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Brightest Day: Collected Editions
Brightest Day, Vol. 3
Comics hottest writer Geoff Johns (BLACKEST NIGHT, GREEN LANTERN, THE FLASH) joins with Peter J. Tomasi(GREEN LANTERN CORPS) to continue the biggest event in comics as BRIGHTEST DAY burns back the BLACKEST NIGHT. They are joined by artists Ivan Reis, Patrick Gleason and Ardian Syaf on the follow-up to the best selling comics event of 2009.
Collects BRIGHTEST DAY #17-24.
Once dead, twelve heroes and villains were resurrected by a white light expelled deep within the center of the earth. Now, Aquaman, Martian Manhunter, Firestorm, Hawkman, Hawkgirl, Deadman, Jade, Osiris, Hawk, Captain Boomerang and Zoom must discover the mysterious reason behind their return and uncover the secret that binds them all. In this third volume, Hawkman and Hawkgirl pay a visit to the Star Sapphires, but with the Hawks' connection to the cosmic corps, it looks like this meeting may end in bloodshed. And more even more blood may be drawn as Captain Boomerang hunts down Deadman and Dove!
Collects BRIGHTEST DAY #17-24.
280 pages, Hardcover
First published September 13, 2011
22 people are currently reading
328 people want to read
About the author
Geoff Johns
2,718 books2,408 followersGeoff Johns originally hails from Detroit, Michigan. He attended Michigan State University, where he earned a degree in Media Arts and Film. He moved to Los Angeles in the late 1990s in search of work within the film industry. Through perseverance, Geoff ended up as the assistant to Richard Donner, working on Conspiracy Theory and Lethal Weapon 4. During that time, he also began his comics career writing Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. and JSA (co-written with David S. Goyer) for DC Comics. He worked with Richard Donner for four years, leaving the company to pursue writing full-time.
His first comics assignments led to a critically acclaimed five-year run on the The Flash. Since then, he has quickly become one of the most popular and prolific comics writers today, working on such titles including a highly successful re-imagining of Green Lantern, Action Comics (co-written with Richard Donner), Teen Titans, Justice Society of America, Infinite Crisis and the experimental breakout hit series 52 for DC with Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka and Mark Waid. Geoff received the Wizard Fan Award for Breakout Talent of 2002 and Writer of the Year for 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008 as well as the CBG Writer of the Year 2003 thru 2005, 2007 and CBG Best Comic Book Series for JSA 2001 thru 2005. Geoff also developed BLADE: THE SERIES with David S. Goyer, as well as penned the acclaimed “Legion” episode of SMALLVILLE. He also served as staff writer for the fourth season of ROBOT CHICKEN.
Geoff recently became a New York Times Bestselling author with the graphic novel Superman: Brainiac with art by Gary Frank.
His first comics assignments led to a critically acclaimed five-year run on the The Flash. Since then, he has quickly become one of the most popular and prolific comics writers today, working on such titles including a highly successful re-imagining of Green Lantern, Action Comics (co-written with Richard Donner), Teen Titans, Justice Society of America, Infinite Crisis and the experimental breakout hit series 52 for DC with Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka and Mark Waid. Geoff received the Wizard Fan Award for Breakout Talent of 2002 and Writer of the Year for 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008 as well as the CBG Writer of the Year 2003 thru 2005, 2007 and CBG Best Comic Book Series for JSA 2001 thru 2005. Geoff also developed BLADE: THE SERIES with David S. Goyer, as well as penned the acclaimed “Legion” episode of SMALLVILLE. He also served as staff writer for the fourth season of ROBOT CHICKEN.
Geoff recently became a New York Times Bestselling author with the graphic novel Superman: Brainiac with art by Gary Frank.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews
October 8, 2025
In Brightest Day...
The conclusion here and the return of was pretty worthwhile, and I've always maintained that this was a fun event for bringing back some of the characters that had been killed off previously.
At the end of this, some stay, some go, some end up in the in-between. But in comics, they all come back eventually.
Johns is an excellent writer, and for me, this was the heyday of the Green Lantern comics. It's one of those runs that I would heartily recommend to anyone who doesn't get why the GL Corps have so many fans. A great place to start would be Rebirth, if anyone is interested.
Anyway. Hal & the Lanterns aren't in this one, but it concludes the resurrection events from Blackest Night and sets up some pretty good storylines for the future.
Recommended.
The conclusion here and the return of was pretty worthwhile, and I've always maintained that this was a fun event for bringing back some of the characters that had been killed off previously.
At the end of this, some stay, some go, some end up in the in-between. But in comics, they all come back eventually.
Johns is an excellent writer, and for me, this was the heyday of the Green Lantern comics. It's one of those runs that I would heartily recommend to anyone who doesn't get why the GL Corps have so many fans. A great place to start would be Rebirth, if anyone is interested.
Anyway. Hal & the Lanterns aren't in this one, but it concludes the resurrection events from Blackest Night and sets up some pretty good storylines for the future.
Recommended.
February 9, 2017
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... :)
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... :)
October 23, 2021
This was actually pretty good ending.
It sees the final war between the forces of Hawkman and Hawkgirl and her mother and we see her infused with the power of predator and what happens to them, Aquaman and Aqualad's war with Manta and Siren and the secrets of Xebel and also Martian manhunter and him coming to peace with his homeworld and the ultimate plan,
Its an epic story and has a lot of twists and turns but most importantly it comes full circle and leaves a pretty good message about life and this odyssey that Deadman was on made me love him and so many secrets and plot points hinted at here which was awesome and really well done. One of the best stories of DC in modern day and a must read for sure!
It sees the final war between the forces of Hawkman and Hawkgirl and her mother and we see her infused with the power of predator and what happens to them, Aquaman and Aqualad's war with Manta and Siren and the secrets of Xebel and also Martian manhunter and him coming to peace with his homeworld and the ultimate plan,
Its an epic story and has a lot of twists and turns but most importantly it comes full circle and leaves a pretty good message about life and this odyssey that Deadman was on made me love him and so many secrets and plot points hinted at here which was awesome and really well done. One of the best stories of DC in modern day and a must read for sure!
