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BLACKEST NIGHT #8 (OF 8)

The extra-sized conclusion to the most talked-about event in comics is here, and the results will change the course of the DC Universe for years to come. Earth has become the final battleground for life versus death, but how will our heroes fight back against the darkness of sentient space itself? And what does the future hold for Green Lantern, The Flash and the rest of the world’s greatest heroes and villains? Find out here as the stage is set for the next epic era of DC Comics!

Written by GEOFF JOHNS
Art and Cover by IVAN REIS, OCLAIR ALBERT and JOE PRADO
Variant Cover by RODOLFO MIGLIARI
Sketch Variant Cover by IVAN REIS

Price: $3.99
iFanboy Community Pick of the Week Percentage: 56.4%
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Avg Rating: 4.6
 
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Comments

  1. Avatar photo JaqueNargg says:
    March 29, 2010 at 2:34 pm

    Can’t believe we’re at the end of it all. Should be interesting to see what happens.

  2. Avatar photo JumpingJupiter says:
    March 29, 2010 at 2:37 pm

    Woohoo!

  3. Avatar photo drakedangerz says:
    March 29, 2010 at 2:39 pm

    Let’s see how long it takes for someone to make the "is this a good jumping on point?" joke.

  4. Avatar photo NawidA says:
    March 29, 2010 at 2:44 pm

    Odds on Hal being a second Green Lantern by issues end?

  5. Avatar photo NawidA says:
    March 29, 2010 at 2:44 pm

    Ugh, I meant White Lantern.

  6. Avatar photo DarthDuck says:
    March 29, 2010 at 2:45 pm

    Very cusious to see how this ends up.  A very small, irrational part of me is afraid this could unravel terribly. 

  7. Psychomt says:
    March 29, 2010 at 2:57 pm

    sucks I dont have money this week

  8. Avatar photo JesTr says:
    March 29, 2010 at 3:10 pm

    @drakedangerz: Is this a go… I can’t do it.

    I’m going to bet this ends with everyone who ever died being back alive (damn you Brightest Day solicitations). I’m still excited to read this and see if Johns has any surprises left up his sleeve.

  9. Avatar photo AmirCat says:
    March 29, 2010 at 3:18 pm

    This is not the end, just the beginning of Brightest Day …

  10. Avatar photo stustap says:
    March 29, 2010 at 3:21 pm

    Good jumping on point?

  11. Avatar photo JumpingJupiter says:
    March 29, 2010 at 3:25 pm

    @Stustap: It’s still funny to me.

  12. Avatar photo glwarm76 says:
    March 29, 2010 at 5:14 pm

    Im pumped for this issue. Ive been enjoying the series but it seems like the series has been going on forever. 

  13. Avatar photo Arrrggghhh (@Arrrggghhh) says:
    March 29, 2010 at 5:39 pm

    Overall, I enjoyed the ride – but it was just too damn long.
    I’m getting burnt out on events; Especially the cross-over titles attached to them.  
    It’d be so much better if the writers were simply allowed focus on their own stories.

    I totally enjoyed 52 – even with it year long run – but that was because the story was well constructed and paced. Blackest Night wasn’t. It suffered from too many titles, too much filler and too many variations of the story. 

    Siege is a great example on how events need to be paced. 
    We could have easily had the Blackest Night story told in 4 months.
    (But I guess it’s all about the $$$ . . . )

     

  14. edward says:
    March 29, 2010 at 6:01 pm

    Pink Skin, lovely bright white costume, strobe light like powers. Are we sure Sinstero was re-designed to look like Hilter? Because I imagine that’s what Ricky Martin would wear if he was a superhero

  15. Avatar photo ABirdseysView says:
    March 29, 2010 at 6:11 pm

    this will only be a good jumping on point if it has the violet love predator.   everyone can relate to that

  16. Avatar photo mikeandzod21 says:
    March 29, 2010 at 6:35 pm

    It’s over already? (I jest) this has been awesome but in glad to see it end. I can’t wait to get back to all the personal Hal Jordan stories

  17. Avatar photo AmirCat says:
    March 29, 2010 at 6:41 pm

    @Arrrggghhh – if you thought this was long. Brightest Day is 26 issues …

    I just hope there is a conclusion. I mean I am gonna buy all of Brightest Day, unless it’s awful, but I hope there is closure in Blackest Night. 

  18. Avatar photo gree0245 says:
    March 29, 2010 at 6:43 pm

    That cover is fugly.  I’m looking forward to reading this but that cover aint gonna win any prizes.

