"Dark Nights: Metal" is a 2017–2018 monthly crossover comic book storyline published by the comic book publishing company DC Comics, which consisted of a core eponymous miniseries, and a number of other tie-in books. Premiering in June 2017 and lasting until April 2018, the plot was written by Scott Snyder, with art by Greg Capullo, Jonathan Glapion and FCO Plascencia. The story closely links with Snyder and Capullo's run on Batman during The New 52 DC relaunch.
The story involves Batman discovering a Dark Multiverse that exists beneath the core DC multiverse. It is revealed that both multiverses are connected through mysterious metals that Batman has encountered over the years. His investigations eventually result in him releasing seven evil versions of himself from the Dark Multiverse, led by the dark god known as Barbatos, who plans to unleash darkness across every Earth.
A soundtrack featuring songs inspired by the graphic novel was released as an exclusive vinyl picture disc on September 28, 2018. The six-track EP features heavy metal songs by Jerry Cantrell, Chino Moreno, Brann Dailor, Maria Brink, Alexis Krauss and Jason Aalon Butler.
Publication history DC Comics first announced the details of "Dark Nights: Metal" at Fan Expo Dallas in April 2017. The company revealed that the event would feature the reunion of Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo after their widely acclaimed New 52 Batman run. The series, which debuted in June 2017, is the culmination of their Batman story arcs, which includes The Court of Owls, Death of the Family, Zero Year, and Endgame. Snyder stated, "I've been writing Metal as long as I've been writing Batman."
The idea of creating a dark multiverse came from Snyder, who was inspired by watching the science documentary television series Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey with his five-year-old son. He became fascinated with the concept of dark matter, prompting him to question "What if the Multiverse essentially has these 52 universes, but has almost this ocean of possibility, this ocean of almost reactive matter beneath it that's like a Dark Multiverse". Aside the seven featured Dark Knights in the finished comic book, Snyder planned more dark Batmen that got ultimately cut; these included a Punisher-esque Batman, a dark magic-wielding Batman, a Batman who grew up as a patient in Arkham Asylum after being accused of his parents' murder, a Batman who merged with his whole rogues gallery and one who merged with Gotham City itself.
Dark Nights: Metal also marks the first appearance of Dream of the Endless from Neil Gaiman's The Sandman (1989–1996) in the post-New 52 DC Universe. According to Snyder, he wanted to make the story unforgettable and have a character help guide the superheroes through the unknown. When he realized Dream would be a good fit, he reached out to Gaiman for permission to use him. "I was so excited... [Gaiman] couldn't have been more generous", he said. "It's literally one of the best moments of my career, to be able to get to write a character that meant so much to me growing up and still does".
In June 2017, DC announced seven one-shot comics that tie into the story of "Dark Nights: Metal": Batman: The Red Death, Batman: The Murder Machine, Batman: The Dawnbreaker, Batman: The Drowned, Batman: The Merciless, Batman: The Devastator, and The Batman Who Laughs. DC stated, "Each one-shot story spotlights a different, corrupted version of Batman spawned from the Dark Multiverse to wreak havoc on Earth."
The following month, DC announced Batman: Lost written by Scott Snyder with art by Olivier Coipel and Bengal. Snyder states, "the single issue story will strand Batman alone in the Dark Multiverse, where he will face his greatest fears."
At the 2017 Comic-Con International, an additional tie-in one-shot was announced called Hawkman Found written by Jeff Lemire with art by Bryan Hitch and Kevin Nowlan. As the title implies, it focused on the connection between Hawkman and the events of "Dark Nights: Metal" and it is positioned as a sequel to Batman Lost. Lemire revealed that it "re-positions one of DC's oldest, most iconic and most confusing characters ahead of a possible new ongoing in the new year."
In September 2017, DC announced, without a specific reason, that issue #4 would be delayed by a week. This led to the one-shot comic, Hawkman Found, being delayed by a week as well.
DC announced another delay without reason in October 2017 and issue #5 was released three weeks later than the originally scheduled date.
The series' sequel, "Dark Nights: Death Metal" by Snyder and Capullo, was announced for May 2020. "Dark Nights: Metal" and "Death Metal" have collectively been dubbed "Metal Wars" by reviewers.
Synopsis Prelude Hal Jordan is summoned by Ganthet to investigate a dark presence that he senses on Earth, the location of which is revealed to be the Batcave. Upon his arrival, he meets Duke Thomas. As they investigate, they stumble upon a hidden room in the Batcave, where they hear a mysterious voice that lures them in. This leads them to a cell where Batman has imprisoned the Joker.Dark Days: The Forge #1 (2017)
Meanwhile, Batman has been investigating random frequencies across Earth, which he believes are a part of a bigger mystery that he has been investigating for years regarding mysterious metals and dark energy. He enlists the help of Mister Terrific to collect more data from Earth-Two. After conferring with him, he realizes that he needs to use the Anti-Monitor tower at the Fortress of Solitude to further his investigations.
