Mark Waid Reunites With DC Comics for Dark Nights: Death Metal Tie-In

For the first time in over a decade, it looks like Mark Waid will be headed back to the world of DC. Late last week, DC Comics revealed their solicitations for December 2020, including multiple one-shots tied to the Dark Nights: Death Metal event. Waid was listed as a contributor to the upcoming Dark Nights: Death Metal: The Last Stories of the DC Universe anthology, alongside Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV, Joshua Williamson, Gail Simone, Mariko Tamaki, Jeff Lemire, Cecil Castellucci, and Christopher Sebela.

While there is no indication of what story Waid is writing in The Last Stories of the DC Universe, the very idea of him returning to DC has definitely surprised some. Waid has been working in the DC universe since 1985, with lengthy runs on The Flash, Legion of Super-Heroes, and countless other titles. He also co-created the beloved Elseworlds miniseries Kingdom Come alongside Alex Ross.

Waid parted ways with the company in 2008, signing an exclusivity deal with Marvel Comics in the years after. He still is writing for Marvel, with his work currently on the Fantastic Four: Antithesis miniseries with Neal Adams. In addition to his work at Marvel, Waid has served as the editor-in-chief of Boom!, and currently serves as the publisher of Humanoids.

Of course, fans have already begun to speculate about what Waid returning to DC could mean for the future, especially as plenty of titles at the company are nearing their conclusion or changing creative teams. Whether or not that ends up being the case remains to be seen.

Dark Nights: Death Metal has been taking a unique approach to the DC Comics canon over the past few months, something that is surely expected to continue in these issues to come.

"I've been waiting to do this story since we finished Dark Nights: Metal," Death Metal writer Scott Snyder said in a statement when the series was first announced. "As much as it was a complete event, we left some threads hanging there for sure. I'd hoped that if people liked the first series enough, we'd have a chance to set up something bigger, and that's our plan for Death Metal."

"For all of us, Dark Nights: Death Metal is about the fun factor," Death Metal artist Greg Capullo said. "Comics should be fun, bombastic, and over-the-top. This series is going to be exciting and jam-packed with great 'metal-esque' moments that will make fans lose their minds when they see them."

You can check out the solicitation for Dark Nights: Death Metal: The Last Stories of the DC Universe below!

• written by SCOTT SNYDER, JAMES TYNION IV, JOSHUA WILLIAMSON, MARK WAID, GAIL SIMONE, MARIKO TAMAKI, JEFF LEMIRE, CECIL CASTELLUCCI, and CHRISTOPHER SEBELA
• art by FRANCIS MANAPUL and others
• cover by TULA LOTAY
• variant cover by GARY FRANK
• PRESTIGE FORMAT | ONE SHOT | ON SALE 12/8/20
• $8.99 US | 80 PAGES | FC | DC
• The last battle against the Batman Who Laughs is at hand…the final fight for everything in the universe. And while the night is usually darkest just before the dawn, what would be the last thing you'd do if you weren't sure the dawn would ever arrive? Join our heroes in their waning hours as we show their journeys through what could be their final moments…heroes that have fought a million times before, but are keenly aware this could be their endgame. These are the stolen moments detailing the last stories of the DC Universe.