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BLACKEST NIGHT #3 (OF 8)


Price: $3.99
iFanboy Community Pick of the Week Percentage: 11.4%

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ivithebatmanivi09/18/09YesRead Review
Guthriefan09/17/09YesRead Review
RKB09/16/09YesRead Review
TheNextChampion09/16/09YesRead Review
akamuu09/16/09NoRead Review
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Avg Rating: 4.4
 
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Comments

  1. Avatar photo stuclach says:
    September 14, 2009 at 4:46 pm

    Is this where the tide starts to turn?  Will the Spectre actually prove useful?  Why Batman’s skull (how can it be his skull)?  If two Firestorms fight won’t that tear the planet in half?  Additional semi-rhetorical question?

  2. Avatar photo Zeppo says:
    September 14, 2009 at 4:48 pm

    Who is Firestorm – why is there two? I’m going to wikipedia…

  3. Avatar photo PraxJarvin says:
    September 14, 2009 at 4:56 pm

    @Stuclach For the umpteenth time: Bruce has been sent to the past to live over and over again, but he is still dead in the present. See Doctor Who’s "Blink" for something very similar. He left behind a burned body when he was omega sanctioned.

    @Zepp The current Firestorm is Jason Rausch who must join with another consciousness (usually Professor Stein or his girlfriend Gehenna) to become Firestorm like Ronnie Raymond used to have to. He was the young black guy standing with Professor stein at Ronnie’s grave in BN#1. He was introduced right before Identity Crisis. I’m a  big fan of him and Ronnie, so this should be a treat!

    Excited for this. 

  4. Avatar photo Zeppo says:
    September 14, 2009 at 4:59 pm

    @ prax 

    I can’t wait for Bruce to return and explain to Dick and Tim that time is a whibley whobley timey-whimey thing. They’re gonna have him commited to arkham.

    Also you were more help then Wikipedia, in two sentences you explained what Wiki could not…thank you, sir.

     

  5. Avatar photo DarthDuck says:
    September 14, 2009 at 5:01 pm

    I am so glad I’ve finally read Crisis on Infinate Earths.  A big book to be sure, but much more entertaining than any wikipedia entry.  It’s really helped me with some of the ‘other’ characters in this event. 

  6. Avatar photo Conor Kilpatrick (@cskilpatrick) says:
    September 14, 2009 at 5:01 pm

    @stuclach: Batman’s skeletal remains exist in the present.

  7. Avatar photo stuclach says:
    September 14, 2009 at 5:07 pm

    @PraxJarvin & @Conor – So we have actually had confirmation that those are his remains? (I never got a copy of BN #0, so if I missed it I apologize.)  I understand what the Omega Beams did to him, but didn’t know if those were actually his remains or if something more had occurred.

    @PraxJarvin – I have never seen anything related to Doctor Who.  Let me go hand in my nerd card.

  8. Avatar photo PraxJarvin says:
    September 14, 2009 at 5:08 pm

    @Zeppo Haha. I want Bruce to come back and just go: "Time travel. I hate time travel." Also, I am always glad to be of help.

    @DarthDuck Crisis on Infinite Earths is a daunting but fun read, especially if you’re not versed in DC continuity., You get to "meet" everyone in one go and get a good sense of their characters. However, being over 20 years old there are a lot of new characters and changes that it won’t encompass, but it’s sort of your "all access pass" to whose who in the DCU.

    @conor Didn’t I say that? 😉 

  9. Avatar photo TheNextChampion says:
    September 14, 2009 at 5:12 pm

    Everyone’s favorite superhero: Firestorm!

    I seriously doubt this is the turning point. Spectre is now a Black Lantern and like I stated on the review last month: The shit’s going to really hit the fan next time. Seriously, now the BL’s have the Judgement of God on their side….That’s trouble with a capital T.

  10. Avatar photo Zeppo says:
    September 14, 2009 at 5:13 pm

    @ stulach – I find new Dr Who hit and miss, but if you get a chance to watch the episode we’re talking about, Blink, I’d really recommend it. It’s "lite" on continuity and has a very creepy set of villians.

