A Review by DJ, a DC aficionado
Michelle’s review of Blackest Night #4 was done over a week ago . . . I could chalk up my lateness on this review to laziness (That is certainly the case with the last three.), but laziness has had nothing to do with it this time.
This time, my tardiness was caused by my inability to phrase what I really thought about this issue. For the life of me, I couldn’t think of a way to say that I enjoyed the issue but was also disappointed by it without sounding like all those other Blackest Night haters out there. I have been contemplating a way to represent my enjoyment of this issue and my distaste for it side by side.
I guess the best way is the easiest, most straightforward.
Keep in mind while reading this that I’m still infatuated with this series. But I felt a little (albeit possibly naively) let down. Blackest Night to me is about the Green Lanterns. That’s why I’m reading it. That’s what brought me to it. That’s what my $4 is spent for. Issue 4 was entirely without the thing that brings me back month after month. Not a Green Lantern in sight (except Alan Scott, but I’m not satisfied).
Once again, don’t get me wrong. I love Barry Allen. I am enthralled with Mera’s characterization, and I feel it’s about time Ray Palmer got a fair shake. But Hal Jordan is the show I pay to see.
It’s not to say this issue didn’t have its great moments. It was jam-packed with geek-out moments and one-liners. “If I’m Superman and you’re Wonder Woman, what does that make him?” “That makes him the Flash.” Barry Allen is being shown here as the Flash we need more so than in the occasionally seen Flash: Rebirth.
The body count rises once again, and I’m actually feeling a little over the death romp through the DCU this series has been. I understand why so many died, but it’s getting old. And I feel like the death in this book proves that it will all be reversed in the end. The dead will rejoin the land of the living, and they will all have a tea party.
Perhaps it was the cover of Previews a few months back that ruined the end of issue 4 for me long before the pages saw print. But for whatever reason, the “Big Reveal” featured on the last pages of this comic didn’t feel “Big” at all. When I turned to the last pages of this book, I let out a “Finally.” Now we can go somewhere with this. Now people will stop dying and will, I hope, start kicking ass.
I did enjoy this book. I can’t say that enough. It’s just that I read a comic in which the main antagonist is revealed and our protagonist can’t be seen on a single panel or page. For whatever reason that doesn’t sit right with me.
I know it’s not about Green Lantern anymore. I get it. I really do. It’s about the entire DCU. But come on. Throw me a frickin’ bone here. Cause in my opinion, this issue was good. But this issue was without Hal Jordon, which just isn’t good enough.
A Review by Michelle, a DC Rookie
As a fan of Marvel, I often scoff at the Distinguished Competition’s books and events, especially when they call them “jumping-on points.” But for reasons unknown, I was easily convinced to do this experiment, and I began to read Blackest Night with an open mind. So I know why I’m still reading this event—to maintain my status as an awesome girlfriend. Here’s my question: Why are the rest of you still reading it?
Let me put forth this disclaimer. I have no agenda. I’m not stepping onto Stan’s Soapbox and sarcastically asking this question to convince everyone to set down their Blackest Night comics and start reading all 300 monthly Spider-Man titles. I’m asking because I really want to understand why fanpersons enjoy this book and why it’s getting only positive reviews. I just can’t get into it.
Part of the problem could be this: While I understand 40 years of Mutant history, I had no idea that Alan Scott’s Green Lantern ring was different than Hal Jordan’s. I can tell you what college Doctor Doom went to, but I can’t name all of the members of the Justice League. If you need to know that kind of stuff to enjoy an event, it doesn’t really make a good “jumping-on point.” But that shouldn’t hinder my enjoyment of the story.
I don’t hate the story. Even this issue wasn’t all bad. Atom was back with his giant telephone, and I mean, come on, your super-genius plan is to call 9-1-1? I liked that Firestorm was able to fight off the Black Lantern whose head he is inside of long enough to warn his friends. And I may be turning into a Flash (Barry Allen) fan.
This issue had the big reveal—Nekron. I don’t know anything about Nekron, but I guess he’s the big baddie. This was a bit lost on me, and that’s my fault. However, that this was the big reveal was also lost on me—DJ had to tell me that this was a big deal. And I think that’s on Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis. Geoff Johns is a great writer, so he has the skills to write a jaw-dropping moment. And Ivan Reis is a talented artist. I’m not going to run off and join his fan club, but that’s a matter of preference. He’s quite good and extremely capable. So if he saw that the story was lacking, he should—and could—have picked up some of the slack.
This issue was lackluster and bland. But what bothers me is that I think it should have been something more. It seemed like Johns and Reis were just as bored with this issue as I was. This issue may have been a casualty of the need to make every limited series last eight issues.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Experiment Phase 3: Blackest Night #3
A Review by DJ, a DC aficionado
Have I bought too much into the hype? Yes, perhaps I have. Am I bothered by the countless tie-ins I am “forced” to buy? I’m not, but my wallet is.
What can I say—I LOVE this book! Green Lantern is my favorite superhero, and I couldn’t be happier with how this “event” has gone on. Issue #3 is no exception. I am going to get my compliments on the art out of the way early because I just say the same things over and over and over. I’ll sum it up with a “BRILLIANT!” and call it a wrap.
On to the story . . .
