blackest night | DC Comics

It’s the DC NATION con tour with Dan DiDio

As if he weren’t busy enough with his duties as Co-Publisher of DC Comics, our very own Dan DiDio is a constant presence at cons across the country and around the globe. From time to time, we’ll get a note from Dan with a photo of him and some of our great fans, so we thought it’d be nice to give a few of those dedicated, costume-wearing readers a little time under The Source’s spotlight. So here are a few shots from Dan’s most recent jaunt across the country with some familiar faces.

Vixen, Zatanna and a certain Dark Knight with Dan (and our other Co-Publisher Jim Lee in the background. Hey, Jim!) at WonderCon last month. From left: Thera Pitts, Dan, Emylee Wang and Aaron Blossom.

This snapshot of the Lantern spectrum comes to us from sunny Florida, where Dan was attending MegaCon not long ago. Can you name all the characters above? If so, your eyes are better than mine. Here’s a listing of some of the costumed folk: Rick Lance, Rebecca May Womack, Derek Rich, Dan, Dwight Dunbar, Sherita Dunbar, Danny and Heather Kelley and John Lemay.

Another from MegaCon: Dan and Black Lantern Superman, i.e. Danny Kelley. Nice duds, dude! Um, is that a heart in your hands?

We’ll have some more photos as we get farther into the convention season, so stay tuned to The Source.

Tags:

blackest night, brightest day, Dan DiDio, dc nation, megacon, wondercon

The BRIGHTEST DAY continues in GREEN LANTERN #53

Writer Geoff Johns and artist Doug Mahnke present the next exciting chapter of the Green Lantern mythos right here, with the first part of "New Guardians." Forced to work together during the deadly rise of the Black Lanterns, Hal Jordan, Sinestro, Carol Ferris, Saint Walker, Atrocitus, Indigo-1 and Larfleeze must agree to disagree if their next mission is to succeed. But when a familiar and strange face returns, will everything be put into question again? My guess? Seems like it.

GREEN LANTERN #53 hits tomorrow.

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Tags:

blackest night, brightest day, doug mahnke, Geoff Johns, green lantern

The Eisner Awards honor the DC Universe

The Eisner Awards, considered by many to be "The Oscars" of comic book industry awards, unveiled their nominees for the 2010 ceremony today, honoring a number of key DCU titles and creators. The winners will be named at the San Diego Comic-Con International, the largest and oldest comic convention in the United States.

Let's check out the DCU nominees, shall we?

SINGLE ISSUE:

"Blackhawk and the Flash: Firing Line," by J. Michael Straczynski and artist Jesus Saiz presents the reader with a tale both classic and modern, reminding us of the best, off-the-wall superhero team-ups of the past with a modern twist.

LIMITED SERIES OR STORY ARC:

BLACKEST NIGHT, by Geoff Johns, Ivan Reis and Oclair Albert. The epic, universe-spanning mini-series gets a much-deserved nod from the Eisner judges, capping off an epic year of compelling storytelling and jaw-droppingly beautiful art that dominated the comic book landscape.

WRITER:

Geoff Johns, ADVENTURE COMICS, BLACKEST NIGHT, THE FLASH: REBIRTH, SUPERMAN: SECRET ORIGIN, GREEN LANTERN. What more can be said about Mr. Johns? He's had a stellar year, hasn't he? Whether he was bringing back the dead and spreading mutli-colored rings in the pages of BLACKEST NIGHT or reinventing one of modern folklore's greatest legends in the pages of SUPERMAN: SECRET ORIGIN, Johns has blazed a trail through the DC Universe by making the supremely difficult look almost too easy: strong stories focused on strong characters with no frills.

WRITER:

James Robinson, JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRY FOR JUSTICE. One thing that can be said about James Robinson as a writer? He takes risks. Whether it's launching a Justice League series starring Congorilla, a blue-skinned Starman and Supergirl or having one of comic's most-beloved heroes shoot an arrow through Prometheus' skull, let it never said that Robinson plays it safe. And it's that daring and innate knowledge of these characters he so clearly loves that earned him the nod.

