DC Comics’ Dark Nights Metal #5 by Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo, Jonathan Glapion and FCO Plascencia, is the penultimate chapter in this epic saga and it brings the story to a tense, heavy, and dramatic storytelling crescendo that leaves you breathlessly waiting for the last issue.
Dark Nights: Metal #5
Written by: Scott Snyder
Art by: Greg Capullo
Inks by: Jonathan Glapion
Colors by: FCO Plascencia
This review contains SPOILERS!
Writing
From the very beginning, Dark Nights: Metal been virtually non-stop in its narrative drive. Now that we are one issue away from the end, you would think things would begin to slow down. Nope. Not Scott Snyder and not this book. Dark Nights: Metal # 5 slams on the gas as it nears the finishing line. There are some many awesome moments in this chapter: Superman and Batman vs. Evil Hawkman, the continued nightmare inducing Batman Who Laughs, Mr. Terrific’s explanation of Plastic Man’s powers, the banter/chemistry between Aquaman and Deathstroke, Black Manta!, the badassery of Green Lantern, Wonder Woman’s beatdown of Black Adam, and of course the *****SPOILER ALERT***** return appearance of J’onn J’onzz, the fucking Martian Manhunter himself, who hasn’t been seen like this since Rebirth began. 
Snyder gives all these equal weight and importance. Any could be big enough to be the ‘Holy Shit’ moment. The end result is an issue filled with multiple epic moments in an already epic mini-series. The worse thing that I can say about this issue is that I read it quickly, but that was less an issue of pacing and more just wanting to purely devour everything that was going on. And then Snyder wails on the whammy board and ends the whole thing on one fantastic and yes, epic cliffhanger image.
Art
Capullo, Glapion, and Plascencia create images, panels, and layouts that match the pace of the story note for note. These are bold, popping and beautiful comic book pages that can blow your hair back. But there are subtle details I picked up on a second reading that add a ton of weight to the art. Things like the heavy and deep black behind the panels that subconsciously connect to the ‘dark multiverse’ theme that Metal has been all about or way certain images and objects break panel borders to work as periods of importance. It’s like when you hear a small, delicate detail in a raging hardcore metal song. You pause and rewind. Taking it all in.
Conclusion
As Dark Nights: Metal heads to its end, this issue works almost like a crescendo. It escalates the narrative exponentially one final time before delivering, what all indication, solicitations, and creator comments have hinted and proven will be one hell of a fucking ending.
*Note: The soundtrack for this review was a completely Black Metal playlist.
