The forever delayed finale to DC’s first flagship event of the New 52 has finally reached our grubby mitts. Is it a winner, or has the long wait and steady stream of spoilers killed any excitement this issue has to offer?
Written by Geoff Johns
Illustrated by David FinchIt’s evil versus evil in the shocking “take-no-prisoners” conclusion to FOREVER EVIL! What will be the fate of Lex Luthor and his Injustice League? Who will live – and who will die? And why is The Hooded Man the most feared being from the Syndicate’s world? Do not miss this startling finale that will leave the DC universe reeling and reveal the secrets to the future!
When it began, “Forever Evil” was a series ripe with potential. It had an interesting high concept, with the heroes of the DCU banished, leaving a group villains in their place to overcome a worldwide threat. Likewise, said team of villains consisted of a cast of characters that Geoff Johns just gets. But as the series progressed it suffered from decompression, delays, and a slightly unbalanced ratio of plot to character development.
As it neared the finish line, it was struck by massive delays, holding back a number of issues in other series as well. Even with such embargoes in place, details about the post-“Forever Evil” landscape began to creep out in books like “Justice League United” and “Action Comics.” While it’s true that some of the punch of “Forever Evil” #7 is lost because of this, Johns and Finch have undoubtedly delivered a strong capstone to the event, with what is arguably the strongest issue of the series.
The first sign of improvement comes from David Finch, who delivers some of his best work on the series. The artist still falls into the same pitfalls as earlier issues, such as indistinguishable facial designs and static imagery. However, the sense of design and page layout feels markedly improved. Several scenes and characters look remarkable under Finch’s pen. Cyborg’s triumphant return looks terrific, with Finch nailing the character’s newer, slimmer look. Likewise, the design for Alexander Luthor is visually unique and memorable, arguably outshining the designs for other “Shazam” characters.
The artist’s action sequences have a much more dynamic feel this time around, particularly in the fight against Mazahs. One particularly striking scene stands out, a wide shot featuring several characters in mid-air, silhouetted by a flash of lightning and encircled by a giant “KRAKOOOM,” in a terrific use of sound effect. This scene, and others, are made by Sonia Oback’s colors. The artist’s dark palette is at times dingy and dismal, highlighting the more colorful aspects of our heroes. The vibrant green and purple of Luthor’s iconic suit in particular stands out against the drab surroundings, highlighting his role as the issue’s savior.
Addressing some of the problems discussed earlier, “Forever Evil” #7 is both fast paced and chockfull of strong character beats. Granted, the quicker pace can be attributed to the necessity of wrapping up a large amount of plot in a single issue, and an oversized one at that. Still, Johns manages to wrap up the story in a satisfying way, giving a satisfying conclusion to this saga while also teasing things to come.
While “Forever Evil” #7 only marginally addresses the pacing issues, it greatly improves its focus on character development. Luthor is clearly the star of the show, and as such receives most of the attention. The character reaches a definitive point in his character arc, one that is a strikingly different direction for the character. While the rather extreme shift at times strains credulity, several key points help make the quick transition more palatable.
While his interactions with his Earth-3 counterpoint, Batman and Ultraman all play a part in Luthor’s growth over the issue, it’s arguably his relationship with Bizarro that marks the character’s turning point. Bizarro’s child-like love and loyalty towards his once indifferent creator led to a unique take on the character, making him one of the series’ breakout characters. His relationship with Luthor was one of the book’s most interesting dynamics, one that I look forward to seeing more of.
Continued belowHowever, due to the limited space, there remain several underdeveloped characters and relationships. One that instantly comes to mind is the bromance between Sinestro and Black Adam. Johns clearly wants to establish a connection between the two characters, due to their similar interest in totalitarian government. However, as there’s no time to discuss political ideals over coffee, the two are forced to have such conversations amidst a battle with an all-powerful being bent on their destruction. While such a relationship is not contrived, it doesn’t quite feel like the right venue to allow the dynamic to fully develop. Perhaps “Forever Evil” is just the backdoor pilot for a situational comedy in which Sinestro and Black Adam become the rulers of everything. I’d read that.
Comparatively, the relationship between Alexander Luthor and Superwoman feels far more shallow and contrived. Both characters are one-dimensionally evil, making their relationship and motives much less interesting than the deeply conflicted Ultraman, for instance. Superwoman bears the brunt of these flaws, with some extremely clunky dialogue and characterization.
While things like the fate of Nightwing, Luthor’s new status quo, and the inevitable “wiping of the slate” come as no surprise, Johns still manages to subvert expectations at several points throughout the issue. For example, the character of Alexander Luthor is not quite the Earth-3 analogue of Shazam, as suggested last issue, but rather something more sinister and true to the character. Also, while it’s been known for some time that our Luthor would save the day, Norman Osborn in “Secret Invasion” style, the exact nature of his heroism appears to be more sincere than anyone would expect from the character.
By issue’s end there are many plot threads left open, planting the seeds for future stories. Several members of the CSA remain at large, a few members of the League are MIA, and the menacing conqueror of Earth-3 stands revealed in the issue’s final pages. In another case of subverting expectation, Johns pulls a double fast one on the reader regarding the identity of Earth-3’s executioner. With two obvious candidates, Johns keeps the reader guessing until that final moment. However, while there are unanswered questions, “Forever Evil” #7 feels like the end of a complete story, at least more-so than the open-ended conclusion of similar Johnsian events like “Blackest Night.”
“Forever Evil” #7 marks a strong conclusion for the series, as well as a bit of a turning point for DC. Johns weaves his well documented loved and appreciation of DC’s history into the story in a way that circumvents the New 52’s more compressed and artificial history. While the book doesn’t quite deliver on all of its promises, “Forever Evil” stands as one of the more successful and enjoyable events in some time, at DC or otherwise.
Final Verdict: 8.7 – Buy
