Brightest Day #24

This issue brings us to the end of the Brightest Day series - and all I can say is, thank goodness.

It seemed like a series that was tailor-made for a fan like me. It focused on returning Silver Age heroes who had been brought back to life at the end of the Blackest Day mini-series.

But despite its title, which promised more upbeat stories, it was pretty relentless in its violence, as numerous civilians were brutally killed.

The series had numerous storylines to wrap up in this issue, and it largely succeeded, although some of the goals of the White Lantern seem downright pointless.

Apparently the main goal of the series was to bring Swamp Thing back into the main DC Universe after his (its?) long exile on the Vertigo side of the street. Of course, given the gore presented in this series, I don't know that there's much difference between the mainstream titles and the Vertigo comics.

Writers Geoff Johns and Peter Tomasi leave lots of bread crumbs (story ideas) for future series to follow up on, and they manage to cook up a (mostly) satisfying ending to the series.

There are no less than 10 artists listed in the credits. They actually do a fairly good job of keeping the art somewhat uniform, and there are a few strong full-page splashes in there. But there are also panels whee I have no idea what's happening.

So was this trip necessary? I bought into it for heroes like Aquaman, Martian Manhunter, Hawkman and Hawkgirl, Deadman and Firestorm, and the book delivered there.

But like most weekly (or bi-weekly) series, there seemed to be a lot of wasted energy in there, padding out the story to fill 24 issues.

It's not a bad series at all, but it doesn't live up to the Blackest Night series. It is a worthy effort and I'm happy for some of the end results - but I think they could have told this story in half the space.

Grade: B

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Brightest Day #23

First, a warning: if you like being surprised, avoid most of the reviews out there of this issue of Brightest Day.

Too many sites gleefully spoil the ending (an urge we try to resist at this blog), and sometimes the company itself does the spoiling (though Marvel has been most guilty of this lately).

But they managed to keep this issue's ending under wraps (mostly), and it's a lot more fun that way.

But it does make it difficult to review this comic.

Here goes: this is the next-to-the-last issue of this series, so writers Geoff Johns and Peter Tomasi have a lot of ground to cover.

The series was intended to revolve around the characters brought back to life at the end of the Blackest Night series. All well and good, but the series has been surprisingly dark (and sometimes grisly), and the story still doesn't make a lot of sense - even with this issue's revelations.

If I didn't know better, I'd swear that the White Lantern just brought those characters back so it could jack up their lives even more.

However, this issue reveals some of the motivations behind the Lantern's actions, and there does seem to be a goal - but we'll have to wait for next issue for all the reasons to be revealed.

The art is the usual mix of styles and artists, with some outstanding splash pages in there.

We won't know how the final surprise (and the series itself) works until the next issue, but so far it's been a fairly enjoyable book, if a bit dragged-out. Not great, but not bad, either.

Grade: B+

Brightest Day #17

After far too many issues where not a whole lot actually happened, this issue of Brightest Day finally kicks it into gear.

The focus here is on three different events. At the end of the previous issue, it appeared that Firestorm had managed to destroy the universe. Thankfully, that wasn't the case (sorry for the spoiler, I trust that doesn't surprise anyone). Here we find out where he/they are and we get some clues about where they're off to next (Firestorm is two heroes in one, as two young men - Ronnie and Jason - merge to form the entity).

Then we look in on Deadman (who's now alive) as his relationship with Dove continues to grow. He decides it's time to set things right with his loved ones.

The action part of the issue belongs to Hawkman and Hawkgirl as they step into Green Lantern's turf and find themselves in the middle of a war on Zamaron, the home of the Star Sapphires - and their new queen, Carol Ferris.

The art, as always, is a bit of a mix, with four different pencilers at work here - but the art is (mostly) very good, with some outstanding splash pages.

I'm not sure if it's the bi-weekly publication schedule or the large cast of characters that populate this series, but this comic has been dragging lately. But the good news is, this issue seems to have the story back up to speed - and something very interesting happens on that last page.

So I'm going to keep hanging in there, hoping for more issues like this one.

Grade: B+

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Brightest Day #11

I have to admit that I'm feeling under the weather today, friends (apparently something I ate is fighting back with a vengeance), so this is going to be a short review.

Brightest Day continues to focus on the return of Silver and Bronze Age heroes, and while it's nice to see Aquaman and the Martian Manhunter back in action, but the story just seems to be stumbling badly, with lots of fighting and yelling and not much in the way of actual story or explanation about what's happening.

