J’onn’s death touch doesn’t sit too well with Oliver when he visits a very nice forest in Star City.
What They Say:
The resurrected have discovered their purpose for being back, but where will the knowledge lead them? Who is the new Aqualad? And what strange event is taking place around the White Power Battery in New Mexico?
The Review:
With this issue of Brightest Day, the story focuses on arcs that I consider to be the most interesting and it even brings two of them together for the duration. Taking Boston Brand and Dove from the White Battery to Hal Jordan doesn’t go as planned as the ring definitely has a mind of its own and ends up sending the pair to Aquman instead, reminding Boston about Camp Brighton years ago and his own love of swimming. Suffice to say, Boston is not liking the ring and its sense of humor and how it seems to push him in unwelcome directions for accomplishing the goals its setting for him. In the end though, he has to realize that it is doing just that because Aquaman needed to know of the larger plan and to push Boston to seeing the other resurrected people in order to let them know so they can begin to focus more on their larger task.
Spending time with Aquaman and Mera is definitely welcome though as Arthur is on a mission of his own now, having been given the vision of a boy with a tattoo on his arm that leads him to believe he’ll find the new Aqualad. Mera’s cautious about it, but she can understand the focus he has over it considering all that’s happened. And it certainly seems like she’s hiding yet another secret from him, something their relationship may not stand. While it’s not a lengthy piece in the book, it’s definitely welcome and it’s balanced out with a few pages with the boy named Jackson as he calls down the rains over Silver City in New Mexico, much to his parents fright. There’s a real sweeping sense of power coming from him as he does it that makes the pages spent on it worthwhile, as well as the nod that there’s something more to him that his parents know and must reveal to him since he’s old enough. It’s a cruel little tease to be sure as you want to know more about him right away.
The bulk of the issue and action is spent with J’onn though as he arrives at Star City and heads into the forest that’s like a telepathic black hole for him. The place is definitely creepy in general but it has a devastating effect on him as it sends his body and mind out of control. It forces him to try and adapt, but he ends up growing in strange ways, power exuding out of him and he’s close to turning the whole place into a flaming forest. Oliver’s there to stop him, but even he doesn’t realize who it is at first because of how twisted he’s become. The tension between the two is palpable and Oliver does not come across well here. While he’s a protector of the earth and nature, he goes so far overboard with it when dealing with a friend of his that it’s out of character, making him too much of an eco-extremist rather than someone with a mission who has to use understanding to deal with issues. The story does offer up some clues, but mostly it again sets J’onn off to a new place with the visions he gets.
The most amusing part of this book has to involve the mystery green martian though as it walks through a supermarket after turning everyone there into a bloody pulp so it can do its shopping. Playing that out with the automated advertising going on within the supermarket has a fun little surreal bit to it, but it ties into what J’onn’s going through as well which gives it a bit more edge. There’s some disturbing about the whole scene in general, but I do like that it played that route even while not making it exactly clear why it’s there in the first place.
Digital Notes:
This Comixology edition of Brightest Day contains both the David Finch primary cover which features an excellent painted image of Oliver hunting J’onn in the dying woods and the Ivan Reis variant cover which has a really clean and vibrant image of the new Aqualad’s arm reaching for the sky. It has a really ominous yet regal look to it. With the variant included in here as it would be with a trade paperback release, it’s definitely a welcome value added piece for digital fans rather than making us choose between two editions to buy, a practice I do not like as I’ve seen it done elsewhere.
In Summary:
Brightest Day again plays things with more forward movement going on but no real clear destination in mind yet. The closest we have is that the resurrected people are here to help guide a new White Lantern onto the scene, but beyond that it’s moving in mysterious ways. The storylines each have their potential, some are more interesting than others, and seeing them when they cross paths usually helps to explain things a bit more. The arcs here are all ones I enjoy, especially when it comes to Aquaman and the use of Black Manta here that looks to have some really good fun ahead of it, but the Martian Manhunter material is tops as well as it sends him on to his next destination after a very awkward and less than productive meeting with Green Arrow. With nine issues out of the way, it’s quickly hitting a point where it needs more substance to be introduced though. I’m enjoying each of the stories for the most part, but the ties that binds it together need to tighten a bit more to keep up the enthusiasm.
Grade: B