     @DarthDuck/Prax, I haven’t really looked into DC’s crisis books, they don’t appeal to me, I’m a Marvel zombie by nature. I’m up to date with Green Lantern and loving Batman and Robin/Detective comics, maybe if Blackest Night goes well I’ll start looking into DC history the way I have Marvel.

  11. MisterJ says:
    September 14, 2009 at 5:13 pm

    @stuclach-I do not know if we ever saw it ‘confirmed’ on the page like Marvel did with Cap’s remains.  But nobody in the ‘Bat-family’ has disputed that those are his remains.  Tim just thinks that those are his remains and that Darkseid did something besides just killing him (and he is right).  If the most paranoid faction of the DC universe does not question it, that is close enough for me.

  12. Avatar photo WinTheWonderboy says:
    September 14, 2009 at 5:25 pm

    I wonder if Earth-2 Superman will appear in this issue? He wasn’t in the first two issues,right ? jusy BN: Superman.

  13. Avatar photo JumpingJupiter says:
    September 14, 2009 at 5:26 pm

    I like this comic it is awesome I don’t like Batman he is not cool

  14. Avatar photo PraxJarvin says:
    September 14, 2009 at 5:39 pm

    @Stuchlach There’s a throwaway line in either FC #7 or Battle for the Cowl or somesuch, that says Superman verified it was Bruce and that the JLA did all sorts of tests and such. I imagine the fact that it is Bruce’s skull and that he’s not technically dead are the reasons his skull is being used in this way.

  15. Avatar photo PraxJarvin says:
    September 14, 2009 at 5:47 pm

    @Zeppo One of things DC did right with the original Crisis was realigning their WWII Era comics as taking place in the DCU’s past and not on another world. What’s funny is that, it’s only been in recent years that Marvel is really trying to place their WWII stuff in a more "public" position. (Though the early Marvel books flirted with this, too. My favorite issue of Fantastic Four is when they ‘find’ Namor like how the Avengers would go on to find Cap. There’s a great scene where Johnny Storm sets Manor’s beard on fire to shave him!) I used to be a Marvel Zombie, too, but I read the Our Worlds At War: JSA one-shot way back in 2001/02 and it had such interesting characters I never saw before that I dug into DC’s history. I hope the same thing happens for you. Not that you shouldn’t like Marvel, but that there’s a lot of fun interesting things at both companies that are worth a read! (The Jason Rausch Firestorm series is a fave of mine, too!)

  16. Avatar photo DarthDuck says:
    September 14, 2009 at 6:00 pm

    @Zeppo – I’m a Marvel zombie as well but with Batman, GL, Flash and now Blackest Night, I finally had enough motivation to go back and learn what I had missed.  I grew up a Marvel guys because my dad read Spider-Man and FF.  I read Identity Crisis when it came out having never read any DC outside of the occasional Batman.  But I loved it and I really liked Inifinate Crisis (despite being confused beyond all measure)  And now having read original Crisis I know much more but far from all.  And it’s really helping me with everything going on right now.

  17. Avatar photo TheNextChampion says:
    September 14, 2009 at 7:34 pm

    Who’s the random DC character we’re gonna see this issue?

    I want to see The Fiddle and The Icicle! They were in the JLA morgue but they haven’t adressed that yet.

  18. Avatar photo stuclach says:
    September 14, 2009 at 8:23 pm

    @TNC – Orca

    @PraxJarvin – I was unaware that it had been explained.  I think I would have preferred for them to keep it vague.

  19. Avatar photo shenanigans says:
    September 15, 2009 at 1:15 am

    First aquaman now this firestorm character? I thought this was a Green Lantern event, I only read GL and Batman and Robin so I am constantly on Wiki trying to figure out who all these people are. I loved GL up until BN, this issue may be where we part ways. So sad.

  20. Avatar photo drakedangerz says:
    September 15, 2009 at 1:38 am

    @shenanigans-Blackest Night has been advertised as a DC universe, not just a GL, story since the beginning of the year.  And Johns tells you everything you need to know in the story.  I don’t know jack about Aquaman’s family, didn’t stop me from enjoying those scenes last time around.

