sinestro. What do you mean they’ve never “officially” interacted? Didn’t you read “Blackest Night?” Besides, they were on the original Injustice League together. Oh, and that yellow ring Batman has, you do remember “Sinestro Corp War,” right?
Continued below3. Batman, go to your room, the grown-ups are talking.
Batman is known for several things, but two of the big ones are his alpha male personality and his staunch moral code. So, what does he do when he’s no longer in control? What does he do when those he’s forced to work with don’t mind to kill to get what they want? It’s certainly an interesting dilemma, one that will hopefully make for some interesting moments in future issues of “Justice League.”
2. Geoff Johns just can’t stop writing “Green Lantern.”
When a creator leaves a title or character after a long run, it’s often hard for them to say goodbye. That character (or characters) may continue to feature prominently in their other works, continuing the story in a round about way. “Forever Evil” #5 carries several threads from Johns’ recently concluded “Green Lantern” run, primarily regarding the return of Sinestro. Decked in his awesome Parallax attire, the anti-hero has a major altercation with Power Ring. The consequences of this encounter seem to play heavily into one of the prophetic futures hinted at in “Green Lantern” #20. While he may have passed the baton over to Venditti and company, it’s a lot of fun seeing Johns returning to this particular sandbox.
1. It’s a Crisis, after all. “Forever Evil” has been driven by two central mysteries; who destroyed Earth 3, and who is the hooded prisoner? While this issue answers neither, the stage is set for issue #6 to finally reveal the former. In the book’s double splash page cliffhanger, there’s a major visual callback to the grandfather of DC events. It certainly goes a long way towards upping the ante for this pseudo-street level book (you know, ignoring that the villains are from another dimension). Johns’ love of “Crisis” related stories is no secret, so it’ll be interesting to see just how far this connection runs.
So there you have it, an intriguing, impressively drawn issue of the latest DC event that will undoubtedly read better in the collected edition.
Final Verdict: 6.8 – Browse
