Attention readers…..the DCU has been invaded by Batmen from the Dark Multiverse. The following review has been paid for by The Dawnbreaker. Warning there will be spoilers, so be sure to read your comic prior to reading my review. Also if you’re not reading Metal but would like to in the future, there might be spoilers for that as well. Read further on at your own caution. ROCK ON!
Before I get into the actual review, while I understand the need for tie-in comics for big events like Metal but I will never be a fan when current series are forced to be apart of an event. Not everyone who reads a DC comic will want to be apart of the zeitgeist and will most likely be confused as to why Hal Jordan is fighting a deranged version of Bruce Wayne who happens to wield a Green Lantern ring. With that being said Robert Venditti handled the tie-in to Metal even better than I could have hoped for. Before I dive into specifics, even though this says part 3 of “Bats Out of Hell.” This almost felt like a solid one shot with Hal Jordan facing a twisted version of his friend. The only aspect that ruins this is the final scene where all the heroes being dragged to the Anti-Monitor’s tower.
In comparison to The Flash that started this particular tie-in to Metal, felt like I was thrown into the deep end of the pool. The opening sequence with Hal and the rest of the Earth Green Lanterns bantering about what they want in while as they help rebuild Coast City ( I have no idea when this scene actually takes place), but it allows the readers to acclimate to the comic before the comic turns into a heavy metal concert. What’s even more incredible is that Venditti went out of his way to make references to Hal’s recent trials and tribulations and it’s done so that it doesn’t overshadow the battle between Hal and The Dawnbreaker. One could argue that it was unnecessary, but I enjoyed the small call back to current continuity.
Honestly the weakness of this issue comes between the actual confrontation between Hal and The Dawnbreaker and bear in my this is only my thoughts on the writing side of things but I didn’t feel any emotional impact as these two different ideologies clashed, I contribute this idea that I’ve seen this particular scene over and over again with Hal yelling in triumph. If you’ve been reading Metal then you know by now that The Dark Knights are pretty strong characters who can’t be wavered by a few punches (not even punches by Superman), so it was a little disappointing to me to see this fight seemed even, and it’s only after a fade to black when we see Hal under the mercy of The Dawnbreaker.
I know that Van Sciver is primarily known for his amazing superhero splash pages, but I need to bring attention to his Dawnbreaker. Now I know that this is the second time drawing The Dawnbreaker, but Van Sciver added small details that breathe horrific life into the mockery of evil Bruce Wayne. Maybe I didn’t notice it in The Dawnbreaker one shot, but I love that pieces of skin seem to be peeling off, they’re no real reason why that’s occurring but it adds character to The Dawnbreaker. Yes once again Van Sciver delivered on amazing splash pages and superb detailed art, but it was his Dawnbreaker that stole the show for me. Normally I would be disappointed that Van Sciver didn’t complete the isssue, Liam Sharp came in to pinch it and his art looked really great for the amount of the pages he had left to work on.
Overall this chapter of Hal Jordan and the GLC could honestly be skipped if you’re not interested in Metal, but even if you’re not interested in Metal, I still urge you to read this issue.
Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #32 earns a 3/5