Comics / Comic Reviews / DC Comics

Brightest Day # 8

By Koppy McFad
August 28, 2010 - 02:39

Deadman and the team of Hawk and Dove explore the mysteries of the White Lantern while Hawkman and Hawkgirl learn about the strange land called "Hawkworld"-- which is NOT Thanagar and Martian Manhunter pursues the killer from his world.

This miniseries has been quite a mixed bag, featuring several separate stories whose links are not immediately clear. Readers who are deeply involved in the DC Comics universe will likely enjoy a story that gives more exposure to promising-but-underused characters like Hawkman, Aquaman and Firestorm. But if you are not a fan of say, Martian Manhunter, and are only reading it for the other characters, then all the space devoted to him may seem wasted.

Of course, DC Comics successfully did a weekly, multi-character saga in the pages of "52" so it stands to reason that they could pull off something similar here. But while "52" had a strong underlying plotline, pulling the characters along, the central theme of "Brightest Day" still seems too cryptic and too isolated from the rest of the story. I mean, how does the White Lantern affect Aquaman and his impending showdown with Black Manta? For that matter, why haven't we seen Black Manta rear his evil face again, after that dramatic comeback several months back? At the rate the story is going, readers may forget that certain plotlines exist, by the time the writers finally get around to resolving them.

It doesn't help that DC Comics is using this miniseries to rewrite the origins of several characters. It looks like Hawkman's history is going to get even more convoluted while the Martian Manhunter is getting yet a fourth re-writing of his origin.

The art in the book is improving. Although the styles of the different artists don't always mesh together well, they are all of high quality and do fit the mood of the respective characters.

 

Rating: 6.5 /10

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12