September 12, 2018
A pretty fun ending to what was a slightly above-average event. All of the questions are answered, all of the bad guys are butt-kicked, and there are some cameos from some of my favorite characters. The only negative I would give this volume is that the ending got a little hokey (we need earth, wind, water, and fire to win? I was expecting Captain Planet to show up).
November 18, 2025
Pretty good!
October 3, 2011
One review that I read prior to finishing the 3rd and last volume of Brightest Day asked the question that I also found myself asking at the end of it all, was that, “Was it needed?”
If we go by the Lantern Oath and pick up on the beat of Geoff Johns thinking, then perhaps yes. Because after Blackest Night, something should follow suit, and true to Oath form of the Green Lantern Corps, Brightest Day does follow. But does it make sense? Does it strike a chord in the characters, much less the readers?
It did when I first finished Blackest Night, which by the way was a tour de force in itself. From storyline to the artwork, the pacing of the panelling and how the entire arc of the story affected the entire DC universe. It was brilliant. And having the creative lightning strike hard and strike gold, could it have been possible to do it a second time?
Picture this.
At the end of Blackest Night, several DC characters who were dead were brought back to life by the sentient living entity that was hidden underneath the Earth. It spoke of the path that follows the dark. And metaphorically, I do get it. That after the dark and having been touched by light, what do we do? After epiphanies of our own, being in the dark for some time before that, how do we deal with the consequences? Of course, we move forward, live our lives and go where the light takes us. But somehow, somewhere in the midst of my reading all 3 volumes, I was asking if I wanted to be taken there in the first place.
As opposed to the first crisis that involved dead superheroes becoming Black Lanterns and corrupting the living, Brightest Day doesn’t add much on that scale and narrows the “crisis” down to the resurrected characters and how their lives and choices affect the others in the DC universe. Vol. 3 continues the battle of Hawkman and Hawkgirl against her mother in beating out the life and death Prophecy cycle that they have been subjected to. Aquaman battles for his place in the underwater kingdom and mentoring the new Aqualad, who just happens to be the son of his nemesis, Black Manta. Not to mention dealing with Mera’s revelation that she came to Atlantis to kill him but not counted on falling in love with him. Firestorm for his part had to deal and reconcile that being fused into one as Ronal Raymond and Jason Rusch has its advantages and drawbacks while being transported to the Anti-Matter Universe. Martian Manhunter dealt with D’Kays treachery and deception while Deadman, had to face with how it is to live his life and discover love with Dove in the process. All of these lives and their subsequent choices are as the White Lantern reveals all part of the process.
But after the process itself was revealed, I felt for Deadman. He was duped and manipulated by the White Entity to push these returned heroes to live out their choices because they were being groomed to take part in another battle to come. And that was against the so called, Dark Avatar; a residue of Nekron’s influence on the Earth during the Blackest Night crisis.
When I read Blackest Night I felt that it could have been longer. I wanted more action scenes played out as it was indeed in the truest sense of the word a worldwide crisis. But after this Brightest Day “crisis” which spanned the whole year long before it was compiled and doled out in 3 increments, I felt that it could have been shortened. Was Geoff Johns like the White Entity manipulating and cashing in on readers to buy his latest effort? One would surely look at it that way. But from a creative side, one would argue that he had a story to tell.
And yes while I applaud the effort for a story, it could have been shortened and heightened with more kick ass action rather than the low key and philosophical implications that we are left with and only to be sparingly laced with action and manipulated mystery along the way. No doubt that I may yet get some gem of wisdom from reading all 3 of them again. But I like my superheroes, swinging, flying, shooting and beating the crap out of the bad guys. But with given that Life itself is the challenge to deal with this time, there really are no bad guys; just bad choices stemming from a different form of perception. And that perception itself may have come from a place of capitalism in order to cash in more profits for one’s coffers or the perception that if a story is stretched to the limit, it may make for a good yarn of a tale. And because it is such a yarn, consider me like the cat that buys in on that ball of yarn and brings it back to you, looks you in the face and with utmost hope, purrs, “What’s next, Geoff Johns?”
If we go by the Lantern Oath and pick up on the beat of Geoff Johns thinking, then perhaps yes. Because after Blackest Night, something should follow suit, and true to Oath form of the Green Lantern Corps, Brightest Day does follow. But does it make sense? Does it strike a chord in the characters, much less the readers?
It did when I first finished Blackest Night, which by the way was a tour de force in itself. From storyline to the artwork, the pacing of the panelling and how the entire arc of the story affected the entire DC universe. It was brilliant. And having the creative lightning strike hard and strike gold, could it have been possible to do it a second time?
Picture this.
At the end of Blackest Night, several DC characters who were dead were brought back to life by the sentient living entity that was hidden underneath the Earth. It spoke of the path that follows the dark. And metaphorically, I do get it. That after the dark and having been touched by light, what do we do? After epiphanies of our own, being in the dark for some time before that, how do we deal with the consequences? Of course, we move forward, live our lives and go where the light takes us. But somehow, somewhere in the midst of my reading all 3 volumes, I was asking if I wanted to be taken there in the first place.
As opposed to the first crisis that involved dead superheroes becoming Black Lanterns and corrupting the living, Brightest Day doesn’t add much on that scale and narrows the “crisis” down to the resurrected characters and how their lives and choices affect the others in the DC universe. Vol. 3 continues the battle of Hawkman and Hawkgirl against her mother in beating out the life and death Prophecy cycle that they have been subjected to. Aquaman battles for his place in the underwater kingdom and mentoring the new Aqualad, who just happens to be the son of his nemesis, Black Manta. Not to mention dealing with Mera’s revelation that she came to Atlantis to kill him but not counted on falling in love with him. Firestorm for his part had to deal and reconcile that being fused into one as Ronal Raymond and Jason Rusch has its advantages and drawbacks while being transported to the Anti-Matter Universe. Martian Manhunter dealt with D’Kays treachery and deception while Deadman, had to face with how it is to live his life and discover love with Dove in the process. All of these lives and their subsequent choices are as the White Lantern reveals all part of the process.
But after the process itself was revealed, I felt for Deadman. He was duped and manipulated by the White Entity to push these returned heroes to live out their choices because they were being groomed to take part in another battle to come. And that was against the so called, Dark Avatar; a residue of Nekron’s influence on the Earth during the Blackest Night crisis.
