Written by Geoff Johns.
Art by Doug Mahnke; Ed Benes; Marcos Marz; Christian Alamy; Tom Nguyen; Rodney Ramos; Mark Irwin; Luciana Del Negro; Rebecca Buchman; Keith Champagne; Randy Mayor; Gabe Eltaeb; Hi-Fi; Carrie Strachan; & Rob Leigh.
Collection Cover Art by Ivan Reis & Rodolfo Migliari.
SUMMARY:
First released in hardcover by DC Comics in 2011, this 256-page trade paperback compiles 2010-2011’s Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) # 43-52.
The Green Lantern Corps/Sinestro Corps feud has seemingly ended, as the universe’s emotional spectrum has split into multiple color Corps factions across the universe: Green (willpower – i.e. Hal Jordan, John Stewart, and the Green Lantern Corps), Violet (love – i.e. Carol Ferris and the Star Sapphires), Orange (avarice – i.e. Larfleeze); Red (rage – i.e. Atrocitus); Yellow (fear – i.e. Sinestro’s Corps); Blue (hope – i.e. Saint Walker); and the enigmatic Indigo (compassion – i.e. The Indigo Tribe).
As ominously prophesied by Oa’s Guardians of the Universe, this emotional rivalry of seven colors opens the rise of the evil Black Lantern Corps to swarm and destroy life across the universe. Though its leader isn’t yet revealed, the Black Lanterns is fronted by now-corrupted Guardians. Subsequently comprised by an army of the vengeful dead, this faction’s first recruit is Hal Jordan’s old nemesis: Black Hand.
Hal Jordan’s Green Lantern and Barry Allen’s Flash are bewildered to face the Black Lantern Black Hand, along with one of his new soldiers: the Black Lantern J’onn J’onzz – The Martian Manhunter. Elsewhere, deep-space battles continue on planets Ysmault, Okaara, Zamaron, and, in the offing, a lone John Stewart on Xanshi.
On battle-ravaged planet Zamaron, Carol Ferris faces off against Sinestro before they must unite against common foes. Hal Jordan and two Indigo Tribe reinforcements join them as reinforcements. Forced to abandon Zamaron, Hal, Carol, Sinestro, and others shift to Sinestro’s home planet, Korugar.
Once there, Mongul challenges Sinestro for command of his self-named Corps. A Black Lantern from Hal and Sinestro’s shared past haunts them. More so, Sinestro must fend off another Black Lantern, whose was once the love of his life. On planet Ysmault, under Hal and Sinestro’s joint command, their team recruits Atrocitus, as they build towards uniting all seven Corps against the Black Lanterns.
John Stewart’s past war experiences haunt him in his solo showdown against Black Lanterns on planet Xanshi. Elsewhere, Hal and Sinestro’s team further recruits Larfleeze and Saint Walker’s Blue Lantern Corps.
Shifting back to Earth, Hal’s team expands to include Barry Allen’s Blue Lantern Flash; Yellow Lantern Scarecrow; Red Lantern Mera; Star Sapphire Wonder Woman; Orange Lantern Lex Luthor; Ray Palmer’s Indigo Atom; and the Guardian: Ganthet. Confiding her love, Carol pleads with Hal not to make a brash decision in battle against the Black Lantern Spectre. Even Sinestro implores Hal not to take such a risk given its worst possible outcome.
To thwart a Black Lantern-corrupted Spectre, Hal desperately reunites with the Parallax entity in hopes of rescuing Crispus Allen’s Spectre. Under Nekron’s command, more Black Lanterns are revealed, including Superman; Green Arrow; Firestorm; Aquaman; Hawkgirl; Hawkman; and the Martian Manhunter. Hal’s temporary gambit works, as a means of thwarting Nekron’s Black Lanterns evidently becomes possible.
Converging on Earth, the Black Lantern Corps and the force of planet Xanshi seek to destroy the planet. Emerging from deep space, John Stewart’s recruited allies (among them: Kilowog and Star Sapphire Fatality) coordinate with Hal’s team for their last stand. With Earth’s fate at stake, the planet’s defenders must look to the being now possessed by the enigmatic White Lantern.
Readers are then told a definitive finish awaits them at the end of the primary Blackest Night title.
Notes: This title is also available digitally. Neither Kyle Rayner nor Guy Gardner appears in this volume.
REVIEW:
This complicated Blackest Night tie-in conveys varying shades of horrific sci-fi/horror to match the saga’s zombie premise.
Beginning with Issue # 43, Black Hand’s macabre origin (including his Black Lantern recruitment) is one of the most reprehensible tales that Geoff Johns and, by extension, DC Comics, has ever concocted. Squandering high-quality artwork, this issue shouldn’t be accessible to the under-age 16 crowd. DC Comics ought to be ashamed for not issuing a parental advisory for the issue’s icky content. Further, it’s a shocking instance where DC evidently allowed Johns carte blanche on Blackest Night.
