FOREVER EVIL #2 by Geoff Johns and David Finch
Now this is an event that has potential to go down as one of the greats. I know that's a bold statement to make two issues in, but we all know Johns has a solid track record when it comes to penning these huge crossover events. He and Finch are the perfect one-two punch for a story of this tone. Johns knows how to find the right voice for an ensemble cast and Finch continues to give us the dark, oppressive atmosphere required for when evil takes over. And boy, is that darkness ever beautiful.
The characters are what really shine for me in this book. Owlman and Ultraman are great as pale reflections of Batman and Superman. Owlman is obviously the tactician and, though his motives are downright diabolical, you will always understand his reasoning. Ultraman has a quiet, yet strong reserve because you know if you cross him he could break you and the planet in half. He was referred to as Clark, so I'm interested to see if we do indeed learn more about this man from Earth 3 in Justice League #24 later this month and how his upbringing differs from our Clark.
As for other characters, Lex Luthor remains the series protagonist and his plan for rebelling against the Crime Syndicate starts to come together. The true New 52 Bizarro is introduced in this issue and he's pretty imposing. Otis, whom you've probably read something about this week, gets some time in the spotlight. It's Johns no doubt giving a nod to his mentor Richard Donner's classic Superman films, but I'd like to point out that to all those acting like Otis is unheard of in comics that he's been in Smallville Season 11 comics this whole time. Also, Tim Drake fans should be satisfied. He's been very under-appreciated in The New 52 and you really get to see him take charge here as a leader and a strategist. Something significant happens to him and the rest of the Teen Titans. To find out what is next for them, you'll have to read Teen Titans #24.
Before I close this, I'd really like to stress that this is an event worth sticking with. I obviously can't speak for the rest of the yet to be released tie-ins, but you can count on me to lay down money for the remaining five issues. I'm really anxious to see what the meat of this story will be and its ramifications. Score: 9/10.
DETECTIVE COMICS #24 by John Layman and Jason Fabok
I really don't know how much I have to say about this one. Don't get the impression from that statement that this is a bad book; it just didn't "wow" me. This concluding issue of the three part Wrath arc was pretty fast paced and action packed. Therefore, it felt like a pretty light read to me. Granted we have been offered a somewhat different take on Wrath in The New 52, but it really felt like treading familiar ground to me for the most part. That applies to the whole arc and not just this issue.
The aspect of this comic that I most want to praise is the art of Jason Fabok. It's not my favorite issue he's done (that honor probably goes to Detective Comics #18 and 19), but he's got my vote for best artist that's currently on a Batman book. He's that rare artist that makes Batman look iconic and imposing in every panel he draws him in. He also treats us to Batman in a mech suit, so that's a plus if you're a fan of that.
The rest of this review will consist of something I want to bring attention to that doesn't just apply to this title, but several at DC: the price point. In spring of 2012, Detective Comics and several books were bumped up to $3.99, but featured a backup story. As of this month, the backup is gone and a glossy cover is used to justify your paying a dollar more for the amount of content you would get in a $2.99 book. You can probably expect this to happen to more titles. New books like Batman/ Superman and Superman Unchained shipped with a lower page count and glossy cover from the start and I'm not entirely happy with this direction. As comic book collectors, we all know that comics are inexpensive individually, but they sure do add up. That extra dollar is one that we could put toward reading more titles. On the plus side, I'm happy that they don't ship two issues of a title per month like Marvel. That would make it much more difficult to keep up with everything. Score: 7.5/10.