  19. Avatar photo comicBOOKchris says:
    March 29, 2010 at 6:50 pm

    I’ve been loving this mini, as it’s probably the best comic event that I have read in recent memory. The story is even better, however, when reading the tie in GL tie in issues at the same time when reading the Blackest Night issues (I believe, though, Johns has said to do this to get the maximum story). This will be a great issue, though I hope it doesn’t do the same thing that the final issue of Flash Rebirth did, in which the conclusion seemed rushed and most of the issue felt like set up for the future.

  20. TheConfessor says:
    March 29, 2010 at 8:57 pm

    This is gonna be great!  kinda relieved that it’s ending.

  21. Avatar photo rift1128 says:
    March 29, 2010 at 10:56 pm

    I loved the idea of Blackest Night, the prelude and buildup to it, and even most of the individual issues i have read involving it (i havent read all the mini series) but something makes me have a negative feeling. I think it has gone on too long and had so much going on… I placed all the GL, GL Corp, and Blackest night issues put together and it was a huge pile for one event..

  22. Avatar photo Slockhart says:
    March 29, 2010 at 11:36 pm

    No Hera on the cover?  Uh oh…

  23. Avatar photo Slockhart says:
    March 29, 2010 at 11:36 pm

    Errr, Mera.

  24. Avatar photo dirtyharry2030 says:
    March 30, 2010 at 6:24 am

    At last. I am pumped for this finale. I just hope there are not any aftermath/fallout issues planned like they did with the Grant Morrison’s crisis last year. Looking forward to jumping straight on to Brightest day as B.N has given me some much needed history and interest on a lot of the characters I wasn’t so familiar with before.

    I do agree though twith Arrrggghhh though, in that this could have been told in a shorter run.I wasn’t so interested in Seige because i couldn’t be bothered with a nother long event, until I just realised that it’s a very short ‘event’ (4 issues), so i am going back to pick it up.

  25. Avatar photo NathanNicdao says:
    March 30, 2010 at 7:34 am

    Sinestro’s excited, isn’t he?

  26. Avatar photo WadeWilson says:
    March 30, 2010 at 10:12 am

    So … a character who looks like Hitler is going to use white power to save the universe? … Uhh ..

  27. Avatar photo Bassoonjedi says:
    March 30, 2010 at 10:47 am

    Scarecrow looks like he has an afro on the cover

  28. Avatar photo Jagstang says:
    March 30, 2010 at 1:09 pm

    I hate Sinestro as the White Lantern. What’s next, is he going to build a new corps out of people who look just like the GL corps? Then create his own JLA? Marvel has already very successfully beaten the "bad guy in charge" concept to death. Did I mention that I hate this?

  29. Avatar photo robbydzwonar says:
    March 30, 2010 at 2:00 pm

    I think it’s almost time for me to jump on GL in issues, finally.

  30. Avatar photo JimBilly4 says:
    March 30, 2010 at 3:09 pm

    I’ve enjoyed the event, but my one major complaint is that Nekron remains an inscrutable, distant threat through 7 issues. Maybe Johns fixes that here, but more likely he keeps Nekron as his inexplicable death deity. I can’t properly despise or fear a villain unless I can get a little closer in. As Johns has written this it might as well be an asteriod heading toward the earth. That might be the point, but I don’t think that makes the most engaging villain.    

  31. Avatar photo stuclach says:
    March 30, 2010 at 3:45 pm

    I don’t know if I’m more relieved or excited.  I really liked parts of this story, but I’m having a hard time separating the main BN book from the tie-ins.  I’m hoping the iFanboys will do another "Event" review show to let us know how the main book flows when it is collected.  I think I enjoyed the event generally, but my excitement has certainly waned. 

  32. Avatar photo Arrrggghhh (@Arrrggghhh) says:
    March 30, 2010 at 6:52 pm

    @AmirCat
    Had no idea they were going to milk Brightest Day that long too.
    This smells like Countdown all over again . . . Don’t think I’m gonna fall for that twice.

  33. Avatar photo JaqueNargg says:
    March 30, 2010 at 8:37 pm

    I’m with JimBilly4 about Nekron. Not really sure how to feel about him. He and black hand have kind of taken a back stage role to all the rising-from-the-dead nemeses our heroes have encountered. I have really enjoyed this event, and am very excited about this issue, but I can’t help but compare Nekron to Sentry over in Siege and think that Marvel’s top bad guy is quite a bit more intimidating than DC’s.

