As an aged Batman clings to his life inside the Dark Multiverse, a group of both allies and former foes face challenges of their own. Dr. Fate, Wonder Woman, and Kendra Saunders fight their way into the Rock of Eternity (the center of all there is) searching for answers and Carter Hall, the Hawkman. Aquaman and Deathstroke search for answers in the outskirts of Atlantis. And on Thangar Prime, Hal Jordan and Mr. Terrific (along with the mysterious ‘Plastic Egg’) come face to face with Onimar Synn and a newly returned Starro The Conquerer! Will the heroes find success across these fronts? And what answers lie with Daniel, aka The Sandman, and his all connecting world of The Dreaming? 
Dark Nights: Metal #4
Written by: Scott Snyder
Art by: Greg Capullo
Inks by: Jonathan Glapion
Colors by: FCO Plascencia
Writing
Holy shit. That’s really all I can say about the amazing insanity that Scott Snyder throws at us with the latest issue of Metal. There is so much to love in this event. The pure imagination of it all is enough, but when you throw in so many awesome cult DC elements in the blender (Starro!, The Dreaming!, Vertigo Sandman!, The Monitors!), it just makes the recipe THAT much better. And I’m saying it now, Snyder’s Starro is an absolute delight and his “I’m back losers” line made me laugh out loud. I need a Snyder Starro one-shot now!
This issue is also heavy on the action, rollicking pace and humor. It starts off with a bang and does not stop until the cliffhanger ending. We have three epic battles going on, with the narrative expertly cutting between them at perfect moments. It’s that ‘blockbuster’ style structure that serves this kind of event well.
However, the plot isn’t sacrificed as we do start to see the origins of the Dark Multiverse, Barbatos and how they connect to the DCU and events of the past. We also get a much more detailed explanation of Daniel aka The Sandman’s place in all of this.
Art
This book has hands down made Greg Capullo my favorite artist this year. There is an energy to his drawings, that when mixed with Jonathan Glapion’s inks and FCO Plascencia’s colors, makes them leap, crackle and pop off the page. It feels like these images are literally moving across the page. It’s Kirby-esque in spirit without being a Kirby clone or pastiche. It’s fucking fantastic. I went back and flipped through the book several times just to look at the way the art lead my eyes from panel to panel and page to page. I loved pouring over these images. Images that stayed with me after I put the book down.
Conclusion
DC has had a strong year, with amazing arcs and series. But there is something about the pure storytelling of Metal that nothing else has. The sheer fun that Snyder and company are having creating this comic is completely infectious. You can help but just feel like they are making this book in front of your eyes. Metal reminds me of the kind of stories that got me into comics in the first place, and that’s about the best compliment I can give any title ever.
