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The W - Print - Blackest Night #8 (spoilers)
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It's False
Scrapple








Since: 20.6.02
From: I am the Tag Team Champions!

Since last post: 2190 days
Last activity: 572 days
#1 Posted on | Instant Rating: 4.27
The end is here. And while I haven't had time (hello, once again, gainful employment) to put up the weekly thread, I was able to read through the big culmination to the Blackest Night series. Does the end satisfy as much as the beginning?

Well...in a diplomatic answer, that depends on your point of view.

Issue starts with Sinestro still bathed in the white light. He tries to take down Nekron, but ultimately fails when the white light ends up rejecting him. At this point, the entire DCU show up to help the cause, but even their power combined can't seem to dent Nekron. That's when we get Deadman, possessing Guy Gardner, who gives the heroes the big hint: Nekron's tethered to the living world by Black Hand.

That's when the white light gives us what we all saw coming a while back: The White Lantern Corps, consisting of Hal Jordan and previously resurrected heroes. While Nekron has the power to make people die, the WL's have the power to make people live and they start with Black Hand. Hand spews out a White Ring that finds the Anti-Monitor, who's not happy after being held captive by Nekron for so long. But even in his weakened state, Nekron's able to banish the Anti-Monitor back to the Antimatter universe. But Hand's still spewing out White Rings and white light, which all overcome Nekron and send him away for good. But what's the end result of all those White Rings?

A lot of resurrected heroes and villains. ROLL CALL!

-Martian Manhunter
-Aquaman
-Hawk
-Jade
-Firestorm (Ronnie Raymond)
-Captain Boomerang
-Hawkman
-Hawkgirl
-Maxwell Lord
-Osiris
-Professor Zoom
-Boston Brand (!)

The sight of Aquaman cleanses Mera of her rage, leaving her free of the Red Ring. Kendra reveals that she's got Shiera's memories, which ties up her story with Hawkman for good. Guy Gardner tries to intercept Maxwell Lord, but Lord still has MIND POWERS~! and is able to slip away, undoubtedly to set up the JLI mini-series that's coming in a few months. Firestorm gets separated, but into Ronnie Raymond and Jason Rusch. Ronnie's uncertainty of Professor Stein's whereabouts should confirm that Ronnie and Jason will comprise Firestorm from here on out. Jade finds Kyle Rayner and kisses him right away, which should make for an interesting love triangle in the upcoming pages of Green Lantern Corps. Osiris wants to go home, which makes me wonder what'll happen when he finds Black Adam and Isis in their current stone states. Professor Zoom escapes, so Barry Allen settles for knocking the crap out of Boomerang. Then we get more questions, as Barry tries to find Ralph and Sue Dibny, but they're not among the resurrected. Why? Well...no one knows. That seems to be the big question: Why were some resurrected and others left dead? The sequence then ends with Deadman unmasking to everyone for the first time and lamenting that he's not supposed to live.

As Larfleeze hands off Lex to the Earth people, everyone realizes that Black Hand is gone and so are the Indigos. Flash to the Indigo homeworld, where the Indigos go back to marching along...with an enslaved Black Hand in tow.

Issue ends with Hal and Barry at the Gotham City cemetery. They conclude that Bruce is still alive, as the BL Batman didn't recognize any of them. They also draw the conclusion that there are no second chances anymore. If someone dies now, they're dead for good. Time to move towards the Brightest Day as the last panel is a White Lantern Battery.

------

Well, that's a hell of a conclusion. I can see how some people would see this as a giant Reset button, but I'm more lenient on the idea, since they seem to be sending the message that this is IT. No more death and resurrection. Of course, it remains to be seen how devoted to that idea they are. I'm also curious as to why most of the dead...are still dead. The only one who makes sense is Dove, who was at peace. The Brightest Day has answers, I'm sure.

It's a satisfying enough blowoff, but even with the extended pages, it felt a bit rushed. After being trapped for two years, the Anti-Monitor appeared for no more than two pages and was quickly brushed aside. Nekron's undoing was very sudden. And all the buildup for Sinestro's shining moment led to a sudden failure.