  21. Avatar photo shenanigans says:
    September 15, 2009 at 1:49 am

    @drakedangerz- I read rebirth-current stuff in a week before BN #1 came out so I think I missed all the advertising. With the aquaman scenes didnt see how their Family fighting amongst eachother progressed the larger story, thought it would of been better as a tie-in. I just hope it narrows it focus to the green lantern family soon. I should probably reread the last issue before I buy #3.

  22. Avatar photo PraxJarvin says:
    September 15, 2009 at 2:51 am

    @Shenanigans I hate to break it to you, but the main mini-series is most likely not going to narrow its focus to just the GLs. DC’s been pretty clear on the fact that the "whole" story is Blackest Night-Green Lantern-Green Lantern Corps. As for the Aquaman family tiff, it’s meant to show how the Black Lanterns use their knowledge of the deceased against the living to provoke emotions before plucking the ripe heart of a victim. Also that familial ties are meaningless to the Black Lanterns.

  23. Avatar photo shenanigans says:
    September 15, 2009 at 10:37 am

    @praxjarvin- I reread #2 and it did read better for me the second time around.  I assumed the black lanterns were just zombies and they are probably something different. I just realized Im complaining about a story that has yet to finish, im an idiot. 

  24. Avatar photo Itiscritical says:
    September 15, 2009 at 11:23 am

    Really liked the first two of these, but I’m beginning to realize that this is going on for at least half a year more.  With all the tie-ins and extra mini-series, I already want this to end…

  25. Avatar photo drakedangerz says:
    September 15, 2009 at 11:37 am

    @shenanigans-Yeah, as much as I enjoyed it, I would certainly not want to have an Aquaman mini.  I’m happy with just the majority of an issue devoted to him, not a whole mini.  But I understand how you might be frustrated, I didn’t like the news when I first heard that this was going to be a seperate event outside of the GL books either.  But as always, Johns is making it work.  I’m having fun, and for me that is what it is all about.

     

  26. Avatar photo SteenAR says:
    September 15, 2009 at 4:46 pm

    it doesn’t feel like we’re only on #3. I feel like I’ve read like 4 or 5 issues. Maybe it’s because I’ve been reading most of the tie-ins…

  27. Avatar photo Conor Kilpatrick (@cskilpatrick) says:
    September 15, 2009 at 4:53 pm

    I’d kill for a Geoff Johns written Blackest Night: Aquaman mini-series.

  28. Avatar photo Crippler says:
    September 15, 2009 at 7:26 pm

    Why do you think a Johns Aquaman mini-series  seems such an obvious choice to everyone except the people at DC?  It seems to come up every time there’s a panel with Q&A. 

  29. Avatar photo stuclach says:
    September 15, 2009 at 7:41 pm

    I assume the Johns Aquaman mini isn’t done because Johns is doing a million other things and Aquaman-centric books haven’t sold well in the past.  A creator with a high opportunity cost mixed with a book that pulls in very little revenue and you have recipe for ain’t gonna happen.

  30. Avatar photo PraxJarvin says:
    September 15, 2009 at 8:06 pm

    @Crippler He might like the character but not necessarily want to do anything with him.

  31. Avatar photo WadeWilson says:
    September 15, 2009 at 8:24 pm

    I’ve been working on a very complicated mathmatical formula that I’d like to share with you guys: Super Heroes + Zombies = Awesome.

  32. Avatar photo robbydzwonar says:
    September 15, 2009 at 8:48 pm

    I’m way far behind on Green Lantern but I haven’t had much trouble with the first couple issues. I got the Superman and Batman tie ins too, which are actually better in my opinion.

  33. Avatar photo comicBOOKchris says:
    September 16, 2009 at 10:59 am

    The plot wheels werent really in motion for the first 2 issues, it was pretty much all set-up. It’s not a testament to bad writting, though. Johns is an expert scripter and I’m sure all the cogs will be set in motion after this issue. Cant wait!

  34. Avatar photo WinTheWonderboy says:
    September 16, 2009 at 1:35 pm

    A Johns written Aquaman series would be a dream come true.

  35. Avatar photo TheNextChampion says:
    September 16, 2009 at 7:20 pm

    This was a soild 4 and nothing more.

