Remember DC's big blockbuster story arc Blackest Night?
Well here's something related, which I originally intended to post for Halloween, but kept delaying it...so anyway, here is...
(be sure to either known about or read Blackest Night before, or this book will seem pretty abstract to you :P)
Comic title: Untold Tales of Blackest Night
By Geoff Johns, Peter J Tomasi, JT Krul, Ehan Van Sciver, Ed Benes, Patrick Gleason, Sam Schlagman, Jason Fabok, Jeremy Love, Bret Booth & others.
Published by DC Comics
From 2010
Lineup Green Lantern/Blackest Night mega-event
Format: Halloween One-Shot special (as originally planned, but actually only later released on Christmas/December).
Did you like Blackest Night, did you want more of it, or at least one final look at that zombie invasion mega-event from DC?
Well, your in luck then, Untold Tales of Blackest Night is exactly here for that.
Claimed to be "deleted scenes" taken out of the blockbuster storyline. Deleted scenes they couldn't find any space on any of the other tie-ins book to squeeze these in.
Told via the "Book of Black" these stories are one last look at the longest night the DC heroes lived through this time from the point of view of some true underdogs, lesser known characters or simply the ones we forgot to stop by during the event.
Various creative teams worked on the several little chapters found in this One Shot.
The principal overlapping narrative is written by Peter J Tomasi and drawn by Patrick Gleason & Sandra Hope.
We're back with Sinestro Corps member Lyssa Drak. Trapped in Black Hand and Nekron's own "book", she narrates the tales (un)told in this book as she tries to get out of it...unsuccessfully.
The first actual deleted scene is a story about Shadowpact member Ragman, a magic based vigilante.
The story is by Geoff Johns, with the art provided by Ivan Reis & Oclair Albert.
Ragman tries to escape the Black Lanterns, the souls in his rags are awakening...
Nice little story that is a bit too short and doesn't go anywhere much. But it was a character I like I was intrigued to know what he was doing during Blackest Night, so at least it answers that.
Would have loved seeing the rest of his gang Shadowpact around though. (Blue Devil and the Phantom Stranger did appear a bit more in the actual BL story though...)
The second scene is another one done by the above crew.
It's about Flash's enemies called the Rainbow Raiders (I kid you not!), who stolen the technology of a previous enemy who called himself Rainbow Raider and who want to join the ranks of the Black Lanterns through...an odd original way....
Then there's a very nice Animal Man story by Sam Schlagman with Jason Fabok & Ryan Winn on the art.
Another characters I would have wanted to see during the actual event, very nice to finally see the adventure through his eyes.
His connection to the green and animals life is briefly touched upon, and distorted thanks to the zombie invasion.
After that is a Donna Troy story from writer JT Krul with Ed Benes lovely artwork serving it.
Well I said Donna Troy? Let's call it a Wonder Girl story, since it kinda changes direction mid-point.
This one's taking place near the end of "the night". It kinda showed a bit more but wasn't really a self contained story, more like missing pages.
A very nice little mini Scarecrow story build the bridge into the last moments of the event.
From Jeremy Love with art by Bret Booth.
At some point near the end of the event, the Lanterns elected some "deputies". This little story take place at that moment. And it was the most "Halloween-ysh" tale of the bunch.
Always fun to explore Scarecrow from time to time, at moments like these.
Finally a story that isn't taking place on planet Earth!
The last one is written, inked and colored by Ehan Van Sciver.
It follows Sinestro Corps member Karu-Sil as she battles Black Lanterns alongside a Green Lantern.
Most of these stories feel kinda rushed and either quickly end abruptly or end up leaving you for more.
They do feel like missing scenes moreso than actual "Untold Tales" as the title implies.
Lyssa Drak is back in the end for an epilogue after BN, which end up making her story seemed the more intriguing, you kinda wish you could have more and followed her onto the next coming epic story...
Overall, it was a nice little "Halloween" comic filler to read.
Though I gotta say, if you're a Green Lantern fan it might leave you wanting for more, since Lanterns barely appear in here...
(couldn't they squeeze in there, oh I dunno, a G'nort story for example??)
Most of the tales feel too constrained, some pages too close to develop anything... I wish Ragman had more than 2-3 pages!!
Strangely though, Animal Man felt like the main story, as it counted the higher pages number of the whole bunch, (kinda ties-in to what was coming in Brightest Day after that...)
If you enjoyed the Blackest Night as a whole, you will definitively be in for a threat :P
Though consider these as some kind of "deleted scenes" spotlighting some under used DC Comics characters.
I think I would quite enjoy if DC could revisit the whole BN event for Halloween, once or twice again down the road..
(though the "New 52" reboot makes it unsure for now...we'll see in a year or two!)
I give it:
