I made no secret of my love for Blackest Night. The DC crossover that spanned over six months completely reshaped the DC universe and opened the door for new readers to enter. For me, a guy who hasn't followed DC in quite some time, it was an opening I could not resist.
This past week the aftermath of Blackest Night began with Brightest Day #0. Penned by Geoff Johns, the same mastermind behind Blackest Night, the series doesn't miss a beat and picks up almost immediately where Blackest Night left off. From the very first page, the emphasis shifts from death to life. The one narrating the story is Boston Brand, once known as Deadman. A more appropriate character couldn't have been used if his name was Bright Geoffjohns.
What follows is a remarkable insight into the mind of someone who has only known death. Boston Brand actually stands over his own grave, musing over what his role was now that he was alive again. Being dead means he has no money, no job, and no livelihood. So what's a guy to do? That's where the White Lanterns come in. Just as Brand is done smashing his own tombstone, the power of the White Lanterns reaches him and he begins a journey across the DC universe.
It's very well laid out. Brand goes on to visit the likes of Mera and Aurthur Curry of Atlantis, Kyle Raner of the Green Lantern Corps, Carter and Shiera Hall, and J'onn J'ozz of Mars. Everybody is getting accustomed to being alive again. Some are embracing it more than others. There are some nice shots of Mera in bed after she and Aurthur celebrate his rebirth.
Hawkman and Hawkgirl share a nice romantic moment as they muse over their past lives together and the love that seems to span it all. And J'onn J'ozz gets the greatest gift of all...a crate full of Oreo cookies. Could there be a more appropriate gift?
Overall, the tone is much different than Blackest Night but in a good way. It isn't all just joy and life. There are some real developments involving Sinestro finding the White Lantern and someone locating the original bodies of Hawkman and Hawkgirl. Like man issue #0's this merely sets the stage. Brightest Day #1 doesn't come out until next month and it promises to begin the next round of action that will span the DC universe. It's no bait and switch. It's a solid story designed to get the reader hooked and it succeeds in every way!
Geoff Johns continues to astonish me with his writing talent and Brightest Day carries on the legacy of sheer awesome left by Blackest Night. That is why this issue gets a solid 5 out of 5. If ever a comic lover wanted to get back into the DC universe, this is it! If you have any appreciation for the awesome of comics, what the hell are you doing? Get off your ass and get Brightest Day! Nuff said.
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