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Blackest Night

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Template:Infobox future comics The Blackest Night is a forthcoming American comic book company-wide[1] fictional crossover event published by DC Comics. Written by Geoff Johns and pencilled by Ivan Reis,[2] The Blackest Night follows Green Lantern: Rebirth and Sinestro Corps War as the third part of a trilogy throughout the Green Lantern comics. The storyline was first revealed at the conclusion of Sinestro Corps War and is scheduled to begin on July 15, 2009.[3][4]

Background

Teaser for "The Blackest Night" in the back page of Green Lantern (vol. 4) #25.
Art by Ethan Van Sciver.

The crossover was first mentioned at the conclusion of the Sinestro Corps War in Green Lantern #25. As the war between the Green Lantern and Sinestro Corps reaches its climax, the four Green Lanterns of Earth (Hal Jordan, Guy Gardner, John Stewart and Kyle Rayner) are told by the Guardians Ganthet and Sayd of the "Blackest Night" prophecy. According to the prophecy, the two existing Corps would be joined by five new ones, each driven by a specific emotion and empowered by a specific color of the emotional spectrum, leading to an all-out war of light that would end up destroying the universe.

Shortly after the defeat of the Sinestro Corps, the Anti-Monitor is transported to an unspecified location, recently revealed to be space sector 666. He is recognized by a dark voice that bids him rise. Too weak to resist or escape, he is engulfed by a Black Power Battery. The teaser proclaimed that "...the armies of fear and willpower must come together, because across the Universe, the dead will rise." A rotted hand was shown coming out of the ground with a black ring on its finger.[5] The symbol on the ring is of Green Lantern villain Black Hand.[6]

Both Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver have stated that The Blackest Night will be the third part of a Green Lantern War Of Light: Trilogy that began with Rebirth and continued with Sinestro Corps War.[7] In an interview with IGN, Johns stated that he has the monthly Green Lantern book plotted up until issue #55, which (presuming there are little or no delays in the book) would come out in June of 2010.[8]

More details for the event are revealed in DC Universe #0, which also sets the stage for most of the DCU line in 2008-2009.[9] DC Universe #0, which bridged the story between Countdown #1 and Final Crisis #1, depicts Green Lantern villain the Black Hand discovering the black power battery on a distant planet.

Blackest Night will feature Aquaman, as DC's Executive Editor Dan DiDio explained: "Aquaman’s storyline picks up again in Blackest Night, and what happens following that is a key story beat of Blackest Night."[10]

The Blackest Night #0 will be released on Free Comic Book Day 2009, and recaps the key moments from the Sinestro Corps War and Rage of the Red Lanterns that led to Blackest Night, and will give readers everything they need to know about the Green Lantern universe, their ongoing War of Light, and their dark days ahead.[11] Ivan Reis will leave the Green Lantern monthly title with the beginning of The Blackest Night to focus on the mini-series and a later project involving Geoff Johns.[2] When The Blackest Night begins and Reis leaves the main Green Lantern title, he will be replaced by Doug Mahnke.[4]

The crossover is proceeded by two crucial "Prelude to Blackest Night" storylines in Green Lantern Corps #33-#38 and Green Lantern #39-#42. "Emerald Eclipse" in Green Lantern Corps chronicles Mongul's conquering of Daxam and his elevation to the leadership of the Sinestro Corps whilst "Agent Orange" in Green Lantern introduces the Orange Lanterns.

Tie-Ins

Prelude to Blackest Night

  • Green Lantern Corps Vol.2 #33-38
  • Green Lantern Vol.4 #39-42

===Part One=== [12]

  • Green Lantern Vol.4 #43-47
  • Green Latern Corps Vol.2 #39-41
  • Blackest Night: Tales of the Corps #1-3
  • Blackest Night: Superman #1-3
  • Blackest Night: Batman #1-3
  • Blackest Night: Titans #1-3

Factions

The plot element of the prophecy cited a total of seven Lantern Corps and the teaser implied an eighth. Plot elements have started presenting aspects of the six colored Corps other than "Green".

  • Yellow: In story elements, predominantly from Green Lantern: Rebirth and Sinestro Corps War, expanded Sinestro into a prototype for a larger group. These stories also ascribed the emotion of fear as the color's power source.[13][14]
  • Violet: Story elements have given a reason for the Zamarons' Star Sapphires to move to a ring and lantern motif as well as ascribing the emotion of love as the color's power source. The Green Lantern Corps comic started a multi-issue arc about the violet rings, Sins of the Star Sapphires in October 2008.[15][16]
  • Blue: The story elements presented so far have been the creation of the first blue ring by Ganthet and Sayd and that the emotion of hope is the color's source of power. The first Blue Lantern, Saint Walker, made an appearance in the "Final Crisis: Rage of the Red Lanterns" one-shot. The second Blue Lantern, Warth, was chosen by Saint Walker and first appeared in Green Lantern #36.[5][17][18]
  • Red: The lanterns, rings, corps name, and origin point within the Empire of Tears have appeared as plot elements[19] with rage being ascribed as the power source of this color. Former Green Lantern Laira became the second Red Lantern in April 2008, the first being Atrocitus.[5][20][7] A one-shot tie-in to Final Crisis titled Final Crisis: Rage of the Red Lanterns prominently featured the Red Lanterns and Alpha-Lanterns as well as the "Lanterns of a couple colors".[21][17]
  • Orange: The plot elements have revealed the color's power source, avarice,[5] and that both the Controllers and an unseen character "Agent Orange" are searching for the color.[19][22]The Green Lantern comic will start a multi-issue arc about the orange rings, Agent Orange in April 2009
  • Indigo: No plot elements beyond the prophecy and its power source, compassion, and that the bearers carry staffs[5], have appeared relating to this color. They are known as the Indigo Tribe.

