Blackest Night is my favorite DC Event in recent years. I felt that the build up, the ancillary stories, and the event itself are what great comics are all about. You're truly rooting for your heroes and their worst enemy which is death itself. Hal Jordan even says right at the beginning, "When you're a Green Lantern death is the only retirement." Everyone is afraid of death, or at least the idea of what might be beyond that. And these particular stories are about emotion and how individual people deal with their emotions. The Black Lanterns feed on emotions so keeping them in check is the key to defeating them.
This really is the best superhero story out there. If you have the means I highly, highly recommend picking it up. This is my list of the top ten greatest moments in both Blackest Night and the Green Lantern main title. I chose these because of Geoff Johns's writing both titles. The other titles were good but this is where the magic happened for me. I have grown to love Green Lantern Hal Jordan and that is due to Johns brilliant storytelling. So here we go:
10) The Green Lanterns Coming Out of the Crypt (Blackest Night 1) - The first issue ALONE is so chock full of awesomeness that picking one moment was a challenge. Now I had my doubts about Ivan Reis being the artist because I thought his work was good but not like SUPER AWESOME. This issue quickly changed my mind. He has clearly stepped up his game. This moment underlined by the RISE at the bottom of the splash gave me chills. As Guy Gardner put it, "What the F#@#!" The Green Lanterns are gonna be busy with their dead partners in arms.
9) "Well Now, That Wasn't So Difficult" (Blackest Night 8) - I kept thinking reading this that Nekron has to be defeated somehow! I wondered why someone didn't just aim for the heart. Sinestro (now one with the Entity) reaches in and pulls Nekron's heart out. His line watching Nekron disintegrate is priceless! Who would have thought that Sinestro would be the one to save the universe? Or did he . . . No, no he didn't.
8) The Secret Origin of Black Hand (Green Lantern 43) - Not technically a moment I love about this issue, just the whole thing in general. Johns's talent seems to be dusting off old, shitty characters and making them either terrifying, interesting, or bad asses. With Black Hand he did all three in one issue. When Black Hand took on Green Lantern back in issue 6 I knew that couldn't be the end. Then Black Hand's symbol was on the black rings previewed at the end of Sinestro Corps War. Ah so . . . This issue illustrates Johns's range as a writer. Black Hand is very different from most other characters he has written and in this issue he is truly terrifying.
7) "I'm as Powerful as Superman!" (Green Lantern 44) - Something about J'Onn J'Onnz makes him a great character but ultimately a throwaway. But as I said throwaway characters seem to Johns speciality. And here he shows us that the Martian Manhunter is anything but a throwaway. He is a force to be reckoned with. Not only that, but an evil version of him? That makes him an opponent more deadly than you can imagine. His frustration at everyone's dismissal of him is heard when he rips off the front of a fire station looking for Hal and Barry. Wouldn't wanna make that guy angry. I would probably not like him when he is angry.
6) Indigo-1's Introduction (Blackest Night 3) - Just when you think that things are never going to get better the Indigo Lantern's show up and save the day! Speaking an unknown language but with the answers that our heroes need. Which is usually how it goes isn't it? But still she shows up and they help the heroes kick some Black Lantern ass. Like all great epics, help comes from unexplained places and knows the history of the universe. Ok well not ALL epics but this one at least.
5) Heroes and Villains Deputized (Blackest Night 6) - Definitely a moment I was not expecting. Seems only fair though. At the end of issue 5 Nekron recruited the resurrected heroes to his cause, why shouldn't the heroes do the same. And the choices could not have been more perfect. Barry Allen as a Blue Lantern, Scarecrow as a Sinestro Corps member, Mera for the Red, the Atom for Indigo, Wonder Woman for the Violet, and Lex Luthor as the new Agent Orange. I thought the moment was absolutely perfect. It only made me wonder who else might have been chosen . . .
4) Atrocitus vs Larfleeze (Green Lantern 48) - The best part of the build up to Blackest Night was the introduction of the other corps and their leaders. Atrocitus and Larfleeze are fantastic characters. It did not occur to me that they had never met. And here (for some reason) Atrocitus is trying to steal Larfleeze's Lantern. But no one takes anything of Larfleeze's without a fight! This was the moment Larfleeze became a more three dimensional character for me rather than just a normal villain. Also we learned (as Sinestro pointed out) that Atrocitus is not as fearsome as once believed. And THAT ladies and gentleman is what makes Geoff Johns AWESOME!
3) Sinestro Feels More than Fear (Green Lantern 47) - Abin and Arin Sur are now Black Lanterns and have come back to haunt Sinestro and Hal Jordan. I think we all knew that Abin Sur coming back was inevitable but Arin his sister and Sinestro's former lover? That's the catch that made this particular encounter exciting. Even better was that Sinestro puts on a brave face but inside is just like the rest of us - full of emotion. He can't quite bring himself to destroy this tainted lover of his until the last minute. When questioned he simply shrugs it off. Sinestro is a fantastic character and (forgive the pun) shines even brighter during the Blackest Night.
2) "But I'm Faster" (Blackest Night 6) - I grew up with Wally West as the Flash. Even still, I was never really a big fan of the character. Sure I liked the Flash, but he didn't really do much for me. Then Geoff Johns came along and resurrected Barry Allen (well technically Grant Morrison did but whatever). Rebirth really got me into the character of Barry Allen. And Blackest Night made me a fan of his character permanently. Right at the beginning of the issue, Hal and Barry are trying to outrun the Black Rings bent on turning them to the dark side of the Force (lol). However, Barry has an idea and grabs Hal. The best part about Barry's line is that there is no trace of cockiness. It's all confidence. Barry outran death once, and he knows he can do it again. As Dr. Sheldon Cooper would put it, "Bazinga!"
1) Black Lantern Batman (Blackest Night 5) - This was the moment I was waiting for! Since Batman: RIP and the build up to Blackest Night were going on at the same time I kept thinking, "What are they gonna do about Bruce Wayne?" My original theory was that he would not be among the rising heroes and someone would notice and say, "He's still alive!" I was half right. Black Hand was using the Bruce Wayne skull as a way to piss off the other heroes and then Nekron gave it life. My only wish was that there had been more of a fight between Black Lantern Batman and the other heroes. An evil, heartless Batman? Yeah, you're done. You might as well just not even try. But the usage of the character was great in turning the tables even moreso on Nekron's side (who thought he could get any more powerful). I'll never forget the moment I saw that double page splash of Batman thinking, "That's fucking bad ass!" Oh Ivan and Geoff, ya got me again!
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