When it comes right down to it, I feel that the story in this issue moves in a more linear fashion. I feel that this issue is spent more on upping the stakes of the battle than it is progressing the story. That’s not to say that we don’t learn anything new in the issue or that it’s a bad issue at all. Because it is not. It seems that every three or four pages in this story someone new gets a black ring, we see them zombified, and we wonder how the heroes could possibly win.
The Firestorm relationship continues to grow (only to have that pillar knocked down later in heartbreaking fashion).
The action scenes are fast and fun and enhanced by the reveal of what happened to the Atom. It answered some questions and enlightened the reader to some long awaited Black Lantern info.
The entrance of the Indigo Tribe serves as the big (at some points, too big) exposition piece in this issue. Both Johns and Reis do not disappoint with this reveal, which seems to have been building for months and months now.
Hal and Barry’s conversation was good banter between two characters that have both been just recently brought back into the swing of things. But, it did have a sense of “man-love fest” in it.
I am not going to go into detail about what happens to both halves of the Firestorm matrix in this issue, but if you read it, you know how crushing yet intriguing it is.
Keeping in the tradition of the last page cliffhangers, the last page of this issue has the rising of what I am going to call the Black Lantern Injustice League from their JLA-sponsored crypts.
In my opinion, issue #3 of Blackest Night was another great issue. Was it plagued by some hokey dialogue? At times, yes. Was the majority of the issue more of the same? Sure. Maybe, I guess. But hey, it’s comics. I don’t mind one bit.
I’ll end with my two favorite things from this issue . . .
1. On the first page, there is a flashcard in Jason’s (Firestorm) room that reads NaCl . . . I love foreshadowing.
2. The news feed splash page . . . Can you say Black Lantern Rocket Red!?!
A Review by Michelle, a DC Rookie
Geoff Johns is still on his DC killing spree. The Atom was not part of the body count, however. In this issue, we were officially introduced to the Indigo Lanterns. They showed up—just in time—and used Hal Jordan’s willpower to save Atom from his second brush with death. (Geoff Johns must be an Atom fan.)
When one of the Black Lanterns tried to convince the Indigo Lantern to pity him, which would allow him to take her heart and make her a Black Lantern, but she was able to resist tapping into her compassion. This, along with other moments in the issues we’ve read, tells us that the presence of raw emotion allows the Black Lanterns to kill their victims and convert them into Black Lanterns. The Green Lanterns can stop the Black Lanterns, and the Indigo Lanterns will help them to do so.
So I’m left wondering. Why was Batman such a big deal in issues #0 and #1? Is that other Firestorm guy really trapped in the Black Lanterns head now? (And does he really need an index card to remember the chemical formula of table salt?) But I guess that’s why everyone is still reading—to find out.
Meanwhile, I’m confused. It’s just page after page of the same—Geoff Johns giving out Black Lantern rings like he’s Oprah—“And you get a black ring! And you get a black ring! Everybody gets a black ring!”
This event is shaping up to be one that’s difficult for Marvel fans like myself to follow. Geoff Johns is a good writer, but he’s not writing to show off his writing skills. He’s writing an event for DC fanboys (and girls) to drool over. The rest of us are waiting patiently (or not so patiently) for the payoff. While DC fans may be excitedly flipping through to see what happens, I’m left wondering what exactly is going on.
Have I bought too much into the hype? Yes, perhaps I have. Am I bothered by the countless tie-ins I am “forced” to buy? I’m not, but my wallet is.
What can I say—I LOVE this book! Green Lantern is my favorite superhero, and I couldn’t be happier with how this “event” has gone on. Issue #3 is no exception. I am going to get my compliments on the art out of the way early because I just say the same things over and over and over. I’ll sum it up with a “BRILLIANT!” and call it a wrap.
On to the story . . .
When it comes right down to it, I feel that the story in this issue moves in a more linear fashion. I feel that this issue is spent more on upping the stakes of the battle than it is progressing the story. That’s not to say that we don’t learn anything new in the issue or that it’s a bad issue at all. Because it is not. It seems that every three or four pages in this story someone new gets a black ring, we see them zombified, and we wonder how the heroes could possibly win.
The Firestorm relationship continues to grow (only to have that pillar knocked down later in heartbreaking fashion).
The action scenes are fast and fun and enhanced by the reveal of what happened to the Atom. It answered some questions and enlightened the reader to some long awaited Black Lantern info.
The entrance of the Indigo Tribe serves as the big (at some points, too big) exposition piece in this issue. Both Johns and Reis do not disappoint with this reveal, which seems to have been building for months and months now.
Hal and Barry’s conversation was good banter between two characters that have both been just recently brought back into the swing of things. But, it did have a sense of “man-love fest” in it.
I am not going to go into detail about what happens to both halves of the Firestorm matrix in this issue, but if you read it, you know how crushing yet intriguing it is.
Keeping in the tradition of the last page cliffhangers, the last page of this issue has the rising of what I am going to call the Black Lantern Injustice League from their JLA-sponsored crypts.
In my opinion, issue #3 of Blackest Night was another great issue. Was it plagued by some hokey dialogue? At times, yes. Was the majority of the issue more of the same? Sure. Maybe, I guess. But hey, it’s comics. I don’t mind one bit.
I’ll end with my two favorite things from this issue . . .
