The life and death of 'Batom' in Dark Nights: Death Metal #2 preview

Dark Nights: Death Metal #1 ended with the surprise death of the Batman Who Laughs - the frontline antagonist for this DC event series. And now the first page of this week's Death Metal #2 continues that cycle with the surprise death of a newly-revealed character: Batom.

You know. Batman + Atom = Batom.

"Squirlp" as Tom Napolitano's lettering sound effects reads.

He's run over (accidentally, we presume) by the heroes of this event quest: Wonder Woman, Swamp Thing, and Wally West/Flash/Dr. Manhattan.They are seeking the aid of Batman, who has become the reclusive 'Lord of the Dead' in this hellscape created by the Batman Who Laughs and Perpetua.

Because even with Batman Who Laughs dead (and hey, this is comics so maybe he's not?), his armies and Perpetua are still out there.

So to find Batman, this heroic trio are going to a new place in DC lore: Valhalla Cemetery, a.k.a. The Crypt of Heroes. It's the resting grounds of some of DC's most popular heroes after their death, and apparently where Batman as 'Lord of the Dead' has chosen to hide.

"Get ready to scream! Wonder Woman roars across the horrifying Dark Multiverse landscape in the world's most demented monster truck, with Swamp Thing riding shotgun!" reads DC's description of the issue, which was shared before Wally West's part in the series was revealed. "The two arrive at the ghoulish cemetery base of Batman and his army of zombies, but can the former friends stand each other long enough to form a plan and take back the planet? Plus, what's Lobo doing in space?"

Here's a preview:

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Described by the publisher as "the wildest ride in the DC Universe," expect more deaths, more surprise hero returns, and more metal madness in Dark Nights: Death Metal #2 when its released on July 14.

Chris Arrant covered comic book news for Newsarama from 2003 to 2022 (and as editor/senior editor from 2015 to 2022) and has also written for USA Today, Life, Entertainment Weekly, Publisher's Weekly, Marvel Entertainment, TOKYOPOP, AdHouse Books, Cartoon Brew, Bleeding Cool, Comic Shop News, and CBR. He is the author of the book Modern: Masters Cliff Chiang, co-authored Art of Spider-Man Classic, and contributed to Dark Horse/Bedside Press' anthology Pros and (Comic) Cons. He has acted as a judge for the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, the Harvey Awards, and the Stan Lee Awards. Chris is a member of the American Library Association's Graphic Novel & Comics Round Table. (He/him)