1435 ( )

Nice to see them give a nod to Moore's work.
( )

And the great universal retcon continues...

Though, to be honest, it wraps up pretty traditionally, with the missing breakaway character rushing in to save everyone's hides, the surprise reversals, the unexplained deaths, the surprise reverse-reversals, and of course, the over-the-top death/life/death/life cycle of ... um... every fucking person in the history of DC.

This arc isn't so much bewildering, as it has a pretty standard story structure, but I *am* thoroughly bewildered by the entire DC universe. Following all the dead-alives and the miraculous retconning festival isn't too hard if you have a flowchart, and yes, I am developing one, but the fact that it's needed is JUST AS BEWILDERING AS ANYTHING ELSE.

Was I satisfied, though?

Sure, I was. No one likes permanent changes to the universe, do they? I mean, in a comic universe. I can do without a retcon and spontaneous reversal of physics that changes all classic Cokes back into New Coke, thank you very much.

I can rest, satisfied, that all the horrors have been settled and all the great sacrifices were..... um... not really necessary? That no one really needed to read this? That very little besides a few minor plot hooks were left open for a few of the characters?

Hmmm. Should I revise my star rating on this? Maybe a 3.5. Screw it. I'll let myself be generous. It wasn't BAD, and this one was better or at least I liked the resolution more than the first two volumes.

I'm gonna take a bit of a break from DC for a bit. I do like Deadman, though. I may head on to his storyline sometime soon. I just need a bit of time, lol... :) ( )

In this follow-up to the Blackest Night story arc, all of the characters who were resurrected by the white lantern find themselves struggling to understand why they were brought back. No one struggles more than Boston Brand (aka Deadman) who spent his time as a superhero dead. Boston also has far more invested in this mystery than anyone else as his is the only white lantern ring that has not disappeared and that appears to be taking Boston on a quest that is entirely part of the ring's own agenda.

Really solid arc with some interesting exploration of the backstory of a lot of the characters in the DCU, particularly Deadman, Aquaman, Firestorm, Hawkman, Hawkgirl, J'onn J'onzz, and Hawk and Dove. While the ultimate reveal of the end goal of the white ring felt a bit underwhelming after all the build up, there is some fascinating character development going on here. If you liked Blackest Night, this follow-up series is worth picking up. ( )

That was kind of a weak payoff. After 23 issues the thing turns into the lost episode of "Captain Planet." Lame. ( )