Blackest Night is just around the corner and Geoff Johns gives us our final preparation with this prologue.  Both Lantern titles have been preparing for this major DC event, but this origin story of William Hand, the embodiment of the Black Lantern Corps, is the strongest of all preludes.

Geoff Johns, writing at the top of his game, creates an eerie tale that is richly diabolical.  William Hand was a young boy obsessed with death.  His dad’s profession of mortician was an early fascination for William; so were dead animals.  Johns traces William’s history from his first incarnation as the Black Hand, a laughable B-list villain, to his dark rebirth as the leader of the soon-to-be-established Black Lanterns.  The plot is artfully paced and tightly woven from scene to scene.  Each moment captures the emotions necessary and makes its point well, without filler or gaps.  The foreshadowing for Blackest Night, who will raise and who are those that cheated death, makes you jump out of your seat! Bring on the fight.

Doug Mahnke matches John’s fantastic story with some fancy penciling.  His character’s powerfully emotive faces drive home the horror of this story and the impact of Hand’s decent into darkness.  Mahnke makes commanding use of perspectives, allowing the reader to see events through William Hand’s eyes, i.e. Hand cowering by a tombstone the Green Lanterns battle Atrocitus.  The close-ups of Hand are downright scary; his bloodshot eyes and blank stare are entrancing.  The panels of Hand’s suicide are boldly detailed and surprising for a mainstream DC comic.  Overall, the art is superb.

After reading this, I felt like I just saw a preview for the most kickass movie of the summer.  I can’t wait for the night to turn black!

5 out of 5

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