Writers: Geoff Johns and Peter J. TomasiArtists: Ivan Reis, Patrick Gleason, Fernando Pasarin, Adrian Syaf, Scott Clark and Joe Prado
Publisher: DC Comics
Collects: Brightest Day #0-7
Blackest Night concluded with twelve characters being resurrected from the dead by the enigmatic White Light of creation for some elusive purpose. Brightest Day follows these characters as they resume their ordinary lives, and slowly discover the reason behind their return.
"Slowly" being the operative word.
After the frenetic, action-packed Blackest Night, Brightest Day feels more along the lines of 52 or Batman: No Man's Land in terms of story pacing. We get the impression that there is something big unfolding here, it's just taking its time doing so.
But while both 52 and NML were all about the moment, Brightest Day seems like it's putting all of its eggs in the payoff basket. Every single event in this book, although great, feels like it is geared towards this big purpose, like the carrot on the end of a very fine stick.
Not that there aren't some excellent small moments in this. The banter between Hal, Carol and Sinestro made me want to sigh lovingly at seeing these characters return to a relatively normal state. Maxwell Lord's masterplan (the effects of which are explored in Justice League: Generation Lost) is perfectly devilish when one considers the context. And the scene where Deadman watches in helpless horror as a Somali pirate drags away a child slave, only to have Aquaman and Mera arrive for a triumphant rescue just in the nick of time made me want to punch the air in joy. That's the kind of thing superhero comics should get back to, instead of these tired "arcs".
As for each character's individual stories, your mileage may vary. While I found myself engrossed in the Martian Manhunter's, Deadman's and Firestorm's (a character I wasn't very fond of before) mysteries, I was not so captivated by the plodding Aquaman/Mera and Hawkman/Hawkgirl soap opera adventures. C'est la vie.
As I have said often before, Geoff Johns knows his story pacing, while Peter J. Tomasi can write one hell of a good aftermath, so I shall have to place my trust in these two good fellows and wait for the next instalment.
There is a ridiculous amount of artists on this book, and it is impossible to give credit where credit is due, but I will say this: There is not a bad piece of work in here. A particular favourite is the expression on Aquaman's face during the aforementioned pirate rescue. That is the face of a man about to kick ass and take names. Also, compared to the overused splash-pages in Blackest Night, all the ones used here have the appropriate dramatic impact.
Do I feel satisfied by the story in Brightest Day? No. Am I tickled by the character exploration and on-going mystery? Yes. Yes I am.
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