When I read Blackest Night I felt that it could have been longer. I wanted more action scenes played out as it was indeed in the truest sense of the word a worldwide crisis. But after this Brightest Day “crisis” which spanned the whole year long before it was compiled and doled out in 3 increments, I felt that it could have been shortened. Was Geoff Johns like the White Entity manipulating and cashing in on readers to buy his latest effort? One would surely look at it that way. But from a creative side, one would argue that he had a story to tell.
And yes while I applaud the effort for a story, it could have been shortened and heightened with more kick ass action rather than the low key and philosophical implications that we are left with and only to be sparingly laced with action and manipulated mystery along the way. No doubt that I may yet get some gem of wisdom from reading all 3 of them again. But I like my superheroes, swinging, flying, shooting and beating the crap out of the bad guys. But with given that Life itself is the challenge to deal with this time, there really are no bad guys; just bad choices stemming from a different form of perception. And that perception itself may have come from a place of capitalism in order to cash in more profits for one’s coffers or the perception that if a story is stretched to the limit, it may make for a good yarn of a tale. And because it is such a yarn, consider me like the cat that buys in on that ball of yarn and brings it back to you, looks you in the face and with utmost hope, purrs, “What’s next, Geoff Johns?”
September 12, 2011
The end of the underwhelming Brightest Day arc is here. The first trade posed a lot of questions and felt like a slow reveal mystery. The second felt like a wandering mess. The third? Well, it’s a bit convoluted, but ultimately it’s the most interesting trade of the bunch. That said, it proves that the entire event was deeply unnecessary.
At the end of Blackest Night, a number of villains and heroes were brought back. Exactly why was the point of Brightest Day—to explain the randomness. I mean, Captain Boomerang? Aquaman? Deadman? Jade? Hawk? Dove? Firestorm? These characters and more were previously killed off for lofty creative reasons (see: low sales and low interest) but now they’re back for some reason, and here we finally find out why. So was it all worth it?
Well, no. No, it wasn’t.
The story in this trade is good, let me be clear about that. The action is well weighted, there’s plenty going on, and the feeling of building to crescendo is well orchestrated. There’s a few nice character moments as well, and Johns makes the action about the characters rather than people just beating each other up for the sake of it. But what makes this entire event feel like a non-event is the fact that this was really just an exercise to resurrect people to live in the New 52, and we even end up with 2 more late resurrections to add to the dozen we’ve already had. In short, it all felt cheap in the end, and the convoluted reveal felt even more so for the fact that it was trying to sandwich in all these characters in a way that justified their continued existence.
In short, the entire Brightest Day arc felt like what it was—an exercise in continuity stretching and character revival. The story itself is worth 4 stars as it really is well handled and the art is really beautiful (including some very memorable splash pages), but the exercise itself is 2 stars at best, thus we resolve at 3.
At the end of Blackest Night, a number of villains and heroes were brought back. Exactly why was the point of Brightest Day—to explain the randomness. I mean, Captain Boomerang? Aquaman? Deadman? Jade? Hawk? Dove? Firestorm? These characters and more were previously killed off for lofty creative reasons (see: low sales and low interest) but now they’re back for some reason, and here we finally find out why. So was it all worth it?
Well, no. No, it wasn’t.
The story in this trade is good, let me be clear about that. The action is well weighted, there’s plenty going on, and the feeling of building to crescendo is well orchestrated. There’s a few nice character moments as well, and Johns makes the action about the characters rather than people just beating each other up for the sake of it. But what makes this entire event feel like a non-event is the fact that this was really just an exercise to resurrect people to live in the New 52, and we even end up with 2 more late resurrections to add to the dozen we’ve already had. In short, it all felt cheap in the end, and the convoluted reveal felt even more so for the fact that it was trying to sandwich in all these characters in a way that justified their continued existence.
In short, the entire Brightest Day arc felt like what it was—an exercise in continuity stretching and character revival. The story itself is worth 4 stars as it really is well handled and the art is really beautiful (including some very memorable splash pages), but the exercise itself is 2 stars at best, thus we resolve at 3.
July 11, 2012
I have quite mixed feelings about how Brightest Day resolved itself. On the one hand, the end result was fantastic and well worth the wait. The characters who had been starring in the series all along ended up being pawns to bring about that specific result, some of them being played more cruelly than others. (Poor, poor Brand.) So far, so good. But other than that one specific result, there wasn't that much of a point here. Yes, these characters were resurrected, but with the exception of J'onn (whose death was a bit of a travesty to begin with, in my view) and possibly Aquaman, they could have all stayed dead with minimal fuss. And it was interesting to see some of what they did next. I'm not arguing the writing, heaven knows. I think I'm just arguing with the necessity of it all. At the same time, I would say it's a must read for anybody who read Blackest Night.
Read
August 23, 20213.5 stars
April 26, 2024
So ….when you die in DC comics you come back alive ish become evil …..annnddd good ish again
August 31, 2013
OK it's official, I loved Volume 3, the conclusion to the Event, and in truth, I think almost moreso than Blackest Night in some ways.
The White Lantern ring here takes back some of the lives it has returned, and Deadman is unable to stop the ring at all, even though he wields it.
In each case, the ring waits until the hero(es) have seemingly won the day, shone their brightest, and then takes them away, leaving those who stand with them and love them at a loss again.
All the while, everything is being drawn to Star City, where there is a large forest in the ruins of the city, created by Martian Manhunter. It is here that most of the resurrected ones find themselves, and eventually, we discover the higher purpose the ring had in taking the heroes back...the Ultimate Saviour of the Earth.
By this time, the residual death and evil of Nekron has infected a great elemental force, who is set on destroying the Earth and turning everything from GREEN to Black.
Will the heroes/White Lantern/sacrifices be enough to call from the Saviour of Earth, or will it be too late?
OK I have to say I LOVED the conclusion to this in so many ways. There was sacrifice again, battles again, and a gigantic showdown with a somewhat unexpected, but very welcome appearance from a character that I should have seen coming based on all the clues...it was very well done because I didn't see it coming, but when it happened I smiled and it made perfect sense to me.
Now that I've read it I can't imagine any other possible ending, it just makes sense.
