Metamorpho the Element Man #6 – Al Ewing, Writer; Steve Lieber, Artist; Lee Loughridge, Colorist
Ray – 9.5/10
Ray: Al Ewing has always been a writer who does larger-than-life adventures, but none of his books have ever been as gleefully bizarre as this gonzo sci-fi tribute to the Silver Age. This is unfortunately the final issue (for now), but he’s saved the craziest for last. The tyrant sun Solaris has come to Earth, forcing Rex Mason into a battle of wits and wills that the Metamorpho squad lost – leading to the extinction of Earth in short order. Stagg Industries has rallied to prepare an assault on the evil sun, but someone has to pilot the ship to deploy the weapon – knowing they likely won’t come back. Rex has been chosen, blaming himself for the disaster, and it’s amusing to see Sapphire try to convince him otherwise while Simon Stagg and Java are secretly gleeful. The first half of this issue is almost like a video game level at points, with Solaris deploying its defenses and turning the entire battlefield into a 16-bit bullet hell.
But that’s just the start. After Rex seemingly sacrifices his life, we’re taken into a whole new realm – the one we glimpsed at the very start of the series, populated by the mysterious Prince Ra-Man. This Egyptian-themed sorcerer not only gives Metamorpho another fight, but takes him into a unique alternate reality. Ewing’s writing comes up with the crazy scenarios, but Steve Lieber brings them to life in a way that few artists can do – dramatically shifting his own art style at times. He has the same skill as Joe Quinones on that front, which is really rare. It all leads to Rex pulling one of the craziest moves I’ve ever seen in a superhero comic – but will he make it back alive? The issue ends with a meta touch, asking readers to campaign for more Metamorpho by this creative team if we want a resolution. I’m sold – this book just delivered pure ridiculous joy from beginning to end.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
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