Does he ever!
I hope that you were all good boys and girls, and read Green Lantern #48 first. It isn't THAT necessary, but it does explain how they all ended up together. And that is one HELL of a splash page, as drawn by Ivan Reis. He's really outdoing himself on the artwork.
So...all seven representatives of the various Corps end up on Ryut, in Sector 666, looking for the Black Battery. They all get to recite their various oaths, which secretly thrills me down to my toes. Well...all except Larfleeze, who doesn't have one. Larfleeze continues to delight me.
Oh, and Ganthet and Sayd have tagged along just for fun.
So while our heroes and heroines are standing around looking heroic, back on Earth, Barry is confronting none other than Nekron himself...who is Up To No Good. Black Hand is oozing around, throwing double entendres and generally being squicky. Things aren't going well, until Wally shows up with the rest of the still living Good Guys.
As an interesting aside, in New York, the Atom and Mera are fighting a Black Lantern version of Jean Loring. And you thought she was a wackydoodle BEFORE! Jean grabs the two of them, and they ALL shrink down and end up inside of the Black Rings. I have a feeling that this is going to be important later on.
Back at the BIG fight, they've discovered that Dove somehow has the power to disrupt the Black Lanterns. Oh, and Barry tells Bart not to call him "Grandpa". It makes him feel too old. Of course to Bart, anyone over twenty is ancient. And who should show up, but Scar, the Mad Guardian. Before she can get her nasty hooks into Barry, the seven Corps members...who you remember were standing around...all make a spectacular entrance! 'Cuz that's just how they roll. In a rather surprising turn of events, they all handle her rather...well...handily.
They finally do come face to face with the Black Lantern's Battery, and all of them are pouring it on. Carol remarks that she could swear she once saw this on a Saturday morning cartoon, to which Hal replies, "Me too." That did crack me up. Oh Geoff Johns, you sly dog, you.
Unfortunately, all of this outpouring of energy from the various rings isn't doing a damn thing, much to Hal's consternation. Black Hand on the other hand is quite jubilant. It is at about this moment that things REALLY go to hell in a handbasket, as Nekron tells "Bruce Wayne of Earth...RISE"
Oh crap. Crappity crap crap, to be precise. That oddly enough is just about the reaction of everyone there. And, as they are reeling from the appearance of a zombified Batman, Nekron pulls out his other secret weapon. All of those heroes who died and later came back? Well...turns out that they only did that because he LET them. And now their time is up.
Buddy Baker of Earth, Tora Olafsdottir, Diana Prince, Kal-El of Krypton, Conner Kent, Bart Allen, and Oliver Queen of Earth...DIE!
Then Nekron says something rather strange. "You have served your purpose'Bruce Wayne'. Back to rest." And Batman disintegrates. I thought the "Bruce Wayne" in parentheses was interesting. I suspect shenanigans somewhow.
But still, all of the formerly dead, then alive and now dead again heroes have blanked out eyes, snarls on their lips, and really really cool outfits.
Oh, and black rings are also chasing Barry and Hal.
Now THAT'S one heck of a cliffhanger!
Blackest Night may have started just a little bit slowly, but it is certainly gaining momentum now! I can't WAIT to see next months issue!
