Here's the thing: I skipped Blackest Night. Sure, I picked up the Batman and Flash Blackest Night minis and actually enjoyed the Superman Prime story in Adventure Comics, but I didn't touch any of the main series. I don't read Green Lantern. I say this to let you know I'm approaching Brightest Day with a fairly clean slate. There’s no left over animosity from a disappointing ending to the last big story.

That isn't to say that I'm approaching this series without bias. DC has been my primary universe of choice amongst the superhero set and my knowledge of its lore and characters is fairly deep. I love this setting and, after having read Flash stories, Hawkman stories, and Martian Manhunter stories for years, I love these characters. I’m stoked that they’re being reinvigorating and being thrust back into the limelight.

As to the issue itself, the structure was obvious. Boston Brand, finding himself still in the possession of a White Lantern ring, bounces from resurrected character to resurrected character setting up plot lines that will probably be explained over the course of the next 26 issues and related series. It reminded me of Kingdom Come in its depiction of one man being the observer of the gods. Perhaps some left over love for that story colored by perception of this one. In any case, the teasers of Aquaman, Captain Boomerang, Maxwell Lord, and Firestorm’s storylines worked well for me. I’m so excited to see where these characters go and what they do next. A new Firestorm with even more internal strife than normal? Sign me up. Maxwell Lord and his insane schemes? While I don’t love this current incarnation of the character, I’m ready to find out what he’s up to. Aquaman seeing an undead version of himself in the water? Foreboding. Captain Boomerang just generally pissed off at life? Here’s hoping he rejoins the Suicide Squad. I'm surprisingly anxious to find out more about Boston Brand's current struggles.

Even Osiris and Jade, the two plot lines that I had the least amount of interest in, weren’t awful and I could see myself tolerating their appearances if nothing else.

For me, this story made me wonder just what is going to happen next. I’m giddy just thinking about it. And I suppose that’s the hallmark of a successful first issue.

As always, your mileage may vary.