Death Metal: Guidebook #1 Review

Writers: Chris Priest, Vita Ayala, 

James Tynion IV + many more

Artists: Doug Mahnke, Becky Cloonan,

Dan Panosian + more

Rating: 7 of 8

Death Metal Guidebook #1

 

When things fall apart, it can be wise to go back and see where it all went wrong. That's essentially what we get here, as we see just where the Justice League went wrong in this latest dystopia. It's a world ruled by alternate, evil versions of Batman, with evil, drive and intellect being the few things that link them.

Similar to Metal, these Batmen have some special twists that make them forces to be reckoned with. Bat-Mage's a fearsome mage, Darkfather's the Lord of Anti-Life, Bathomet's an aquatic Elder-Beast, while another's a living Gotham. The opening story, Fall of the Earth, helps establish these various Dark Knights well, along with the state of this dark new world.

Though the writing, art and a certain guide's narration make it an enthralling read, I wish this had come out before Death Metal, as it helps explain the state of the world and just why certain characters, like Wonder Woman, are in the situations they're in. It also got me excited for Justice League #53, which is set to show us another side of DM. I also liked that it showed a degree of remorse in our guide, though I'm not sure if they should've been explaining their desire to who they did.

This alone makes the issue worth picking up, though it's not all you get, as there's also Batman, Harley, Ivy and Aquaman stories to keep you happy. Though I'm not a big Harley Quinn fan, Zdarsky gets her personality down perfectly, while injecting the tale with some welcome humour. Khary Randolph's art imbues the tale with an OTT, cartoonish style, which fits the character perfectly.

If there was one criticism I'd give the Aquaman tale, it's that I would've liked it to have gone on a little longer than it did, though perhaps it went on just long enough. Cloonan wrote the Sea King well, giving him lofty dialogue which fit him well. She also gives us a chilling, unearthly creature in the Umibozu and, though we don't get much of it, it definitely leaves an impression. I'd definitely love to see more of Bathomet, as it'd be great to see more of him, his tempestuous relationship with Aquaman and a bit more of what he's capable of.

Ayala's tale, Seeds of Hope, is decent, but not as good as the others. It shows us what Wonder Woman's like as Hell's warden and just how someone like Poison Ivy deals with this dark and desolate Earth. The issue ends with Priest's Dragonlance, a story that brings the Dark Knight and undead cowboy, Jonah Hex, together. Their dynamic works well, with Hex more than able for Batman. In it, he tries to get him to prioritize a different goal, though it's likely that would've been his priority before this dystopia. I love Bruce's reasoning for choosing Hex, which definitely makes sense for him.

Overall, it's a pretty good issue, that I'd happily recommend. Though it would've been nice to have gotten a bit more of the other Knights and heroes, I was still mostly happy with what we got. If you'd like to see just where it went south for our heroes, this is a good place to look.