    No where close to pick for me cause to be honest; this had some pacing issues for me. It seems like Johns wanted to focus more on the original Firestorm then the actual plot. Indigo comes out of no where to save the day and tell Hal a bombshell and then…..they disappear and the heroes fend for themselves.

    Not to say this wasnt a bad issue, again I gave it a four. There were badass moments and great art in this as usual. But as a whole and of the first three issues, this is definitely my least favorite.

  36. Avatar photo stuclach says:
    September 16, 2009 at 7:25 pm

    That was pretty solid.  The story progressed, as hoped, but I felt the art took a bit of a step back.  There were also a couple of pages that were almost exclusively exposition featuring Hal and Barry.  They felt superfluous.

    SPOILER

    I’m guessing that the Indigo lanterns felt a bit like a Dues Ex Machina for those that haven’t been following the other books.  They seemingly arrive out of nowhere and tell the heroes how to stop the neigh invincible foe.  If you are interested in seeing more of them (or proof that they have already been established as a part of the DCU), you should consult "Blackest Night Tales of the Corps".

  37. Avatar photo TheNextChampion says:
    September 16, 2009 at 7:41 pm

    @stuclach: Well if I did read Tales of the Corps and then read this…..I would be annoyed.

    Sure there are characters for Dues Ex Machina. But you can’t have them doing almost the exact same thing, especially for a big event like this. I was just annoyed Johns didn’t spend more time on that, but on Firestorm.

  38. Avatar photo intergy says:
    September 16, 2009 at 7:43 pm

    Not only did it finally move the story on a bit, but now we know where this fits in with respect to Flash: Rebith.

     

    I could hear the continuity nerds of the world rejoice.

  39. Avatar photo DenverDave says:
    September 16, 2009 at 8:02 pm

    REJOICE!!

  40. Avatar photo theegreatone says:
    September 16, 2009 at 8:09 pm

    I was amazed by it and it seems like The White Light of Creation seems to be how this is going to be solved.

    And the Death of Gehenna really was disturbing and heartbreaking.

     

  41. Avatar photo shenanigans says:
    September 16, 2009 at 8:14 pm

    Thought the firestorm thing was interesting but like I bitched about before I don’t like any other non-GL characters in this book, but when the indigo lanterns showed up I got excited, now I know where Johns is going with this and I’m officially on board.

     

  42. edward says:
    September 16, 2009 at 8:14 pm

    REJOICE!!

     

     

  43. Avatar photo theegreatone says:
    September 16, 2009 at 8:44 pm

    I haven’t read any other comics yet but I’m sure I will make this POTW.

  44. Avatar photo Bryce31 says:
    September 16, 2009 at 9:41 pm

    YAYAYAYYAYAYAY

  45. Avatar photo captbastrd says:
    September 16, 2009 at 10:20 pm

    When we first see the Indigo Tribe leader (why does that sound so incredibley natural?), I thought her forehead markings said, "Lol" due to her angle. Teehee.

    Great issue.

  46. Avatar photo Aalbatr0ss says:
    September 16, 2009 at 11:02 pm

    Okay, an interesting Firestorm story.  The chemistry powers can be silly, but here the whole story is about turning his/her dual nature on its head.  I rolled my eyes when I saw the Firestorm cover, but I really liked this story.  Blackest Night is wierd.  It keeps being disappointing where I expect it to be good, but when I expect filler, I end up pleasantly surprised. 

     Unrelated:  if you know the first thing about chemistry, why would you need to memorize the formula for fire retardant if you could just transmute all the oxygen around a fire into an inert like argon.  And serously, who needs a flash card for the chemical formula of salt.?  Of course, from now on, whenever he sees NaCl he’ll just need a therapist. 

  47. Avatar photo Aalbatr0ss says:
    September 16, 2009 at 11:04 pm

    Sips margarita, breaks down crying…

  48. Avatar photo CalebTheTimeTraveler says:
    September 17, 2009 at 12:10 am

    Geoff Johns is a Sick… Sick… SICK man.

  49. Avatar photo drakedangerz says:
    September 17, 2009 at 12:12 am

    This was amazing.  The Firestorm scene was incredibly tense.  Looks like we’ll be following Hal and the Indigo tribe in the GL book, I don’t mind.  This really is shaping up to be a great DC story.

