Dark Days: The Forge #1: This issue reads mostly like a preview issue. The plot is solid, but you're really aware you're only seeing the tip of the iceberg.
Overall, Snyder has a lot happening in different places. Batman is investigating a mysterious signal emanating from the Earth's core. One of the Guardians of the Universe sends Green Lantern to investigate an odd energy signature coming from Wayne Manor. A group called the Immortal Men discusses offering membership to Duke's mother years ago and implies Bruce is trying to get through her gas-induced insanity to obtain their secrets. Hawkman is dictating his memoirs. Again, it's a lot. But, Snyder does a good job of making it clear, by the end of the issue, how all these threads fit together.
- Mr. Terrific returns from Earth-Two, where apparently the same signal Bruce discovered on Earth is present; moreover, both signals are getting louder. Mr. Terrific suggests it's like a compass spinning wildly and only a cosmic entity could tune it. This comment leads Bruce to a tower he's secretly hidden under the Fortress of Solitude. (People reading DC Comics longer than I have probably recognize it, but I don't.) He uses the tower to get a reading, I think, but I'm not entirely sure.
- Upon arriving in the Batcave, Hal discovers Bruce told Duke no one could enter; Hal does anyway and discovers a secret cave within the Batcave. (Hal astutely comments only Bruce would have a secret cave.) In Secretcave, a disembodied voice fills in Duke and Hal on what Bruce is investigating. The voice tells them Bruce knew the electrum the Court of Owls used to resurrect their Talons shouldn't have worked in and of itself; when he investigated, he found a secret metal laced in it. This metal produces an energy signature similar to the one found in some of the most powerful artifacts on Earth, e.g., Deathstroke's mask, Aquaman's trident, etc. (These items are all inexplicably on display in the Secretcave.)
- In the past, Hawkman and Hawkwoman discover the ship that originally gave them eternal life, and we're left to assume the ship is made of this mysterious metal. In his research, Hawkman stumbles across information about the four original tribes of humanity. He originally says "three" tribes and then corrects himself as he places a stone with the image of a bat next to three stones with different animal images.
The issue concludes as Duke and Hal find the source of the voice: a resurrected Joker. The Joker seems to tell them dionesium was the mysterious metal. The creative team did an amazing job with this sequence: as Duke and Hal walk through the Secretcave, the text of the disembodied voice starts containing letters in the Joker's font. It raised the hairs on the back of my neck. Separately, Bruce decides to free the other prisoner he's been keeping, this time on his secret Batcave on the Moon. (Mooncave!) Is it Plastic Man? I couldn't tell. The person is apparently unstable, so it seems unlikely it's Plastic Man.
I haven't been a fan of Snyder's work on Batman, but he seems to hint here that the inconsistencies that drove me insane -- like the magic of dionesium from "Court of Owls" or the uncertainty of whether the Joker knew the Bat-family's identities in "Death of the Family" -- may have simply been bread crumbs to get us here. If that's the case, I'm willing to revise my opinion of him. In fact, it makes me want to read through all my old reviews and catalogue those inconsistencies, since it may provide clues to the upcoming event. At any rate, Snyder definitely piques my interest with this issue. He seems to promise a physical explanation to the extraordinary powers of the metahumans (as they're called in the DCnU), which also implies these powers could be eliminated if someone figures out a way to manipulate the dionesium. It's still unclear how it connects to the larger "Rebirth" story about Dr. Manhattan (assuming it does), and Snyder seems to have a number of options for where he wants to go with that. But, Snyder definitely has a vision, and I'm excited to see where we go with it.
Titans #12: Abnett has Omen shake down Psimon to get the location of where he sent Karen's engram, and it's super-fun to watch this match unfold. Psimon feels he's got the upper hand as he plums Karen's mind for memories to use against her. Given the drama happening behind the scenes at Titans Tower, he has ample ammunition. Omen encourages Roy to share his feelings with Donna, but, before he can, he sees her kissing Wally. (They kiss because they both feel adrift: Donna has learned she's not human, and Wally not only faces the loss of his identity as the Flash after the "Lazarus Contract" but also reveals his constant badgering of Linda has driven her from him.) Meanwhile, Mal rages at Dick for failing to find Karen's engram, and he mentions his deal with Deathstroke as a reason not to trust him. This part makes no sense to me, because I was pretty sure no one learned about Dick's deal with Deathstroke. In fact, I'm still not really sure what Dick's deal with Deathstroke was. But, the less said about the "Lazarus Contract," the better. Psimon tells Omen her codename is apt because she's the omen for a future event where a Titan will betray the team. Omen is rattled by Psimon showing her the vision she herself couldn't admit she was having. But, she also reveals she's been leading Psimon down this path. These revelations were all to cultivate a false sense of security so he'd let down his defenses. It works: she not only gets the name of the place where Psimon sent the engram, but she also psychically kicks his ass, revealing she's much more powerful than he thought. The issue ends with the team's assault on Alton Laboratories as Omen contemplates who's going to betray the team. I'm happy to say this issue really rights the ship after the somewhat disastrous "Lazarus Contract." We're returning to where we were going, testing the Titans' bonds to each other as a newly reformed team. I'm much more excited about that story.
Also Read: Detective Comics #958
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