Blackest Night (Classic Review)

Originally released earlier this year. I wrote this review for a different site when the trade came out and thought I'd repost it here.

Writer: Geoff Johns

Artist: Ivan Reis

Publisher: DC Comics

Collects: Blackest Night #0-8; Blackest Night Director's Cut #1

DC's big Event story for this year comes out of Geoff Johns' run on Green Lantern. The dead are rising in the form of the Black Lanterns, and they are out to terrorise the living.

Like Larfleeze with his Power Battery, I could not put this book down. First of all, its visuals grab your attention and refuse to let go. I've never really been one for Ivan Reis' art – I don't hate it, it just never clicked with me – but Blackest Night completely won me over. Every single one of the eighty zillion characters that appears in this is stunning, with Reis capturing their beauty and/or power each time, whether they be in the back- or foreground.

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!

Even if, like me originally, you don't find Reis aesthetically appealing, there's no denying his artistic skill. His eye for detail and ability to capture motion are superb on every level, creating a realistic feel as if you really are in the room. With Blackest Night, Ivan Reis has finally (and ironically) stepped out from Ethan Van Sciver's shadow, a somewhat unjust position for him to begin with.

As for Geoff Johns, the architect of a masterplan that finally sees its endpoint in this story (or does it?), all of the usual praise applies. His suspenseful twisting of the reader's expectations (White Lantern Sinestro!), his down-to-earth-yet-larger-than-life characterisation, and, most importantly here, his ability to shine a light even in the darkest of moments are all present and correct.

However, there are some minor hiccups along the way. I'm not talking about sudden plot developments such as the wrangling of all the corps leaders; these are explained in other tie-in stories, and I was fully aware of this going in. I'm referring to the "Wouldn't it be cool if…?" ideas which evaporate as quickly as they manifest, with little impact. Sure, Ganthet as a Green Lantern and the corps deputies are awesome to see, and delight the inner fanboy, but the plot remains largely unchanged in spite of these events. And the splash-pages of the dead, although amazing to behold at first, feel overused to the point of becoming ineffectual.

Cynicism aside, Blackest Night is full of many fan-tingling moments to lighten its otherwise heavy weight. Seeing Hal Jordan and Jim Gordon in the same panel, the Flashes teaming up, and the scene of all the corps reciting their oaths are the kind of things I read comics for. One also can't help but pull out a mental "spotter's guide" for all the Black Lanterns, trying to identify each one and remember how and when they died.

The bold decision to focus more on "B-list" characters, such as Flash, Green Lantern and the Atom, as well as breakout surprise Mera, should also be applauded. DC's "Big Three" barely appear at all, and it serves as a brilliant showcase for these equally heroic people, leaving you wanting more of them. Hopefully this is a trend that will continue in future.

Like the Black Lanterns themselves, Blackest Night elicits an entire spectrum of emotion from the reader. Genuinely feeling more like a disaster movie than a superhero event, it is exciting, action-packed, chilling, heartfelt and dramatic in all the right places. And I cannot remember the last time I felt as happy reading a comic book as I was when I read J'onn J'onzz's simple "It would appear so" and realised "He's back. They're all back!"

If Blackest Night has a message then it is that life is about moments such as those and, despite being a little bumpy in some places, this instant classic delivers plenty of them.

Rating: 4/5