  50. Avatar photo crazychris says:
    September 17, 2009 at 12:38 am

    It looks like all those who predicted all rings would combine to form white light to defeat the black will be vindicated.

  51. Avatar photo ProjectX2 says:
    September 17, 2009 at 4:56 am

    Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis are doing some fantastic stuff here.

  52. Avatar photo drakedangerz says:
    September 17, 2009 at 12:53 pm

    I love the discussion Barry and Hal had.  It made me realize that as much back story as Johns has given Hal, he truely hasn’t changed much over his run.  Hopefully that gets fully explored in later issues of this and GL.

  53. Avatar photo JesTr says:
    September 17, 2009 at 5:08 pm

    @conor: I’d kill for a Geoff Johns Firestorm mini.

  54. Avatar photo ivithebatmanivi says:
    September 17, 2009 at 5:14 pm

    @zeppo – you’re appealing to my love for Doctor Who.

     Anyone else catch that little tidbit about the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier? "I have a name…"

    Love it.

  55. Avatar photo PraxJarvin says:
    September 17, 2009 at 6:33 pm

    As a Jason Rausch fan, this issue was a real gut punch for me. I had read that this was "Firestorm centric" but it really only took up a small amount of the issue. However, what it did… wow. Devastating. My heart sank! This is what I was talking about when I mentioned the BL’s using the dead’s memories against the living. However, Hal and Barry together again… oh, this old time Hal/Barry fan’s heart did flutter. Amazing stuff there. 5/5 for me, not my pick of the week, but damn close.

    Also… best moment of the year? The Unknown Soldier attacking the Tomb of the Unknowns and declaring he has a name! That was pure awesomeness. I’ll be curious to see where Black Lantern Black Adam comes in from the TV spread. 

  56. Avatar photo TheNextChampion says:
    September 17, 2009 at 7:46 pm

    @ivithebatmanivi/PraxJarvin: I totally missed the ‘I have a name…’ line. In retrospective that is one of the best moments in a comic this year.

  57. Avatar photo ivithebatmanivi says:
    September 18, 2009 at 1:22 am

    Y’know… I didn’t even know Black Adam was dead. 

  58. Avatar photo JumpingJupiter says:
    September 18, 2009 at 9:54 am

    Trippy!

  59. Avatar photo Thomas Katers says:
    September 18, 2009 at 10:42 am

    That isn’t Black Adam…it is Osiris.

  60. Avatar photo dneufeld says:
    September 18, 2009 at 5:22 pm

    I enjoyed this issue less than the others so far, but it was nice to see the Indigo Tribe come into the picture a little more.  I am really digging the Hal and Barry scenes and the interplay between them.

  61. Avatar photo peterporker says:
    September 18, 2009 at 8:03 pm

    black lantern alexander luthor is pure awsomeness.

  62. Avatar photo PraxJarvin says:
    September 18, 2009 at 8:06 pm

    @ThomasKaters Now that you mention it, yeah that is Osiris. Still curious. Black Adam isn’t dead… just incased in a statue.

  63. Avatar photo mikeandzod21 says:
    September 19, 2009 at 2:22 am

    So…the truth behind the phantom stranger’s identity and origins are going to be revealed?cool beans

  64. Avatar photo MarkS says:
    September 19, 2009 at 12:42 pm

    Page one, panel one; the formula for salt NaCl is clearing shown right under Gehenna.

    Jason just memorized it.

    That funny guy subtle Geoff Johns.

  65. Avatar photo DarthDuck says:
    September 19, 2009 at 1:03 pm

    I saved this for last thinking it would be pure awesome-ness and a clear pick of the week.  While it was a great issue full of great little moments I think I wanted more ‘big’ moments.  this issue just didn’t do it for me as a pick of the week but still a solid issue with the promise of ‘big and awesome’ stil to come.

  66. Avatar photo RocketRacoon says:
    September 21, 2009 at 11:37 am

    @ darthduck I agree with you completely. Very good issue but I was looking for more substance and less set up. Still loved the book but Daredevil The List wasy pick of the week.

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