As an event as a whole, I give it a thumbs up, even with all the unnecessary tie-ins. If they collect the main series and the GL and GLC issues as an Absolute edition, it's a must-have.

Thumbs up, overall.

(edited by It's False on 2.4.10 1250)



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Tenken347
Knackwurst








Since: 27.2.03
From: Parts Unknown

Since last post: 32 days
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#2 Posted on | Instant Rating: 5.03
    Originally posted by It's False
    they seem to be sending the message that this is IT. No more death and resurrection. Of course, it remains to be seen how devoted to that idea they are.


Well, when Marvel pulled the same stunt, I seem to remember that it stuck for about two years until Joss Whedon wanted to bring back Colossus. So my guess is that this sticks until Grant Morrison or Geoff Johns himself want somebody back, although if they hire on another high-profile writer it might not even be that long.

I'm also really confused as to what Professor Zoom had to do with anything. I read Flash: Rebirth (long story short - eh, not that great) and it didn't seem like there needed to be any extra excuse for why he was back - he was in the Speed Force. But I guess Blackest Night takes place before Flash: Rebirth?

(edited by Tenken347 on 3.4.10 1032)
odessasteps
Scrapple








Since: 2.1.02
From: MD, USA

Since last post: 3562 days
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#3 Posted on | Instant Rating: 6.22

I'll just say the conclusion did nothing to change my opinion of the series.

And I'd like to hear Johns do an interview and discuss how they chose which people to resurrect.

Did the Hawks die just so they could have Carter and Shayera instead of Kendra?

I can't imagine this ends deaths in the DCU, given the hyperviolent style preferred by the current DCU regime.



Mark Coale
Odessa Steps Magazine
ISSUE FOUR - OCTOBER 2009
Cerebus
Scrapple








Since: 17.11.02

Since last post: 2451 days
Last activity: 2173 days
#4 Posted on | Instant Rating: 1.48
It's not ending 'deaths', it's (supposedly) ending the 'rebirth' of all the dead people.

What I wanna know is were the few that came back to life there in Coast City the only ones to be brought back or will other writers be able to bring someone back, like Tim Drake's dad in Gotham or could (Rocket Red) Dimitri Pushkin have been revived in Russia some where? It seems kinda lame that the characters revived were just characters Geoff Johns has used in the past... I'm just saying.

Overall though, an excellent series!



Forget it Josh... it's Cerebustown.
It's False
Scrapple








Since: 20.6.02
From: I am the Tag Team Champions!

Since last post: 2190 days
Last activity: 572 days
#5 Posted on | Instant Rating: 4.29
    Originally posted by Cerebus
    What I wanna know is were the few that came back to life there in Coast City the only ones to be brought back or will other writers be able to bring someone back, like Tim Drake's dad in Gotham or could (Rocket Red) Dimitri Pushkin have been revived in Russia some where? It seems kinda lame that the characters revived were just characters Geoff Johns has used in the past... I'm just saying.


What you're suggesting is definitely a theory that's floating around. There could be more resurrections that we don't know about, which would make a kind of sense. Scott Keith, of all people, pointed out a major hole in the resurrection logic, as there's one major omission from the ranks of the resurrected. There's no sign of Ted Kord and if there's anyone who definitely wasn't at peace when he died, it was poor Ted. Why wouldn't he be back?

And on a personal note, I want my Question back! Why couldn't I get Vic Sage out of all of this? I don't hate Renee Montoya, but I want my old Question. Would it have killed them to make him among the resurrected?

There's more to this plot point and I'd imagine we'll get answers during the Brightest Day series.

(edited by It's False on 4.4.10 0401)


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thecubsfan
Scrapple
Moderator








Since: 10.12.01
From: Aurora, IL

Since last post: 938 days
Last activity: 318 days
#6 Posted on | Instant Rating: 10.00
    Originally posted by Cerebus
    What I wanna know is were the few that came back to life there in Coast City the only ones to be brought back or will other writers be able to bring someone back, like Tim Drake's dad in Gotham or could (Rocket Red) Dimitri Pushkin have been revived in Russia some where?


