Blackest Night #2
Written By: Geoff Johns
Illustrated By: Ivan Reis
As the Blackest Night continues to consume the entire universe, things become even more desperate for the heroes of Earth. Green Lantern and The Flash continue to battle their former Justice League comrades turned Black Lanterns, and even as they are joined by a friendly face, their efforts prove to be futile when they learn their enemies can't be incapacitated. Fortunately, hope arrives in the form of the Indigo Tribe, who finally make their presence known in the War Of Light. As Hal Jordan and his surviving allies regroup in the Hall Of Justice, they reassess the situation and learn about the history of Light and how to fight back the darkness consuming the cosmos. Unfortunately, as Indigo-1 explains that the solution isn't as easy as it sounds, Black Lanterns invade the Hall and attack in full force.
I am pleased, Geoff Johns, very very pleased indeed.
If anybody needed reassurance that Blackest Night would deliver on its promise to be a hot book each month, Blackest Night #3 just flew off the charts and created more buzz than anyone could ever anticipate. Johns is clearly on a role here, and he's not playing for keeps either. No... he plays a deadly game with casualties involved and plenty of "What The Heck" moments to make readers jaws drop. We're just in the third issue of BN, and already we're looking at earth on the verge of annihilation from the Black Lantern Corps! Their power levels are increasing exponentially, and even with heroes bravely fighting the dead to turn the tide, nothing penetrates these suckers... until the cavalry arrives in the color of Indigo. This issue doesn't mark the tribe's full fledged appearance (that was chronicled in Blackest Night: Tales Of The Corps), but it certainly shows how POWERFUL they can be. In the nick of time, they save Ray Palmer, the Atom, from being skewered and destroy two of the Black Lanterns. Yes, Johns is finally showing signs that these guys can be defeated... but it won't be an easy process. Hardships are still evident, and the fact that emotion plays a big role in how the Black Lanterns attack makes things even worse. Like anyone in real life, the heroes are confused and lost, and this was nothing they could have prepared for. Even heroes like Hal and Barry, who have long experience in the field of heroics, are going heads and tales over things, and when it comes to disagreeing and agreeing over things, these two are truly the Brave and The Bold of the DCU. There's still plenty of carnage going around though, and even if by some chance the Emotional Spectrum pools their efforts together to combat the common threat, it may be too late already. I just love anticipating the worst that could happen in major comic events like these.
Speaking of the worst that could happen, it certainly did for one hero who's the highlight of this book: the new Firestorm. Anyone not familiar with the guy at all can piece together his history through the fantastic script Johns has put together, and when everything is said and done in Blackest Night, trust me, he's not going to be the same again. The fact that Ronnie Raymond, the original and now undead Black Lantern Firestorm, was brought back is a clear indication of that change, and in this issue, he enforces it big time. I'm not going to spoil what happens, but let's just say it will leave a bitter taste on your mouths after reading the whole book. This is one of the many plot devices used in BN that certifies Geoff Johns as a true, evil mastermind. He brought Green Lantern back from hell... and now he's brought hell to the entire DCU. Way to go Geoff.XD
Art, once again, is just WOW. I mean, I always thought that Ethan Van Schiver should be the only one paired alongside Johns for this project, but I was proven otherwise by Ivan Reis, who shows he can be an imposing force in the penciling department himself.
The issue's standard cover art alone is a testament his creative talents, and his ability to capture how creepy Black Lanterns are is projected beautifully in a spread that's just a clear picture of hopelessness. In fact, the cover kinda reminds me of the other album cover to Michael Jackson's Thriller, where a group of Zombies huddle around MJ as they pose for a group shot. Black Hand and his "posse" are just frightfully scary, and the image of him smiling should send chills and warnings of impending doom to the DCU. He doesn't make an appearance in this issue though, but the second chapter of his journal", "The Book Of Black", more than makes up for his absence. I'm loving how Johns explains his twisted understandings of life, rage, and death in this chapter, as well as his thoughts on certain "entities" that may play a major part in future events.
Once again, another issue of Blackest Night has arrived, and there's room for more suspense to come in the next five issues. Anyone who questions their investment on the monthly series should be fully aware how great this book is. It's not just another superhero crossover event... it's THE crossover event that will leave a dirty little mark in DC History, literally. Geoff Johns promised to explain the impact of death in the DCU and how people perceived it. Well, he's doing just that... and he's going to be wrecking the yard a lot to get his message through. Trust me, this is solid, A class storytelling folks. Nobody does it better than the man who resurrected Hal Jordan and Barry Allen, and he's got a talented team to back him up and deliver what is already shaping up to be "Epic".
Score - 10/10
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