  34. Avatar photo ABirdseysView says:
    March 30, 2010 at 8:44 pm

    yeah, unless I’ve missed something, Black Hand is due at least one major punch to the face

  35. Avatar photo ScorpionMasada says:
    March 30, 2010 at 11:38 pm

    I’m rereading issues 0-7 in preparation for the finale.

    I wasn’t as excited by some of the earlier issues and want to give the series a reread to better evaluate the whole story.

  36. Avatar photo Bassoonjedi says:
    March 31, 2010 at 10:07 am

    I plan on reading the entire Blackest night tonight to get a good view of the entire thing.

  37. Avatar photo GLNancy says:
    March 31, 2010 at 11:57 am

    @psychomt you should probably pan-handle the 4 dollars and buy this. Too often do i compare my obsession with comics to a drug habit , that being said this is probably the mother of all crack rocks .

  38. Avatar photo JumpingJupiter says:
    March 31, 2010 at 3:06 pm

    Uhm, wow.

    @Scorpion: Well?

  39. Avatar photo magnum240 says:
    March 31, 2010 at 4:53 pm

    Whoa!  Can’t wait to see where all this leads down the road.

  40. Avatar photo JaqueNargg says:
    March 31, 2010 at 5:18 pm

    Overall I think this did a great job of tying things up, especially considering how much was on the plate and yet unresolved by the end of BN 7 or even GL 52. Art didn’t seem as rushed as I had feared, and I’m pretty excited to see what Brightest Day will bring.

  41. Avatar photo PraxJarvin says:
    March 31, 2010 at 5:32 pm

    Yay! This was a lot of fun. Loved this. Easily played to all my weaknesses as a fanboy. 5/5 for me and POTW. I don’t want t say much incase people are reading this over without having read it yet. I will say, I’m disappointed Krona didn’t pop up, but his name popped up twice in this issue and once in GL #52, but I think he might be in Brightest Day.

  42. Avatar photo stuclach says:
    March 31, 2010 at 8:03 pm

    @PraxJarvin – I noticed Krona a couple of time, too.  I loved the "Indigo speak" Book of the Hand chapter at the end of the issue where Krona and many others were mentioned.  I don’t suppose you know any prominent cryptologists that can decode it for us. 

  43. Avatar photo Jim says:
    March 31, 2010 at 8:08 pm

    This. Was. Amazing.

  44. Avatar photo GLNancy says:
    March 31, 2010 at 10:16 pm

    Love at first Light. Oh Brightest day, I am hooked on Heroes.

     

  45. Avatar photo JaqueNargg says:
    March 31, 2010 at 10:39 pm

    I wonder how things will play out for Sinestro from here on out…he might not take kindly to going back to just that yellow light

  46. Avatar photo vinh says:
    April 1, 2010 at 12:42 am

    You would have to imagine that ordinary humans have to be sick of living on this earth. If it’s not one crisis, it’s always another.

  47. Avatar photo dryan says:
    April 1, 2010 at 1:08 am

    This event brought me back to reading comics. And 9 months later I’m very happy it did. I really dug the folded layout, it was all I could do to not skip the outer part to see what was inside. Totally satisfied with the way this ended.

  48. Avatar photo KickAss says:
    April 1, 2010 at 4:20 am

    Is this the least commented on End of an event Issue#?  I though iFanboy mentioned stats of final issues of events haveing the most comments?  So far there aren’t that many comments here.

  49. Avatar photo Arrrggghhh (@Arrrggghhh) says:
    April 1, 2010 at 7:32 am

    Nice . . . this fixed any issues I had with the series.
    Great conclusion with so many things to explore.
    This really is a clean slate for the DCU . . . opens up so much to explore.
    Most curious about the fate of the Digbys!!!
    Just please – not another crisis – Please don’t go down that path again!

  50. Avatar photo Askanison says:
    April 1, 2010 at 7:56 am

    Just one word…AQUAMAN!!!!!!  yes i am one of the 3 people who actually like him

  51. Avatar photo TomO says:
    April 1, 2010 at 9:39 am

    I nominate the panel with Martian Manhunter smiling ever so slightly after Superman comments that he’s back.

    It’s very subtle, but it pretty much captures the whole essence of the character in that one shot.

    Congrats to Ivan Reis for having the skills to pull that off.

  52. Avatar photo RoiVampire says:
    April 1, 2010 at 10:14 am

    When i saw J’onn I flipped the hell out!

  53. Avatar photo zattaric says:
    April 1, 2010 at 11:50 am

    Nicely done.

  54. Avatar photo Noto says:
    April 1, 2010 at 1:09 pm

    I still hate Johns for not bringing Vibe back.

