Alright let’s be clear before anything else, this is 100% a Superboy Prime issue. Other super characters are involved and it’s set during and maybe a little after issue 6 of Death Metal, but mainly we follow Prime. We get into his backstory before Crisis on Infinite Earth and how he’s feeling now after all that has occurred and kind of messed him up causing his actions in stories like Infinite Crisis. I’m not sure if it really makes up for all of what he has done but it’s pretty clear that they want to humanize prime and make us feel something for him, possibly understand him more as a character other then the violent psycho he’s been portrayed as. I feel that Geoff Johns and Scott Snyder both some what succeed on that front, I’m not forgetting that he’s punched peoples heads off or ripped their arms and slaughtered green lanterns but you get a sense that you can understand Prime on a certain level. In fact from this story I can see that this is either Prime’s conclusion or the next phase in his story.
However besides Prime this is also a Death Metal story, and not only is it probably slightly necessary but it also has something that frankly I think people will like to see, which I will explain in spoilers below. Overall though, I think this was one of the better tie-ins to Death Metal, Speed Metal is still better but I think this has enough that people can enjoy.
So what happened as a part of the death metal plot?
spoilers:end of spoilers
Well prime punches an evil version of Superman from one of Batman who laughs new worlds and realizes that he effected the whole planet. This gets him to realize that perhaps he can change things if he goes and attacks the Batman who laughs, and surprisingly he wins. He beats the Batman who laughs, turning away an offer to get his wish and ultimately he doesn’t just destroy everything because Krypto (the only thing being nice to him at the time) convinces him not to, through his power to be a good dog. So instead Prime beats down on Batman who laughs and destroys the Last 52 worlds. Unfortunately he ends up dying, with only Krypto mourning him and knowing the good deed he did in the end.....well not quite.
See, Prime finds himself back in his home dimension reading the comic he’s in, with his girlfriend Laurie back to life and his pre-crisis life and home as well, but with the addition of a new dog who looks exactly like Krypto. The last reveal is not only is Prime home, but he still has his powers as he saves the life of a child about to be hit by a car. What this means for Prime’s future is unclear but it appears that not only has he decided to change but he got a happy ending and got exactly what he wanted.
But I think the main takeaway that people will like is Prime reality punching Batman who laughs.
If I have any complaints it’s that I wish they had one main artist overall but I still think it’s a pretty good read.