| "Blackest Night" | |||
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Incentive variant cover of Blackest Night 1 (Jul 2009). Published in a 1:25 ratio. Art by Ethan Van Sciver. |
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| Publisher | DC Comics | ||
| Publication date | June 2009 – May 2010 | ||
| Genre |
Crossover Zombies in comics |
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| Main character(s) | Hal Jordan Carol Ferris Barry Allen William Hand Thaal Sinestro Saint Walker Atrocitus Indigo-1 Larfleeze Ray Palmer Jason Rusch Mera Nekron rest of DC Universe |
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| Creative team | |||
| Writer(s) | Geoff Johns | ||
| Penciller(s) | Ivan Reis | ||
| Collected editions | |||
| Hardcover | ISBN 1401226930 | ||
| Paperback | ISBN 1401229530 | ||
"Blackest Night" is a 2009–2010 American comic book crossover storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, central miniseries written by Geoff Johns and penciled by Ivan Reis, as well as a number of tie-in books.[1] "Blackest Night" involves Nekron, a personified force of death resurrecting deceased superheroes and seeking to eliminate all life and emotion from the universe. Geoff Johns has identified the series' central theme as "emotion."[2] The crossover was published for eight months via a limited series, as well as in both the Green Lantern and Green Lantern Corps comic titles. Various other limited series and tie-ins were published, including an audio drama from Darker Projects.
Contents |
The storyline was first mentioned at the conclusion of the "Sinestro Corps War" in Green Lantern vol. 4, #25. As the war between the Green Lantern and Sinestro Corps reaches its climax, the four Green Lanterns of Earth (Hal Jordan, Guy Gardner, John Stewart, and Kyle Rayner) are told by the Guardians Ganthet and Sayd of the "Blackest Night" prophecy. According to the prophecy, the two existing Corps would be joined by five new ones, each driven by a specific emotion and empowered by a specific color of the emotional spectrum, leading to a "War of Light" that would subsequently destroy the universe. Johns says[3] the prophecy has its origins in the story "Tygers" by Alan Moore, which touches on the rising up of the Guardians' enemies, like the Weaponers of Qward, Ranx the Sentient City, and the Children of the White Lobe,[4] and the destruction of the Green Lanterns, showing Sodam Yat and Mogo dying.[5] Atrocitus, however, denies the accuracy of this prophecy, suggesting that it blended the Blackest Night and the Sinestro Corps War with pure falsehood.[6]
Johns later revealed that Nekron was the leader of the Black Lantern Corps in an interview with IGN, though he originally intended to keep that plot element a secret. Commenting on selecting the character as the "mastermind" behind his event, Johns provided the following explanation:
| “ | "For me it honestly was never a question. If I was going to do a Green Lantern storyline about the dead rising, the character I was going to use was going to be Nekron. He's pretty obscure, but like Black Hand, Sinestro and Hector Hammond – you know, these characters that had been a little under the radar for years or even decades – he's someone I wanted to pull out and reimagine and rebuild. And again as you're seeing, Ivan has done an incredible job, along with Joe Prado, on redesigning the character."[7] | ” |
The teaser for the storyline stated that "...the armies of fear and willpower must come together, because across the Universe, the dead will rise." A hand was shown coming out of the ground with a black ring on its finger.[8] The symbol on the ring is of Green Lantern villain Black Hand.[9] Both Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver have stated that "Blackest Night" is the third part of a Green Lantern event trilogy that began with Rebirth and continued with "Sinestro Corps War".[3] In an interview with IGN, Johns stated that he has the monthly Green Lantern book plotted up until issue #55.[10] More details for the event were revealed in DC Universe #0,[11] which depicted Green Lantern villain Black Hand discovering the black power battery on the planet of Ryut.
