DC Comics reviews 12/22/20 – Detective Comics #1033, Dark Nights Death Metal Secret Origin #1
Dark Nights Death Metal: The Secret Origin #1
If there was one hero whose path was irrecoverably changed by Infinite Crisis, it was Superboy Prime. The end of Crisis on Infinite Earths saw the new hero lose his entire world and was rewarded with a peaceful life beyond. With Infinite Crisis, writer Geoff Johns made the controversial decision to bring back the vanished heroes and turning Superboy Prime into a tragic hero that was influenced by Alexander Luthor into becoming a homical petulant killer. Subsequent appearances did little to change his path as Superboy Prime went from major threat to a bit of a joke.
With this Death Metal tie-in, Johns and co-writer Scott Snyder seek to offer some redemption for a character that deserved a better fate.
Superboy Prime is with the other Superman allies bracing for He Who Laughs’ final assault. He’s seen enough wars and resurrected heroes to question the finality of this conflict. Johns and Snyder write SP as being somewhat remorseful of his actions and the never-ending cycle that he can’t seem to escape. Until now.
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A number of artists contribute to this story with none more important than Jerry Ordway, who helped ink Crisis. There’s a nice sense of the loop closing here and this was a wise choice. Other artists include Frances Manapul, Paul Pelletier and Ryan Benjamin.
This special might not appeal to every reader, but it tells an important story point in Death Metal while giving Superboy Prime some overdue peace.
Rating: 9.5 out of 10