Comic Book Review – Blackest Night #4
The Black Lanterns Reach Full Power
This series has moved along at a great pace. Events refuse to slow down, and with Earth devoid of Green Lanterns (though this is a Green Lantern-centric story), it's down to the B-list heroes to hold the fort until Hal Jordan and the rest of the Green Lantern Corps can find a way to stop the Black Lanterns.
Blackest Night #4 by Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis
The issue begins with Mera, Atom and The Flash fighting a small army of undead villains and former Justice Leaguers in Washington, D.C. Jay (one-half of the current Firestorm), who was absorbed by his undead predecessor, momentarily takes control of Black Lantern Firestorm's body and tells The Flash that he must evacuate Earth if anyone is to survive, and as the former Firestorm takes control once more, The Atom sends himself, Mera, and Flash through the phone lines to the local 911 dispatch center.
Though things seem hopeless, Flash tells Mera and Atom that for all intents and purposes, they need to be Wonder Woman and Superman for the Earth. He then runs off to inform the battling heroes of the current situation: continue fighting and defend the planet for as long as they can while the Green Lanterns figure out a soution.
Meanwhile, Lex Luthor is trying to barracade himself underground, hoping that the scores of people he's either killed or sent to their death don't reach him. In Gotham, Scarecrow is wandering about watching Black Lantern Azrael murder his way through a crowd, creating waves of fear that Scarecrow wishes he could feel. In a very cool scene, Scarecrow admits that after being around his fear toxins for so long, nothing scares him anymore. Nothing... but The Batman.
In the last part of the issue, the focus turns to The Justice Society of America, who are trying to fend off undead former teammates and the World War II super-team The Freedom Fighters. Damage is murdered, and the black power rings reach full capacity. Black Hand watches as Coast City becomes the new home for the black power battery, and the true force behind Blackest Night, Nekron, rises from the ground, along with millions of Coast City residents who were murdered when the city was destroyed. The Flash arrives just in time to witness this, and is told that he (one of the heroes who has returned from death) owes Nekron his life.
As with the others, the issue ends with two pages from The Book of The Black, this time detailing Black Hand's experience embalming bodies with his father and his feelings toward Coast City, "The City Without Fear."
The Last Word on DC Comic's Blackest Night #4 With Art by Ivan Reis and Oclair Albert
It was great to see Atom, Mera and Flash formally take over the ongoing story this issue. Readers get to see Mera's depression at the thought of Aquaman, her son, and now Temptest being dead.
Incredibly impressive were the scenes in Gotham with the Scarecrow and the battle scene with the Justice Society. Seeing Atom shrink down inside his WWII era namesake and then tear him apart by growing to full size was a shockingly violent display, but definitely matches the tone of the book and illustrates the heroes' desperation. And with the black rings at 100%, things are only going to get nastier.
BACK TO BLACKEST NIGHT #3 ON TO BLACKEST NIGHT #5
JLA Villains Turned Black Lanterns
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