Flannel Jedi

The Dead will RISE

Normally, I hate zombies.  I hate zombie movies, zombie books, etc.  Hell, I couldn’t stand listening to “Thriller” at night as a child due to the visuals it brought up.  There are exceptions- Shawn of the Dead, House of the Dead, and now Geoff Johns’ Green Lantern epic, The Blackest Night.  A zombie story that isn’t a zombie story- it’s a lot more than that.

Working from last month, DC’s Blackest Night crossover is in full swing.  Without going into excruciating detail, here’s the deal:

There are 7 basic emotions that make up an emotional spectrum; Love, Compassion, Hope, Willpower, Fear, Greed, and Rage.  Each emotion corresponds to a color.  All of these emotions have now been harnessed and converted into power wielded by creatures throughout the galaxy. 

The foremost is the Green Lantern Corps, famed creation of the Guardians of the Universe.  Also joining the mix are the Sinestro Corps (yellow), the Star Sapphires (violet), the Red Lanterns, (red), the Blue Lanterns (blue, sensing a pattern yet?), the Orange Lanterns (yeah, orange) and the Indigo Tribe (you guessed it, indigo).  It was prophesized that these 7 corps would come together in a titanic struggle called the “War of Light” that would lead the galaxy into total darkness, or “the Blackest Night”.

Well, it seems the prophecy wasn’t that far off, because since the groups have started infighting amongst themselves, another Corps has risen.  Only this time, it’s the absence of color.  The Black Lanterns, representing nothing less than Death, have come to put out the lights of emotion in the universe.  And we’re pretty screwed as of now.

Y’see, black power rings fall from the sky, and into the graves of superheroes and villains.  They then bid these dead folk to rise.  These parodies of life can see the emotions of the living bright as daylight.  At the height of emotion, the Black Lanterns rip out the hearts of their victims, sucking out the emotions, using the light to charge their rings.  To what end?  Speculation abounds.  Chances are something very, very bad.

*SPOILER ALERT*

As of now, we’re up to Blackest Night #2, released last week.  In #1, we saw the first Black Lanterns raised by Black Hand (including Elongated Man and his wife Sue who proceed to kill Hawkman and Hawkgirl, who are in turn raised), and watched as a renegade Guardian subdued her collogues in black goo.  In Green Lantern #44, Hal Jordan and Barry Allen fought Black Lantern Martian Manhunter.  In Blackest Night: Batman #1, the new Batman & Robin confer with Deadman- who just watched his body come back as a Black Lantern- about the dead rising, including Dick’s parents, the Flying Graysons!  Blackest Night #2 saw heroes of magic neutralized by Black Hand, and Black Lanterns Aquaman, Dolphin, and Aquagirl subdue Aquaman’s former protégé Tempest- removing his heart and transforming him as well.  One interesting development shown- Don Hall, the original Dove was “at peace” and not raised with his brother, Hawk (who bitched about once again having to “do everything himself”- Black Lanterns are not without a sense of humor).  In Green Lantern Corps #39, Guy, Kyle and the rest of the Corps are assailed by black rings on Oa, which breach the mausoleum of Fallen Lanterns, raising an army of Black Lanterns against the Green Lantern Corps.  As Guy Gardener says: “What the @#$% ?”

This week saw the release of Blackest Night: Superman #1.  Wherein, the deceased Superman of Earth-2 (long, long story) is brought back and proceeds to go on an emotion collecting spree in Smallville.  Our Earth’s Superman, along with the recently resurrected Superboy (not a Black Lantern) face off against the undead horror, only to discover that Kal-L wasn’t the only survivor of Earth-2 to have been brought back- his wife, Lois Lane, had taken out Krypto the super-dog, and kidnapped Ma Kent.  What will our heroes do to save the day? 

So there you have it.  An 8 month long event, with tie-ins and crossovers galore.  What more could a die hard Green Lantern fan ask for?

Oh, how about collectable figures, t-shirts, and replica power rings?  Oh yes!  4 waves of action figures, along with 5 exclusive SDCC Hal Jordan figures!  How will our wallets survive this onslaught?  Will they be drained in the grip of the Blackest Night?  Odds point to yes here. 

Blackest Night, from DC.  A zombie story for non-zombie lovers.  Whee!

- Talk Hard