Forever Evil Issue #1 Review

rating: 4.5

Following on from the six part Trinity War arc, Forever Evil #1 kicks off DC's villains' month and marks the biggest cross-over event we've seen in a while. Reading it, it's hard to understand why Warner Bros don't get Geoff Johns to write their next big movie, as the writer has once again crafted a tale of epic proportions that'll likely be on 'Top 10' lists from years to come. (Minor spoilers ahead) Opening with crashing onto Lex Luthor the rooftop of an anonymous building, Superman's arch-nemesis watches as the Crime Syndicate, a group of supervillains from Earth 3 lead by Ultraman (an alternate reality version of Superman), begin to take over the planet completely unopposed. Without giving too much away, a number of criminals are recruited by the syndicate to form an evil army, with Ultraman telling them that any who resist will be killed, providing the set up for all of the one shots expected out this month. The Crime Syndicate sends a message across the world Man of Steel style, claiming the entire Justice League has been killed and providing semi-proof to back themselves up. Now obviously the Justice League aren't dead because DC aren't stupid enough to kill off every one of their main characters, yet their absence does leave a sense of hopelessness and despair that really does make it seem as if the villains have won. However, the best parts of this issue come in the dialogue, with certain villains such as Poison Ivy suggesting they should make the most of their time in control as Batman will inevitably turn up with the Justice League to stop them. These little comments give an extra layer to the characters beyond the moustache-twirling villainy some comics are prone to, and it really does make the comic a much more interesting read. Strangely the Batman villains seem to get the most page time in this issue, though they are arguably the most interesting rogues gallery to pull from. Saying that, the only hero whose antagonists don't at least make an appearance are Green Lantern's, so there is a pretty large range of nastiness throughout. I strongly recommend picking up this issue as soon as possible, as the story really promises to be something great. There are already signs that the villains are uncomfortable working together, and with Luthor seemingly distraught at the Earth's conquest it's likely he'll do what he can to turn the recruited villains against the Syndicate. Have you read the Issue yet? Share your thoughts about it in the comments below.