Well done by Geoff Johns, he reworked and made Green Lantern relevant again, Flash again (both prior to this) and in this, he really brings Aquaman forth as the power he is, not the laughing stock of the JLA for far too long. I also liked having none of the holy trinity (Superman/Batman/Wonder Woman) dominating the story, or really in there much at all. It's nice for the other people to get some ink and storyline time.
I think that this did a TON for Deadman as well, he was always interesting, but this really fleshed him out (pun intended).
Fantastic.
The White Lantern ring here takes back some of the lives it has returned, and Deadman is unable to stop the ring at all, even though he wields it.
In each case, the ring waits until the hero(es) have seemingly won the day, shone their brightest, and then takes them away, leaving those who stand with them and love them at a loss again.
All the while, everything is being drawn to Star City, where there is a large forest in the ruins of the city, created by Martian Manhunter. It is here that most of the resurrected ones find themselves, and eventually, we discover the higher purpose the ring had in taking the heroes back...the Ultimate Saviour of the Earth.
By this time, the residual death and evil of Nekron has infected a great elemental force, who is set on destroying the Earth and turning everything from GREEN to Black.
Will the heroes/White Lantern/sacrifices be enough to call from the Saviour of Earth, or will it be too late?
OK I have to say I LOVED the conclusion to this in so many ways. There was sacrifice again, battles again, and a gigantic showdown with a somewhat unexpected, but very welcome appearance from a character that I should have seen coming based on all the clues...it was very well done because I didn't see it coming, but when it happened I smiled and it made perfect sense to me.
Now that I've read it I can't imagine any other possible ending, it just makes sense.
Well done by Geoff Johns, he reworked and made Green Lantern relevant again, Flash again (both prior to this) and in this, he really brings Aquaman forth as the power he is, not the laughing stock of the JLA for far too long. I also liked having none of the holy trinity (Superman/Batman/Wonder Woman) dominating the story, or really in there much at all. It's nice for the other people to get some ink and storyline time.
I think that this did a TON for Deadman as well, he was always interesting, but this really fleshed him out (pun intended).
Fantastic.
April 16, 2018
The mystery of the White Lantern is not really solved, but at least we find out why they brought the heroes back.
I was a little disappointed because we still don't know what was powering the white lantern. Each hero had a certain mission to fulfill and then they were transmuted into an elemental, but we never really know why they had each particular task.
The art was still top notch and while the story did have a pay off, I didn't think it quite lived up to the build and it left a few things unexplained. Still, Brightest Day was a good showcase for DC's B Team, even if things could have been clearer at the end.
I was a little disappointed because we still don't know what was powering the white lantern. Each hero had a certain mission to fulfill and then they were transmuted into an elemental, but we never really know why they had each particular task.
The art was still top notch and while the story did have a pay off, I didn't think it quite lived up to the build and it left a few things unexplained. Still, Brightest Day was a good showcase for DC's B Team, even if things could have been clearer at the end.
September 20, 2011
Started a little goofy but then had a GREAT payoff. I know some people may be turned off by the whole hippy-ish Save the Planet lesson Johns gave but as someone who has been rereading the Alan Moore Swamp Thing writings, Johns' bringing back the Swamp Thing had me cheerly aloud in Barnes and Noble. I am so excited now for that series reboot.
April 14, 2019
This third and final volume suffered from a touch of the old “let’s-wrap-it-up”-itis, not nearly as compelling now that the stories of the main white lantern champions have come back together.
Still there were some decent scenes and if you read the first two you’ll want to finish the series for sure.
Still there were some decent scenes and if you read the first two you’ll want to finish the series for sure.
July 25, 2021
Pues ea, finiquitado El Día Más Brillante, y me quedo con las tres estrellas para la serie en general. Si en los tomos anteriores habíamos ido descubriendo los objetivos de la Luz Blanca de la Vida, buscando un nuevo defensor para la Tierra, y que los héroes y villanos resucitados por la Linterna Blanca estaban llamados a ser los principales artífices de esta búsqueda. Pero en el número anterior también habíamos visto que al parecer incluso cumplir estas misiones iba a tener un precio, pues Hawkman y Hawkgirl lograron resolver su maldición acabando con la vida Hath-Seth y evitando el ascenso de Mundohalcón... lo que había provocado que el propio anillo blanco empuñado por Boston Brand (Deadman) les redujera a la nada.
La muerte de nuevo de Carter y Shiera Hall va a hacer que Deadman trate de dominar y controlar el anillo y la luz blanca, pero se va a a ver imposibilitado, y realmente Deadman se convierte en un títere del Anillo Blanco, arrojado a un lado y a otro del mundo solo para que podamos ver a través de sus ojos el resto de desarrollos de los eventos protagonizados por Firestorm, Aquaman y el Detective Marciano principalmente. Así que tendremos a J'onn acabando con el renacimiento de Marte en manos de D'kay D'rizz; a Aquaman encontrando al joven Aqualad (Jackson, el hijo de Manta Negra, que reconozco que me cayó bastante mal, yo tengo "mi propio Aqualad", que es Tempest y al que nadie consideró suficientemente importante como para resucitarlo) y derrotando a los Xebelianos de Siren; y a Firestorm, que cruzaría el propio Universo para recuperar la Linterna Blanca de manos de Deathstorm y sus Linternas Negras y el propio Antimonitor (que es el villano de DC capaz de conseguir que los pelos se me pongan como escarpias cada vez que aparece).
Y realmente, el final de El Día Más Brillante revela que todo esto está orquestado para devolver a los personajes que habían abandonado el Universo DC para formar parte de la línea Vértigo a su "casa madre". Y lo harán aquí, pues el nuevo defensor de la Tierra debe ser ni más ni menos que Alec Holland, es decir, La Cosa del Pantano, personaje que allá por los primeros 80 y de manos de Alan Moore se había conseguido en el icono de los cómics que terminarían englobándose bajo el sello Vértigo. Y por supuesto, al final de Brightest Day y en su breve epílogo (En Busca de la Cosa del Pantano, realmente malo), tendremos también a John Constantine, de modo que las puertas del Universo DC más superheróico se abría de vuelta a estos héroes que terminarían formando incluso su propia Liga de la Justicia Oscura, etc.
