"The Blackest Night" Talkback Thread (Spoilers)

[ZGundam]

Tell us, o great one, tell us!!

[Steve]

Hrm, I guess I shall.

Directly C&Ped from my PM to JME:


I was thinking of something just now. And the implications elicited a "HOLY SHIT" from me.


Let us recall Sodam Yat in Legion of 3 Worlds. A man haunted by his past, feeling guilty over deeds he'd done. He then agrees to rejoin the fight and gives his oath as he reactivates the Central Power Battery on devastated Oa.

"In Brightest Day
Through Blackest Night
No Other Corps Shall Spread Its Light
Let Those Who Try to Stop What's Right
Burn Like My Power
Green Lantern's Light!"


Now, interesting changes to the oath we all know and love. "Through Blackest Night" indicates how much TBN has had an effect upon the Corps for the new oath. The bit about "No Other Corps" falls in line with the Guardians' desire to keep the other Lights of the Spectrum from being used.

And then we get to those other lines. "Let Those Who Try to Stop What's Right/Burn like my Power" is already an oath... of another Corps. Not the GL Corps. And I think you know which Corps this is....

That's right. The Sinestro Corps.

So, implications?

We know that Sinestro's survival was considered essential by Ganthet to defeat the Blackest Night. We know that Sinestro, despite his use of the Yellow Rings, still remains loyal to the idea of a Green Lantern Corps, a force that maintains order throughout the universe. As he said in GL #25, with the First (and later Second) Laws, "The Universe will fear Green Lanterns. And the Universe will be better for it." And we know from the teaser in that same issue that "Willpower and Fear must come together".

The implication is clear. During TBN the Sinestro Corps and Green Lanterns will become allies. But what I now speculate is that this may last beyond The Blackest Night. Think about it: a control-freak like Sinestro, devoted to Order, isn't going to be a fan of most of his followers. I suspect they're a means to an end. I think, in the end, he makes a deal with the Guardians (who either somehow survive Scar's attack or are revived in the end): he disbands the Sinestro Corps and they restore him as a Green Lantern. Given their recent taste of death and perhaps the sense that their paranoid mistrust of using the other colors of the spectrum was proven right, perhaps even seeing that Sinestro's ideas have "use", they agree. Some of the new Laws remain in effect and the Guardians, with Sinestro as one of the greatest Green Lanterns once again, moves to destroy the other Corps, including causing the death of Carol Ferris, which will undoubtedly help lead Hal to going rogue again (though this time for better reasons).

Sodam regains the Ion power somehow and likely plays a part, over the centuries, in this, explaining his guilt. Perhaps in the end my prior theory as to the destruction of the GLC still comes to pass (this whole theory doesn't necessarily exclude Mogo being killed by a revived Ranx-as-Black-Lantern). But this explains the new oath, which is clearly a merger of the original GLC oath with Sinestro's and a more violent, aggressive oath than the idealistic one we all know.

That's the theory as of now. Of course, merely writing this gave me another.

What if much of this - the Sinestro Corps War particularly - was a massive Xanatos Gambit/Roulette by Sinestro to get back into the Green Lantern Corps, provoke the Guardians to institute the changes he wanted, and prepare them to fight the Blackest Night as Abin Sur warned would come? After all, as he said in GL #25, "debating with the Guardians never got us anywhere, did it?" He had to provoke them to change their ways by scaring the living fuck out of them.

Scary thinking.... and perhaps not quite fitting the fact that Johns' post-TBN arc is going to be called "Brightest Day". But we'll have to seeeeee........

[ZGundam]

To think that Sinestro had thought about it that far back. A plan within a plan, withina plan, within a plan makes him out-Machivellianing Machivelian. He's THAT smart or truly twisted.

Maybe his goal all along was to push the GLC toward the plan of being true peacekeepers of the galaxy and it just took decades for his plan to come to fruition.

Wow.

[JME2]

Maybe his goal all along was to push the GLC toward the plan of being true peacekeepers of the galaxy and it just took decades for his plan to come to fruition.

There's a line of narration from Sinestro in the SCW prologue, of how he intended to expand his brand of order beyond his sector and throughout all known space-- with the permission of the Guardians, of course. And with the knowledge of what Abin Sur uncovered on Ysmault and what was coming in the distant future, it would make the plan's implementation all the more important. Of course, Hal playing whistle blower during his visit to Korugar and the subsequent expulsion/exile threw that plan out the window. Sinestro's ego and perceived injustice clouded his goals and knowledge as he launched his campaign to destroy the only force that could oppose the Blackest Night. It was only after Hal returned and the Corps reformed that he seems to have put his priorities in order and got the goal back on track, albeit through his own Corps.

This is, anyway, my attempt at reconciling Sinestro's past behavior with recent revelations and his current goals.

