Dark Nights: Metal

Seven dark Batmen rise from the ocean of reactive matter beneath reality.

Dark Nights: Metal is a monthly crossover comic book storyline published by DC Comics from June 2017 to April 2018. Written by Scott Snyder with art by Greg Capullo, Jonathan Glapion, and FCO Plascencia, the event serves as the culmination of their acclaimed New 52 Batman run, including arcs like The Court of Owls and Endgame. Announced at Fan Expo Dallas in April 2017, the story introduces a Dark Multiverse existing beneath the core DC multiverse. It revolves around mysterious metals connecting these realities and features seven evil versions of Batman led by the dark god Barbatos, who plans to unleash darkness across every Earth.

Quick Facts

Titles: "Dark Nights: Metal" #1-#6 (6 issues)
Publisher: DC Comics
Writers: Scott Snyder

Lore & Background

The plot centers on the discovery that a Dark Multiverse exists beneath the standard DC multiverse, connected through mysterious metals Batman encountered over the years. The concept originated when Snyder watched Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey with his son, becoming fascinated by dark matter and imagining an "ocean of possibility" beneath the 52 universes. This realm contains failed realities born from nightmares. The story reveals that both multiverses are linked by divine metals: electrum, dionesium, promethium, Nth Metal, and batmanium.

Barbatos, a dark god, marks Batman during the Final Crisis events when Darkseid's Omega Beams send him back in time. The prophecy dictates that five divine metals will open a door for Barbatos to invade. Snyder originally planned additional dark Batmen, including one merging with Gotham City and another who grew up as an Arkham patient, but these were cut.

Reader's Guide

The event consists of a core eponymous miniseries and multiple tie-in books. In June 2017, DC announced seven one-shots spotlighting corrupted Batmen: The Red Death, The Murder Machine, The Dawnbreaker, The Drowned, The Merciless, The Devastator, and The Batman Who Laughs. A single issue titled Batman: Lost was released the following month by Scott Snyder with art by Olivier Coipel and Bengal, stranding Batman in the Dark Multiverse. At 2017 Comic-Con International, an additional tie-in, Hawkman Found by Jeff Lemire with art by Bryan Hitch and Kevin Nowlan, was announced as a sequel to Batman: Lost.

Production faced delays; issue #4 was pushed back one week in September 2017, delaying Hawkman Found similarly. In October 2017, issue #5 was released three weeks late without a specific reason cited. The story marks the first appearance of Dream of the Endless from Neil Gaiman's The Sandman in the post-New 52 DC Universe. Snyder secured Gaiman's permission to use the character, calling it one of the best moments of his career.