Blackest Night #0 was released on Free Comic Book Day 2009, and portrayed a series of events directly leading into Blackest Night #1. The standalone self-titled miniseries consists of the Free Comic Book Day issue and eight monthly issues. Tie-ins include issues of both Green Lantern and Green Lantern Corps starting with the issues #43 and #38; and a handful of 3 issue limited series such as Blackest Night: Tales of the Corps, Blackest Night: Superman, Blackest Night: Batman, Blackest Night: Titans, Blackest Night: Wonder Woman, Blackest Night: Flash, and Blackest Night: JSA.[12] Ethan Van Sciver had planned to work on the opening book as he did in the Sinestro Corps War, but because of his work on The Flash: Rebirth miniseries he was not able to complete both effectively. However, he still created many of the designs for this storyline along with Ivan Reis.[13][14][15][16]
Green Lanterns Ash and Saarek find the Black Central Power Battery at a reportedly classified location within Sector 666. After touching the battery, Saarek reports that their presence has awoken something. The two are killed when two monstrous hands emerge from below them to the sound of the battery calling: "flesh."[17] In Green Lantern Corps, a field of asteroids is depicted in an unknown region of space (the colors of the spectrum shown in the background). The asteroids which apparently are from the remains of the planet Xanshi, are shattered and a huge number of black power rings come through them.[18]
In Gotham City, Black Hand removes a skull from Bruce Wayne's grave and carries it around with him as a Black Lantern power battery begins to charge.[19]
The Guardians of Oa observe the War of Light and realize that Ganthet and Sayd have been right but are kept from intervening by Scar, who swiftly kills one and imprisons the rest. Thousands of black rings assault the Corps' crypt, creating a Black Lantern Corps as Hal Jordan and the newly revived Flash investigate Bruce Wayne's grave and are attacked by Black Lantern Martian Manhunter. On Oa, the Green Lanterns are met by all of the formerly deceased Lanterns now reborn as Black Lanterns. Hawkgirl and Hawkman are killed by Black Lanterns Elongated Man and Sue Dibny and also join the growing Black Corps.[20]
The Atom is tricked by Black Lantern Hawkman into visiting him and Deadman is one of the first to realize the dead are not their true selves when his physical body revives as a Black Lantern while he is still free. Aquaman and his Black Lantern family attack Mera, who flees. A black ring strikes the Spectre, binding the spirit while reviving Crispus Allen as a Black Lantern. The rings are revealed to be unable to revive dead who are at peace, such as Don Hall, even as Hank rises. In Gotham, Flash and Hal Jordan are confronted by several Black Lanterns including Ronald Raymond.[21]
Hal and Flash battle the Black Lanterns with Atom when the Indigo Tribe appears, and use their Indigo power with other rings to obliterate the Black Lantern Dibnys. Mera finds the new (still human) Firestorm and Gehenna, who merge to create a new Firestorm. Indigo says that all of the Lantern Corps must unite to truly defeat the Black one. The Indigo Tribe departs with Hal and leaves the other heroes to fight off the invading Black Lanterns, and Black Lantern Firestorm separates the Gehenna and Jason and uses his abilities to kill Gehenna and absorb Jason's conscience into his head. Black rings revive the villains whose remains have been in storage inside the Hall of Justice.[22]
Mera and Flash flee the Black Lanterns using Atom's powers to escape through a phoneline. Flash leaves to give all the heroes nationwide the key to defeating the evil Lanterns (merging lights with a Green Ring) while the Atom and Mera and the Justice Society of America battle many Lanterns together. Jean Loring kills and causes Damage to revive as a Lantern and fully empower the Black Lantern power battery. Barry arrives in Coast City, where Scar has teleported in with the Black Central Power Battery. Black Hand then summons Nekron, who revives the residents of Coast City.[23]
The JLA, the Titans, Wally West, and Bart Allen fight the Coast City Black Lanterns. Dove is revealed to be able to destroy Black Lanterns with her presence. Hal and various Lantern Corps significant members (Larfleeze, Atrocitus, Sinestro, Carol Ferris, Saint Walker, Indigo-1, Ganthet, and Sayd) return to Earth and attack Scar while she is attacking Wally West. Nekron has Batman's corpse (later revealed to not be Bruce at all, but a clone) briefly reanimated to gain a necessary connection and sends rings to many heroes (Superman, Wonder Woman, Superboy, Green Arrow, Kid Flash, Donna Troy, Ice, and Animal Man), previously killed and revived thanks solely to Nekron, into yet more Black Lantern members as Hal and Barry try to outrace their rings.[24]
Allen time-travels himself and Jordan two seconds into the future and disables their rings. Mera and the Atom arrive. John Stewart warns Hal that every Black Lantern in the universe is heading for Earth. Jordan says they need the entire seven Corps to unite to produce White Light.
While they summon the seven Corps to Earth, Ganthet duplicates the seven colored rings present and deputizes certain non-Corps members: Ganthet as Green, Barry as Blue, Mera as Red, Lex Luthor as Orange, Scarecrow as Yellow, Atom as Indigo, and Wonder Woman as Violet (separating her from her Black Ring).[25]
The Corps Leaders and deputies fight Nekron but cannot stop him, partly due to Luthor becoming overwhelmed by the Orange light of avarice. John Stewart is trying to stop the horde of Black Lanterns when the combined Six Corps arrive to join together and battle the Black Lanterns. In Coast City, Dove tries to get at the Black Lantern Battery but is forced back as a being from within the battery tries to get out.
Nekron kills a Guardian and uses his blood to cause a cocoon to emerge. Ganthet reveals that this is the White Light Entity that triggered existence. He then reveals that life in the universe actually began on Earth, a lie the Guardians upheld to protect the Entity and justify their power. Nekron stabs the Entity, causing living beings across the universe to feel pain and leading Sinestro's anger at Abin Sur losing his life to stab Ganthet.
