Blackest Night #0

If you're a reader of our few reviews and insights we've provided, I'd like to take a moment to mention the fact that Tom and I are working on something more expansive.  While both of us are college students and smothered with finals and things recently (see our lack of much reviewing lately) I am taking a break from such activity to write.  I think Tom died the other night from working non-stop from like 8pm to 9am the next morning or something like that, he's probably been asleep for 48 hours.  Anyway, once school is over we'll be setting in motion plans for our own website where we do basically, the same thing here: review comics, write about comics, write reviews of comic-related movies occasionally, and possibly musing on characters.  We plan on getting it up and running by mid-May or the end of May.  So, if you're a reader here, keep an eye out to see when that is up and running.

Now, on to what I've been wanting to talk about since Saturday.  As you know, or I hope you know, Saturday was Free Comic Book Day.  The highlight of this day was the release of Blackest Night #0!!!  I've read it three or four times since it was released on Saturday and I get happier every time I get to that final page.  Before you continue, I will warn you that you should read this issue, if you don't want anything spoiled or ruined, as I will certainly do here.

Blackest Night #0

Written by: Geoff Johns

Illustrated by: Ivan Reis

We start off this issue with Hal Jordan doing some amazing reminiscing about Batman and Bruce Wayne.  He provides insights to their different views on things, their past disputes, conversations and their mutual understandings of one another as heroes who do their job very differently, one overcoming great fear, the other creating fear in his adversaries.  Barry Allen, recently revived in Final Crisis and Flash Rebirth joins the scene.  Geoff's work in Flash Rebirth spills over to their conversation, showing Barry's troubles about getting situated in a world he's been absent from for years.  Hal's inner demons arise as they speak of how everyone came to Barry's funeral, but even those closest to him, scorned Hal at his own death.

That's the theme here, death and resurrection.  If you don't read Green Lantern, Blackest Night's impending conflict comes from the dead rising from their graves.  This little preview provides a good background on what has happened in Final Crisis, Batman's death, Martian Manhunter's death, Barry Allen's return, etc.  However, while Hal and Barry depart Bruce Wayne's unmarked grave with a feeling of hope that their friends will find their way back from the dead as Hal and Barry had done, something else broods nearby.

It's in the final two pages that we ultimately get a preview of who we can expect to see arise from the dead in Blackest Night as a Black Lantern.  The first headstone to be shown is that of Aquaman, Arthur Curry, buried alongside the ocean.  This wasn't in the final two pages, but I believe the choice to paint a lighthouse overlooking his grave black and gray-striped was no mistake.  The next headstone we see is Ralph and Sue Dibny, Ralph being the hero The Elongated Man.  Then, we see the headstone of Ronnie Raymond, the hero known as Firestorm.  However, the greatest thing I've taken from this issue is the fact that, while reciting the Black Lantern oath, the villain Black Hand reaches into an unmarked grave, removes the skull and in the final page, has his ring focused on it, green lights emitting from the eye sockets, and smoke surrounding it.  However, the smoke takes a definitive shape, the ears of Batman's cowl are clearly depicted, hinting that in July, we may very well see Bruce Wayne return to the DC Universe, but not as the Dark Knight, but a Black Lantern.

The Black Lantern oath: "The Blackest Night falls from the skies.  The darkness grows as all light dies.  We crave your hearts and your demise.  By my black hand--the dead shall rise!"