As the cover indicates, this issue sees the return of (some) Black Lanterns, and that's disappointing, too - as villains, they're no real challenge to the heroes. Just set 'em up and knock 'em down.

The art's pretty good, if uneven. We're 11 issues in, and the story is still awfully muddy. Again, it's great to see these characters return (that was long overdue), but we need more than that.

Grade: B-

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The Flash #5

I've really been enjoying the opening storyline for the new Flash comic, so I can forgive the two month span since the last issue.

But it's a shame, because the story has really been moving along nicely. On one side we have the Rogues, Flash's traditional enemies who delight in making his life difficult and dangerous.

On the other side we have the Renegades, a heroic version of the Rogues from the distant future. They've traveled to the present to arrest the Flash for murdering the future version of the Mirror Master - a mission that's complicated by the fact that the Flash hasn't actually committed the murder - yet.

In the meantime, the Rogues have unveiled a weapon left behind by the original (and now deceased) Mirror Master - and if it's utilized, the results could be devastating for our hero and his loved ones.

A bit wonky in its logic, but Geoff Johns is weaving a compelling story here with lots of twists and turns.

The art is by Francis Manapul, and I really like his style. It's fresh, original and charged with energy - a good match for this series.

My one quibble with the story is the brief (and almost nonsensical) intrusion of the Brightest Day storyline into events here, but it's over quickly and is relatively painless.

Hopefully the creative team can keep this title up to speed and on schedule - there's a lot of good here, and I'm certainly anxious to see where all this is going.

Grade: A-

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Brightest Day #10

As the Brightest Day rolls, the focus this time around is on two storylines - Aquaman and the new Aqualad; and Firestorm's deadly secrets.

Both stories are fine, but too brief. As always, you get just enough story to start building up interest, and then the issue's done. (By the way, that scene on the cover? Doesn't happen in this issue.)

After several teasers in months past, this issue gives us some of the details behind the mysterious new Aqualad, an underwater invasion and a showdown between old enemies.

The Firestorm chapter seems designed to amp up the menace factor, as we learn new information about the true origin of that hero, the threat he (they) pose to the universe, and the secret behind the mysterious third inner voice.

The art is pretty solid, though I'm not sure which of the three artists involved drew which pages - but it's a pleasing product and the styles don't clash.

I think the problem with this series is that it's trying to cover too much ground. Even for a comic that's published twice monthly, there seem to be too many storylines going on to keep up with all of them.

Perhaps it would all have worked better in several mini-series, rather than an extended maxi-series.

Still, it succeeds for me because it brings back beloved Silver Age characters - I love seeing Aquaman back in proper form, for example. I also think this is the first issue in the series that doesn't visualize a brutal murder, so that's a step up, too.

Grade: B

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Brightest Day #7

The beef with the Brightest Day maxi-series has been that it's too fragmented - we only get snippets of stories about each character brought back to life by the White Lantern.

The other big problem is that we really don't know what's going on here. Why were these characters brought back to life? Why do some of them still have a connection to their "Black Lantern" side?

Thankfully, this issue finally moves beyond the mini-stories we've been getting, and sets up - or at least teases - the real purpose for their return.

Of course, we can't talk about it without giving too much away - but writer Geoff Johns (working here with Peter Tomasi) has used the story device before of showing glimpses of the future, and here it's the center of the story.

It's a good way to hook the reader, as these flashes entice us to hang around to see how these stories play out.

As usual, the art is something of a mix, from outstanding pages to average work - which is to be expected on a comic that uses five artists - Ivan Reis, Patrick Gleason, Ardian Syal, Scott Clark and Joe Prado - and three inkers.

But for the first time since the series started, the story seems to be kicking into gear. Hopefully we'll see more of the same for the rest of the run.

Grade: B+

Brightest Day #6

You know, for a series that seems to promise happier, brighter stories, there seems to be a large number of gruesome deaths on display here.

In fact, I'd go so far as to say that this comic really isn't appropriate for young readers. In the fourth panel in the issue, two people are killed in horrible fashion - and I believe that sort of thing has happened in every issue of this series so far.

Perhaps it's the creative team's way of saying, "Don't worry about that title, we'll keep writing those grim and gritty stories."

Whatever the reason, it seems an odd fit for a series of stories based around classic Silver and Bronze Age characters.

Here we have writers Geoff Johns and Peter Tomasi focusing on four different storylines. We follow J'onn J'onzz, the Martian Manhunter, as he follows a series of horrific murders and discovers a mysterious effect that surrounds him.

