From the ashes of DC Comics' "Blackest Night" multititle event comes the cheerier-by-comparison follow-up, "Brightest Day." Judging from the first two issues (technically two, although they're marked as being #0 and #1), I'd recommend it only to those who read the whole of "? and liked "? "Blackest Night." All others may be lost; I don't quite "get" all of it myself.
Whereas "Night" killed off a handful of superheroes, "Day" resurrects them, but the danger is far from over. There are still kinks to be worked out; for example, Deadman is no longer dead, of all people; Hawkman and Hawkgirl wonder wassup with finding the bones of their souls' "first homes"; the two guys who comprise Firestorm keep bickering over the death of one of their girlfriends; and Aquaman seemingly can summon only expired sea creatures. (Sorry, Aquaman, although the giant squid and rotting shark attacks make for a hell of an image.)
Meanwhile, Green Lantern is puzzled over the resurrection light's evolution into a white lantern, and if that phrase makes you scratch your head, join the club. Often encompassing more heroes than can fit on a cover, these limited series almost never make it easy for newcomers or casual comics readers, and that's fine. I understand their appeal to the hardcore fans, but it's difficult for the rest of us to crack. At least the art by a host of illustrators is consistently well-rendered.
For those keeping track, the "Brightest Day" storyline will play out over 26 issues among about nine separate titles. "?Rod Lott
