Review: FOREVER EVIL #3

FOREVER EVIL #3
Written by Geoff Johns
Art by David Finch and Richard Friend
Published by DC Comics
Release Date: November 6, 2013

FEVIL_Cv3_ft1xszxtxe_This issue, Forever Evil continues to showcase just why the DC Universe has always had the most compelling villains. Most of them are qualified to be leading men and women in their own right. Lex Luthor is chief among these. Between Geoff Johns here and Scott Snyder on Superman Unchained, Lex is getting a lot of spotlight, and he deserves every minute. Everyone else is boring by comparison.

This is the first installment of FE where the story gaps between issues are really noticeable, so if you’re not reading any of the tie-in issues, it may feel more disjointed than the previous two. As stated above, Lex Luthor really shines this issue. He’s an insufferable dick and you love him for it. Black Adam also deserves a round of applause for being more heroic in a handful of panels than Shazam has, well, since the start of the New 52.

What’s frustrating at this point in the story is that the surviving heroes (Batman and Catwoman) seem to be unbelievably dumb, stating the obvious and still twiddling their thumbs in light of the total planetary takeover by a bunch of homicidal tyrants. They finally realize that their constant infighting had negative consequences, distracting them from the oncoming threat – something most readers probably figured out about a year ago. Personally, I’m actually rooting for Lex and his team (I LOVE VILLAIN TEAM UPS) to win the day. I’m starting a LEX LUTHOR FOR PRESIDENT OF MY HEART club.

Finch’s art this issue left quite a bit to be desired. The cover was one of those trite, infuriating images that is the exact opposite of what happens in the book. That particular cover route is overdone, and I’d like to see it retired from the superhero comic repertoire permanently. There’s some glaring inconsistency early in the book – the first panel showing Batman in profile, his mask is whole. The very next panel (and several subsequent ones), it’s torn off the same side of his face. Later on, Ultraman exhibits some very questionable spinal range, even for a superhuman.

Overall, Forever Evil continues to be an interesting event, but the pace needs to pick up and the scope needs to remain consolidated within the main title itself. The biggest strength of this story is the characterization – no one knows the DCU as well as Geoff Johns. If the story can carry that focus through to the conclusion, it will be a worthwhile event for the DC library.

The Verdict: 7.0/10

 

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