Moving past this glaring complaint, Johns subsequently constructs a vast Green Lantern saga meant for the franchise’s then-current fanbase. Johns, in terms of creative expertise, juggles multiple sub-plots at regular intervals with plentiful depth. To his credit, he makes such a formidable plotting challenge appear easy – with only occasional flaws.
For instance, despite Hal, Carol, Sinestro, and various deputy Lanterns expending maximum firepower, Johns doesn’t depict anybody ever needing to recharge. It’s a significant oversight in logic, but Johns’ ongoing plot twists more than make up the difference. Even more so, the artistic talents supplying this book’s imaginative visuals appear at the top of their game.
While Green Lantern (Hal Jordan): Blackest Night isn’t a kid-friendly read, it makes an worthwhile argument to consider purchase. If anything, purchasing it along with Hal Jordan’s subsequent Brightest Day tie-in, makes the most practical sense to grasp a Green Lantern epic spanning twenty issues. Aside from the gross Issue # 43, this Blackest Night tie-in makes an intriguing read for adult Green Lantern fans.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
Brief ongoing summaries of the Green Lantern cast’s involvement in the Blackest Night saga are provided between issues. Each full-page cover precedes its story. The primary cover artists are:
- Issue # 43 (artists: Doug Mahnke; Christian Alamy; & Alex Sinclair) – image: Black Hand.
- Issue # 44 (artists: Mahnke; Alamy; & Sinclair) – image: Hal Jordan & Barry Allen’s Flash vs. Black Lantern Martian Manhunter.
- Issue # 45 (artists: Mahnke; Alamy; & Hi-Fi) – image: Carol Ferris/Star Sapphire vs. Sinestro.
- Issue # 46 (artists: Mahnke; Alamy; & Hi-Fi) – image: Carol Ferris/Star Sapphire, Hal Jordan, & Sinestro.
- Issue # 47 (artists: Mahnke; Alamy; & Hi-Fi) – image: Hal Jordan & Sinestro vs. Black Lantern Abin Sur.
- Issue # 48 (artists: Mahnke; Alamy; & Hi-Fi) – image: Saint Walker & the Blue Lantern Corps vs. Yellow Lanterns.
- Issue # 49 (artists: Ed Benes & Hi-Fi) – image: John Stewart escaping a mound of skeletons.
- Issue # 50 (artists: Mahnke; Alamy; & Pete Pantazis) – image: Hal Jordan’s Parallax.
- Issue # 51 (artists: Mahnke; Alamy; & Hi-Fi) – image: Seven different Lanterns’ team-up vs. a Black Lantern.
- Issue # 52 (artists: Mahnke; Alamy; & Randy Mayor) – image: White Lantern Sinestro.
With each variant cover in a full-page, format, the gallery consists of:
- Issue # 43 (artists: Eddy Barrows & Nei Ruffino) – image: Hal Jordan vs. Black Hand.
- Issue # 44 (artists: Phillip Tan; Jonathan Glapion; & Ruffino) – image: the Guardians under attack.
- Issue # 45 (artists: Francis Manapul & Brian Buccellato) – image: Carol Ferris/Star Sapphire.
- Issue # 46 (artists: Andy Kubert & Sinclair) – image: Hal Jordan & Sinestro vs. Yellow Lantern Mongul.
- Issue # 47 (artists: Benes & Ruffino) – image: Iroque (Indigo-1).
- Issue # 48 (artists: Rags Morales & Ruffino) – image: Saint Walker.
- Issue # 49 (artists: Rodolfo Migliari) – image: sniper John Stewart vs. Black Lanterns.
- Issue # 50 (artists: Jim Lee; Scott Williams; & Sinclair) – image: Seven Lanterns recharge.
- Issue # 51 (artist: Greg Horn) – image: Yellow Lantern Scarecrow.
- Issue # 52 (artists: Shane Davis; Sandra Hope & Barbara Ciardo) – image: White Lantern Sinestro.
With art by Joe Prado, a gallery of Deputy Lantern profiles consist of:
- Red Lantern Mera (1/2 page).
- Orange Lantern Lex Luthor (1/2 page).
- Sinestro Corps Scarecrow (1/2 page).
- Barry Allen’s Blue Lantern Flash (1/2 page).
- Ray Palmer’s Indigo Lantern Flash (1/2 page).
- Wonder Woman’s Star Saphhire (1/2 page).
Shifting to full-page portraits, the profile gallery also includes
- Black Lantern Aquaman (artists: Ethan Van Sciver & Sinclair).
- Black Lantern Batman (artist: Prado).
- Black Lantern Firestorm (artists: Van Sciver & Sinclair).
- Black Lantern Hal Jordan (artist: Prado).
- Black Lantern Martian Manhunter (artists: Van Sciver & Sinclair).
- Black Lantern Superman (artist: Prado).
The last page presents multi-paragraph biographies for Geoff Johns and Doug Mahnke.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 8 Stars