PENCILLER/INKER and COVER ARTIST:

J.H. Williams III, DETECTIVE COMICS. You read that correctly. That's TWO nominations for superstar artist J.H. Williams III, who clearly poured everything he had into his work on the Batwoman story in DETECTIVE COMICS. It was Williams' vivid and constantly evolving linework and almost innate ability to construct a page -- and do so in new, daring ways -- that helped literally paint a picture for the reader, and really made Kate Kane a real, breathing character for an entire generation of fans to embrace. Bravo!

PAINTER/MULTIMEDIA ARTIST:

Mauro Cascioli, JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRY FOR JUSTICE. Mauro Cascioli made tragedy real. With his realistic, painterly style, Cascioli brought a gritty, three-dimensional sensibility to a book that collected some of the most daring and imaginative characters in the DC Universe. Whether it was a battle of super-powered beings among the clouds or an archer's aching sense of loss, Cascioli has it covered, and he showed as much in the pages of CRY FOR JUSTICE.

COLORING:

Alex Sinclair, BLACKEST NIGHT. Seems like a no-brainer, huh? But not just anyone could bring to life the vivid spectrum of powers and emotions that form the crux of BLACKEST NIGHT -- from the raging reds of Atrocitus to the serene blues of Saint Walker and everything in between, Sinclair made the reader feel like they were on the sidelines watching a fantastical light battle that was as awe-inspiring as it was dangerous. Not an easy feat, folks.

GRAPHIC ALBUM (REPRINT) and PUBLICATION DESIGN

ABSOLUTE JUSTICE. Alex Ross, Jim Krueger and Doug Braithwaite's all-star story of of heroes and villains got the spruced up Absolute treatment in 2009, and we finally got to see the book's amazing artwork presented as it should have been -- in an expanded and high-end format.

Congrats to all the nominees. 2009 was a major year for the DC Universe, and it's great to see the talent recognized by such an esteemed organization. Fingers crossed!

BIRDS OF PREY #1 -- minus the shadows

With BLACKEST NIGHT #8 out and in the world and WonderCon upon us, why not remove some of those pesky shadows from the first cover of BIRDS OF PREY #1? Enjoy.

Tags:

birds of prey, blackest night, brightest day, ed benes, gail simone, hawk and dove

What to do this weekend: WONDER CON IN SAN FRANCISCO

Greetings DC Nation! Are you ready for WonderCon? We're so ready to go that I took a practice run to the airport this morning and then I held a rehearsal DC Universe panel on the street in front of our offices. We are THAT ready. From April 2-4 we will be at the Moscone Center South in San Francisco and we will be the best prepared comics publisher you have ever seen! You will be in awe of the precision of our details and the smoothness of our delivery.

In all seriousness though - we couldn't be more excited to be attending WonderCon this year. We have an incredible list of DC creators that will be on hand including - Amanda Conner, Darwyn Cooke, David Finch, Adam Hughes, Geoff Johns, Jimmy Palmiotti, James Robinson, Greg Rucka, Gail Simone, Kevin Smith, Ethan Van Sciver and Judd Winick. In fact, this is the first show David Finch will attend as a member of the DC Nation so be sure to give him an extra big welcome when you see him.

We have panels every day of the show so be sure to take a look at the schedule below and join us for as many as you can. DC Nation on Friday make be a little bit different than you're expecting and Brightest Day is the first panel we'll have on the subject post-Blackest Night #8 so be sure to check that out as well. Also be sure to remember how awesome our friends in Seattle were with the doughnuts when you make plans to come to the DCU panel on Saturday. Seriously.

And before I go pack my bags I want to remind you that our booth number is 607 and that we have the BEST free stuff at any convention!

See you at the show!

- Ian Sattler, Senior Story Editor DCU

WONDERCON '10 Panel Descriptions

FRIDAY

DC NATION!

4-5pm, Room 103

SATURDAY

DCU EDITORIAL PRESENTATION

12-1:30pm, Room 103

BRIGHTEST DAY

5:30-6:30pm, Room 103

SUNDAY

SUNDAY CONVERSATION

2:30-3:30pm, Room 236-238

Tags:

adam hughes, amanda conner, blackest night, brightest day, darwyn cooke, david finch, Ethan Van Sciver, gail simone, Geoff Johns, Greg Rucka, James Robinson, jimmy palmiotti, judd winick, kevin smith, wondercon

BLACKEST NIGHT IS OVER...WHAT IS BRIGHTEST DAY?

