Geoff Johns

WARNING: SPOILERS DEAD AHEAD!

(If you have not read Justice League #50, do so BEFORE you read this review…you won’t regret it!)

Superman is dying, Darkseid is a baby, Wonder Woman has a twin brother, there are THREE Jokers, Sector 2814 gets ANOTHER Green Lantern and Lex Luthor is the new Man of Steel! You may think DC is really pushing the envelope with Rebirth after hearing all of that, then you realize, you just read Justice League #50 and haven’t even started Rebirth yet! 

Geoff Johns has become the spokesperson for DC’s new Rebirth project, and whether you believe this isn’t a “reboot” or not, I have to say that he has truly convinced me that this story is well beyond the standard “reboot” fundamentals. From page one you are immersed in a tale that weaves in and out of current DC stories and, instead of denying that they ever existed, enhances them to a point that they form one grand story that surpasses them all. 

Our narrator, the original Wally West, pulls us along as he tries to reconnect with those who may remember him, since he has been trapped in the Speed Force since the Flashpoint storyline. He takes us through various points of the current DCU, “eavesdropping” upon heroes, and we see that the universe we know is already in flux, eliminating some characters while setting others on center stage. Johns gives us a huge story, eighty pages worth, that could have quickly become a convoluted mess of overlapping arcs that eventually lead to nowhere. Instead, he gives the readers just enough to pacify the curious and ensnare the enthralled, leaving both clamoring for what comes next. He bounces the tale from point to point, never losing sight of the eventual shocking payoff and never cheapening the way to get there. Johns, through Wally, asks questions that DC fans have asked since the “New 52″started and in a way, though veiled, we are given some answers that are not glazed over and eventually, promise to be fleshed out thoroughly. 

To give away all of Johns surprises, would only do a disservice to the book and the reader. It is so rich in both detail and surprise that it can only be enjoyed properly by reading it yourself. You will be so shocked and enamored by the dynamic tale Johns lays out before you that, you can’t help but resent the days until all the Rebirth books are released!

On the “Rebirth” promotional tour, Geoff Johns would always read this quote, “I love this world. But there’s something missing.” Well, Mr. Johns, DC may have been missing something, but I think you just found it again! 

The long awaited conclusion to Forever Evil is here and BIG changes are in store for the DCU! It seems as though we have been waiting “forever” for this issue to hit the stands, but it is well worth the wait!

Geoff Johns has created a tale that will bring long lasting changes to all the corners of the New 52, a feat that has been promised with other crossover events throughout comicdom but never seems to pay off well. Believe me, by the time you turn the final page, you will be gasping for air!

Beginning directly where issue six left off, this issue begins in a rush. It feels that mere seconds pass between the first few pages and the shock of issue six’s conclusion is lost just as quickly as our heroes and villains ready themselves for an even more brutal attack. It is no holds barred as all the pieces fall on the table and Johns entices readers with page after page of devastating battles that culminate in more than just a few deaths. David Finch draws some of his best work and stages the layouts in glorious ways to harness the sheer brutality of each and every fight. Every panel feels like a splash page of ferocity even though there is only a single splash page in the book and it comes at the very end!

Even though Johns is quite generous with the amount of eye popping violence throughout the tale, it is the quieter moments that truly define it. Johns finds the true voice of Lex Luthor in this issue. He is an amalgam and every tiny nuance comes into play. From his brilliant deduction skills to a deep rooted sadness over the loss of “family,” Johns makes him THE best villain in the entire DCU in a single issue. There are instances where you will be left speechless and one that will spark controversy, but all of them culminate in an epic tale that is at the pinnacle of perfection.  

I could tell you TONS of spoilers, but that’s not my thing! What I do want is for you to run out, get this book and behold the beginning of a darker world. One where the line between hero and villain has become blurred, where a man who has saved them all may have more than just good intentions up his sleeve. One where Lex Luthor has become greater than he ever was before!

WARNING: SPOILERS DEAD AHEAD!

Geoff Johns has given DC fans a well executed tale that shines a spotlight on those we normally see through the eyes of the superhero. Villains tend to be a one trick pony but, in Forever Evil, we have the chance to delve deeper into certain individuals machinations as to why they do what they do and in this instance, see them as not so much villains but heroes no matter what their grand scheme may be!

So far, Johns’ mini series has been laced with some subtle and not so subtle nods to past storylines, the inclusion of Otis from Donner’s Superman, the creation of B Zero, Batman wearing the Yellow Lantern ring, this issue however forgoes those subtleties and focuses more on the all out action! The tale straddles two fronts, Luthor’s legion in Wayne Enterprises and Sinestro’s battle with Power Ring. Although Johns begins his story with Luthor’s monolog, it is the sheer viciousness and unyielding might of Sinestro that truly drives the story and in the end, leaves the Crime Syndicate reeling with the loss of a core member! 

Johns doesn’t strictly rely on death and destruction this issue either. Power plays are exchanged, roles are reversed and an uneasy alliance between Luthor’s legion and the Bat and Cat emerge. Johns creates a well played chess match that unfolds before your very eyes, one that will leave you rife with questions and an eagerness for what is next to come! My only qualm, regarding this overall story, is that it does not unfold into other DC core books to further enhance it. There have been so many interesting pieces to Forever Evil that it would only benefit by reaching into other books, besides the Justice League titles, and emerge from just an isolated mini into an epic event!