1. On the first page, there is a flashcard in Jason’s (Firestorm) room that reads NaCl . . . I love foreshadowing.
2. The news feed splash page . . . Can you say Black Lantern Rocket Red!?!
A Review by Michelle, a DC Rookie
Geoff Johns is still on his DC killing spree. The Atom was not part of the body count, however. In this issue, we were officially introduced to the Indigo Lanterns. They showed up—just in time—and used Hal Jordan’s willpower to save Atom from his second brush with death. (Geoff Johns must be an Atom fan.)
When one of the Black Lanterns tried to convince the Indigo Lantern to pity him, which would allow him to take her heart and make her a Black Lantern, but she was able to resist tapping into her compassion. This, along with other moments in the issues we’ve read, tells us that the presence of raw emotion allows the Black Lanterns to kill their victims and convert them into Black Lanterns. The Green Lanterns can stop the Black Lanterns, and the Indigo Lanterns will help them to do so.
So I’m left wondering. Why was Batman such a big deal in issues #0 and #1? Is that other Firestorm guy really trapped in the Black Lanterns head now? (And does he really need an index card to remember the chemical formula of table salt?) But I guess that’s why everyone is still reading—to find out.
Meanwhile, I’m confused. It’s just page after page of the same—Geoff Johns giving out Black Lantern rings like he’s Oprah—“And you get a black ring! And you get a black ring! Everybody gets a black ring!”
This event is shaping up to be one that’s difficult for Marvel fans like myself to follow. Geoff Johns is a good writer, but he’s not writing to show off his writing skills. He’s writing an event for DC fanboys (and girls) to drool over. The rest of us are waiting patiently (or not so patiently) for the payoff. While DC fans may be excitedly flipping through to see what happens, I’m left wondering what exactly is going on.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Experiment Phase 2: Blackest Night #2
Here it is! A little late...(what can i say I'm lazy). Read it. enjoy it. Tell me what you think!
A Review by DJ, a DC aficionado
Let the creepiness continue! Blackest Night #2 was not a letdown. Was it as good as issue #1? No. But it’s an issue #2 and Johns already hooked me with issue #1 so a little buildup in issue #2 is expected and welcomed (by me at least).
This issue raised a plethora of questions about what the rules are.
Let the creepiness continue! Blackest Night #2 was not a letdown. Was it as good as issue #1? No. But it’s an issue #2 and Johns already hooked me with issue #1 so a little buildup in issue #2 is expected and welcomed (by me at least).
This issue raised a plethora of questions about what the rules are.
If Dolphin can rebuild her head and Martian Manhunter can live through a Flash Fact Flame Pit, how do/can you beat a Black Lantern?
What makes Don Hall at peace? His powers? His dying a hero’s death? The artists inability to work powder blue into a Black Lantern outfit?
What makes Don Hall at peace? His powers? His dying a hero’s death? The artists inability to work powder blue into a Black Lantern outfit?
How can the Black Lantern power be more powerful than the vengeance of God?
Will the Gotham City Police Department have to foot the bill for a new Bat Signal?
There were plenty of cool “Aw crap” moments in this issue. I sat on my couch and cheered with joy at every new character introduction and “zombie” reveal. (Except Pariah. I didn’t pick up on what world he meant until days later.)
I like the Deadman angle and I am impressed with the way Johns makes third (or lower) tiered characters like him matter to this story.
There were plenty of cool “Aw crap” moments in this issue. I sat on my couch and cheered with joy at every new character introduction and “zombie” reveal. (Except Pariah. I didn’t pick up on what world he meant until days later.)
I like the Deadman angle and I am impressed with the way Johns makes third (or lower) tiered characters like him matter to this story.
The Black Lantern JLA scares me and I'm terrified of Black Lantern Aquaman. But I can’t wait for issue #3 and for the plot to progress a little more. Overall, I give this issue four Bruce Wayne skulls out of five.
The one thing still on my mind days (weeks) later, the biggest question resonating in my brain is . . .
What happened to the Atom on the other side of that phone?
A Review by Michelle, a DC Rookie
I liked Blackest Night #2. I mostly understood what was going on. I wasn’t really left with many questions as a result of my DC newbie status. I was left wondering why, if the Atom is so smart, he doesn’t just make himself a tiny phone. I also don’t understand how Commissioner Gordon doesn’t know his daughter was Batgirl, especially considering she all but flat-out tells him in this issue. But I digress.
A lot happened in this issue, but not a lot of what took place was plot advancement. Geoff Johns is still in the buildup stage of his story, which is fine, but that does make for a slightly boring read for someone who doesn’t know many of the characters involved in the story. But some things did seem important. I’m not sure who Don Hall is, but he’s apparently at peace. The Black Lantern ring noticed and left him that way. We have yet to see how this will factor into the larger story, but it may have something to do with all of the love stories with horrible endings mentioned in Blackest Night #0 and #1. Maybe those Fuchsia Lanterns will have something to do with this. I don’t know what will happen, but Black Lantern Martian Manhunter is a little scary. He’s also angry, and you wouldn’t like him when he’s angry. (Sorry, wrong company.)
What happened to the Atom on the other side of that phone?
A Review by Michelle, a DC Rookie
I liked Blackest Night #2. I mostly understood what was going on. I wasn’t really left with many questions as a result of my DC newbie status. I was left wondering why, if the Atom is so smart, he doesn’t just make himself a tiny phone. I also don’t understand how Commissioner Gordon doesn’t know his daughter was Batgirl, especially considering she all but flat-out tells him in this issue. But I digress.