  55. Avatar photo stuclach says:
    April 1, 2010 at 3:52 pm

    @KickAss – Go check out the Pick of the Week comment section and the comment section on @daccampo’s review.  There are plenty of comments on this book.

  56. Avatar photo FelixAdler says:
    April 1, 2010 at 4:10 pm

    Woohoo! I was the 1,000th pull!

  57. Avatar photo blulew23 says:
    April 1, 2010 at 4:54 pm

    I’ve been looking for a reading order, including all the crossovers. Does anyone know where I can find that? I’m just not quite sure where the minis fit in. I want to have these bound into one epic blackest night omnibus.

  58. Avatar photo ScorpionMasada says:
    April 1, 2010 at 7:09 pm

    Upon rereading I definitely felt there were some jumps in plot that could have used what I assume an issue of GL or GLC fills in, but overall enjoyed the reread a lot.

    As for the finale, my favorite part was what I expected to like the least: The resurrections.

    I love that villains as well as heroes are back: Maxwell Lord’s exit at the end of the story was my favorite moment.

    This was a great event, but I enjoyed Sinestro Corps War more.

  59. Avatar photo PraxJarvin says:
    April 1, 2010 at 8:17 pm

    I’m amazed I’m still seeing comments like this, but: People! The event is meant to be read across all three books – BN, GL, GLC! :-p 

    @Blulew23 I’m currently working on one. They all fit pretty easily together, though. Once I finish it, I’ll gladly link it.

  60. Avatar photo ABirdseysView says:
    April 1, 2010 at 9:48 pm

    [looks at the checklist]

    boy am I glad I’m a Marvel reader predominantly. 

  61. Avatar photo TheMaestroX says:
    April 1, 2010 at 10:16 pm

    I had a number of problems with Blackest Night, but overall I think it was a good ride.

    Some people have mentioned event fatigue, I dont really agree with this but I do think BN suffered from "Gimmick Fatigue", in that the impact of th gimmick (dead characters rising, alive character struggle with their emotions related to that person etc) became VERY tiresome after a while.

     i also think the structure wasn’t the best with the main story crossing over between BN and GL. Not much of an issue at the moment but when it comes to the collected editions, with DC collected the two titles separatly, I believe it will become a major issue and prevent BN truely standing the test of time.

     This story could have been told in a much shorter span of time and made for a much better reading experience. BN = too much filler.

     

    What happebed to Ted and Ralph?

  62. Avatar photo TheMaestroX says:
    April 1, 2010 at 10:22 pm

    @PraxJarvin but the problem I see is that the collected editions will collect the three titles separatly. I am now going to go back and re-read BN without the other titles to see how that stands up, but I now for sure already that GL will not make much, if any, sense without BN. Just look at the massive jump in the sequence of events between the last two issues.

  63. Avatar photo JumpingJupiter says:
    April 1, 2010 at 10:30 pm

    Wow, 93.6% POW. That a record?

  64. Avatar photo Crippler says:
    April 1, 2010 at 10:38 pm

    This was a button that I have wanted to see pushed for a LONG time.  Re-SET.  Death means something once again in the DC universe. 

  65. Avatar photo ScorpionMasada says:
    April 2, 2010 at 12:19 am

    So DC never claimed that the event could be read on its own and that the other books "would enrich the storyline?"

    If they did not claim such a thing, I apologize for annoying you, Prax.

    I got a feeling that they probably did though.

  66. Avatar photo WadeWilson says:
    April 2, 2010 at 5:10 am

    Sorry to say it & go against the grain (93.1% POTW, wow) but I wasn’t into this issue. It just highlighted all the reasons that the story was a failure (for me). Epic splash pages & characters wearing different colour costumes every few pages does NOT make a story.

    The whole crossover had some great stuff & I was right into the first half of it, but the second half was basically just rinse & repeat. Maybe it woulda been better if the story wasn’t watered down over 20,000 different issues (?)

    I personally found all the "emotion beings" ridiculous (even in a world where people fly) & how all of a sudden these brand new coloured Lantern Corps were all major players, when they’ve been in comics for like five minutes.

    But I guess my main beef with the series (besides the lack of story) was that so much was left unexplained, & just because Hal & Barry have a conversation about that (why were certain people brought back to life & others not? We never got an explanation for Dove’s immunity?), doesn’t make it right. 

    The whole series was meant to be about explaining death & resurrections in the DCU, but it didn’t. — "Everyone you think you allowed back did it themselves, Nekron. We all chose life when given the chance." … What the hell does that mean?