[JME2]

So, my thoughts on this week's TBN tie-ins:
Spoiler

Tales of the Corps # 2
Bleez: I'm somewhat biased given I was hoping for a Dex-Starr tale, but Bleez's origin is alright; it could have been better if not for the major continuity goof at the end.

Carol Ferris: It did a good job of bridging the Carol subplot from "Rage of the Red Lanterns" and "Origins & Omens" and segues nicely into TBN # 1.

Blume: Nothing serious, but a fun little look at another of Llarfleeze's constructs.

***

Green Lantern # 44
* Overall, this issue works nicely as TBN # 1.5

* Hal/Barry: I'm still not crazy about Barry's resurrection, but Johns has done a good job on his interaction/banter with Hal. Perhaps a relaunched Gl/Flash book is one of the mystery projects Johns has been hinting at for 2010.

* Dead Man Walking: So, the Anti-Monitor did kill Scar during the Battle of New York. And Scar's partial explanation of the Black Lanterns' goals further lends credence to their involvement in the Massacre of Sector 666.

* Black Lantern J'onn: Even if it's for the Black Lanterns' cause, it's kinda good to see the ol' shapeshifting, invisibility, and psychic abilities on display once again. J'onn looks to be tied with Kal-L as the most dangerous Black Lantern

* War of Light: The Black Rings descending on Okaara was, in retrospect, obvious given Larfleeze's 'induction ceremony'. I can't believe it didn't occur to me.

* The Xanshi Directive: Well, I guess that answers whether or not the Black Rings could target a deceased planetary population. I wonder if any are headed for Krypton.

[The Grim Squeaker]

So, my thoughts on this week's TBN tie-ins:
Spoiler

* The Xanshi Directive: Well, I guess that answers whether or not the Black Rings could target a deceased planetary population. I wonder if any are headed for Krypton.

Spoiler

Doubtful, we've seen that they do need a body to work on. Daxam and Kandor on the other hand..

Also, evidence for my claim lies in the fact that someone denied Bruce's body to the BL corps by stealing his skull. Someone did that, and it looks like it kept the BL's from getting a Black Batman

[Cej4096]

Spoiler

Also, evidence for my claim lies in the fact that someone denied Bruce's body to the BL corps by stealing his skull. Someone did that, and it looks like it kept the BL's from getting a Black Batman

Spoiler

It was Black Hand who stole Bruce's skull. We saw him carrying it around (and licking it) in BN #1. It seemed to dispense rings for Hawkman and Hawkgirl. Whether Black Hand wasn't able to raise him as a Black Lantern due to the... weirdness of his death in Final Crisis, or if he just had a better use for the skull, isn't clear.

[The Grim Squeaker]

Spoiler

Also, evidence for my claim lies in the fact that someone denied Bruce's body to the BL corps by stealing his skull. Someone did that, and it looks like it kept the BL's from getting a Black Batman

Spoiler

It was Black Hand who stole Bruce's skull. We saw him carrying it around (and licking it) in BN #1. It seemed to dispense rings for Hawkman and Hawkgirl. Whether Black Hand wasn't able to raise him as a Black Lantern due to the... weirdness of his death in Final Crisis, or if he just had a better use for the skull, isn't clear.

Spoiler

Can't believe I missed that. Very odd, if he's not being used as a power source due to the manner of his death, then i'd expect the BL's to jump at the chance of adding Batman to their ranks.

[JME2]

Spoiler

Can't believe I missed that. Very odd, if he's not being used as a power source due to the manner of his death, then i'd expect the BL's to jump at the chance of adding Batman to their ranks.

Here's my thought on both matters.
Spoiler

Black Hand tells Bruce's skull in TBN#1 that it's connected to them all. Presumably, this refers to Bruce's association with the JLA and every major metahuman hero/villain on the planet, not to mention any off-world. The production of the Black Rings may hinge upon the presence of an emotional connection to their planned victims. The fact that all 7 emotions can be linked to Bruce and his connections is an added bonus. We'll know for sure in the coming months. But there's a good chance that any deceased Black Lanterns may end up coming back to life at the end. If Bruce isn't among them, that may be what tips off Hal and company that Bruce is stranded in time.

[TimothyC]

Hey JME, were you able to get the cheep plastic Black Lantern Ring?

[JME2]

Hey JME, were you able to get the cheep plastic Black Lantern Ring?

Unfortunately not.

