DCU Comic Book Reviews

BLACKEST NIGHT:  SUPERMAN #3

A Sleepy Little Town, Part Three

December 2009

Written by James Robinson

Pencils by Eddy Barrows

Inks by Ruy Jose with Julio Ferreira

Covers by Eddy Barrows and Shane Davis

Synopsis

In Smallville, Krypto senses something wrong.  On New Krypton, Supergirl fight against Black Lantern Zor-el.  In Smallville, Psycho Pirate is influencing the emotions of the townspeople, including Conner Kent, who attacks Superman.  Meanwhile, Ma Kent fights Black Lantern Lois Lane (of Earth-2).  Krypto arrives to help her.  On New Krypton, Alura is told of a device that will repel Black Lanterns, but will trap Kryptonians on the planet.  Alura lures Zor-el away so Supergirl can stay on the planet.  In Smallville, Black Lantern Kal-L is beating Superman.  When Conner sees the Man of Steel, he breaks free of Psycho Pirate’s influence.    On New Krypton, Supergirl and Alura shove Black Lantern Zor-el into space and return to the planet as the shield is activated.  Menawhile, Conner steals Psycho Pirate’s mask and uses it to restore Smallville to normal.  He then turns it on Psycho Pirate and Black Lantern Kal-L and is able to defeat them. 

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

I will state the obvious and tell you that this final issue puts this story at the point where it needs to end.  However, since the main Blackest Night story is far, far from finished there can’t be a definitive ending.  There needs to be an ending, but not an ending in which the Black Lanterns actually lose.  They had to lose, but not lose if you can understand that.  As a result, this story just kinda putters to a series of non-endings, much like the resolution to the Blackest Night: Batman mini-series. 

First, the way Krypto dispatches Black Lantern Lois is at odds with the way other Black Lanterns have been able to defend other attacks.  Neither the fire nor the heat vision should have no impact on her and it has been shown that taking off the ring has no effect.  In both cases, Black Lanterns have been able to come back to life, or whatever it is.  There is no reason why Black Lantern Lois would simply disappear the way she did here. 

Second, the manner in which Conner defeats Psycho Pirate and Black Lantern Kal-L is very, let us say, ambiguous.  The mask did it.  Yeah, the mask is responsible for defeating the Black Lanterns.  Doesn’t really explain why, but Conner is certain that’s it.  Even in the pseudo-science and magic world of DC universe, that to me seems like a big cop out. 

Third, the machine or whatever it is almost the same as the mask.  It feels like a big plug to a gaping hole:  why wouldn’t New Krypton be affected by Black Lanterns? Rather than deal with it, DC decide to put up a shield and not deal with it.

Having said all of the above, this isn’t a bad issue, nor a bad mini-series.  It isn’t good, however.  It just, overall, is rather flat, lacking any type of story or character arc to overcome the lack of a proper ending.  It feels inconsequential, an attempt to deal with a story not part of the main Blackest Night, but ultimately failing to deliver a story, just some rough ideas on the plot.  And, I think, that is what fails this story.  There is no emotional payoff, no moment where the interaction between the dead and the living has an impact.  In Blackest Night: Batman we had Tim Drake and Dick Grayson confront their parents and it is poignant and gut-wrenching and it somewhat saves it from its lackluster ending.  There is no such save in this one.  Here, we have Kara confront her father and it results in fisticuffs. After all of the grief she has gone through, there needed to be more than what we got.  Instead, we have Psycho Pirate affecting unnamed townspeople and Ma Kent fighting Lois, although why those two care about each other I don’t know.  Why should we care?  And if we can’t care about the characters, why should we care about the book?

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