En fin, Brightest Day prácticamente enganchó con Flashpoint, el evento dirigido también por Geoff Johns que iba a remover los propios cimientos del Universo DC Clásico (de hecho, sería la destrucción de todo el Universo DC Clásico y desde mi punto de vista el mayor error cometido por la editorial desde... pufff... quizá en su historia), y es cierto que aunque el concepto es interesante, no deja de ser una puerta de entrada a una remodelación editorial, de modo que dejaba ya a mano personajes para los que se tenían proyectos posteriores... y poco más.
La muerte de nuevo de Carter y Shiera Hall va a hacer que Deadman trate de dominar y controlar el anillo y la luz blanca, pero se va a a ver imposibilitado, y realmente Deadman se convierte en un títere del Anillo Blanco, arrojado a un lado y a otro del mundo solo para que podamos ver a través de sus ojos el resto de desarrollos de los eventos protagonizados por Firestorm, Aquaman y el Detective Marciano principalmente. Así que tendremos a J'onn acabando con el renacimiento de Marte en manos de D'kay D'rizz; a Aquaman encontrando al joven Aqualad (Jackson, el hijo de Manta Negra, que reconozco que me cayó bastante mal, yo tengo "mi propio Aqualad", que es Tempest y al que nadie consideró suficientemente importante como para resucitarlo) y derrotando a los Xebelianos de Siren; y a Firestorm, que cruzaría el propio Universo para recuperar la Linterna Blanca de manos de Deathstorm y sus Linternas Negras y el propio Antimonitor (que es el villano de DC capaz de conseguir que los pelos se me pongan como escarpias cada vez que aparece).
Y realmente, el final de El Día Más Brillante revela que todo esto está orquestado para devolver a los personajes que habían abandonado el Universo DC para formar parte de la línea Vértigo a su "casa madre". Y lo harán aquí, pues el nuevo defensor de la Tierra debe ser ni más ni menos que Alec Holland, es decir, La Cosa del Pantano, personaje que allá por los primeros 80 y de manos de Alan Moore se había conseguido en el icono de los cómics que terminarían englobándose bajo el sello Vértigo. Y por supuesto, al final de Brightest Day y en su breve epílogo (En Busca de la Cosa del Pantano, realmente malo), tendremos también a John Constantine, de modo que las puertas del Universo DC más superheróico se abría de vuelta a estos héroes que terminarían formando incluso su propia Liga de la Justicia Oscura, etc.
En fin, Brightest Day prácticamente enganchó con Flashpoint, el evento dirigido también por Geoff Johns que iba a remover los propios cimientos del Universo DC Clásico (de hecho, sería la destrucción de todo el Universo DC Clásico y desde mi punto de vista el mayor error cometido por la editorial desde... pufff... quizá en su historia), y es cierto que aunque el concepto es interesante, no deja de ser una puerta de entrada a una remodelación editorial, de modo que dejaba ya a mano personajes para los que se tenían proyectos posteriores... y poco más.
Want to read
January 8, 2026Individual Issues Rated Below -
Brightest Day #18: 2.5/5 Stars
Brightest Day #19: 3.5/5 Stars
Brightest Day #20: 4/5 Stars
Brightest Day #21:
Brightest Day #22:
Brightest Day #23:
Brightest Day #24:
Brightest Day #18: 2.5/5 Stars
Brightest Day #19: 3.5/5 Stars
Brightest Day #20: 4/5 Stars
Brightest Day #21:
Brightest Day #22:
Brightest Day #23:
Brightest Day #24:
January 30, 2021
Well there were like five separate gut punches in rapid succession in this finale, but I'm a glutton for punishment so there you go Brightest Day, take your damn 5 stars.
If I stopped to concentrate on the hand waving necessary to really understand why what happened in this saga actually happened I'd probably end up docking a star (the whole Swamp Thing thing kinda came outta left field for me), but I choose to focus on the emotional relationships because there were some bloody excellent arcs here.
Hawkgirl and Hawkman really kicked me in the feels - more than I was expecting actually, because a lot of their story in Volume 2 didn't impact me the way Vol 1 did. But here they nailed it. So close, time and time and time again... Just tragic. Reaching for each other as they disintegrated just begging for a little more time left me angry at reality and hurting a bit. To have one of them ultimately return without the other was cruel, but it does make for great reading.
Firestorm's arc surprised me with how much I cared from the first volume and I'm pretty satisfied with the ending here. Obviously the Prof's death was painful to witness and Ronnie's reaction was pretty damn sad, but it was also excellent to see such genuine emotion from him. I wish that it hadn't taken the death of his Dad for it to happen, but I suppose that's sometimes how it goes (especially if you're a superhero, let's not kid ourselves). I still adore watching him and Jason feel each other out and learn to work together as Firestorm. I like that their relationship wasn't fixed in two seconds and not even truly by the end of Brightest Day. That feels real. They're both wired differently. They hate each other. Jason's girlfriend still died to Black Lantern Firestorm. They'll have moments where they work well and understand each other, and then it inevitably falls apart until they have built their foundation (which, by the way, they better figure out before they destroy the universe). I want to read more of Firestorm in general is what I've learned from Brightest Day.
Aquaman and Aqualad got some good moments. I definitely want to see more of Aqualad coming into his own and learning his own history. Arthur and Mera remaining loyal to each other throughout this chaos which provided ample opportunity for needless in-fighting made me so very happy.
All I can say about J'onn's personal torture here is... well... yeah, I've got nothing. Can't put many words to that. Watching him break free was very satisfying, but not as satisfying as watching that green demon incarnate get disintegrated by the Sun. Someone give that Martian a hug or something, good god.
Dove and Boston's romance happened way too quickly for me to get invested, but I do like Dove as a character. The 'I love you's from beyond the grave were too much though, gag. Hank's possessiveness gets old quickly for when it's this aggressive (which, yes, is his whole thing), but it makes it hard for me to like him.
Back to Boston though - that dude just cannot catch a break. His redemption arc was endearing with his Grandfather, but the universe clearly did not care two pins. For all his services to end up like that... Life just sucks. As does death. As does that awkward in between situation.
