Friday, July 17, 2009

Comic Review: The Blackest Night...

The rain has been pouring down nonstop for the past few days. Somehow, I find it fitting given what I'm about to review, which is already shaping up to be a well of tragedy and awesomeness at the same time. I finally got to read what I've been waiting for... what I've been longing for. The coup de grace of the Green Lantern saga has finally arrived, and it will have readers talking for the next eight months to come. I even got a complimentary ring just for the event itself! If that didn't clue you in yet, what I'm talking about, dear readers, is very simple:

THE BLACKEST NIGHT IS HERE



Blackest Night #1
Written By: Geoff Johns
Illustrated By
: Ivan Reis

What has long been teased in the manner of a summer blockbuster movie has come to fruition. We have now reached the point of no return - where anything can happen... and ANYTHING WILL HAPPEN. Nothing can change what has just transpired before our very eyes, and the polls have been rising with the approval of those who have read the first issue of this mega-colossal event. I'm sure you're all bound to be curious about the plot at this point, so look no further, a synopsis is at hand.

Death.
It is a constant reminder of one's mortality... and a fact that all living thing have to face eventually when their time arrives. However, in the far reaches of space, a mysterious force embraces all aspects of death, and seeks to consume everything with it. To this end, Black Hand, a herald of the newly established Black Lantern Corps, unearths the skull of a legendary hero... setting into motion events that will no doubt shake the entire universe and all of its inhabitants.

Meanwhile on Earth, the day that Superman died has been turned into a memorial day to honor those that have fallen. Hal Jordan and his fellow Green Lanterns pay tribute to Coast City, while the other heroes (and villains) visit their comrades and loved ones buried in their respective graves around the world. All seems to be at peace... until mysterious black rings arrive and scatter around the cosmos, bringing the deceased back to life and ushering in the prophecy foretold in the book of OA - The Blackest Night. The dead will rise... Heroes will fall... and nothing will ever be the same again.


First things first...

Geoff Johns. Ivan Reis. DC Comics.

THANK YOU

Gripping. Emotional. Disturbing. All the elements of a true, sure-win formula. The excitement for this event finally paid off. Indeed, the road we traveled was long and to get here was undeniably tedious, but it was well worth the wait. Geoff Johns has cemented another gem to his legacy as writer extraordinaire, and there's no denying that the fruits of his labor will be the talk of the town for some time to come. Ivan Reis' art is awe inspiring, complimenting Johns' work by bringing the action and terror of this event to life through 48 pages worth of mental, comic goodness. I can imagine the comic shops still being in a frenzy now, simply because this issue a MUST READ, especially for fans of Green Lantern and everything DC. Anyone can hop aboard and read this in a day. It won't exclude newcomers who don't know jack of what has transpired in the DCU over the years - it's that simple and convenient to digest and take in.

Obviously, I wouldn't be giving this much praise about Blackest Night if I wasn't a fan of zombies to begin with. As someone who grew up watching the George Romero movies, I'm a bonafide fan of the genre, from the rotting corpses to the social commentary seen in all of his flicks. When I first heard about the concept of zombie lanterns, I thought it was brilliant. We all know the saying that "whatever doesn't kill you only makes you stronger"... but what if you're a dead superhero who comes back ten times stronger and as a ghoulish shadow of his former self? That formula sealed the deal for me... and given the countless heroes that have fallen through the years, including the Dark Knight himself, NO ONE IS EXEMPT FROM COMING BACK AS A BLACK LANTERN. DC has just taken the meaning of death into a whole new level.

The first issue fleshes out the events nicely, and we see how important every element incorporated by Johns from GL: Rebirth up to this point is. Feeling the power of emotion has never felt so right in the Green Lantern mythos. Ever since the emotional spectrum was introduced, we've all come to appreciate and be mystified by the various talents and powers the other ring colors presented. Now that Black has shown its face, things come full circle and we now see how important it is for light to triumph over evil. The only question is how... and will it be in time? Dark forces are at work... creepy dark forces. We finally see how sick players like Black Hand and Scar can become, with dead heroes coming back under their control to bring the living to their cause. While all the other lanterns try to rally and deal with the threat, those earthbound and beyond will have their hands full. How will they react to this "invasion" and seeing their loved ones back from the dead? No doubt, they will have to make the hardest choices in order to confront what is possibly the biggest threat yet. I can't get enough of the twists, I tell ya.



All and all, Blackest Night # 1 is an excellent start to what could be one of the big tales of the century. The two prologue books, Blackest Night #0 and Green Lantern #43, don't necessarily have to be read in order to enjoy this monumental comic, but it's good backstory to breeze through before you get to the main course. Also, do take note that in addition to the 8 issue miniseries and GL books, several other titles will be released to address how the other heroes confront this evil, such as Blackest Night: Batman and Blackest Night: Superman. Still, when it comes to what's important, stick to the main series. The first issue laid out the cards and decided to strike while the iron was hot, so nothing else can be said other than simply picking it up and reading this right away if you still haven't done so. The dead finally rise... Will the DC Universe survive? We shall see.

Score - 10/10

It's Finally Here.

RISE

- Timster

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