Comics / Comic Reviews / DC Comics

Blackest Night: Superman #1 (of 3)

By Andy Frisk
August 19, 2009 - 15:55

Kal-L of Earth 2 receives the command to RISE, and he’s not alone. Clark and Connor, sharing dinner with Ma Kent, and spending time catching up with each other, are thrown headfirst into Black Lantern Superman’s attack on Smallville. He’s brought death with him, and he has a particular agenda against Conner and Clark. Conner and Clark, as Superboy and Superman respectively, are astounded to see a risen Kal-L. Remember, Kal-L gave his life at the end of Infinite Crisis saving the universe from Superboy-Prime (easily the most hate filled, and annoying character in the DC Universe). As Superman declares though, “You’re not Kal-L!” while smashing the zombie Superman in the face in a great display of full throttle fisticuffs. Ma Kent is in trouble though, and Connor and Clark have to face another Black Lantern that neither had ever anticipated on seeing animated again as well.

 

Robinson gets Blackest Night Superman off with a bang in this great first issue. As The Blackest Night continues to unfold, all who are departed appear to be potential Black Lanterns. To the relief of this Superman fan though, we DON’T see Black Lantern Pa Kent, thank God. Robinson gives us everything we look for from a Superman story, including Superman’s close family ties with his Ma and “little brother” Conner, some steely determination to defeat the foe, and an all around heroism above and beyond the call of the most powerful man on Earth. This mini-series also firmly roots the events of Blackest Night into a continuity and timeframe consistent with World of New Krypton, as we catch a glimpse of how The Blackest Night is even having an effect on New Krypton. Deceased Kryptonians other than Kal-L are susceptible to the Black Rings as well…

 

As far as progress on what Blackest Night is all about and what the Black Lanterns really are, we get little in the way of explanation: i.e. are they really the risen souls of the deceased, strange doppelgangers, or something else? We do get Superman’s word that Black Lantern Kal-L is not the true Kal-L, and when Superman displays as much conviction as he does with this statement, we tend to believe him. We do see more of what the universe looks like through the eyes of a Black Lantern. It appears that they see living beings in the color of the Emotional Spectrum that they are most possessed with at the time. For example, when Black Lantern Kal-L appears to Clark and Conner they are yellow with fear, literally. Then when Black Lantern Kal-L attacks Conner, Clark is possessed with five of the emotions of the spectrum at once: yellow (fear), will (green), love (violet), hope (blue), and red (rage). Clark/Superman is capable of harboring and directing several emotions at once. What else would we expect of our favorite and most ethical hero? 

 

Artistically, Barrows work is great. His gives us some well drawn and choreographed full one and two page shots of Superman and Black Lantern Kal-L in battle, and we really get to see Superman cut loose. Rod Reis’ colors are what really stand out though, and they should, since this is a story heavily involving the colors of the Emotional Spectrum. Several shots of Superman and Superboy are colored in only one color, or in the case of Superman, more often than not, colored with several emotions at once. The art in this series looks to live up to the strength of the storyline.

 

Overall, Blackest Night: Superman looks to be a great all around read for Superman, Green Lantern, Black Lantern, and fans of all high quality superhero comic books. This is one of the titles coming out under the Blackest Night moniker that is really going to be one worth looking forward to over the next two months.

 

 

Rating: 10 /10

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12