These one-shots keep getting better and better. Philip Tan and Dan Abnett have crafted a story that fits into the Metal mythos perfectly, scaring the crap out of you, and washing away all hope in a dead tsunami. The Drowned may be my favorite of the Batmen from the Dark Multiverse and this story surprised me considering that Ive never cared too much about Aquaman.

Its not as flashy as some of the other one-shots, but make no mistake. Batman the Merciless is here to stay as an epic story. Tomasi gives us what isnt just a horrible version of Batman, but a Batman who did horrible things that came from love. Love of a woman, love of power, love of being worshipped. Whereas the previous issues have been like a horror story with monsters, the Merciless is more of a psychological thriller. Its a great issue and one of my favorites.

Its a good read. Not a perfect book by a longshot (yes, that was on purpose) but enjoyable and shattering (on purpose too) the previous, boring arc. Brisson has shown that he can write an engaging storyline while Malin is reminiscent of Mark Brooks (and thats a good thing). Im definitely looking forward to where this one is going!

With Metal #3, DC does what it does best once again. Sure, anybody whos read comics long enough know that things will work out in the end. And especially with DC, its unlikely that any major characters will die. But Snyder still manages to convince the reader that all hope is lost. You forget that this isnt some horrible alternate reality and believe that the heroes you know and love are in serious danger. Its like watching a horror movie. Its scary. And you believe that anybody can and will die.

What was supposed to be Bryan Hitchs magnum opus ends up being a dud. The art is the only part of this book that is inspiring and the rest is just lazy. Its the end of Hitch for the Justice League (kind of, hell be back for two Metal tie-in issues) and he tries to leave us with a fondness for what the future may hold, but any attempt at sentimentality is overshadowed by the poor storytelling.

Final Thoughts: With the first issue underway, I think its too early to fairly critique this series but this issue definitely gives me hope. Its building up. Where to, I have no idea, but Im interested enough to stick with it. Especially with the promise of Warpath and Domino! Sure, its pretty much like X-Force (a bunch of killers on the same team) but if it works, why mess with it?

Sure, Hulkverine looks like he was created by a 10 year old boy who just thought how badass it would be if Hulk had Wolverines claws. But if you can ignore the two pages where he uses them, its a good book. Wonderful art, good development among some of the characters, and an enjoyable read. I just hope we dont get any more Wolverines