[JME2]

Going back to LO3W for a moment, there's a very interesting nugget in long-awaited final issue that may also hint to, if not THE outcome of TBN, then certainly AN outcome on one front...
Spoiler

The Black Witch, after having absorbed the essence and energies of the dark mage Mordru, returns to his throneworld of The Sorcerers' World. While descending into the catacombs, she passes a slab of wall in which three indivudals are fused to and trapped. One of them is unrecognizable, but the other two are clearly Alan Scott and Toquemada, the mystical GL. This is interesting to note because if you remember, the "Origins & Omens" back-up in GL showed Alan, Toquemada, and Mordru on trial before the Guardians. And we all know Johns doesn't throw stuff in at random, especially with the inter-connectedness of all his DC stuff.

[TimothyC]

Going back to LO3W for a moment,

God, that ended in an epic MINDFUCK didn't it?

[The Grim Squeaker]

Going back to LO3W for a moment,

God, that ended in an epic MINDFUCK didn't it?

Yup.
Wonder what this means for theSpoiler

"Superboy Prime will stop zombie Kal-L" theories

[JME2]

Going back to LO3W for a moment,

God, that ended in an epic MINDFUCK didn't it?

Well...
Spoiler

It wasn't quite the endpoint for Prime's character arc I'd imagined , but it's delightfully twisted and fitting. Johns has indicated that Prime will appear in issues 4 and 5 of Adventure Comics, so we'll see if he has any further interaction with the DCU or undead Kryptonians.

[Steve]

NOOO I've not read those issues yet MUST AVOID SPOILERS!!!


BTW, I've found the perfect theme for the Black Lanterns.

Danny Elfman's "March of the Dead" from Army of Darkness.

Hail to the King, baby.

[avatarxprime]

Spoiler

Can't believe I missed that. Very odd, if he's not being used as a power source due to the manner of his death, then i'd expect the BL's to jump at the chance of adding Batman to their ranks.

Here's my thought on both matters.
Spoiler

Black Hand tells Bruce's skull in TBN#1 that it's connected to them all. Presumably, this refers to Bruce's association with the JLA and every major metahuman hero/villain on the planet, not to mention any off-world. The production of the Black Rings may hinge upon the presence of an emotional connection to their planned victims. The fact that all 7 emotions can be linked to Bruce and his connections is an added bonus. We'll know for sure in the coming months. But there's a good chance that any deceased Black Lanterns may end up coming back to life at the end. If Bruce isn't among them, that may be what tips off Hal and company that Bruce is stranded in time.

Interesting theory, but I wonder if it is also related to something else shown in Green Lantern #44 Spoiler

When J'onn is using his "emotion vision" on Hal and Barry you see a dark growth that almost looks like scar tissue on their skulls/faces. I'm betting this is related to Scar herself as well. J'onn similarly had twisted flesh on one side of him when using his shapeshifting to assume his old familiar look. I'm guessing that this scarring is related to death, that those who have died (regardless of resurrections) have this invisible (in most cases) scarring on their person that relates to the Black Lanterns, possibly acting as a sign/homing signal for Death. It's also possible then that thanks to the weirdness of the Omega Sanction, Bruce's death is not guaranteed (no scarring) and therefore he cannot be used as a Black Lantern and is infact Schrödinger's Batman. This connects him to life and death and that's how he acts as a bridge for the Black Lanterns to bring death to life.

Also, power levels at 1.20%, so the death toll from Black Lantern heart absorptions stands at 120 people. I wonder if this means any of the GLs on Oa facing off with their risen former colleagues have already been killed or the Hawks and Dibneys have been going on a killing spree. That sure must be an interesting double date.

[JME2]

Interesting, most interesting; I like...

[TimothyC]

From Tales #3, 'Lantern Ermey' was the best bit.

[JME2]

From Tales #3, 'Lantern Ermey' was the best bit.

Yeah. It was also interesting to see Killowog as a rookie GL and not the seasoned drill sergeant we all know and love.

[Bedlam]

Given the occurences of Blackest night I guess this isn't the last we see of Ermey and Arisia's family. Can anyone pick them out in the splash page where the dead lanterns rise?

[JME2]

Given the occurences of Blackest night I guess this isn't the last we see of Ermey and Arisia's family. Can anyone pick them out in the splash page where the dead lanterns rise?

Fentara's buried in the Crypt, but I can't find him in the Rise splash page; I assume Ermey's in the background somewhere.

But yeah, I fully expect them to show up.

[Steve]

Spoiler

Lantern Ermey was awesome, as was the whole thing that Sinestro was in charge of the GLs they saved at the end.

[JME2]

Spoiler

Lantern Ermey was awesome, as was the whole thing that Sinestro was in charge of the GLs they saved at the end.

Yeah, that was a nice little touch. I also liked that...
Spoiler

...Tomar Re was one of the rookie Lanterns in Kilowog's group; it's also interesting to see familiar Lanterns in unfamiliar times/situations.

[JME2]

IGN has posted a preview for GLC # 39. Glad to see that the dangling threads from "Emerald Eclipse" haven't been forgotten; this is looking good...