A lot happened in this issue, but not a lot of what took place was plot advancement. Geoff Johns is still in the buildup stage of his story, which is fine, but that does make for a slightly boring read for someone who doesn’t know many of the characters involved in the story. But some things did seem important. I’m not sure who Don Hall is, but he’s apparently at peace. The Black Lantern ring noticed and left him that way. We have yet to see how this will factor into the larger story, but it may have something to do with all of the love stories with horrible endings mentioned in Blackest Night #0 and #1. Maybe those Fuchsia Lanterns will have something to do with this. I don’t know what will happen, but Black Lantern Martian Manhunter is a little scary. He’s also angry, and you wouldn’t like him when he’s angry. (Sorry, wrong company.)
Friday, July 17, 2009
Experiment Phase 1: Blackest Night #0 & 1
A Review by DJ, a DC aficionado
“I can’t wait! I can’t wait!” I sang to Michelle while dancing around the kitchen on Tuesday night. The anticipation continued to build all day Wednesday as well. There wasn’t a podcast that could distract me. Not even the first three songs on “Master of Puppets” could pull my mind away from the coming of Blackest Night.
Was anybody this excited about Civil War? How many people were dancing the night before Final Crisis? Were people this enthralled with Secret Invasion? Doubt it. Maybe Grant Morrison was dancing around the sacrificial pit where the New Gods were offered up. I wasn’t.
I felt let down by each of those other “events.” Was I destined to be disappointed by Blackest Night as well? I hoped not. I expected something huge from Blackest Night. Something that hadn’t happened in the others. I expected something to happen. (I know, ridiculous right?) I wanted the Green Lantern Universe to be affected. I wanted things to feel different. I wanted the bar raised. As far as this #1 issue goes, I wasn’t let down.
Hal Jordan is my favorite DC character. When Geoff Johns brought him back into comics, he also brought me back into comic shops. And I have yet to leave. I have been on this cosmic ride through the introduction of a new corps. I have witnessed heroes, both old and new, step up and grow. And I have seen many D-list villains rise to the top of the list. All of it leading up to Blackest Night.
Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis do an amazing thing in the first few pages of this comic. Not only do they set up the intentions of Black Hand, but they strongly portray his creepitude with the darkly rendered unearthing of “Bruce’s” skull and the deeply passionate lick.
I am fascinated by Reis’s ability to use dark imagery and deep shadows to show the evilness of Black Hand and the Black Lanterns later on in the issue. He makes it feel like a horror comic, and that is brilliant. Also impressive is the 180° the art takes during the Heroes Memorial parade. The art is bright and majestic.
Johns is masterful in the way he uses on or two sentences to fill the reader in on each of Earth’s Green Lanterns. He tells enough to understand their personalities and roles without bogging down the story with overdone exposition.
I liked the induction of this national day of mourning for fallen heroes (or villains in the Rogue’s case). I think it does a nice job of feeling nostalgic to long-time readers and setting up the potential zombies for all readers.
The Oan crypt scene is something I’ve been waiting for payoff on for quite some time. The two-page spread of the zombie-filled Green Lantern crypt did everything but disappoint. I only have two words to really explain how I felt about that scene . . . Zombie Ch’p!
My favorite moment belongs to the zombified Manhunter from Mars. Reis has made the Black Lantern J’onn J’onzz as intimidating as he should be. In one splash page, Johns and Reis give you the “Oh shit” feeling from the reveal. Martian Manhunter is one of my most highly anticipated Black Lanterns. Handled correctly, J’onn should seem almost unbeatable. Here in this book, that shock and panic is portrayed perfectly in the faces of Hal and Barry when J’onn, their once friend and now evil wrecking machine, appears and cuts short their back-and-forth banter that began in #0.
The futility of the book is advanced even further in the end with yet another Lantern reveal. The shock of the impaling of Hawkgirl and the beating of Hawkman with his own mace is like a wrecking ball of impending doom, only to be furthered by the assailants being Ralph and Sue Dibney. I don’t know if Ralph and Sue out-creep Black Hand in this issue, but they sure given him a run for his creepy, necrophiliac money. It is astoundingly heartbreaking as you read Carter get everything he has been pining for when Kendra says she loves him right before two more heroes are added to the ranks of the undead.
Overall, I found the issue to be fantastic! It was all I had hoped for and more. It was dark and action packed and set a dangerous precedent. Geoff Johns has taken this story to a point where anything can happen. This story can go in a number of crazy directions, all of which will be amazing. I’m on board for the ride. And I don’t think I will be disappointed.
A Review by Michelle, a DC rookie
So Batman is dead. As a Marvel reader, I’m not really sure how Batman died. I mean, I knew he could be killed, but I didn’t really think it was likely to occur. First, he’s like a super genius detective who always manages to be one step ahead of everyone—including his boy-scout best friend, Superman. Second, I’m guessing his books are one of DC’s bestsellers—Batman probably earns enough money that Dan Didio would want to keep him around. This is why, I suppose, I’ve been told (by DJ) that Batman isn’t really dead—he’s stuck in another time or dimension or space-time anomaly or whatever. But, in the ultimate of dramatic ironies, only we readers know this—Superman and the rest of the Justice League are clueless, left to mourn their friend in silence in an attempt to distance Batman’s passing from that of Bruce Wayne.