Batman continues his investigation by seeking out Hephaestus, but learns from Wonder Woman that the Greek gods have abandoned Earth. However, she has been given a weapon forged for Apollo called the Sunblade that she has been instructed to give to Batman. This leads him to an encounter with Talia al Ghul, with Batman trading the Sunblade for a dagger forged by the wizard Shazam. The dagger is made of one of the metals Batman has been searching for.Dark Days: The Casting #1 (2017)
Joker escapes from the Batcave and smashes a machine that Batman has built, claiming that it will herald the end of the world. Batman explains that he needed the machine to peer into the source of visions he had been seeing from the Dark Multiverse. Batman receives a vision of complete darkness, while a group of dark figures exclaim that the seal has been broken and that the Dark Knights are coming, implying that Batman opened up a door to the Dark Multiverse.
Plot The Justice League finds that Challengers Mountain, the headquarters of the Challengers of the Unknown, has mysteriously appeared in Gotham City. When they get into the mountain, the League encounters Kendra Saunders, who warns them of a full-scale invasion. She explains the concept of a Dark Multiverse, a multiverse that exists beneath the DC Multiverse, that contains a dark beast named Barbatos. Through her investigations, she has discovered a connection between Barbatos and the Wayne family. Batman is revealed to be part of a prophecy in which he will be treated by five divine metals that will open a door to the Dark Multiverse and allow Barbatos to invade the multiverse. It is further revealed that Barbatos first marked Batman when he was sent back in time by Darkseid's Omega Beams during the events of the Final Crisis storyline. Despite this, Batman steals Kendra's sample of Nth Metal, one of the divine metals. The metal leads Batman to the journal of Carter Hall, discovered to have been in Wayne Manor the whole time. The journal confirms Batman's suspicions regarding his role in the prophecy.Dark Nights: Metal #1 (2017)
Batman reveals that he has previously exposed to the divine metals: electrum, dionesium, promethium, and Nth Metal. In an attempt to escape the last metal, Batman steals Darkseid, who has been reduced to a baby. He aims to use Darkseid's Omega Beams to go back in time again and prevent Barbatos from meeting him. However, Batman is tricked by the Court of Owls and exposed to the last divine metal: batmanium. This causes Batman to exchange places with Barbatos and seven dark versions of himself from the Dark Multiverse.Dark Nights: Metal #2
Mister Terrific interprets vibrations coming from Plastic Man's egg which indicate the coordinates of four locations that need to be investigated. Wonder Woman, Doctor Fate and Kendra Saunders go to investigate the Rock of Eternity. Green Lantern and Mister Terrific head to the remains of Thanagar. Aquaman and Deathstroke go to Atlantis. Finally, Superman has Steel and the Flash create a path into the Dark Multiverse for him through the Phantom Zone. Once he arrives, Superman realizes that it was a trap set by the Dark Knights so that they can harness the energy from his cells to power their doomsday device, which would unleash their reality into the multiverse.Dark Nights: Metal #3
While searching for Nth Metal at the Rock of Eternity, Wonder Woman, Doctor Fate and Kendra Saunders face the personification of the Seven Sins. Kendra tries to fire the Anti-Monitor's astral brain into the center of the multiverse as an attempt to stop the Dark Multiverse, but is interrupted by Barbatos, who transforms her into a dark-hawk version of herself named Lady Blackhawk. Fate is confronted by Black Adam, who alongside Vandal Savage, have brokered a deal with Barbatos. At the outskirts of Atlantis, Aquaman and Deathstroke enter the burial ground of Atlantis' first king, Arion. Meanwhile, Hal Jordan and Mr. Terrific reach Thanagar and learn that has been conquered by Onimar Synn and Starro. They have known of the Dark Multiverse's existence for eons and have prepared to "raze the Earth" with a doomsday device called the Phoenix Cannon. Starro neutralizes Lantern and Terrific and the two are incarcerated.
Daniel Hall rescues Batman and Superman, to whom he explains the history of the multiverse. Alongside the Monitor and the Anti-Monitor, there is a third being: a "Forger" tasked to watch over what had yet to come. Within the Dark Multiverse is a "World Forge", which creates new universes from the hopes and fears of all living beings. Barbatos was originally meant to destroy unstable worlds, but killed his creator, which corrupted the Forge as dark universes were allowed to persist. Convinced that there is still hope, Superman and Batman head for the Forge of Worlds, but are confronted by the Dragon of Barbatos — a corrupted Carter Hall.Dark Nights: Metal #4
On Thanagar Prime, Hal and Mr. Terrific are rescued from their cells by Martian Manhunter (who has been exploring Thanagar Prime to learn about the secret Nth Metal deposits) and the trio proceed to rescue Plastic Man from Synn and Starro. They soon learn several Dark Knights have seized control of the Phoenix Cannon, reversing its polarity to make Earth sink further into the Dark Multiverse.
Kendra regains control of her body after Wonder Woman uses her lasso on her, restoring Kendra's memories. Both are beaten by The Batman Who Laughs, who explains that all the heroes have done is help accelerate Barbatos' plans and that Earth is now low enough for Barbatos' army to claim it. Refusing to give up, Diana and Kendra use the Rock of Eternity's core to reach Barbatos and are confronted by his Dark Army.Dark Nights: Metal #5 Reaching the Dark Forge, Kendra manages to break Carter out of Barbatos' corruption, reigniting the Forge in the process.Barbatos is confronted by the Flash and Cyborg, who have gathered reinforcements from other realities.