The DC Comics mega-event Dark Knight Death Metal will begin its final battles in the coming weeks, but like all great stories, you get the calm before the storm. Lord of the Rings does this wonderfully in The Return of the King. The clouds on the horizon darken. Saruman’s troop close in on Minas Tirith, and sitting on the battlements, Meriadoc Brandybuck sits, talking to Gandalf about fear and the coming storm. Merry makes the comment about everything being so quiet on the eve of a battle the likes of which no one living has ever seen. The Last Stories of the DC Universe 1 is the deep breathe before the plunge.

The Details

The Last Stories of the DC Universe is an 80 page issue that spans the entire DC universe on the eve of the greatest battle of all time against ‘The Batman Who Laughs’ and Perpetua. Read the Synopsis below and it says basically that:

As you can see this issue covers ALL of the Teen Titans/Titans, Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Aquaman, and Green Arrow/Black Canary. Really big and overwhelming right? I haven’t read anything else so how can I possibly pick this mega-issue up and read it?! Don’t I have to know everything that’s going on?

NO! The synopsis covers all you will need to know to enjoy this amazing issue. Every remaining Superhero stands upon the brink. At sunrise begins the most epic battle of all time, and they know when all is said and done, everyone standing now will not be standing in the end. If you faced a battle like this and had a night of nothing just before its start, what would you do? This title shows us our favorite heroes of DC and how they spend their final night before the ending battle.

The Last Stories – Let’s Get Personal

Donna Troy in The Last Stories of the DC Universe
Donna sits alone on the eve of battle.

The Last Stories of the DC Universe tells seven stories that show how DC’s biggest heroes face this finite calm. Some of the stories are down right incredible. One or two of the stories leave a little to be desired, but in the end they dive deep into the hearts of the characters. We see who they are and what’s inside them. For this fight both heroes and villains must work together in this battle. Tucked within these final moments some fences, some lifetimes in the making, are mended. Donna Troy and the Titans (Teen and beyond) tell the greatest story of the seven, but all are good.

This issue both inspires and sets the stage for the battle to come. Knowing not everyone will survive this fight makes me want to read what is to come. I read a couple of issues of this saga so far, missing most of the details, but after reading this one-shot, I will definitely read the final chapters of this saga. If you love any part of the DC Universe I highly recommend picking this issue up.