I was ready to punch that damn Lantern by the end of this volume with all of its "It Is Necessary" bullshit, but I really, really enjoyed this finale. Blackest Night was my favourite DC Event thus far, and Brightest Day was a great read as well - though not quite at the level of the main event. I loved the focus on different relationships and the absurdly high stakes (as per usual). My heart is a little worse for wear, but hey, I'm all here for bittersweet endings.
If I stopped to concentrate on the hand waving necessary to really understand why what happened in this saga actually happened I'd probably end up docking a star (the whole Swamp Thing thing kinda came outta left field for me), but I choose to focus on the emotional relationships because there were some bloody excellent arcs here.
Hawkgirl and Hawkman really kicked me in the feels - more than I was expecting actually, because a lot of their story in Volume 2 didn't impact me the way Vol 1 did. But here they nailed it. So close, time and time and time again... Just tragic. Reaching for each other as they disintegrated just begging for a little more time left me angry at reality and hurting a bit. To have one of them ultimately return without the other was cruel, but it does make for great reading.
Firestorm's arc surprised me with how much I cared from the first volume and I'm pretty satisfied with the ending here. Obviously the Prof's death was painful to witness and Ronnie's reaction was pretty damn sad, but it was also excellent to see such genuine emotion from him. I wish that it hadn't taken the death of his Dad for it to happen, but I suppose that's sometimes how it goes (especially if you're a superhero, let's not kid ourselves). I still adore watching him and Jason feel each other out and learn to work together as Firestorm. I like that their relationship wasn't fixed in two seconds and not even truly by the end of Brightest Day. That feels real. They're both wired differently. They hate each other. Jason's girlfriend still died to Black Lantern Firestorm. They'll have moments where they work well and understand each other, and then it inevitably falls apart until they have built their foundation (which, by the way, they better figure out before they destroy the universe). I want to read more of Firestorm in general is what I've learned from Brightest Day.
Aquaman and Aqualad got some good moments. I definitely want to see more of Aqualad coming into his own and learning his own history. Arthur and Mera remaining loyal to each other throughout this chaos which provided ample opportunity for needless in-fighting made me so very happy.
All I can say about J'onn's personal torture here is... well... yeah, I've got nothing. Can't put many words to that. Watching him break free was very satisfying, but not as satisfying as watching that green demon incarnate get disintegrated by the Sun. Someone give that Martian a hug or something, good god.
Dove and Boston's romance happened way too quickly for me to get invested, but I do like Dove as a character. The 'I love you's from beyond the grave were too much though, gag. Hank's possessiveness gets old quickly for when it's this aggressive (which, yes, is his whole thing), but it makes it hard for me to like him.
Back to Boston though - that dude just cannot catch a break. His redemption arc was endearing with his Grandfather, but the universe clearly did not care two pins. For all his services to end up like that... Life just sucks. As does death. As does that awkward in between situation.
I was ready to punch that damn Lantern by the end of this volume with all of its "It Is Necessary" bullshit, but I really, really enjoyed this finale. Blackest Night was my favourite DC Event thus far, and Brightest Day was a great read as well - though not quite at the level of the main event. I loved the focus on different relationships and the absurdly high stakes (as per usual). My heart is a little worse for wear, but hey, I'm all here for bittersweet endings.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 11, 2021
So....oof. Where do I even start with this?
I guess I better get what I liked out of the way. The art, as with the previous volumes, is fantastic. Reis and Gleason in particular do so much justice to their respective storylines, and the book is elevated by their pencils. Since this volume contains the payoffs vol 2 lacked, it's inherently more interesting and gripping than its predecessor. Until the White Lantern comes along to ruin things, I really like where each of these stories ends things. It's kinda sad we spend all this time setting up Kaldur only to put him on the shelf for five years with the New 52, but the series does a good job establishing a potential status quo with him. D'kay is a great antagonist to follow, and her defeat is satisfying. Heck, I was kinda on the fence about the Hawks' storyline, but I felt their payoff was also well executed.
Now...for everything else. I hated the final issue. First, for an "Entity of Life," the White Lantern is downright villainous. Sure, it's operating for the greater good, but the manipulative, murderous ways it carries this out would make the most hard-core villains blush. Captain Boomerang's inclusion was dumb - his "mission" could've been carried out by anyone, so it's pretty clear he was just resurrected because DC wanted to use him again. Deadman's story didn't get enough time to earn its payoff, and his ending coupled with the Hawks' just felt gross. It's like the book was trying to say that life has its few good moments before taking everything from you, and then you die. Not a very nuanced perspective, and even if that's what they were going for, it wasn't properly built to anyway.
This series really frustrates me. On one hand, when the storylines are good, they're really good. On the other, it's a book with slow forward momentum (not in a good way), and the ending is horrendous. All I know is next time I read Blackest Night, I'm gonna be quietly rooting for Nekron to get a couple more good hits in on the Entity.
I guess I better get what I liked out of the way. The art, as with the previous volumes, is fantastic. Reis and Gleason in particular do so much justice to their respective storylines, and the book is elevated by their pencils. Since this volume contains the payoffs vol 2 lacked, it's inherently more interesting and gripping than its predecessor. Until the White Lantern comes along to ruin things, I really like where each of these stories ends things. It's kinda sad we spend all this time setting up Kaldur only to put him on the shelf for five years with the New 52, but the series does a good job establishing a potential status quo with him. D'kay is a great antagonist to follow, and her defeat is satisfying. Heck, I was kinda on the fence about the Hawks' storyline, but I felt their payoff was also well executed.
Now...for everything else. I hated the final issue. First, for an "Entity of Life," the White Lantern is downright villainous. Sure, it's operating for the greater good, but the manipulative, murderous ways it carries this out would make the most hard-core villains blush. Captain Boomerang's inclusion was dumb - his "mission" could've been carried out by anyone, so it's pretty clear he was just resurrected because DC wanted to use him again. Deadman's story didn't get enough time to earn its payoff, and his ending coupled with the Hawks' just felt gross. It's like the book was trying to say that life has its few good moments before taking everything from you, and then you die. Not a very nuanced perspective, and even if that's what they were going for, it wasn't properly built to anyway.
This series really frustrates me. On one hand, when the storylines are good, they're really good. On the other, it's a book with slow forward momentum (not in a good way), and the ending is horrendous. All I know is next time I read Blackest Night, I'm gonna be quietly rooting for Nekron to get a couple more good hits in on the Entity.