By Geoff Johns

How about that gatefold spread?

So you probably understand why we couldn't exactly talk about BRIGHTEST DAY in great detail until now, right? Before I get into BRIGHTEST DAY, I wanted to say thank you from all of us from me, Ivan Reis, Eddie Berganza and everyone else who worked on this series and the stories around it. Thank you for your trust and time. BLACKEST NIGHT was a labor of love by all involved and I couldn't be prouder of the work we did.

But how about that gatefold spread?

Aw yeah Ivan Reis!

Aquaman, Martian Manhunter, Hawkman, Hawkgirl, Firestorm, Maxwell Lord, Captain Boomerang, Jade, the Reverse-Flash, Hawk, Osiris and... Deadman?

Twelve heroes and villains were resurrected by the white light. Some will call it a miracle and others a sign of the apocalypse, and though the exact reasons for their rebirths is a mystery, it won't be for long.

They're back for a reason.

Although they all have their own journeys ahead, they are connected by something and their exact mission will unfold throughout BRIGHTEST DAY. But while the truth behind their return and their ultimate destination lies within the BRIGHTEST DAY series itself and GREEN LANTERN, there are other books where you can follow these recently returned heroes to find out what life has in store for them and what they have in store for life.

In BRIGHTEST DAY, the whole cast will be seen with Aquaman, Martian Manhunter, Hawkman, Hawkgirl, Firestorm and Deadman taking the lead as the truth behind their resurrections is discovered.

In GREEN LANTERN, the mysterious White Lantern will be the object of everyone's desires.

In THE FLASH, Captain Boomerang will deal with a bizarre change he believes is left over from the black ring that animated his corpse. And the Reverse-Flash won't be gone for long... but he'll appear somewhere else first.

In JUSTICE LEAGUE: GENERATION LOST, Maxwell Lord the most wanted man in America is hunted by the former members of Justice League International; Booster Gold, Fire, Ice and Captain Atom. Why not the Justice League of America? Max is tricky...

In JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA, the exact nature of Jade's powers and their connection to the mythology of the Green Lantern Corps is unveiled.

In BIRDS OF PREY, Hawk will have to be balanced out by Dove..and Dove's connection to the white light will be revealed in BRIGHTEST DAY.

In TITANS, Osiris will be seen as a way to Black Adam and vice versa.

And finally, in GREEN ARROW #1... well... I've said enough. Let's let the pictures doing the talking.

It's a new dawn, but what tomorrow is like no one can say for sure. Except maybe Deadman... who is ironically the key to it all.

Some second chances work out and some don't.

See you in a few weeks!

Geoff

Tags:

blackest night, brightest day, Geoff Johns

THIS JUST HAPPENED: BLACKEST NIGHT #8

Well, that was an epic ride, wasn’t it? BLACKEST NIGHT #8 brought the massively popular series to a close, but not without opening some doors for the future.

But, let me cut right to the chase: Do not read any further if you haven’t gone to your comic shop and picked up BLACKEST NIGHT #8 yet. Spoiler Warning is definitely up and in effect.

Trust me. Go on, I’ll wait here. Back? OK, give it a read.

Done? How ‘bout that ending, huh?

Bet you weren’t expecting this…

BLN_8_DblGate.qxp

They’ve been resurrected — for a reason.

Tags:

blackest night, brightest day, Geoff Johns, ivan reis

A BLACKEST NIGHT EULOGY FROM EDITOR EDDIE BERGANZA

“To all things there is an end.”

A pretty basic conceit. One that BLACKEST NIGHT pretty much focused on. It was the driving force of our main baddie, Neckron. He wanted to return everything back to the black void, before there was light.

And now, while Nekron has been defeated, Black Hand lives and the Blackest Night is over... I am sad. Very sad, in fact, because this event that started off so simply with the slogan “The Dead Shall Rise” is over.

For most, having undertaken one of these massive comic crossovers, the end could not have come fast enough. But not me.

I’m gonna miss getting the latest script from Geoff Johns. With each chapter--and I don’t know how he did it -- he topped himself. Look at every issue's last page -- from the villains all rising out of the JLA’s crypts to former dead heroes being turned into Black Lanterns to other heroes being deputized by the various color corps; they were all jaw dropping. (Holey Moley moments, to put it politely).

