DC Comics Review: Blackest Night #1 - Todd’s Take
Posted by Todd Matthy Categories: Reviews, DC Comics,
Two years ago, “The Sinestro Corps War” ended with a teaser…a teaser for an event called “Blackest Night”. Two years and one “Final Crisis” later, the “Blackest Night” is here and starts off with a bang. The opening salvo of “Blackest Night” is action-packed, emotional, and downright creepy. It begins with the heroes of the DC universe paying tribute to fallen heroes. Johns shows how each hero is affected by the death of their comrades or their loved ones. At the same time, the “War of Light” the Guardians of the Universe have been trying to prevent has erupted. Unfortunately this part is brief, but serves its purpose because the Guardians are too distracted to realize the danger soon to be heaped upon the universe. So far the “War of Light” is being covered in the “Blackest Night: Tales of the Corps” title. Then all hell starts to break loose.
The Black Lantern rings have swarmed across the universe like a plague of locusts, picking dead heroes and villains as their bearers. The dead have risen and will begin their assault on the living, targeting Hawkman as their first victim.
The Black Lanterns are DC Zombies with a similar mission as Thanos - to spread death across the universe until everything is dead. The resurrected heroes and villains are mangled and ghoulish, a gross distortion of their once noble forms. The most disturbing are Ralph and Sue Dibny. While this is clearly a set up issue, their is enough character interaction and story to hook you. Johns has been building this event since “Green Lantern: Rebirth” and it shows. I can’t wait for the rest of the story when we find out more about the Black Lanterns and how the heroes of the DC Universe react to their fallen comrades resurrection before realizing that their friends serve the forces of death.
The Blackest Night has arrived….
For more of my thoughts on various subjects, check out my web site: Sledgehammer Productions.
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DC Comics Review: Blackest Night #1 - Dave’s Take
Posted by David Torres Categories: Reviews, DC Comics,
Rating: *** 1/2*
I’m not a huge Green Lantern fan. As I’ve mentioned in previous blogs, I was a Marvel Zombie for a long time. Even when I started reading DC Comics it was just Batman and nothing else. It wasn’t until the early 90s with the Death of Superman that I started reading other DC books. For the majority of the time I’ve been reading DC, Kyle Rayner was the Green Lantern, not Hal Jordan. I liked Geoff Johns’ Green Lantern: Reborn, but I wasn’t crazy about his regular ongoing work on the new GL title. I can appreciate why many people like it and the art has been amazing, but I preferred other titles.
I liked the Sinestro Corps storyline and I’ve been reading the lead up to this month’s big event: Blackest Night. This first issue was very good. The GL issues have been a bit hard for me to follow because I know very little about GL history and its been hard to connect with these characters. I also don’t really understand all of the multicolor lantern corps that are popping up and what is the purpose of the Black Lantern Corps which at the center of this storyline the Blackest Night. All I know and understand is whoever or whatever is behind all this is recruiting the bodies of deceased super-heroes and super-villains. The Black Hand who is a long standing GL villain, killed himself only to be resurrected as a Black Lantern and he’s become the unofficial squad leader of the corps.
Our story begins on the anniversary of Superman’s “death”. When it was believed that Superman was dead, the government declared it a day of national mourning. When he was resurrected, the day became a day to honor the deceased super-heroes who’ve fallen in the line of duty. In Coast City, the day takes a special meaning as they honor the dead civilians who died at the hands of Mongul and the Cyborg Superman.
In the beginning of the issue we see Black Hand unearthing Bruce Wayne’s body and talking to his skull. In a perverse homage to Hamlet, Black Hand speaks and then licks Bruce’s skull and says that he is connected to them all. Does Black Hand know that Bruce is really alive?
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MEET GEOFF JOHNS AND JEPH LOEB; BUY COMICS
Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials,
Have you ever wanted to see Geoff Johns work a cash register? If you’re in the Los Angeles area this weekend, you might get the chance. Earlier this year, Earth-2 Comics, the fantastic funnybook store on Ventura Blvd in Sherman Oaks, CA, took over Golden Apple’s satellite store in Northridge. You can read about the changeover at the Golden Apple website. Golden Apple still maintains their flagship store in Hollywood.
To celebrate Earth-2’s expansion, they’re throwing a grand opening party at their new store this Saturday, June 13 from 11am – 7pm. So what about Geoff Johns?
Click to continue reading MEET GEOFF JOHNS AND JEPH LOEB; BUY COMICS
DC Comics Review: Justice Society of America #27
Posted by David Torres Categories: Reviews, DC Comics,
This month’s issue of the “Justice Society of America” (JSA) is the first issue of the post-Geoff Johns era. Comic book veteran Jerry Ordway is writing and penciling a two-part story prior to the new writing team of Bill Willingham and Matthew Sturges come on board in July. Many fans of this title were sad to hear the news of Geoff Johns exit and I’ve been hesitant to continue collecting this title as many times when a popular writer leaves a book, the quality of that title drops. Geoff Johns work on “Teen Titans” was great and that book hasn’t been the same since he left.
I’ve just finished reading this month’s issue and I’m happy to say that at least with what Ordway has done with this here, the quality of writing for this book has not gone down. The story finds founding JSA members Green Lantern (Alan Scott), Flash (Jay Garrick), and Wildcat along with fellow member Liberty Belle trapped within the JSA headquarters at the hands of Alan Scott’s son Obsidian. Has Obsidian gone insane once again or is truly doing this to protect the members of the JSA.
