Green Lantern Issue 45

This is one of the first issues released since the Blackest Night #1.  And it picks up right where Hal and Barry left off in that issue, standing over the defiled grave of Bruce Wayne.  They are then confronted by a mummified looking Martian Manhunter who tells them they should both be dead.   As J’onn’s black ring scans Green Lantern and Flash it shows Hal in a halo of green for will and Barry in a blue haze that says hope.  Hal’s ring reports that J’onn has negative life signs and he then wastes no time trying to take J’onn down, but the Martian Manhunter has something to say about this.

We get into an all out brawl at this point! J’onn pulls out all his old powers showing that he truly isn’t just a dead minion.  Shapeshifting, intangibility, flight, heat vision and mind control all get thrown at Hal and Barry who barely escape getting their hearts ripped out by J’onn.  At one point J’onn makes a comment (as he’s ripping a building  off its foundation) “I’m as powerful as Superman.  Why does everyone forget that?”

We then are brought back to Oa where Scar has his fellow guardians wrapped up in black bile and floating in space viewing the raging war of light that is spreading across the universe. The Guardians ask Scar why he is betraying them. To which Scar replies, “I am simply carrying out the mission we began together billions of years ago: I am brining order to the universe… it’s time for a new army to save the universe.” As the black lanterns continue to rip open peoples chests Scar is receiving reports of the rising black power levels.

We then are back in Gotham where J’onn influences Barry’s mind and forces him to attack Hal.  We are treated to a great two page spread with the Flash landing a killer left hook across the jaw of Green Lantern. Hal flashes Barry in the face with his ring and snaps him out of the mind control. J’onn then smashes Hal with a right hand knocking him towards the bat signal on top of the police station and then turns and bitch slaps Barry into a pile of sewage.  Telling Barry “Justice is dead” as Barry slowly slips under the surface.

Our final two pages take us to space sector 1313 where John Stewart is sitting on an asteroid remembering his own failure and mistakes which resulted in the destruction of Xanshi.  While John sits and tortures himself mentally a horde of black rings come whizzing by him and smash into the remains of the planet Xanshi… commanding it to rise!

• Issue: 44
• Story Arch: Only the Good Die Young
• Writer: Geoff Johns
• Pencils: Doug Mahnke
• Inks: Christian Alamy
• Color: Randy Mayor
• Letters: Rob Leigh

The Dead Shall Rise

It has begun.  The War of Light is raging and the dead shall rise.  This issue is nothing but a thrill ride of horror from beginning to end.  An action packed  A-List of heroes and villains are all lined up to make this truly a summer blockbuster event.  I think that Geoff does a great job in this issue of not making this a “Green Lantern” story arc.  Obviously the main theme is Green Lantern related, the henchman of death is a Guardian, a bunch of zombie like creatures are now wearing power rings… but beyond that you see very quickly that this is going to go far beyond anything strictly Oan.  If for some reason you weren’t planning on picking up this series… change your mind now.  This is going to be a gory roller coaster ride from beginning to end.

We kick off the issue with Black Hand in the grave yard digging up an unmarked grave next to Martha and Thomas Wayne.  Then we jump to an explosion of black power rings that erupts within Space Sector 666.  Like a swarm of flies they are coming and they are seeking flesh!  We then jump to Coast City on the anniversary of the day that everyone thought Superman died.  This day has been declared a National Day of Mourning… since Superman returned it’s become a day to remember Super-Beings who gave their lives protecting the world; and the innocents they failed to save.  The Green Lantern crew consisting of Hal Jordan, John Stewart, Guy Gardner and Kyle Rayner ignite a “No Fear” memorial in the center of Coast City as Hal comments on the loved ones he has lost in his days a Green Lantern.

As the emerald flames shine on the faces of the people of Coast City we see flashes of people across the world mourning those they have lost.  In Smallville Conner, Clark and their Ma Kent are at the grave of Jonathan Kent.  Pittsburgh shows us the grave of Ronnie Raymond the first Firestorm.  San Francisco the Teen Titans view the memorials of their comrades.  Even the Flash’s own Central City hosts the Hidden Graveyard of Rogues.   And we hear the debate over Arthur Curry and his being buried on land when he has a magnificent tomb waiting for him under the sea.  Then in Gotham City Alfred discovers the grave of the man he raised has been dug up, defiled and remains stolen.

