Blackest Night #2
Written By: Geoff Johns
Illustrated By: Ivan Reis
If there was any indication of what a great and inescapable threat truly is, the second issue of Blackest Night would probably be a good representation of that bleak outlook for anyone living in the DC Universe. The dead have risen and are twisted shells of fallen comrades and enemies, chosen to wreck havoc and spread the word that is death around the entire universe. Without missing a beat, Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis continue to deliver their best in fulfilling the dark prophecy foretold within the Book Of OA. It doesn't take a genius to realize that all hell is breaking loose, and quite literally, no one saw it coming until the last moment.
The dead have risen. Black Hand has made his move on earth, and much of the superhero community are left unaware of the invasion that has already begun to consume lives. For some people like Tempest and Mera, they continue to honor their dead, but both are soon caught off guard when the newly resurrected Aquaman comes to "pay them an unholy visit". As Black Rings scatter around the cosmos to find deceased and unwilling hosts, heroes try valiantly to respond and fight back. Their efforts prove futile though, as the numbers game starts to catch up to the living, with several Black Lanterns ready to consume them.
Taking the spotlight for much of the drama happening in this issue is Arthur Curry, better known to fans as Aquaman. Thanks to advertisements made before the series began last month, most of us already knew he was going to be inducted into the Black Lantern Corps, but how his dark resurrection came about was a different matter that needed to be addressed. He comes back as a total badass now, targeting his wife Mera and former protege, Tempest, with deadly consequences coming out of it by the book's end. It's clear that Johns has casualties in mind for the entire duration of this book. Besides resurrecting the obvious dead, he's indiscriminently killing off living characters and bringing them back as Black Lanterns. Heck, even powerful, magical forces aren't immune to the power of the Black Ring, and in one two panel spread, we see a potentially bigger threat arise. There seem to be some loopholes though, and judging from what happens when one of the dark resurrections goes awry, we have what looks to be the first signs of hope and resistance against the Black Lantern invasion.
After seeing the first wave of superhero Black Lanterns attack last month, we got to understand "how they tick" a little bit. Interestingly enough, they aren't your typical zombie bunch craving for brains and raw meat. Instead, they dig up the hearts of living beings and consume it as raw energy to feed their Central Black Lantern Battery in Sector 666. It's looks to be a very slow process, and it's a gruesome way to go for the living, especially if you're in the receiving end of it. As for the fights, Blackest Night #2 picks up right where Green Lantern #44 left off, with the Gotham City brawl between GL, Flash, and Martian Manhunter getting more interesting by the second. It seems that even with their combined might and skill, cheap parlor tricks won't work against a Black Ring empowered Martian. Seems these guys have no weaknesses to exploit, and to prove the point, J'onn throws in his trump cards, making things deadlier for GL and the speedster. The Aquaman vs Tempest and Mera fight also illustrated clearly how relentless the Black Lanterns are. These freaks are walking terminators, and what used to work when they were alive won't do squat this time around, because they're dead and they can regenerate lost limbs in a few seconds.
What else can I say about Johns' direction? He's already glued me in to this for the long run, and I can safely say that he's the perfect storyteller DC can rely on at any given moment. Geoff even goes as far as to include characters who haven't shown their noggins in the DC Universe for the longest time, and anybody who's read Crisis Of Infinite Earths will be shocked to see an old face here exploding into the scene (literally). (edit: A little backup journal of Black Hand can be found in the last three pages of the book, and what can I say... CREEPY STUFF). As for the art, Ivan Reis can draw so damn well that I'm envious of his talents. He makes every character look good and their expressions are hardly out of place. Hell, the Black Lanterns also look awesome and damn intimidating that they're truly a force to be reckoned with. With six more issues to go, it's going to be another month until the main story arc continues. Until then, let the tie-ins tide you over and witness the carnage happening around other hero communities in the DC Universe.
Even if Blackest Night was born from events in Green Lantern mythology, the events here will greatly impact the entire DCU, and anyone left standing by the end of this will never be same again. The concept of death and rebirth has been addressed in many stories before... but never like this. Without a doubt, Geoff Johns clearly has me staring "DC Armageddon" in the face, and I'm loving every second of it.
Score - 10/10
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