    And from now on death will be "permanent" in the DCU (because … why, exactly??) lol Yeah, right. 

    Anyway, I know I’m obviously in the minority here! So, to end my fanboy-rant on a positive note — I’m glad Martian Manhunter is back alive! 

  67. Avatar photo stuclach says:
    April 2, 2010 at 8:05 am

    @WadeWilson – I think we can all agree that having the Martian Manhunter back is cool.

  68. Cedric says:
    April 2, 2010 at 3:10 pm

    Was waiting for the trade, but when I heard about the gatefold..I just needed to have it!

  69. Avatar photo Slockhart says:
    April 2, 2010 at 3:40 pm

    This was amazing.

    I’m liking the new Martian Manhunter suit.  Enough of a throwback to the original, but kept enough of the more recent one.

    The Deadman scene, for whatever reason, really hit me.  After the relatively big push for him during the event, I can’t wait to see where his story goes. 

  70. Avatar photo jjkish7 says:
    April 2, 2010 at 6:05 pm

    Ivan Reis killed this.  This whole series has been amazing in both story and art.

  71. edward says:
    April 3, 2010 at 2:29 am

    this had the worst opening lines of any piece of fiction i have ever read.

    "the truth is, i am afraid of one thing. i’m afraid to get close to people"

    that’s why people think comics are for retards. objectively, i can’t disagree

  72. Avatar photo rwpos says:
    April 3, 2010 at 9:32 am

    The art was amazing – the detail and clarity of the art seemed to improve with the final issue, which seems impossible considering the schedule! I ‘m really impressed with the final product! The story was a bit thin, but it was easy to for me to get in to the event and it was very entertaining!

  73. Avatar photo Arrrggghhh (@Arrrggghhh) says:
    April 3, 2010 at 2:27 pm

    @Edward:
    I didn’t think that line was so stupid.  It makes sense coming from Hal Jordan.
    He is the one major DC superhero who never had a true close relationship or family.
    Johns has only recently brought family into his character. While Hal loves Carol Ferris, their relationship has always seemed platonic. Hal seems to be like George Clooney – forever the bachelor (assuming Clooney isn’t gay that is . . . )
    True, Hal always had Carol, Tom and Ollie as his close friends – but for the most part you always saw Hal’s true family was the GL Corps. Very militant life style . . . 

  74. Avatar photo Noto says:
    April 3, 2010 at 2:53 pm

    This just in: Vibe; still dead.

  75. edward says:
    April 3, 2010 at 6:19 pm

    @ARRRGGGHHH: no, it’s stupid

  76. Avatar photo PraxJarvin says:
    April 3, 2010 at 6:25 pm

    @Arrgh Hal has had family and family involved in his stories for years. From early in the 60s on wards. From his two brothers (who were drawn exactly the same as Hal except for glasses or a mustache), his nephew (or cousin?) who was the Superhero Airwave, to his deceased niece who was part of the main cast of Hal Jordan’s tenure as Spectre. True, at times he wasn’t close to them, and part of Johns run is that he wasn’t there for his Brother and his family, but it’s not as if they were never round.

     

  77. Avatar photo JumpingJupiter says:
    April 3, 2010 at 11:44 pm

    It’s just one line people. 

  78. edward says:
    April 4, 2010 at 12:46 am

    what was up with hawkgirl? she changed ethnicity. she went from latino to irish/scottish

  79. Avatar photo Ruo21 says:
    April 4, 2010 at 2:30 am

    K, so I was drinking a little bit when I read this… but the last 12 pages or so of the issue I read to the song(in my head) Fix You by Coldplay. Makes me laugh now, but worked great when I read it.

  80. Cedric says:
    April 5, 2010 at 10:55 am

    @Ruo21. Heh, Fix You. Funny but indeed, it does fit good with the mood of the story.

  81. Avatar photo Arrrggghhh (@Arrrggghhh) says:
    April 5, 2010 at 4:24 pm

    @PraxJarvin
    Maybe it’s me, I know Hal has brothers – but I couldn’t tell you their names. They just aren’t important supporting characters to me . . . Since GL stories tend to be more universal/cosmic – it just seems Hal is more disconnected

    Subject change: I’m surprised we haven’t seen anything about Ted Kord returning since we have Maxwell Lord back?
    Are there any plans for him to return in Booster Gold or the New JLI?

  82. Avatar photo Hexsas says:
    April 6, 2010 at 11:54 pm

    i wonder how they are going to deal with the fact that aquaman killed tempest.

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