May 18, 2016
Cool concept but a choppy read.
I like the idea behind this series, it really is epic and introduces a long lost character back into the DCU just in time for the New52, but just like the rest of the series, the individual pieces of this series is just not appealing and makes for a slog of a read.
World: The art is good, it's beautiful but I find it a bit overly realistic, this is just me and my preference, but I will say that the power of the rings look fantastic. The world building here is good, it really is Johns best skill as a writer. The play on the huge cast of characters and building and using pieces of their worlds to make this into a huge event is just amazing, it's complex and if you are a DC nerd you will eat it all up. This is the best part of the book.
Story: Choppy as hell, this is because there are so many tie-ins that it will make your head spin. Plus the cast of characters here range from really cool to...Hawk...really? A couple of stories I care about some I could care less. The fact that it's Deadman is cool but he can't keep the spine of the story together he's just doesn't have enough of an arc for that. The end result of the book is cool, the idea is another further take on the emotional spectrum and the return of ********* is fucking awesome. But this story feels choppy and cliche because we just came out of another mind blowing huge event 'Blackest Night' so this feels too much of a mirror of that story. Well it is called 'Brightest Day' so it's understandable, but it does not make it more appealing than it actually is. It's a fun read, and in the grand scheme of things not the worse event by a long shot, plus it introduces a loved character back so yeah it's worth a read if you have the time.
Characters: Hit and miss. I love Aquaman and Martian Manhunter in this book but the rest start to feel boring to me. I stared liking the Boston Brand story at the beginning but by the end I just didn't care. Don't even get me started on Hawk and also Firestorm. The cast of characters is great, but I wish there were more interesting stories told with them and even some characters being replaced by better ones.
I liked it, it was not super great, but it was iconic in what it did. It's worth a read if you have time, but it's not really super super must read.
Onward to the next book!
I like the idea behind this series, it really is epic and introduces a long lost character back into the DCU just in time for the New52, but just like the rest of the series, the individual pieces of this series is just not appealing and makes for a slog of a read.
World: The art is good, it's beautiful but I find it a bit overly realistic, this is just me and my preference, but I will say that the power of the rings look fantastic. The world building here is good, it really is Johns best skill as a writer. The play on the huge cast of characters and building and using pieces of their worlds to make this into a huge event is just amazing, it's complex and if you are a DC nerd you will eat it all up. This is the best part of the book.
Story: Choppy as hell, this is because there are so many tie-ins that it will make your head spin. Plus the cast of characters here range from really cool to...Hawk...really? A couple of stories I care about some I could care less. The fact that it's Deadman is cool but he can't keep the spine of the story together he's just doesn't have enough of an arc for that. The end result of the book is cool, the idea is another further take on the emotional spectrum and the return of ********* is fucking awesome. But this story feels choppy and cliche because we just came out of another mind blowing huge event 'Blackest Night' so this feels too much of a mirror of that story. Well it is called 'Brightest Day' so it's understandable, but it does not make it more appealing than it actually is. It's a fun read, and in the grand scheme of things not the worse event by a long shot, plus it introduces a loved character back so yeah it's worth a read if you have the time.
Characters: Hit and miss. I love Aquaman and Martian Manhunter in this book but the rest start to feel boring to me. I stared liking the Boston Brand story at the beginning but by the end I just didn't care. Don't even get me started on Hawk and also Firestorm. The cast of characters is great, but I wish there were more interesting stories told with them and even some characters being replaced by better ones.
I liked it, it was not super great, but it was iconic in what it did. It's worth a read if you have time, but it's not really super super must read.
Onward to the next book!
July 30, 2015
FIRST READING: This is somewhat of a lacklustre finish to this series. While it wasn't bad and kept my interest till the end, I couldn't help but question some things.
There were some times while reading this I found myself asking, why are they doing this? How did they know to go here? They might have been small instances, but it was enough to deter my interest. The Hawkworld conclusion was pretty average, and sometimes confusing. "They're on Zamaron now? WTF?!". I'm guessing since it involved the Star Sapphires it will be covered more in Green Lantern: Brightest Day. The Aquaman story was somewhat better, but again the conclusion was a bit anti-climactic. Maybe because it wasn't really the final climax. I enjoyed the Firestorm story a lot, as I did the Martian Manhunter story. I'm a big fan of Deadman, so it was no surprise inenjoyed his section, aside from the many questions I'm left with. I liked the reveal of the "chosen one" a lot though, I'm a big fan of that guy (who I won't name).
This story doesn't really have a final conclusion. Many of the stories have an open ending that will no doubt lead onto something more.
It wasn't as big a finale as I had anticipated, and it didn't quite come together at the end with an "oh shit! Everything pieces together perfectly" kind of moment. Aside from those little niggles I thought it was a cool series. If you enjoyed Blackest Night, then you'll probably vibe this!
SECOND READING: Reading this through again I take back everything I said. All the parts that seemed to not make sense, made sense. I must have been high as shit to miss all these sections that explained why people where doing what etc.
I can't believe how much more I enjoyed this the second time round. And Jesus Christ the art is astounding...enter art boner! Don't listen to my dumbass past self, enjoy this book!
There were some times while reading this I found myself asking, why are they doing this? How did they know to go here? They might have been small instances, but it was enough to deter my interest. The Hawkworld conclusion was pretty average, and sometimes confusing. "They're on Zamaron now? WTF?!". I'm guessing since it involved the Star Sapphires it will be covered more in Green Lantern: Brightest Day. The Aquaman story was somewhat better, but again the conclusion was a bit anti-climactic. Maybe because it wasn't really the final climax. I enjoyed the Firestorm story a lot, as I did the Martian Manhunter story. I'm a big fan of Deadman, so it was no surprise inenjoyed his section, aside from the many questions I'm left with. I liked the reveal of the "chosen one" a lot though, I'm a big fan of that guy (who I won't name).
This story doesn't really have a final conclusion. Many of the stories have an open ending that will no doubt lead onto something more.
It wasn't as big a finale as I had anticipated, and it didn't quite come together at the end with an "oh shit! Everything pieces together perfectly" kind of moment. Aside from those little niggles I thought it was a cool series. If you enjoyed Blackest Night, then you'll probably vibe this!