We are then treated to a view of the underground morgue three stories beneath the headquarters of the Justice League of America.  Hal is explaining why they hold these remains locked up underground.  There is a great panel of the Flash looking at the coffin of Roger Hayden the Psycho-Pirate.  Does anyone remember why they had bad blood?  Barry can’t believe how many they have lost since he’s been gone and he asks Hal to educate him on exactly who they have lost in the span of his “death.”  Hal uses his ring to create constructs of all the fallen heroes.  Barry is utterly shocked to see that Firestorm, Ralph and Sue are all deceased.
Next is a full page shot of the Guardians overlooking a huge vortex of light.  They announce that they have failed.  The war of light has erupted.  They view the varying battles currently raging.  The violet light of love trying to conquer the yellow.  Green Lanterns battling Red Lanterns of rage.  The Orange Avarice battling the Blue Light of Hope.  They say that in nearly every sector, the lanterns clash.  Emotion runs rampant.  And coming from Sector 666 is a shadow.   A shadow that is spreading and heading directly towards them.  They attempt to call a Code Black and have all Lanterns return to protect Oa.  Scar speaks up and tells them that they will never receive the distress call.  When asked why the reply is simply, “Because it will never be made.”  With this Scar lunges and rips open the neck of the nearest Guardian with his teeth and proceeds to reach directly into his chest Temple of Doom style and rips out his green heart!

At this point the swarm of black rings have reached their destinations.  They break into the crypt of Green Lanterns.  They arrive on Mars, Korugar, Earth…. Etc.  And the dead now RISE.  Fantastic two page panel of all the dead Green Lanterns standing in a gory huddle mass (see if you can identify and name them all!)  Standing over the defiled grave of Bruce Wayne, Green Lantern and the Flash are greeted by a very bad ass looking Martian Manhunter.
The final pages show us Hawkman and Hawkgirl in a heated argument.  From behind them we see them through the perspective of a third party.  They are both glowing red and we see a black ring report “Rage.”  Then as their discussion cools down we see them glow violet and the black ring reports “Love.”  Then Kendra is pieced through and through from behind with a spike and an explosion of blood.  Carter is then cracked in the mouth with his own mace as the twisted bodies of Ralph and Sue stand over them as Black Lanterns.  Ralph reaches into Carter’s chest and pulls out his red gushing heart.  As he holds it over his head Ralph’s ring reports, “Power levels 0.02%”  The same happens as Sue removes Kendra’s heart.  The Black Hand steps in and says, “You won’t escape death this time. Death will take us all and the universe will be at peace.  Then from the skull of Bruce Wayne that Black Hand is clutching two more black rings appear and command Carter Hall and Kendra Saunders of Earth to rise!

• Issue: 1
• Story Arch: The Blackest Night
• Writer: Geoff Johns
• Pencils: Ivan Reis
• Color: Alex Sinclair
• Letters: Nick J. Napolitano

Green Lantern Issue 43

Well it’s finally here!  After five or six issues of “Preludes” to The Blackest Night running in both the Green Lantern and Green Lantern: Corps titles we now have the official Prologue to Blackest Night.  The events in this issues all take place before Blackest Night #0 (which was given away on free comic book day some weeks ago.)  In this story narrated by William “Black” Hand we finally see the origin of the first Black Lantern.

We learn that young William Hand is the middle child of a man who runs the Hand Mortuary.  Williams first memories are of his father at “work” and since that day William has had a disturbing fascination with death that makes him very misunderstood by his family.  After killing and stuffing the family dog William is forced into therapy.  After working with half a dozen therapist William finally learns what these shrinks want to hear and creates a facade to mask enough of the twisted thoughts inside him to make him known simply as the “Black Sheep” of the Hand family.

As a young adult William receives the Cosmic Diving Rod from Atrocitus during a battle with Hal Jordan and Sinestro.  With a device in hand that has the ability to absorb the emerald energy from the Green Lantern ring William’s obsession with extinguishing green light begins.  Obsessed with putting out the green light that keeps him awake William fashions a uniform out of a body bag from his fathers mortuary and so is born Black Hand.

We get a summary of Black Hand’s rise to power and his seemingly never ending battles with multiple Green Lanterns.  And how one day he begins to see death everywhere and can hear it calling his name.  Brining us back to the present; Death leads him to the unmarked grave of none other than Bruce Wayne.  Leaving the grave yard Black Hand returns to his family home where he promptly uses the Cosmic Diving Rod to obliterate his entire family.  Sitting at the family dinner table with the slaughtered bodies of his family all lying around Death speaks to William, “You’re not finished.  One more Death.”  Placing the rod to right temple William Hand blows his brains out with emerald energy.

As Black Hand is laying in a pool of blood next to his family Scar appears saying that this act pleases HIM.  A Black Ring emerges from the black bile inside Scar and William Hand of Earth is ordered to Rise.  Like Ion is to the emerald light, Parallax to the yellow and Predator to the Violet; Black Hand is the embodiment of power for the Black Lanterns.  In a truly disturbing final full page pane Black Hand proclaims, “With this power I will finally extinguish the light.”

I thought this issue was amazing kickoff to the highly anticipated summer event.  It was also a great way to bridge stories between the previous story arch and the Blackest Night arch.  The backgrounds are all in place, the first Black Lantern has been born and Death seems to be running the show!  Next issue we are to see the return of J’onn J’onzz of Mars.

• Issue: 43
• Story Arch: Tale of the Black Lantern
• Writer: Geoff Johns
• Pencils: Doug Mahnke
• Inks: Christian Alamy
• Color: Randy Mayor
• Letters: Rob Leigh