The Green Lantern Blackest Night series is one of the most recent story arcs in the GL universe; Written by Geoff Johns and
pencilled by Ivan Reis. It follows the Green Lantern: Rebirth and the Sinestro Corps War stories and is the third
part of the trilogy.
The Blackest Night crossover was first mentioned at the conclusion of the Sinestro Corps War in GL issue #25. As the Green
Lantern/Sinestro Corps war apexed, Earth's 4 Green Lanterns (Hal Jordan, Guy Gardner, John Stewart and Kyle Rayner) are told
of the "Blackest Night" prophecy by the two Guardians Ganthet and Sayd.
Well, according to the "Blackest Night" prophecy, the two existing Corps would be joined by five new ones.... that's
right... five new ones. Now, each one of the new Corps are driven by a specific emotion and empowered by a specific color of
the emotional spectrum... what?... you haven't heard of the emotional spectrum? Well hang on folks this is Comic Science 101!
Each of these emotion powered spectrum Corps are to converge, leadin to the mother of all wars, the War of Light that would
end the universe as we now know it. ... just like Infinte Crisis but bigger! Just like Crisis on Infinite Earths
but even more biggerer then that!... even bigger then that sucky Amalgum story with the cardboard box!
After the GL Corps stomp all over the Sinestro Corps, the Anti-Monitor (who was fighting on the Sinestro team)
is transported to an unspecified location, which we later find out is space sector 666.... no subtle implications there.
While hanging out in sector 666, Anti-Monitor is recognized by a deep, dark, ominous voice that bids him "rise," and is then
engulfed by a Black Power Battery. GASP!!
Subtext reads, "...the armies of fear and willpower must come together, because across the Universe, the dead will rise."
We then see an icky, pungent, dead hand coming out of the ground with a black power ring on its finger. Yuch!
The symbol on the ring is of Green Lantern villain Black Hand.
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.[5] 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.
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.
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."
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.
The crossover is proceeded by two crucial "Prelude to Blackest Night" storylines in Green Lantern Corps #33-#37 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.
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.
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.
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.
Red: The lanterns, rings, corps name, and origin point within the Empire of Tears have appeared as plot elements[16] 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. 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".
Orange: The plot elements have revealed the color's power source, avarice,[3] and that both the Controllers and an unseen character "Agent Orange" are searching for the color.
Indigo: No plot elements beyond the prophecy and its power source, compassion, and that the bearers carry staffs[3], 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.[5] The emblem on the rings is the same as the emblem for Green Lantern villain Black Hand, as indicated by Johns in Wizard Magazine.[4] 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
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.[20]
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".[21] The print version of the solicitation also included a teaser image of the series 2 figures, featuring a "Black Lantern Martian Manhunter".[22]
A Guardian of the Universe calling herself 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.
In the Origins and Omens back-up story in Adventure Comics #0, the Guardian of the Universe known simply as 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".
... More Later.