Blackest Night # 2 (of 8)

By Koppy McFad
August 18, 2009 - 04:28

The dead-- including deceased heroes Aquaman, Martian Manhunter and Hawk-- rise from their graves as murderous zombies, determined to kill their former allies. A few of the heroes try to fight back but the zombies-- under the control of the Black Lantern rings-- are even more powerful than they were in life.

The story builds up the suspense with frightening speed even while it always reminds us of the human side of the heroes, be it the Atom pining over this dead wife, Commissioner Gordon and daughter keeping their spirits up or the former Aqualad trying to reason with the zombies (not a good idea.)

The issue also adds to the mystery of the zombies, as to what they are beinng used for and who is really behind them. Unlike other comic book mysteries, which come off as too vague, this one actually looks intriguing. It also throws us some curves that no one was expecting, particularly the zombie-fication of characters we thought were safe from that condition.

The art is a bit of a mixed bag. In many pages, it really captures the emotion and drama of the situation, especially in the close-ups, be it the concerned expression of Barbara Gordon to the rage-filled face of a corpse-like Aquaman. But some panels look poorly constructed so it is hard to tell what is going on. The fight between zombie-Aquaman and his living family is one example. One panel has somebody's fist punching -- a bunch of shapes-- followed by Aquaman holding someone's heart in his hand. Hard to tell what just happened there, unless one is aware of the Black Lantern's assignment to harvest people's hearts. Another scene has the characters popping in and out of the top of a lighthouse. Did they all run up all those flights or stairs or did they gain the power of flight? Whatever happened there, the obvious solution would be to make the art easier to follow.

Rating: 8 /10

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12

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