Hal realizes the Entity is like Parallax and Ion and in need of a guiding "pilot", and tries to merge with it, but is blocked by Sinestro (angry that Hal recently reused Parallax, who Sinestro feels he deserves) who demands the Entity's power. He emerges as he is told "Thaal Sinestro of Korugar. Destiny awaits".[26]
Sinestro is promptly killed by Nekron, but the White Ring revives him. Sinestro retaliates and kills Nekron, but his scythe is picked up by a Black Lantern human who becomes Nekron and says "death cannot be stopped"; Ganthet notes that Sinestro cannot properly control the Entity as it is being powered by Sinestro's ego rather than his will to live.
The united Lantern Corps attack Nekron while Deadman possesses Guy Gardner and explains that Black Hand is Nekron's tether and that he must be revived to defeat Nekron. Nekron separates Sinestro from the Entity as Hal says Nekron opened the door to death but it was the decision of the heroes to live. Hal merges with the Entity and transforms himself and the Black Lantern heroes into a White Lantern Corps, who restore Black Hand to life; this causes Hand to regurgitate a White Ring which revives the trapped (in the Black Lantern Battery) Anti-Monitor. Nekron briefly fights the Anti-Monitor and banishes him to his home in Qward, the Antimatter universe.
Black Hand begins regurgitating a cluster of white rings that destroy Nekron. The rings bring only twelve Black Lanterns back to life: Maxwell Lord, Professor Zoom, Jade, Hawk, Captain Boomerang, Firestorm (Ronnie Raymond), the Martian Manhunter, Aquaman, Hawkman, Hawkgirl, Deadman, and Osiris.
Upon seeing Aquaman alive, Mera's love causes her ring to depart, sending her into cardiac arrest without the ring's support. Star Sapphire and Saint Walker join their powers together to restore her to normal and Aquaman and Mera share a joyful reunion. Hawkgirl recalls her past lives and removes her helmet to reveal that she is once again Shiera Hall and embraces Hawkman. Superman expresses his happiness that J'onn has returned while Firestorm forcibly separates into Ronald Raymond and Jason, the latter upset over Ronnie having killed his girlfriend.
As Mera comforts Jason, Ronnie is confused and asks Atom what is happening and where Professor Stein is. Guy, mind-controlled by Lord, lets him escape. Jade kisses Kyle, unaware he is in love with fellow Green Lantern Soranik Natu. Osiris, confused, states that he wants to return home, as Superboy and Kid Flash (who only knows him by name) try to figure out who he is.
After Professor Zoom flees, Flash knocks out Captain Boomerang. Barry notes that Ralph and Sue Dibny are not among the revived. Boston Brand, the only one of the resurrected still wearing a White Ring, is stunned to realize he is alive and something is wrong. Larfleeze returns an unconscious Lex Luthor (stripped of his ring), briefly realizing that he's given something away, and demands Sayd to honor her debt to him.
Ganthet protests but Sayd tells him it's all right and believes she can help Larfleeze somehow. She then says that there is much to discuss about the future of all of the Lantern Corps. Saint Walker then notices that the Indigo Tribe is missing as well as Black Hand. On the Indigo home world, the missing Black Hand is now a member and prisoner of the Indigo Tribe, chained to an indigo power staff.
Hal and Barry realize the Black Lantern Batman being a fake means that Bruce Wayne is still alive somewhere. Barry wonders what became of the Entity and Hal says it is still out there, urging them all to move on past the events of the Blackest Night to the future.
Elsewhere, on a distant road, a White Power Battery is found in a crater.[27]
The colors are depicted in bold. For more details, see the emotional spectrum.
In the "Flashpoint" reality, the Blackest Night came to pass earlier than expected when Atrocitus succeeded in killing William Hand, unleashing Nekron in the Universe. Where Nekron and his Black Lanterns waged war, is left unknown, the Guardians of the Universe are shown fighting the Black Lanterns and the Manhunters at the same time.
DC announced in early January that following the end of Blackest Night they would launch Brightest Day, a 26-issue bi-weekly comic book written by Geoff Johns and Peter Tomasi.[28][29] Also in Action Comics will see a story arc with Lex Luthor as he starts a universal quest to locate the energy of the Black Lantern Corps, after being infused with the Orange Light of Avarice.[30]
The series and its tie-in books have been collected into a number of volumes:
The series has received generally positive reviews. Comic Book Resources gave the first and third issues in the series 5 out of 5 stars,[31][32] and the second received 4.5 stars.[33] IGN also reviewed the series favorably, rating the first three individual issues between 8.7 and 9.3 out of a possible 10.[34][35][36]
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