What does all of this have to do with Green Lantern, you ask? I have no idea. But this is what I learned from Blackest Night #0, which was available for free on Free Comic Book Day. This is also pretty much what I know going into Blackest Night, this summer’s Green Lantern event. (Geoff Johns assures us, however, through a letter in Blackest Night #0, that he did not originally intend this to be an “event”—it began as a mere story, something that, according to Johns, means we won’t be disappointed.)
I did learn a little about Green Lanterns from Blackest Night #0. The supplemental material explained to me what the different ring colors mean and what to expect from each group of heroes/villains. Despite the violet being pinker than I would prefer, I felt pretty good about reading Blackest Night.
I read Blackest Night #1, and I was left with some questions: Who is this man in the winter coat? Who is this Conner person Ma Kent is yelling at? Why does Alfred feel it’s his mistake that some creep dug up Batman’s skull? And what the hell is a “naval cavity”? (After pointing this last one to D.J., it was confirmed that my suspicions were true—it’s a typo. Damage suffered from a crushed “nasal cavity” and was not involved in some terrible military-related accident.)
Of course, DJ seemed rather irritated about my questions. (Supposedly, I’m not this picky about Marvel books, but I beg to differ. Plus, I’m a copyeditor. I’m going to notice typos. It’s what I do.) But I liked the book. I did have to turn back a few times, but it mostly made sense to me even though it was my first real experience with Green Lanterns. A few pages in the back left me confused at first, but I was quickly able to figure it out.
I do have some DC experience. It’s not much, but I have read some DC. I also enjoyed the Super Friends as a child. Laugh if you must, but at least I wasn’t a Wonder Twins fan. However, most of my love for any DC characters comes from the Justice League and Justice League Unlimited cartoons, which ran from 2001 to 2006. This probably seems wrong to DC diehards, but these cartoons created a spot in my heart for Martian Manhunter, Hawkgirl, and John Stewart.
Two of three favorite characters of mine were involved in Blackest Night #1. Poor dead Martian Manhunter came back as a zombie, and Hawkgirl was killed and given her very own flesh-craving ring. I have to admit it—I’m hooked. I want to know what happens.
Is this a great jumping on point? It’s too early to tell. But I would guess that superhero fans—DC, Marvel, or otherwise—probably care about at least one DC character. It may not be Green Lantern, whose event this is. It could be another character—Superman because of the great comics, Batman because he’s dark, or Aquaman because he was so cool on Super Friends. (You know you want to laugh.) And because at least half the characters in the DC Universe seem to be dead, there’s the potential for any reader to get hooked like I did. If you don’t think so, keep reading. There’s still a chance that Geoff Johns might kill your favorite character.
Although there’s little doubt in my mind that Dan Didio turned this into an “event” because DC Zombies would have been too obvious, I do not believe Geoff Johns got the idea that way. Geoff Johns is a great writer, the art is beautiful, and this event has great promise, even for me, a Marvel fan. And trust me—I didn’t have that many nice things to say about Civil War.
“I can’t wait! I can’t wait!” I sang to Michelle while dancing around the kitchen on Tuesday night. The anticipation continued to build all day Wednesday as well. There wasn’t a podcast that could distract me. Not even the first three songs on “Master of Puppets” could pull my mind away from the coming of Blackest Night.
Was anybody this excited about Civil War? How many people were dancing the night before Final Crisis? Were people this enthralled with Secret Invasion? Doubt it. Maybe Grant Morrison was dancing around the sacrificial pit where the New Gods were offered up. I wasn’t.
I felt let down by each of those other “events.” Was I destined to be disappointed by Blackest Night as well? I hoped not. I expected something huge from Blackest Night. Something that hadn’t happened in the others. I expected something to happen. (I know, ridiculous right?) I wanted the Green Lantern Universe to be affected. I wanted things to feel different. I wanted the bar raised. As far as this #1 issue goes, I wasn’t let down.
Hal Jordan is my favorite DC character. When Geoff Johns brought him back into comics, he also brought me back into comic shops. And I have yet to leave. I have been on this cosmic ride through the introduction of a new corps. I have witnessed heroes, both old and new, step up and grow. And I have seen many D-list villains rise to the top of the list. All of it leading up to Blackest Night.
Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis do an amazing thing in the first few pages of this comic. Not only do they set up the intentions of Black Hand, but they strongly portray his creepitude with the darkly rendered unearthing of “Bruce’s” skull and the deeply passionate lick.
I am fascinated by Reis’s ability to use dark imagery and deep shadows to show the evilness of Black Hand and the Black Lanterns later on in the issue. He makes it feel like a horror comic, and that is brilliant. Also impressive is the 180° the art takes during the Heroes Memorial parade. The art is bright and majestic.
Johns is masterful in the way he uses on or two sentences to fill the reader in on each of Earth’s Green Lanterns. He tells enough to understand their personalities and roles without bogging down the story with overdone exposition.
I liked the induction of this national day of mourning for fallen heroes (or villains in the Rogue’s case). I think it does a nice job of feeling nostalgic to long-time readers and setting up the potential zombies for all readers.
The Oan crypt scene is something I’ve been waiting for payoff on for quite some time. The two-page spread of the zombie-filled Green Lantern crypt did everything but disappoint. I only have two words to really explain how I felt about that scene . . . Zombie Ch’p!
