FCBD - BLACKEST NIGHT #0Written by Geoff Johns
Art by Ivan Reis and Doug Mahnke
Blackest Night #0 was originally going to be a recap of all of the events leading to the event itself but it is now a prelude to the first issue, and it reads like it. Blackest Night #0 is not really reader friendly and you definitely need to be familiar with both Green Lantern and the DCU to fully understand and appreciate the story.
The story itself is short, only 12 pages, and is about Hal Jordan and Barry Allen talking at Bruce's grave while foreshadowing things to come. Geoff Johns maintains his usually quality of work and there are a lot of little things here and there that really add to the story. Of course, you have to be a DC reader to get them. The more you know and like about the DCU to more you like the story. A basis familiarity with the DCU can at least get you through the story but you will be missing a lot of the smaller stuff that really brings the story to life. Johns also continues his habit of constantly repeating things over and over and, in this case, its the sinner/saint dynamic he has set up with Hal and Barry's deaths.
There is a lot of the Hal and Barry dynamic present in the issue, and this being my first experience with Barry in the comics, I enjoyed it. Johns definitely sells me on bringing Barry back to life and that he does have a place within the modern DCU. The Hal relationship to Batman is also on display and Johns does some good things with it as well. The other important part of the story is a number of Black Lanterns are revealed, or at least heavily hinted at. J'onn J'onzz, Ralph and Sue Dinby, Ronnie Raymond and, Bruce Wayne. Or, whoever corpse Superman was holding at the end of Final Crisis #6 belonged to. The story ends with the Black Hand resurrecting Bruce which brings up an interesting question, does he give them rings after he resurrects everyone or do the rings resurrect the dead like the teaser from Sinestro Corps War suggested. This is something I wish Johns had addressed in this issue.
DC also included the Corps primer images from their Source blog which is the only attempt they make towards introducing things to new readers. There is also a short letter from Johns but it doesn't really add much but he says that Blackest Night will do to the DCU what Green Lantern Rebirth did to Green Lantern.
The Black Lantern oath also appears and it is,
The Blackest Night falls from the skies
The darkness grows as all light dies
We crave your hearts and your demise
By my Black Hand, the dead shall rise
Verdict - Check It. A solid story that offers more to long term readers than new ones but still has its own charms and definitely got me more interested in Blackest Night.
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