But that then went off to Ivan Reis, and like Dr. Frankenstein, he gave life to Geoff’s monstrous visions. A dark Guardian tearing his fellow Guardian’s throat. An undead Aquaman summoning horrors from the sea. Spectre towering over the DC mystics. The list goes on. Visceral, dynamic and quite simply works of art. I have not seen any other artist go the distance on an epic like this. No offense to anyone that I have worked with before on an event comic, but they will all admit to looking for some shortcuts when, in the last couple of issues it comes to one army of heroes facing off against a horde of evil. This is were the backgrounds get a bit lost. When lighting is such that more silhouettes start to appear. But not Ivan. Each double-page spread became more intricate than the next. And as we reached the homestretch, he asked for heroes he had not yet drawn on the double page spread on the last issue’s page 10-11, not to mention there’s that spread with Guy leading the colored Corps. Oh yeah, and that spectacular fold-out which Ivan had wanted to do to have the Twelve’s return really mean something. What Ivan’s done really does mean something to me. This is someone that loves comics and loves what he does.

His wingmen, Oclair Albert and Joe Prado, kept up with the insanity by putting down some very powerful inks. On the side, Joe was designing Black Lanterns as quick as they were rising in the main title and the tie-ins.

Sleeplessness just became the norm for all these guys. I know that despite our time difference, colorist Alex Sinclair was always up, always keeping the war light and color looking as dramatic as possible and not a Skittles commercial.

My associate editor Adam Schlagman was on e-mail 24/7, making sure everything kept moving, that every colored Lantern leader had the right balloon, that all Black Lantern vision across the tie-ins was consistent.

Yup, amazing efforts by all and I’m gonna miss it a lot, as I figuring you will as well as you go to the comic shop. At least. we all have the DC Direct toys to let us re-enact some of our favorite scenes (even more toys are on the way).

Still... not the same...

I miss BLACKEST NIGHT and hate saying goodbye to it and all the great, amazing talent that made it possible...

...So... what to do...

Hmm... those heroes and villains are back from the dead.

Wonder what their story is?

Geoff, Ivan, Joe and Adam grab Peter Tomasi, Pat Gleason, Fernando Pasarin, Scott Clark and Ardian Saef-- let’s see what the BRIGHTEST DAY brings... Carpe Diem!

For more behind the scenes stuff, don’t miss the BLACKEST NIGHT DIRECTOR’S CUT, on sale soon.

Thanks Eddie! But that's not all...speaking of what's coming next, click below!

Tags:

blackest night, Geoff Johns, ivan reis

OPEN THREAD: YOUR FAVORITE BLACKEST NIGHT MOMENTS

The end is almost upon us, folks – tomorrow, the final issue of BLACKEST NIGHT hits the stands. But before we start talking about the conclusion, let’s take a moment and look back at the first seven issues.

And, as we do from time to time here on The Source, we want to open up the channels of communication to you, the fans – what were your favorite moments from the series and the books closely tied into it? Sinestro becoming the White Lantern? The death of the Hawks? The return of Parallax? There are too many to list in one blog post, but plenty to talk about. So take a minute and chime in below. What page, sequence or beat made you stop and say “Wow”?

More than one? Post twice. See you in the comments below.

Oh, and curious about the BLACKEST NIGHT creators’ favorite moments? Then make sure to pick up the BLACKEST NIGHT: DIRECTORS CUT, which hits 4/14.

Tags:

blackest night, blackest night: directors cut, Geoff Johns, ivan reis

BLACKEST NIGHT barrels toward its conclusion

The final issue of BLACKEST NIGHT hits next week, and with that one of the biggest comic events in recent DCU history concludes. Where that leaves our heroes, and what’s to come is still up in the air. But before you consider picking up that issue, you’ll need to grab GREEN LANTERN #52, the penultimate chapter of BLACKEST NIGHT featuring the universe’s most surprising White Lantern on its cover, courtesy of writer Geoff Johns and artist Doug Mahnke.

GREEN LANTERN #52 hits 3/24.

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Tags:

blackest night, Geoff Johns, green lantern, ivan reis