My favorite moment belongs to the zombified Manhunter from Mars. Reis has made the Black Lantern J’onn J’onzz as intimidating as he should be. In one splash page, Johns and Reis give you the “Oh shit” feeling from the reveal. Martian Manhunter is one of my most highly anticipated Black Lanterns. Handled correctly, J’onn should seem almost unbeatable. Here in this book, that shock and panic is portrayed perfectly in the faces of Hal and Barry when J’onn, their once friend and now evil wrecking machine, appears and cuts short their back-and-forth banter that began in #0.
The futility of the book is advanced even further in the end with yet another Lantern reveal. The shock of the impaling of Hawkgirl and the beating of Hawkman with his own mace is like a wrecking ball of impending doom, only to be furthered by the assailants being Ralph and Sue Dibney. I don’t know if Ralph and Sue out-creep Black Hand in this issue, but they sure given him a run for his creepy, necrophiliac money. It is astoundingly heartbreaking as you read Carter get everything he has been pining for when Kendra says she loves him right before two more heroes are added to the ranks of the undead.
Overall, I found the issue to be fantastic! It was all I had hoped for and more. It was dark and action packed and set a dangerous precedent. Geoff Johns has taken this story to a point where anything can happen. This story can go in a number of crazy directions, all of which will be amazing. I’m on board for the ride. And I don’t think I will be disappointed.
A Review by Michelle, a DC rookie
So Batman is dead. As a Marvel reader, I’m not really sure how Batman died. I mean, I knew he could be killed, but I didn’t really think it was likely to occur. First, he’s like a super genius detective who always manages to be one step ahead of everyone—including his boy-scout best friend, Superman. Second, I’m guessing his books are one of DC’s bestsellers—Batman probably earns enough money that Dan Didio would want to keep him around. This is why, I suppose, I’ve been told (by DJ) that Batman isn’t really dead—he’s stuck in another time or dimension or space-time anomaly or whatever. But, in the ultimate of dramatic ironies, only we readers know this—Superman and the rest of the Justice League are clueless, left to mourn their friend in silence in an attempt to distance Batman’s passing from that of Bruce Wayne.
What does all of this have to do with Green Lantern, you ask? I have no idea. But this is what I learned from Blackest Night #0, which was available for free on Free Comic Book Day. This is also pretty much what I know going into Blackest Night, this summer’s Green Lantern event. (Geoff Johns assures us, however, through a letter in Blackest Night #0, that he did not originally intend this to be an “event”—it began as a mere story, something that, according to Johns, means we won’t be disappointed.)
I did learn a little about Green Lanterns from Blackest Night #0. The supplemental material explained to me what the different ring colors mean and what to expect from each group of heroes/villains. Despite the violet being pinker than I would prefer, I felt pretty good about reading Blackest Night.
I read Blackest Night #1, and I was left with some questions: Who is this man in the winter coat? Who is this Conner person Ma Kent is yelling at? Why does Alfred feel it’s his mistake that some creep dug up Batman’s skull? And what the hell is a “naval cavity”? (After pointing this last one to D.J., it was confirmed that my suspicions were true—it’s a typo. Damage suffered from a crushed “nasal cavity” and was not involved in some terrible military-related accident.)
Of course, DJ seemed rather irritated about my questions. (Supposedly, I’m not this picky about Marvel books, but I beg to differ. Plus, I’m a copyeditor. I’m going to notice typos. It’s what I do.) But I liked the book. I did have to turn back a few times, but it mostly made sense to me even though it was my first real experience with Green Lanterns. A few pages in the back left me confused at first, but I was quickly able to figure it out.
I do have some DC experience. It’s not much, but I have read some DC. I also enjoyed the Super Friends as a child. Laugh if you must, but at least I wasn’t a Wonder Twins fan. However, most of my love for any DC characters comes from the Justice League and Justice League Unlimited cartoons, which ran from 2001 to 2006. This probably seems wrong to DC diehards, but these cartoons created a spot in my heart for Martian Manhunter, Hawkgirl, and John Stewart.
Two of three favorite characters of mine were involved in Blackest Night #1. Poor dead Martian Manhunter came back as a zombie, and Hawkgirl was killed and given her very own flesh-craving ring. I have to admit it—I’m hooked. I want to know what happens.
Is this a great jumping on point? It’s too early to tell. But I would guess that superhero fans—DC, Marvel, or otherwise—probably care about at least one DC character. It may not be Green Lantern, whose event this is. It could be another character—Superman because of the great comics, Batman because he’s dark, or Aquaman because he was so cool on Super Friends. (You know you want to laugh.) And because at least half the characters in the DC Universe seem to be dead, there’s the potential for any reader to get hooked like I did. If you don’t think so, keep reading. There’s still a chance that Geoff Johns might kill your favorite character.
Although there’s little doubt in my mind that Dan Didio turned this into an “event” because DC Zombies would have been too obvious, I do not believe Geoff Johns got the idea that way. Geoff Johns is a great writer, the art is beautiful, and this event has great promise, even for me, a Marvel fan. And trust me—I didn’t have that many nice things to say about Civil War.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Blackest Night...The Experiment
So, this Wednesday, July 15, 2009, the eagerly anticipated Green Lantern event "Blackest Night" hits the stores. Blackest Night is gonna be HUGE!!! High hopes are have been infecting the interwebs for months now. Lots of fanboys are pumped and are expecting a huge DCU changing event not seen since the first CRISIS. And I am one of them...
