Dark Nights Death Metal: Speed Metal #1 (REVIEW)

Sep 22, 2020

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Dark Nights Death Metal: Speed Metal #1
DC Comics

Written by: Joshua Williamson
Art by: Eddy Barrows
Inks by: Eber Ferreira
Colors by: Adriano Lucas
Letters by: Steve Wands

Wally West fans will love Dark Nights Death Metal: Speed Metal #1. Obviously, he’s playing a big part in the Dark Nights Death Metal story.

Admittedly, I’m not Flash diehard — whether it be Wally, Barry Allen or anyone else. (Speedsters just don’t do it for me.)

With Wally being such an important part of Scott Snyder’s Death Metal story, Dark Nights Death Metal: Speed Metal #1 seemed like a must-read. That turned out to be the case — for readers of both Death Metal and The Flash — although it wasn’t exactly the wildest of the Death Metal one-offs.

Yes, we learn something important, another big thing happens and we get the Dark Flashes. Yet, this didn’t felt very different from the other Death Metal books. Of course, Joshua Williamson has written The Flash very well since he took over in 2016. He knows how to write a story centered around Barry or anyone in the Flash Family. But Death Metal has a much different vibe than those stories.

Maybe some will like a little breath of fresh air. Personally, the darkness surrounding Death Metal has elevated the stakes the deeper we get into the story. However, Dark Nights Death Metal: Speed Metal #1 was the first case where it didn’t seem like everyone was in serious danger — despite some of the things that happened. (I’ll explain more in spoilers.)

Eddy Barrows’ art was awesome. The Death Metal suits that Barry, Jay Garrick and Kid Flash get are so cool (as seen on the cover).

My one gripe was Jay looks a lot different than he did in the main line, where he was old and skinny. In Dark Nights Death Metal: Speed Metal #1, Jay looks about 30 years younger and is fit. Yeah, his hair is grey, but that’s not enough.

Looks obviously changed from artist-to-artist, but this is something that should’ve stayed the same.

(WARNING: Spoilers ahead for Dark Nights Death Metal: Speed Metal #1.)

Normally, I don’t do spoiler for the Death Metal one-offs, but I need to clear one thing up. (Seriously, if you haven’t read Dark Nights Death Metal: Speed Metal #1, stop here.)

At one point Dark Nights Death Metal: Speed Metal #1, we see Jay fall, then Kid Flash, then Barry. To me, by the time Williamson got to Barry, he’d lost me. Again, Snyder’s Death Metal world is as high-stakes as it gets. But I wasn’t buying each of those three dying at once. And my apprehension was justified when I got to the end of the issue.

Still an important read with a good Wally-Barry dynamic. But, the aforementioned issue didn’t sit well with me.

Score: 8.0