No obvious elements of the eighth corps, Black, have appeared beyond the teaser. Johns has commented that the emblem seen on the rings in the teaser is important, but did not elaborate.[7] The emblem on the rings is the same as the emblem for Green Lantern villain Black Hand, as indicated by Johns in Wizard Magazine.[6] Ethan Van Sciver has also been heard referring to the Black Lanterns as "Death Lanterns" in an interview.[citation needed] According to the DC Direct April Solicitations, Earth-Two Superman is the first Black Lantern announced.

It has recently been stated by Ethan Van Sciver that he will not be the artist on this series. He has stated that he planned on being on the opening book as he did in Sinestro Corps, but with the forthcoming The Flash: Rebirth miniseries he said he will not be able to complete both effectively. He has said he is still designing most of the lanterns for this book, and is mainly designing the Black Lanterns.[citation needed]

Members of the Black Lantern Corps

December's issue of ToyFare magazine featured an article where Geoff Johns confirmed the Ronnie Raymond incarnation of deceased hero Firestorm would be a Black Lantern.[23]

DC's April 2009 on line soliciations featured the Blackest Night series 1 action figures, which identifies the first member of the Black Lantern Corps as the "Earth-2 Superman".[24] The print version of the solicitation also included a teaser image of the series 2 figures, featuring a "Black Lantern Martian Manhunter".[25]

In the Origins and Omens back-up story in Adventure Comics #0, the Guardian of the Universe known simply as Scar (due to a wound at the hands of the Anti-Monitor during the Sinestro Corps War) revealed that she, "serve[s] the universe no more," and that she, "serve[s] another force that has crept into [her] being and revealed the unfathomable power within the vacuum of space." While announcing this, the lone Guardian is presiding over a large book with Black Hand's symbol emblazoned on it.

Scar discusses Lex Luthor and his place in the forthcoming Blackest Night crossover. The Guardian also makes mention of "another" that Luthor will have control over. The character to which she is referring is revealed using a picture of Conner Kent flying over Smallville. The only elaboration following the image of Conner is, "...But he is dead. And we control the dead. For once I bear witness to the book of the black, and I question what it shows me, the dead will save you, Luthor. From Brainiac. From Superman. And from yourself".[26]

References

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference JohnsNYCC was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b Ivan Reis: Preparing for Blackest Night, Newsarama, February 19, 2009
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Date was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b Doug Mahnke Named New Green Lantern Artist - Newsarama
  5. ^ a b c d e Johns, Geoff (w). Green Lantern, vol. 4, no. 25 (Jan, 2008). DC Comics.
  6. ^ a b Spiegel, D. "(none given)". Wizard (198): 82. Geoff Johns quote: "And yes, it's Earth and that's Black Hand's symbol on the ring."
  7. ^ a b c Rogers, Vaneta (2007-12-13). "Happy X-Mas (War Is Over) - Geoff Johns on Green Lantern #25". Newsarama. Retrieved 2008-03-04. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  8. ^ Geoff Johns IGN Interview
  9. ^ DC Nation Panel at Wondercon '08
  10. ^ U.S. patent, No. 613,809, Newsarama, December 24, 2008
  11. ^ Blackest Night #0 solicitation from ComiXology
  12. ^ Johns, Geoff (w). Blackest Night, no. 0. DC Comics.
  13. ^ Johns, Geoff (w). Green Lantern: Sinestro Corps Special, vol. 1, no. 1 (Aug, 2007). DC Comics.
  14. ^ Johns, Geoff (w). Green Lantern, vol. 4, no. 21 (Aug, 2007). DC Comics.
  15. ^ Johns, Geoff (w). Green Lantern, vol. 4, no. 18-20 (May-Jul, 2007). DC Comics.
  16. ^ Tomasi, Peter (w). Green Lantern Corps, vol. 2, no. 29 (Oct, 2008). DC Comics.
  17. ^ a b Johns, Geoff (w). Final Crisis: Rage of the Red Lanterns, vol. 1, no. 1 (October, 2008). DC Comics.
  18. ^ Johns, Geoff (w). Green Lantern, vol. 4, no. 36 (December, 2008). DC Comics.
  19. ^ a b Johns, Geoff (w). Green Lantern, vol. 4, no. 28 (Apr, 2008). DC Comics.
  20. ^ Rogers, Vaneta (2007-12-20). "The Lantern's Artists, I - Ethan van Sciver". Newsarama. Retrieved 2008-04-17. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  21. ^ "NYCC '08: Dan DiDio on the Final Crisis tie-ins (with video)". Newsarama. 2008-04-19. Retrieved 2008-04-20. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  22. ^ Rogers, Vaneta (2008-03-07). "Geoff Johns: Secret Origins and Blackest Night". Newsarama. Retrieved 2008-04-17. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  23. ^ ToyFare #139
  24. ^ DC Direct
  25. ^ Previews issue 245 (volume 19 #2) pg 130, published by Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc.
  26. ^ Johns, Geoff (w). Adventure Comics, vol. 2, no. 0 (Feb, 2009). DC Comics.


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