To Clarify for those of you not aware of Blackest Night. It is a comic book event featuring Green Lantern and encompassing the entire DC Universe. It has grown from a story in the core Green Lantern titles and has grown into DC's Summer Event.
In it a low level GL villain named Black Hand has become the a ward of a powerful entity intent on bringing the dead heroes and villains of the DCU back to life to take over the world.
The story has been building in the Green Lantern books for months, years even.
New corps have been introduced over the past months all featuring a different color and different emotion. In Blackest Night all the new corps will somehow be involved in the dealings of Black Hand and the Black Lantern Corps.
For more information on this event check out any of the numerous comic book websites from newsarama to CBR to IGN. All of which have extensive coverage and previews of issues and interviews with creators...
I have found myself almost constantly thinking about Blackest Night(with boobies still edging it out for the top spot in my brain). Just the other day I has standing on my forklift at work and in lieu of working I was thinking about Blackest night... Who will come back? How will it affect the heroes of the DCU? How creepy can Black Hand get?!?
While thinking about it I thought of an experiment I would like to run.
Now, Comics companies like to throw around terms like "Great jumping on point" and "You only need to read the main series to get the whole story." I want to test those claims.
To run my experiment i needed a Guinea Pig, that is where my girlfriend Michelle comes in. If any of you know Michelle you know that she reads comic books also. But,much to my chagrin, she is a Marvel fan(Her all-time favorite books being Fantastic Four and She-Hulk). She is decently knowledgeable about DC comics but doesn't really read a whole lot of DC books. I have, in the past, gotten her to read Geoff Johns' JSA and she has a long standing refusal to read Green Lantern.(she is afraid that if she doesn't like it i will hate her. Which is a reasonable fear...)
Since she trusts me (a mistake as she will soon discover) she has agreed to be a part of my comic book experiment. Which is also a trick to get her to read more DC comics. (Shhhhhhhh, Don't tell her.)
Here is the procedure to my experiment.
I will give Michelle a brief catching up on GL. She will not read any other Lantern books. I'll just tell her briefly about the other corps and some of the main players.
We will both read Blackest Night.
I am reading all the mini-series that surround it. Michelle is just going to read the main 8 issue series.
We will discuss the book together, write our reviews, and then they will be posted on this very blog. Where you, the reader, can compare the difference in reading experience from someone highly involved(me) and someone new to the book and universe(Michelle).
If all goes well at the end of the 8 months, Michelle will be a Green Lantern fan and Geoff Johns will have written an easily accessible, self contained "BIG" event. Which is something not done in a long time. IMHO
The other side of that coin being that Michelle hates GL, I cry, and it proves that comic companies are once again full of shit and only tailor to the established, experienced fan. Which will eventually lead to the slow suffocating death of the industry because of the lack of new readers being brought in.
GOD, I really put a lot of pressure on Geoff Johns and DC ( Unbeknownst to them.)
I think this is a pretty cool idea. I hope you do too. Stay tuned for the results and reviews. Tell your fanboy friends to visit this blog also.
In the Name of SCIENCE !!!
Good Reading,
Dr. DJ Rothenbecker PhD
Scientist Extraordinaire
To Clarify for those of you not aware of Blackest Night. It is a comic book event featuring Green Lantern and encompassing the entire DC Universe. It has grown from a story in the core Green Lantern titles and has grown into DC's Summer Event.
In it a low level GL villain named Black Hand has become the a ward of a powerful entity intent on bringing the dead heroes and villains of the DCU back to life to take over the world.
The story has been building in the Green Lantern books for months, years even.
New corps have been introduced over the past months all featuring a different color and different emotion. In Blackest Night all the new corps will somehow be involved in the dealings of Black Hand and the Black Lantern Corps.
For more information on this event check out any of the numerous comic book websites from newsarama to CBR to IGN. All of which have extensive coverage and previews of issues and interviews with creators...
I have found myself almost constantly thinking about Blackest Night(with boobies still edging it out for the top spot in my brain). Just the other day I has standing on my forklift at work and in lieu of working I was thinking about Blackest night... Who will come back? How will it affect the heroes of the DCU? How creepy can Black Hand get?!?
While thinking about it I thought of an experiment I would like to run.
Now, Comics companies like to throw around terms like "Great jumping on point" and "You only need to read the main series to get the whole story." I want to test those claims.
To run my experiment i needed a Guinea Pig, that is where my girlfriend Michelle comes in. If any of you know Michelle you know that she reads comic books also. But,much to my chagrin, she is a Marvel fan(Her all-time favorite books being Fantastic Four and She-Hulk). She is decently knowledgeable about DC comics but doesn't really read a whole lot of DC books. I have, in the past, gotten her to read Geoff Johns' JSA and she has a long standing refusal to read Green Lantern.(she is afraid that if she doesn't like it i will hate her. Which is a reasonable fear...)
Since she trusts me (a mistake as she will soon discover) she has agreed to be a part of my comic book experiment. Which is also a trick to get her to read more DC comics. (Shhhhhhhh, Don't tell her.)
Here is the procedure to my experiment.
