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Dark Nights Death Metal: The Multiverse Who Laughs #1
DC Comics
Written by: Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV & Joshua Williamson; Patton Oswalt; Amanda Conner & Jimmy Palmiotti; Saladin Ahmen; Brandon Thomas
Art by: Juan Gedeon; Sanford Greene; Chad Hardin; Scot Eaton & Norm Rapmund; Thomas Mandrake
Colors by: Mike Spicer; David Baron; Enrica Eren Angiolini; Hi-Fi; Sian Mandrake
Letters by: Troy Peteri; Josh Reed; Carlos M. Mangual; Deron Bennett
Most Dark Nights Death Metal one-offs have included a fleshed-out story and one smaller one. There’ve also one-offs that are collections of short stories, which is the group Dark Nights Death Metal: The Multiverse Who Laughs #1 falls into.
There were a few hits in this one-off, like Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV and Joshua Williamson’s “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark Multiverse.” Snyder always does well with teasing twisted ideas. Some are better than others, but there’s definitely enough for everyone.
Saladin Ahmed’s “Hard Traveled” was excellent. He did an excellent job with Green Arrow and Green Lantern, as did Scot Eaton and Norm Rapmund. There was only one problem with this story: we needed more.
“Hard Traveled” had one-third the number of pages Patton Oswalt’s “Feeding the Beast” did, yet Ahmed’s story might’ve been the best of Dark Nights Death Metal: The Multiverse Who Laughs #1’s short stories. Maybe that’s a result of the brevity, but it feels like Ahmed and company should’ve at least gotten 2-3 more pages — which could’ve easily been taken from Oswalt.
“The Super-Threats” was OK. The ending saved it. But if you like the Super-Pets, you’ll probably enjoy that story.
“The Fear Index” is another one that could’ve been longer, especially with the character Steel comes across in Brandon Thomas and Thomas Mandrake’s one-off. If DC plans to use Steel at all after Future State, Thomas and Mandrake need to get first crack.