We get a few more hints about the truth behind the White Lantern courtesy of Deadman, Hawk and Dove.

Firestorm is called into action again - but he isn't exactly in top heroic form.

And Aquaman and Mera have a conversation they should have had a few decades ago, as Mera reveals her secret origin.

As with past issues, the art is by a team - four pencillers and four inkers - and the quality is consistently high, although some styles don't exactly mesh with others.

I don't mind being strung along by the ongoing mysteries, but it's tough to sustain the stories in this bi-weekly when you're just getting a few pages per shot with each heroic team.

Still, I'm certainly curious to see where this all goes, and why we keep getting hints of a return by the Black Lanterns, so I'll keep hanging around.

Grade: B+

Brightest Day #4

DC seems to have picked up the same problem Marvel has had in recent months - putting the wrong cover on a comic book.

For example, here on Brightest Day we see the Black Lantern version of Firestorm. Nice cover, it looks great - but nowhere in this issue do we see Firestorm or Dead Firestorm. We do see his alter egos briefly, but I'm pretty sure that doesn't count.

Once you get beyond that you have another solid issue, touching on the lives of some of the characters brought back to life by the mysterious White Lantern during the Blackest Night series.

Since the comic is published twice monthly, the issue is broken up into several small pieces so the artists can maintain their deadlines. As a result, we're just getting fragments of each story - but they're all compelling enough to keep bringing us back for more.

And the characters are (mostly) beloved Silver Age characters, so that keeps me on board. In this issue, we see Hawkman and Hawkgirl make an unusual journey, only to wind up in last year's biggest movie! (Well, sorta.)

Deadman (who's quite alive) pays a visit to Hawk and Dove, we meet a new character who (according to press stories this week) is the new version of Aqualad, and we meet yet another cold-blooded killer (or in this case, a team of killers) - but I didn't catch her name.

The art is something of a mixed bag, and not as smooth a grouping as past issues - but the team of artists does a good job here, despite any clashes in styles.

Two months and four issues into the series, and we seem to have more mysteries than ever. I'm enjoying the series, but I'm looking forward to seeing some more solutions.

And covers that match the interiors.

Grade: B+

Brightest Day #3

The Brightest Day rolls on, and I have to say I'm enjoying the focus on (mostly) Silver Age heroes, especially considering what short shrift these characters have been given in recent years.

We also get the sense that we're getting close to the elusive answers about why certain characters were returned from the dead. Each hero is involved in a different mystery that's slowly unraveling as the story progresses.

We see Deadman (who's not-so-dead) facing off in what seems a terribly lopsided battle against the cosmically-powered Anti-Monitor.

We see Firestorm's alter egos adjusting to their new existence - and one of them is hiding a secret (and yes, I know he's not really a Silver Age character).

The Martian Manhunter uncovers a grisly murder (depicted in a disturbing fashion for a mainstream comic).

Aquaman and Mera are trying to cope with the frightening change in Arthur's powers - a change that's tied to the Blackest Night.

And DC's other power couple, Hawkman and Hawkgirl, discover the reason why someone has been gathering up the bodies from their past lives.

So a lot is going on here, and writers Geoff Johns and Peter Tomasi are doing an excellent job keeping the story moving along, and keeping the mysteries just out of our reach - but giving us enough to keep us coming back for the next chapter.

The art is also quite good, if not entirely uniform. It takes five pencilers and three inkers to keep up with this comic's twice-monthly pace, and so far, the quality has been outstanding.

While I'm not crazy about some of the grim and gritty images, I like this comic a lot - it appeals to the Silver Age fan in me, and is doing a fine job (so far) of bringing those characters into DC's modern age.

Grade: B+

Brightest Day #2

Brightest Day should be a comic that's at the top of my list, since it focuses a number of characters returned to life at the end of Blackest Night - and that includes several of my favorite Silver Age characters.

But even with the inclusion of Hawkman, Hawkgirl, Aquaman, Mera, Martian Manhunter, Deadman and Firestorm, so far I still haven't warmed up to this comic.

That's mostly because of the steady undercurrent of graphic violence in both issues so far. Last time around we saw a brutal series of murders (of innocent civilians) by one of Aquaman's old foes, and this time around we see more grisly civilian deaths (and an equally horrific unveiling), along with a few other disturbing images.

But despite all that, the story by Geoff Johns and Peter Tomasi has plenty of interesting hooks to keep the readers coming back for more, and these heroes haven't "come back" from the other side of death unchanged. It's going to be interesting to see where the story goes from here.

