Brightest Day #2
Brightest Day #2 continues the awesome anthology of the DC Universe. Already 3 issues in (including #0) it’s much more tighter than the COUNTDOWN TO FINAL CRISIS anthology. Also, since Geoff Johns is plotting it, you know whatever happens will have ramifications throughout the DCU.
Geoff Johns and Peter Tomasi are doing a “slow build” but have great mystery scenes for the multiple storylines they are juggling. Brightest Day #2 focuses on Professor Stein and the Atom trying to help the new Firestorm (the recently resurrected frat boy Ronnie Raymond and his unwilling partner Jason Rusch). Jason (the “black Firestorm”) hates Ronnie because Ronnie as Black Lantern Firestorm killed Jason’s Asian chick. Please note: many fans are outraged that Ronnie Raymond- a Bronze Age character- is portrayed as an irresponsible party dude.
Brightest Day #2 also features the mystery of the reborn Martian Manhunter’s past. This was my favorite part. Don’t want to spoil too much, but the focus is on Dr. Erdel’s daughter. Erdel is the man who brought Jon Jonz to earth all of those years ago, and died during the Martian’s arrival.
Hawkman and Hawkgirl have been resurrected as well, and as we’ve seen in earlier issues, Hawkgirl finally remembered all of their past lives together. They are now Ultimate Hawkman and Ultimate Hawkgirl- fully aware of all their past lives and deeply in love with each other, not to mention being super-powered. The mystery is about why Hath-Set (first appearance 1940 in Flash Comics #1!!) is collecting their ancient skeletons.
The reborn Aquaman only gets a panel this month. He and his Queen Mera jump into the water, but Aquaman’s aura seemed to have killed fish. Seems like all is not as Bright as expected- as if the reborn characters still are tapping into their Black Lantern zombie selves.
Deadman- now alive and the only one with a White Lantern ring- can’t be heard as he tries to warn Aquaman about the dead fish. His ring then teleports him away and asks him to fight. Fight? Fight who?
Well there’s only one person to fight in the anti-matter universe of Qward:
THE ANTI-MONITOR
Read Brightest Day #2 by by Geoff Johns, Peter Tomasi, Ivan Reis, Patrick Gleason, and Ardian Syaf
awesome song and Professor Stein is the best!
Ivan Reis is so under-rated.
how did I miss this great video
In brightest day, in blackest night, no evil shall escape my sight. Let all who worship evil's might, fear my power. Green Lantern's light!
DC’s second Saturday panel at Comic-Con International focused on Green Lantern, with Geoff Johns, Ivan Reis, Joe Prado, and Tony Bedard on hand to announce a CGI animated series and a "Sinestro Secret Origins" arc.
Actually, since you’ve got three (yeah, I’m counting Mr. Terrific due to the sheer number of years between the original and him) black characters that were already in existence and were not recent “reboots” (Cyborg, Mr. Terrific, Vixen) then DC’s already got a jump on “diversity”. Jason Rusch has been the “physical” manifestation of the Firestorm matrix for a while but it looks like they’re going more for either Ronnie and Jason to have an independent Firestorm persona with the ability to combine into an “uber-Firestorm” or such. Just a guess.
RT
AWESOME issue! There was only one real problem I had with it, but I think I understand why Johns wrote it this way.
My beef, is about Ronnie Raymond. Johns wrote him basically as a twisted version of how Ronnie was when he first started out. Immature, and blanking on formulas. While that may be true of Ronnie when he first MET Professor Stein… and when Hal and Barry knew him… Ronnie had grown up a lot since then.
In Obsidian Age, Ronnie was to be valedictorian at his college. And he was quick on his feet enough to realize that he could convert the entire top layer of the Earth's crust into water during the water crisis. AND he figured out, how to free Aquaman. Something Manitou Raven AND Zatanna couldn't see.
My theory is that the ring chose to portray Ronnie the way Hal and Barry remembered him best, during his early days. Ray was hiding in the ring at first, and truthfully, next to Professor Stein, Ray knew Ronnie probably the best before he died.
As for the rest… great writing. I LOVED the examinations of how the Black rings work. The idea of an advanced technorganic computer driving the bodies like a symbiote…. awesome. Microwormholes IN the rings? Construction like black matter bone? Huh… makes me wonder what the DNA profile of a Black ring must be like…..
Sorry to see Gen go… she'll be missed. But I think I see how Ronnie will be brought back. Jason has power over organic matter… and he's IN Ronnie's head…..
I am really excited about this. As you know from my raving Sweet Tooth I really dig what he has done in that book. I am really glad DC has the wits to bring him into their DC universe before Marvel snatches him away. Sadly I refuse to buy Adventure comics because of the Ray Palmer back up that he is writing. I wish Jeff success in that endeavor but I can't support this particular direction DC has taken.