SECOND READING: Reading this through again I take back everything I said. All the parts that seemed to not make sense, made sense. I must have been high as shit to miss all these sections that explained why people where doing what etc.
I can't believe how much more I enjoyed this the second time round. And Jesus Christ the art is astounding...enter art boner! Don't listen to my dumbass past self, enjoy this book!
July 26, 2012
Sad to say for anyone reading this post this will not be a rant.
If you end up reading the Brightest Day saga (which ties into Blackest Night and Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne) and reach this you should find it full of twists, turns and glorious graphic novel art. I was stunned by what happened and while some of the concluding events were unusually bizarre they worked to tie everything together.
Anyway in my brief summation this is a good graphic novel and much better than the second. If you're looking for a graphic novel trilogy to read you'd do worse than try these books out.
November 4, 2012
We can clearly see the idea of the DC reboot and incorporation of it's other imprints as this series moves along. I don't want to give anything away, but there was certainly the idea of incorporation prior to the decision to re-number everything. For the most part, these Brightest Day books aren't worth buying in single issues, but are worth checking out of the library and reading. Mainly because these are some of my favorite DCU characters. Deadman, Aquaman, Martian Manhunter. Underutilized and under appreciated, as time wore on, these characters became increasingly obscure and their importance waned. This was the attempt before the Nu52 to get everyone back on board with what should have always been considered core DCU characters. And aside from the Hawkman story, which seemed the most convoluted, everything was pretty good.
January 1, 2012
Reading this in a collected format really made the last third a much stronger story. It's interesting to see which themes (pretty much everything involving Swamp Thing) were carried over into the DCnU with the New 52, honestly I think Brightest Day would have made a much better transition into it than Flashpoint did as the foundation was laid with Firestorm's powers changing and becoming so unstable. Even with this being removed from continuity it's still worth reading.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 22, 2012
This book is certainly not for the uninitiated. If you don't know What an Anti-monitor is, or can't tell the difference between a Swamp Thing and a Man-thing, this probably won't be enjoyable. If you have a section of your brain devoted to the continuity of the DC universe, then this will be a tasty treat.
September 8, 2017
Odpowiedzi na pytania nadeszły wraz z finałem walki życia z nieżyciem. Każdy kto odegrał w niej ważną rolę znalazł w tej walce swój sens. Polubiłem Bostona i uważam, że w New52 zaprzepaścili jego zasługi. Szkoda, że Black Manta okazuje zwykłym mordercą bez krzty człowieczeństwa. Za to wątek Shiery i Cartera był bardzo ciekawy. Mam nadzieję że rebirth przywróci ich do łask.
March 12, 2022
See my previous two reviews for full details. The conclusion to Johns/Tomasi's magnum opus. There was so definite rushing to finish this story and you can feel it. The care to detail seems up taper off slightly from the previous volumes into an ending that is bad not conclusive and good. It's unfortunate since I thoroughly enjoyed the series but it was losing me toward the end.
June 13, 2011
A battle royal to distract readers from the fact that none of these resurrections were necessary or interesting.
It's come to the point where second and third string characters are literally battling for the attention of market share. And that's not a story.
It's come to the point where second and third string characters are literally battling for the attention of market share. And that's not a story.
June 3, 2011
Great conclusion to this series. A really enjoyable read. Some surprises and twists with a big reveal in the last issues. Johns continues to deliver great story-telling and the art was wonderful.
June 9, 2015
Ok. That just pretty much sucked. What was the point? Bleh.
January 8, 2020
So one of the things I found myself doing when I read the first two volumes of the Brightest Day limited series was trying to figure exactly what was the endgame of this series. As I pointed out in my review of Vol. 1, one thing I appreciated was Geoff Johns and Peter Tomasi's use of essentially B-list DC heroes (basically, heroes who have traditionally had difficulty carrying their own books, like Hawkman) to drive the Brightest Day narrative. It was obvious to me, that these heroes were ones that held a special place in Johns and Tomasi's hearts and you could notice the care they were putting into the story. But at the same time, I felt like that they set the bar high for the conclusion of this series, and if they missed the mark, I was going to be sure to say something about it.
I have so many conflicting emotions about how this series came to end. Was the ending unsatisfying? Not in the traditional sense, no. The end of the series makes sense given the setups and lead into another series that I am not going to mention by name, as to not introduce spoilers into this review, but that I admit I have been interested in checking out for some time. But to run the risk of introducing that same spoiler, this series also portends the end of a DC imprint that I was a big fan of when I was in college. That imprint was only retired last year, but it's actual death starts here. If you have been a long time fan of comics of all stripes, the end of Brightest Day brings certain characters back into the main DC continuity that may or may not have been a part of it to this point. Since DC editorial is constantly screwing with the continuity, this isn't a surprise, even though I feel these characters had better stories written about them when they were under the imprint, and that putting them back into the "main" continuity is kind of a step back, even though "verboten" themes may be more acceptable in today's comics.
Given all of this, I feel that the end of Brightest Day was good, but not great. It serves a purpose for DC editorial and in that regard, the book is a success. But I just feel like the end could have been so much better for a series that seemed to have a lot of potential, using the characters it did. And that's almost always a disappointment.
I have so many conflicting emotions about how this series came to end. Was the ending unsatisfying? Not in the traditional sense, no. The end of the series makes sense given the setups and lead into another series that I am not going to mention by name, as to not introduce spoilers into this review, but that I admit I have been interested in checking out for some time. But to run the risk of introducing that same spoiler, this series also portends the end of a DC imprint that I was a big fan of when I was in college. That imprint was only retired last year, but it's actual death starts here. If you have been a long time fan of comics of all stripes, the end of Brightest Day brings certain characters back into the main DC continuity that may or may not have been a part of it to this point. Since DC editorial is constantly screwing with the continuity, this isn't a surprise, even though I feel these characters had better stories written about them when they were under the imprint, and that putting them back into the "main" continuity is kind of a step back, even though "verboten" themes may be more acceptable in today's comics.
Given all of this, I feel that the end of Brightest Day was good, but not great. It serves a purpose for DC editorial and in that regard, the book is a success. But I just feel like the end could have been so much better for a series that seemed to have a lot of potential, using the characters it did. And that's almost always a disappointment.
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