The art works surprisingly well, especially considering the army of artists at work here. It takes five pencilers and five inkers to keep up with the twice-monthly publication schedule.

I guess I'm surprised that DC's turn to the "Brightest Day" still contains such dark and depressing imagery - but perhaps there's no getting away from it. It hasn't chased me away from the book - at least not yet - but it does give the whole thing a funny taste.

Grade: B

Brightest Day #1

Oh, first issue of Brightest Day, you had me at "free White Power Ring."

Luckily, the comic is pretty darned good, too.

It picks up right where issue #0 left off, with the newly reborn heroes trying to solve mysterious changes in their lives and find their place in the world.

We start with the mystery of the White Lantern, which is exhibiting some unusual properties. Then we catch up with: Aquaman and Mera (who take part in a violent altercation with modern-day pirates); we see Firestorm struggling to come to grips with his new, uh, configuration; the Martian Manhunter tackles a Herculean task; Hawkman and Hawkgirl take part in a grisly reunion; (not-so) Deadman finds himself a helpless witness to all the above; and an old villain returns.

And that's just the first issue! Writers Geoff Johns and Peter Tomasi keep the story barreling along, with lots of unexpected twists, guest stars and mysteries to be solved.

The art is outstanding and - surprisingly enough - reasonably consistent, considering it's produced by a small army, including Ivan Reis, Pat Gleason, Ardian Sval, Scott Clark and Joe Prado - and that's just the pencils! Inks are provided by Vicente Cifuentes, Mark Irwin, Oclair Albert and David Beaty.

The team has this series off to a strong start, so I'll be back next issue - even if it doesn't have a free ring offer with it.

Grade: A-

Justice League of America #44

The team-ups between the Justice League of America and the Justice Society of America were once an annual event, and one to look forward to.

Part of the attraction was the fact that, when they first started in the '60s, I didn't know the history of the JSA - it was like having a new team of heroes appear.

These days, the crossovers are a bit less frequent and they lack that sense of being a "big event," perhaps overshadowed by the event comics that are so common today.

It would be easy to read this issue of the JLA and not realize it was a crossover - the two teams never meet, the JLA is still busy trying to settle on a new lineup, and the issue is given over to a series of big battles, with little story to get in the way.

Writer James Robinson seems to be trying to tie it all into the Brightest Day, with mixed results.

Artist Mark Bagley's work is the best thing about the book, as he depicts an armada of heroes, several battle sequences and loads of action along the way.

This book finally seems to be getting back up to speed after a detour into the Blackest Night - but the ever-changing lineup isn't doing the comic any favors. Find a team and stick to it.

Grade: B+

Green Lantern #53

Wow, ol' Chuck is dragging this evening (it's been a busy day), so forgive me if this is a short review.

As things wind down from the wrap-up to the Blackest Night, this issue of Green Lantern is given over to wrapping up a few loose ends and focusing on Hal Jordan and his former (and possibly future) love interest, Carol Ferris (Star Sapphire).

New mysteries are set up: we get a hint about what happened to the demon Paralax, which vanished during the Blackest Night; we discover the White Lantern is still on Earth and calling to someone; and we're reminded that Sinestro is a jerk.

As always, a great story by Geoff Johns as he sets the wheels for future stories in motion, and great art by Doug Mahnke, who is turning in fantastic work here.

It's early yet, but the Brightest Day looks very promising so far - and it looks like a certain member of the Green Lantern Corps is stepping back into the spotlight, so that's a good thing indeed.

Green Lantern continues to be one of (if not the) best comics DC publishes. Highly recommended!

Grade: A-

Brightest Day #0

Following on the heels of the Blackest Night mini-series comes... yet another mini-series!

Brightest Day follows up on the resurrection of a dozen characters in the DC Universe - some heroes and some villains. Here we get a quick look at how they're coping with their return to the land of the living, and what changes have happened in their lives.

It's all kind of a jumble at this point, although writer Geoff Johns and Peter Tomasi do a solid job of keeping it all moving along briskly and (for the most part) clearly.

The story centers around the character whose return to life was the biggest surprise - Deadman, who may have to get a new name, considering the power his white ring apparently gives.

The art is quite good, with Fernando Pasarin providing the pencils and six different inkers chiming in. The art features lots of detail, strong heroic figures and clear storytelling. Impressive stuff here.

As a long-time fan, it's a thrill to see some of my all-time favorite Silver Age heroes back in action again, and I look forward to seeing how they all tie together and why they were brought back (and whether or not they're the only ones to return).

So far, so good!

Grade: A-