DCU Comic Book Reviews

BLACKEST NIGHT:  JSA #1

Lost Souls

February 2010

Written by James Robinson

Pencils by Eddy Barrows and Marcos Marz

Inks by Julio Ferreira, Luciana del Negro, Ruy Jose

Covers by Eddy Barrows and Gene Ha

Synopsis

Wesley Dodds (aka Sandman), Charles McNider (aka Dr. Mid-Nite), and Terry Sloane (aka Mister Terrific) of Earth rise from the dead to become Black Lanterns.  In New York City, they are fighting against the JSA, who just recently lost Damage, who became a Black Lantern.  At STAR Labs, Michael Holt (aka Mr. Terrific) examines the bodies of Earth-2 Superman and Psycho Pirate.  He determines he needs light.  Elsewhere, Ma Hunkel is confronted by Black Lantern Earth-2 Lois Lane, who wants her husband.  Meanwhile, Jay Garrick finds Alan Scott, Stargirl, and Dr. Fate to supply the light for Mr. Terrific.  Suddenly, Mr. Terrific realizes that Terry Sloan will know what he is doing and they will come for him.  Alan tells him they won’t be coming, they are already there.

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

This was not good.  It is an overblown mess, with far, far too much going on and the creators doing very little to make sense of it or to make it interesting.  There are too many Black Lanterns returning from the dead, too many plot threads from other issues, and too many characters to make a coherent story.  Take, for instance, the opening pages in which we get four panels on each page, none of them tied together in any way except in terms of the storytelling structure (or technique).  It is a good example of style over substance, a writer trying to inject something into a story that does not really exist.  In other stories, when the Black Lanterns arrive they interact with the main characters, toying on their emotions.  Not in this issue; the focus is instead on the JSA, from the fallout of Damage’s death to the events at Star Labs.  So, the Black Lanterns, so prominent early, take a back seat for the rest of the issue, which makes you wonder why Robinson bothered to spotlight them in the first place.  Then the story flips over to STAR Labs and while those scenes are the most interesting, it still lacks any connection, really, to the first part of the issue.  Robinson sets up scene at STAR Labs with the the dead bodies, but really does nothing with them.  Mr. Terrific gets the idea for the light based on an examination of the ring (and why it isn’t trying to find a dead body or disappearing is beyond me).  I liked the scene with Power Girl mourning her cousin (or Uncle depending on the panel; she refers to him both ways), but it feels overdone, lacking any type of subtlety or feeling in her words.  It is almost like Robinson was writing the scene because he had to, rather than writing the good idea he had.  After that, the issue gets back to the beginning set-up, but by that time, the issue had lost me; there is not enough there to make me care anymore. 

Mr. Terrific tells Jay to bring Green Lantern, Lightning, Stargirl, and Dr. Fate.  So, later, what in the world is Cyclone doing there?  We see her earlier fighting with the rest of the team in New York City, so she must’ve gone to STAR Labs for a reason. 

Comic Connection

Grant Emerson (aka Damage) was killed by Jean Loring and became a Black Lantern in issue #4 of Blackest Night.  Earth-2 Superman and Psycho Pirate were Black Lanterns in the mini-series Blackest Night: Superman, also written by James Robinson. 

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