The Good
FOREVER EVIL #7 does plenty of things well, even though there was a delay between this and the last issue. It provides a fun, action-packed issue that leaves readers in suspense. Sure, by the end of the issue, you're pretty sure everything is going to go back to normal, or some relative form of normal, but there's twists and turns along the way to keep the reader interested and invested in the future of DC, including that insane final page.
The book is very Lex Luthor-centric and almost feels like a jumping off point for that character to have his own book. Luthor is extremely fleshed out here through his actions and the narrative driven by his inner-monologue. As long as you have this in your mind, going in, the book moves much smoother and there's no room for confusion.
As far as fanboyism go, there's a TON of stuff to be excited over. First and foremost, it's the first appearance of Ted Kord, who is wearing a very familiar shirt. This leads to many possibilities in the future, including the return of Blue & Gold. That would be pretty dang awesome. The final page marks the return of another character who could lead the DCU into a Crisis. Finally, Luthor knows who Batman is. Again, this has tons of possibilities in the future and could make for some very interesting storytelling.
The art through this book is just as you'd expect: great to look at and tells the story well, visually. Artist David Finch, inker Richard Friend, and colorist Sonia Oback do a fine job at keeping each panel easy to read, clear, and great to look at. Friend's inks are light and not over-powering, and he gets some great depth and texture in things like capes and faces. Finch normally puts out some great work and this is more of the same. He puts out some great art here.
The Bad
FOREVER EVIL has done a fantastic job at shifting who Captain Cold is, along with some other villains, and by the end of this, everything just goes to normal for them. The idea that these "villains" came together to save the world was a really moving part of this story, but after all is said and done, they just go back to being criminals, especially Captain Cold? (A villain with a code or law who could easily become a hero) It seems like all that there was a lot of build-up and great character development with these guys that ultimately gets thrown away, except for Lex Luthor.
This book really should be called LEX LUTHOR because that's who Johns chose to revolve this book around, and that's fine, but in doing so, he makes other characters look like chumps, which is very out of character for said characters.... mainly Batman. He pick-pockets Batman during the issue. It's a small, but unbelievable point.
Dick says "where?" when Owlman is telling Dick he's not giving up on being a team. It makes no sense. This happens towards the beginning of the issue and is NEVER tied up. Considering that Dick being kidnapped and demasked was a MAJOR part of this storyline, you'd think their would be more closure with this, right?
This next paragraph has no barring on the final rating of the book. Because of the long delay for this issue and because a few books are already in post-FE mode, there were a lot of spoilers for readers, like Lex Luthor being a part of the Justice League, and solicits spoiling what happens to Dick Grayson. There are plenty of surprises aside from that, so don't worry.
The Verdict
There's a lot about FOREVER EVIL that was disappointing, even within this delayed issue, but all-in-all, FOREVER EVIL #7 delivers an action-packed, fun issue that does a fine job at telling an over-arcing story. It's a really fun book that will get readers excited about the future of the DCU, but you cannot forget the fact that it leaves loose ends dangling in the wind, especially Dick Grayson. The art is fantastic and the Luthor-driven narrative is well written, but it feels like there's a lot of spite in the writing towards the Bat-characters of the DC Universe. Overall, I recommend this issue though. It is a very fun book with some big problems.
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