Why You Should Read "Forever Evil"

Every criminal and super villain roams the streets and there are no heroes to stop them.

"Forever Evil" is one of my favorite storylines from recent years and I thought it would be a good story to recommend after "Infinity Gauntlet". Like "Infinity Gauntlet", the stakes are high in "Forever Evil" and the world seems to be under the control of a sadistic and mad evil.

The story takes place after a major event called "Trinity War" which I will probably cover sometime in the near future, but all that readers need to know is that in "Trinity War", the world's greatest heroes were pit against each other and captured by a team of super villains from another universe, the Crime Syndicate. 

For those not familiar with the Crime Syndicate and the DC multiverse, the Crime Syndicate are a team of super villains from Earth-3. Earth-3 is a world with many familiar names and faces but the moral compass of these characters are askew. The Crime Syndicate is led by Ultraman, an evil Superman, and includes Owlman, Superwoman, Power Ring, Johnny Quick, Atomica, and Deathstorm.

The Crime Syndicate are swift to unleash evil and chaos upon the world by freeing the world's most dangerous super villains from their prisons. While most of the super villains wreak havoc throughout the world, some criminals, like the Flash's Rogues, see the Crime Syndicate as a threat.

Lex Luthor is another super villain who sees the Crime Syndicate as a threat, and with his own personal Superman clone, Bizarro, Lex seeks to defeat the evil version of the Justice League. He also convinces Captain Cold, Black Manta, and Black Adam to join him on his quest, providing Lex with some power on his side. 

Fortunately, the fate of the world is not just in Lex Luthor's hands. Batman and Catwoman were able to avoid imprisonment by the Crime Syndicate and come up with their own plan to defeat the Crime Syndicate, even though they end up at odds with Lex Luthor and his unofficial Injustice League.

Now it is probably obvious, but I like both the plot and dialogue of this story since it is written by my favorite comic book writer, Geoff Johns. I think he understands these characters more than most and provides many plot twists that are actually homages to previous storylines and plot points. 

David Finch does the art for "Forever Evil" and I actually like his art style, though I know that it's not for everyone. However, for a story like this, I think that Finch's rough and rugged style is appropriate.

"Forever Evil" is an awesome and fun story where super villains steal the spotlight. I think everyone who is a fan of the Justice League and the DC universe should check this storyline out. However, new fans who are not familiar with the characters or DC lore might end up either confused or won't fully appreciate the easter eggs and references.


ISSUES: Forever Evil #1-7 (2013-2014)

PROS	CONS
-Interesting premise with cool characters.  -Lots of references to older DC stories -More super villains than you have ever seen.	-Confusing for new readers. -Very sudden plot twists. -Requires reading "Trinity War"