Blackest Night #1 (OF 8)

First time reviewer...

I've had a lot of prep coming into this book, mostly by way of hype, not by way of the preludes that came before, leading up to the actual event.

I'd have to say it delivered. Johns does a fantastic job in making the book accessible for those who haven't been able to keep up with GL, or even the DC universe. In one issue, he's managed to build up to a great climax at the end that lends credence to the enourmity and scope this event has.

Ivan Reis' pages really permeated w/ the macabre as the dead rose, and the page layouts were still dyanamic enough to denote a blend between the most action packed supers book, with the grim and suspense of a horor book.

It seems Johns plans more-over, to place a meta commentary over the device of the comic book death. The comment is subtle, and neither leans one way or another, but really reinforces the gravity of such a device, as well as showing off the usage (or over usage) of death in the DCU. This is particularly shown in the memorial ceremonies across the globe.

Things to consider...
This book read like any GL standard book, but its scope measures across the DCU as a whole. GL books do the same. There's something to be said about GL being a center of the DCU. All points connect back to the GL books and really just brings everyone in, whereas in other books like Batman or Superman, they are clearly niche worlds that take place within those books. Not a good thing or a bad thing, but really cements GL as the center that connects all things in the DCU (and the Flash to a certain extent).

Just flipping through the book, I thought to myself, "Is this DC's answer to 'Marvel Zombies', cept' with bling?" It's not.

Symbolism? Is John's setting up Black Hand to be the Hamlet of the DCU?

Good issue, cant wait for the next one.