Lets find out…
Click to continue reading DC Comics Review: Justice Society of America #27
Cool Instructables: Green Lantern Power Ring
Posted by Kris Madden Categories: Site Features, DC Comics,
Like Inigo Montoya’s line from The Princess Bride, “...You killed my father, prepare to die” or Jules Winfield’s Ezekiel quote in Pulp Fiction, “...And you will know my name is the Lord.”
Green Lanterns have their line to recite before they take out the villainous scourge of the earth. But unlike the other quotes, when you say the Green Lantern creed, it sounds best when you’re wearing your own Power Ring.
This Instructable will provide you with tools and instructions you need to get going on your Green Lantern costume for Halloween 2009 or Comicon in the Summer. With ring building guides from beginner to advanced, there’s a ring for every kind of Green Lantern DIY fan.
Or if you’d rather save the time and energy you can pick a power ring up here as well.
Too many corps in the world of Green Lantern?
Posted by David Torres Categories: Editorials, DC Comics,
I just finished reading “Green Lantern” #36 which continues the “Rage of the Red Lanterns” storyline. It’s a pretty good issue. I’m not a huge Green Lantern fan, but this story arc is a prelude to the big storyline coming out later this year called “The Blackest Night” and I’m interested in reading it.
One of the plots that has been going on in Geoff John’s run of Green Lantern has been the emergence of different colored Lantern corps. We first saw the “yellow” Lanterns with the debut of the Sinestro Corps - which I think is a great idea. I always liked the idea of an evil version of a particular hero or team in comic books. But over the past few months or so we have been seeing the debuts of other Lanterns: Red Lanterns, Blue Lanterns, and long time Green Lantern enemy Star Sapphire has her own corps. I love Geoff Johns, but I think this maybe overkill.
I think with the introduction of all of these different types of Lanterns, it diminishes the uniqueness of Green Lantern and the Green Lantern Corps. As I said, I’m not a huge Green Lantern fan and I don’t read it every month. Maybe the hardcore Green Lantern fans are okay with this, but I think it will be too much if this all stays around post-Blackest Night.
I’ve done a little research and according to ComicVine.com, there will be seven different corps each representing a different emotion. They are as follows: Red=Hate/Rage, Orange=Avarice/Greed, Yellow=Fear, Green=Willpower, Blue=Hope, Indigo=Compassion, Violet =Love. There will also be a Black Corps appearing I’m assuming during “Blackest Night”. We know that some DC characters will be resurrected during this storyline, so I guess all the resurrected characters will be members of the Black Corps.
What Geoff is doing in “Green Lantern” is great stuff, but I hope it’s only temporary. I think having the Green Lantern Corps vs Sinestro Corps should be enough. The eternal struggle of good vs evil with Hal Jordan vs Sinestro.
Random Thoughts
Posted by Joel Rosenberg Categories: Editorials,
Presented for your enjoyment a series of random thoughts:
* Is it possible that they are publishing more Captain America comics now that he is dead then when he was alive?
* Is the Superman/Supergirl Maelstrom mini-series drawn by someone who had never seen the characters before he got the assignment?
* Isn’t the Secret Wars Requiem a real rip-off because it is mostly old Ant-Man stories?
* With all the different colored Lanterns showing up in the DC universe, will we get to see the Pink Lanterns? You know, the gay ones? Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
* Wasn’t it cool when in Ultimate Spider-Man, Peter answers the phone with “Hall of Justice”?
* Exactly how many named characters in the Marvel universe has Tony Stark slept with? Apparently She-Hulk and the Lady Liberator’s are taking a census. And who thought up the name Lady Liberators anyway? Sounds 1940ish to me.
* If Batman 683 is picking up from 682, a miracle in itself, don’t we still want to know where the heck in continuity this story line lies?
* Didn’t we just have a year without Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman?
* Can we find out once and for all if Earthlings and Kryptonians can reproduce? All-Star Superman says no, but aren’t the All-Star books set in a different universe? Apparently Clark and Lois spent a year together without Super-powers so shouldn’t we know something by now?
* How could they send off SuperGirl in Smallville? In a Smallville filled with gorgeous women wasn’t she the tops?
My Wednesday Reading List
Posted by Kris Madden Categories: Collecting, Editorials, Reviews, DC Comics, Marvel Comics,
If you’re a “Punisher” fan, then you’ve already picked this one up, sped through the pages, and like me are already waiting for issue #2. However, if you haven’t picked up a “Punisher” comic before, this arc is already shaping up into something great, and with Garth Ennis and Steven Dillon attached, you really can’t go wrong. Also, don’t judge the character by his recent translations into film; while this comics bears the same name of the recent film about the “Punisher,” it is not based on the film.
My personal experience with “Punisher” comics is that they’re bred of hit and miss. In some versions, he is more hero than villain and in others he’s just a villain. Many have contributed to my wrapping paper collection. The Punisher’s anti-hero status has long been forged in the high mortality rates of his enemies. As with all great anti-heroes, a good Punisher comic always brings a good debate of what separates the heroes from the villains, much like Alan Moore’s main character in “V for Vendetta” or Charles Bronson in “Death Wish”. So if you’ve never picked up a Punisher comic, this would be a great place to start. Enjoy.
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