Blackest Night

Well folks I have been nibbling around the edges of the whole "Blackest Night" fest with admittedly some mean spirited enjoyment. Finally, though, it is time to dive head first into the heart of the story. Just got "The Blackest Night," and read it in all one go. Mostly, it's an exciting story to be sure with some gaping holes where other books are obviously supposed to be plugged in.

So it starts with Hal (now all better than when I last saw him as a Red/Blue/Green Lantern) jawing with the original Flash Barry Allan. WHAT? Ok, for those who don't geek the geek, Barry was killed Eons ago in the eighties saving the world from the Crisis of Infinite Earths. They've actually been good and kept him dead, but not now. He's up and lively as ever. Please DC and Marvel, death is something to be taken seriously not fershulger bungee cord. Anyhoo, it's sort of like "It's a Wonderful Life," as Hal tells Barry how much darker the universe has gotten since he was away. He also, points out other people who have recently gone out including the Martian Manhunter and Batman...

Batman is dead? Yeah right...

So now come the black rings, and they turn good dead people into evil zombies with magic power rings. They immediately go out and terrorize friends and neighbors and try to eat their hearts out if they can. A zombie elongated man for example gets Hawkman and Hawkgirl. A rotting Aquaman and other aqua heroes get aqualad. They also get a bunch of dead villains the magic rings who are just happy to be up and undead and causing mayhem. There is certainly something happening as it appears that the zombies are getting stronger the more they terrorize and de-heart people.

Now comes the Indigo Lanterns who represent Compassion. She let's on that it will take more than one type of lantern to permanently kill the zombies. They also meet the Atom who can get real small and he tells them that the rings aren't raising people from the dead but making basically zombie clones and that part of the power they are getting is getting kicked back to someone else. This bodes not well so Indigo goes to round up the cavalry.

So it's fight, fight, fight.  Fight your dead friends, fight your dead relatives, fight your dead enemies.  Suddenly, a big black power lantern rises up and we know who is behind this all.  Nekron.  Nekron?  Nekron was Green Lantern villain who is like Death, but without the style.  Things are looking bad, but the cavalry come as all seven lantern corps come to fight.  This includes the odious comic relief of Larfleeze the one Orange lantern who's emotion is "Avarice.  He's only there because he's been promised a Guardian of the Galaxy of his very own.  Mostly, he pouts and shouts out "I want that, I want the big shiny weapon."  Anyway it's seven Lantern corps, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Earth's heroes vs. All the dead heroes and villains, one undead, scratched by EEEVAALLLLL guardian, and Nekron.  So we all know what happens next... all together...

THEY FIGHT!

For pages and pages and pages they fight, and they talk as they fight, and they talk about fighting and I'm sure some are fighting because of all the talking.  There are all sorts of reversals and upsets.  These include:  A zombie batman, zombifying living heroes like superman, giving power rings to various earth heroes and villains so you have like a Blue Flash and an Orange Lex Luther.  It's just thrown bat crapping insane.

Eventually the big secret of why all this is happening on Earth is revealed.  The White light that created life and intelligence resides here on earth.  Nekron wants to put that light out forever.  With the White light revealed Sinistro, the most evil Lantern tries to use it to beat Nekron silly so he can prove that it is he Sinistro who is the best Lantern.  He gets his purple butt handed to him.  But others do learn how to use the White light and with everyone working together they banish Nekron and then the White light (sigh) brings almost everyone who was dead back to life.

ARRRGGGHHHHHHH STOP THAT DC STOP THAT RIGHT NOW!

Anyway, that's Blackest Night for you.  Hope you enjoyed!