I will give Michelle a brief catching up on GL. She will not read any other Lantern books. I'll just tell her briefly about the other corps and some of the main players.
We will both read Blackest Night.
I am reading all the mini-series that surround it. Michelle is just going to read the main 8 issue series.
We will discuss the book together, write our reviews, and then they will be posted on this very blog. Where you, the reader, can compare the difference in reading experience from someone highly involved(me) and someone new to the book and universe(Michelle).
If all goes well at the end of the 8 months, Michelle will be a Green Lantern fan and Geoff Johns will have written an easily accessible, self contained "BIG" event. Which is something not done in a long time. IMHO
The other side of that coin being that Michelle hates GL, I cry, and it proves that comic companies are once again full of shit and only tailor to the established, experienced fan. Which will eventually lead to the slow suffocating death of the industry because of the lack of new readers being brought in.
GOD, I really put a lot of pressure on Geoff Johns and DC ( Unbeknownst to them.)
I think this is a pretty cool idea. I hope you do too. Stay tuned for the results and reviews. Tell your fanboy friends to visit this blog also.
In the Name of SCIENCE !!!
Good Reading,
Dr. DJ Rothenbecker PhD
Scientist Extraordinaire
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Wizard World Philly Haul
Michelle and I spent last Saturday at Wizard World Philly. We went with a long list of comics to purchase.
Our main goal was to finish John Byrne's run on Fantastic Four (Michelle's favorite comics ever). Which after running around like maniac's the last half hour of the con we did(only to be defeated by the 2 reprints we unknowingly bought).
We also needed to finish Excalibur, Deathstroke, Green Lantern(the Kyle Rayner years),
She-Hulk(Savage, Sensational, and non-adjective) and my ongoing quest for all things Mike Mignola.
We finished Excalibur (YAY), but picked up a new quest for all the issues of The Tick. And took some decent chunks out of She-Hulk and Green Lantern(25 issues or so short of the whole run 1-183).
We also picked up two new pages of original art: Gene Colan page from "The Harrowers" and a Dan Jurgens page inked by George Perez from "Teen Titans"
Michelle also got a good deal on the Howard the Duck statue from a couple years ago. It now sits proudly on our book shelf inbetween The Goon and Franky statues and the She-Hulk and Beta Ray Bill statues.
All in all it was a great weekend.
We had fun Saturday night with friends and spent Sunday at the Philadelphia museum of Art. I took some neat pictures of Dali paintings and some Picasso's and some rad old statues of Hindu Gods.
Most importantly though...
I GOT MY PICTURE TAKEN IN FRONT OF THE ROCKY STATUE!!!
a lifelong dream of mine.
We have spent the last two days sitting on the couch at home enjoying our"STAYCATION"(thats for Michelle).
Our new computer came in yesterday! I get to commence melting my brain with the internet and melting yours with the useless drivel that is this very blog...
Back to work tomorrow and that makes me sad...
Here is a list of all we bought at Wizard World. We need more space in our house...
Green Lantern
0 54 55 57-80 82-91 93 95 98 103 105 107 108 110 111 113 114 116-122 124-133 138 154 156 158-173 176-181 80 page giant 1 and 2 Annuals 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 1,000,000
Green Lantern Mosaic
4, 6, 9, 10, 13 14, 15, 16, and 18
Savage She-Hulk
3, 6, 17, 19, 23
Sensational She-Hulk
17, 18, 27, 42, 46, 51, 53, 57
She-Hulk Vol. 1
3-5, 8, 9
The Tick
Heroes of the City 1-6
Tick and Arthur 2, 3
Big Blue Destiny 1, 2
Big Year 2000 Spectacle
Karma Tornado 2
Big Halloween Special 1
Big Romantic Adventure
Big Yule Log Special 1999
Fantastic Four
212-215 217-219 221 223-224 226-227 242-245 248-253 255-260 264-268 273-274 281 288 292 Annual 18
Excalibur
12-13 15-17 40 41 52 55 57 58 61 65 67 Annual 1
Marvel Comics Presents Excalibur
32-37
Tom Strong
20, 24-27, 30-32 36 Terrific Tales 5-6
Hawkman
4, 7-23
Mignola
Alpha Flight 30, 33, 34, 36
Hellboy Jr. 1, 2, TPB
Deadman 3
Frankenstein Dracular War 1, 3
Zorro 6
Hulk 305, 307, 308, 311-313
FF 358
Avengers Annual 20
The Escapist 3 TPB
Hellboy
Wild Hunt 1B (1 of 1,000)
Oddest Jobs
Emerald Hell
Deathstroke
0
Batman Year Three
4
Incredible Hulk
101
Monday, June 22, 2009
Return from Philly and New Computer
I have been home from Philly for one day.
I have all the stuff I bought layed out on the bar(a list is forthcoming).
I love my 2 new original art pages!!!
Today our new laptop came in the mail!!! It is pretty amazing. 17 inch screen. Full keyboard. And best of all...IT WORKS
I can blog more now. I have lots to say. So stayed tuned...
-DJ
I have all the stuff I bought layed out on the bar(a list is forthcoming).
I love my 2 new original art pages!!!
Today our new laptop came in the mail!!! It is pretty amazing. 17 inch screen. Full keyboard. And best of all...IT WORKS
I can blog more now. I have lots to say. So stayed tuned...
-DJ
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