Blackest Night

Blackest Night
Writer: Geoff Johns
Pencils: Ivan Reis
Inkers: Oclair Albert, Julio Ferreira, Robert Hunter, Joe Prado
Colorist: Alex Sinclair
Cover Artists: Rodolfo Migliari, Ivan Reis
Letters: Nick J. Napolitano
Publisher: DC Comics

What's It About?
Zombies, or, more specifically, "Black Lanterns," risen dead who have come back to fight the entire pantheon of DC's superheroes.  Blackest Night was DC's summer 2009 crossover (a story spanning several comic book titles).  Most exciting for long-time fans was the chance to see dead superheroes and villians brought back to "life," which lead to speculation about which ones would remain in the living.  This crossover was unique among crossoevers in that it centered around the Green Lantern Corps.  This trade collects the "main" story relating to Blackest Night, collecting Blackest Night issues 1-8, plus a special issue, Blackest Night: Director's Cut.

Who's It For?

Anyone who wants to know what's currently going on with the Green Lantern Corps may want to familiarize themselves with this book, as it layed down many ideas which are now currently being developed in the current DC crossover, "Brightest Day."  Also, anyone who likes a zombie story might find this entertaining.

What's Good About It?
The art is a highlight of the book.  The story covers a lot of ground and a lot of characters will still maintain an understandable plot.  The story has an "epic" quality to it, so if you like end-of-the-world scenarios involving many characters and different superheroes you will probably like this.  Geoff Johns is skilled at writing well-rounded characters, so characters' motivations and emotions are easy to identify with.  The fact that the Green Lantern mythos was the focus of the story kept it grounded from straying too far from its premise.

What's Bad About It?
Just by sheer number of books tying into this story, it can be intimidating to read all books related to this crossover.  Also, new readers may not know who many of the dead heroes and villain are, and why their being brought back to life is significant.  The book also assumes that you know why a certain dead character is important to a hero, but there is some explanation throughout that should help you along.  Also, without reading the supplemental books like Green Lantern: Blackest Night, or Green Lantern Corps: Blackest Night, the story is not complete and may confuse readers.

Another drawback is the price: at US $29.99, it's pretty steep for a graphic novel, so you may want to find a coupon, wait for the softcover to be published, or borrow it from the local library.

What's the Art Like?
The art is very well-done and very realistic.  Ivan Reis is a skilled penciller, and the art is a highlight of the book, and there are many pages with a lot going on which still retain a wonderful level of detail.  He also excels at drawing Black Lanterns in all their undead glory, which will be a delight to fans of horror.

Other Information
Price: $29.99
ISBN: 1401226930

Further Reading
Green Lantern: Blackest Night
Green Lantern Corps: Blackest Night
Blackest Night: Tales of the Corps