The guy covering the Wondercon panels for Newsarama (seems like a decent dude) reported DC as saying the only people back to the life were the ones in that scene.



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lotjx
Scrapple








Since: 5.9.08

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#7 Posted on | Instant Rating: 1.45
That makes no sense since Black Adam Jr was destroyed as a Black Lantern during the spin-off. I liked the ending, yeah it was a sort of re-set, but John said there would be no mass resurrections, he didn't say there wouldn't be any resurrections. So, the people complaining about people coming back from being Black Lanterns have no room to bitch since we knew day one this would happen. I am ok with the Didneys, Ted and Question still being dead, ok not so much with the Question, but their deaths were catalysts for stuff like Identity Crisis, Infinite Crisis and 52. I am not sure how they theorized Bruce is still alive since he was only there for a second was hardly enough time to talk to them unless they are going with the people who happen to be there theory. Since Bruce's skull was there, he should have returned. Who knows, I am sure Morrison will screw it up anyway.

I am cool with the ending since its an actual ending. You could stop reading Blackest Night right now and get the more or less happy ending. Unlike, Marvel where the endings to their major events never seem to end anything and lead to one giant clusterfuck after another. If you don't want to stop after Blackest Night, Brightest Day looks good and the idea of Anti-Monitor being around has a lot of possibilities. The cool thing with the ending is you have all the storylines with Firestorm, the couples re-uniting, the White Lantern and a bunch of other stuff that will keep the ball rolling for years. All in all, I thought it was one of the better giant events of the decade and actually made me glad to be a fan of comics.

(edited by lotjx on 5.4.10 0729)
DrewDewce
Bratwurst








Since: 2.1.02
From: The Derby City

Since last post: 1659 days
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#8 Posted on | Instant Rating: 3.78
    Originally posted by lotjx
    I am cool with the ending since its an actual ending. You could stop reading Blackest Night right now and get the more or less happy ending. Unlike, Marvel where the endings to their major events never seem to end anything and lead to one giant clusterfuck after another.
    (edited by lotjx on 5.4.10 0729)


Give the man a BINGO!

I was very happy with the conclusion, but was hoping for a few more resurrections as I'm still not a big fan of how Sue and Ralph Dibny both went out (along with a lot of other characters), but that's their job . . . to keep me interested and make me enjoy what I get, not what I necessarily think I want. I'm interested to see where they go from here with the other colored Corps going forward and where Brightest Day leads with regards to the resurrected characters as Johns said at Wonder Con this weekend that they were all resurrected for specific reasons.

I'm still wondering who will be the one(s) to try their hand at Aquaman. Everything I've read seems to point to Gail Simone and Ethan Van Sciver, but who knows? (Maybe I'll get the answer in person at c2e2 in two weeks) Regardless, I'm looking forward to it and feeling *MUCH* better about the direction of the DCUniverse post-"Blackest Night" than I was post-"Final Crisis"



"You are going to get a certain amount of snarkiness on the Internet no matter what, and my rule is that you don't post anything that you wouldn't say to someone's face."
Marc Andreyko (Writer of DC Comic's "Manhunter")
kentish
Andouille








Since: 19.8.05
From: My Old Kentucky Home

Since last post: 3405 days
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#9 Posted on | Instant Rating: 4.76
Very satisfying conclusion to an excellent event. I have to say, I have enjoyed this and Siege (so far) much more than Secret Invasion and Final Crisis. This being comics, I just accept that characters will die, and then come back. At least this recent "dead is dead" status quo should give us a break from that old cliche for a few years at least.

I just don't see why it is so hard to write Aquaman, and I can't say I am excited about Simone possibly writing that book. She has never really impressed me, but I will probably give it a try if she is, in fact, the writer. Even if it is mediocre, at least if Van Sciver is on art chores, I will only have to buy it every 3 months when it comes out. ; )




"I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ."

-- Mahatma Gandhi
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