Review: Forever Evil Issue One

The Justice League is dead? The villains have taken over! Long live the Crime Syndicate!

The long awaited DC Crossover event "Forever Evil" is finally here and with issue one delivering some brisk stories recounting the takeover of our New 52 Earth by the Earth 3 villains. That's right, you only get a simple breather from the end of Trinity War as it leads to the miniseries by Geoff Johns and David Finch. It's not to say that Forever Evil is a rushed product but the debut issue certainly leaves a lot of details out of the picture, namely the defeat of the Justice League.  It is a swift transition from one event to event which makes you eager to see what happened to our heroes in the upcoming issues or bewildered by how quickly time has elapsed and events have changed.

Forever Evil issue one sets up the "Villains Month" theme for the publisher with the Earth-3 villains releasing all of the major bad guys in the New 52 from their own unique imprisonment.  The recruitment and gathering of villains is nicely done with each scene delivering it's special moments and interactions with the Earth-3 villains and New 52 villains. Some villains are in with the new kids on the block, while others remain hesistant about our new overlords. Of course, you will pay the price if you step out of line with the Crime Syndicate! Admittedly the dialogue felt a bit corny at times with Johns using some out-of-date slang here. Nevertheless, the debut issue is a great read with a teaser ending involving a wild-card character perhaps? Readers are in for a visual treat with Finch's work here especially with the fold-out pages. Finch's dark style certainly fits the mood and setting of the miniseries. The Lex Luthor portion of the debut issue tops most of what I read in issue one.

Forever Evil does have some shocking moments in store for one of DC Comics' beloved characters. It's interesting how DC Comics will work out the ramifications of what happens to this character in the upcoming issues and throughout their own individual books. The fast pace of the debut issue may leave some readers puzzled as to what happened from the end of Trinity War and the beginning of Forever Evil. DC Comics is certainly pushing the envelope with one it's characters and it remains to be seen, with what else Johns and Finch have in store.

Final Verdict: 8/10


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