As some of you know, the Baltimore Retailer Summit is in full swing. We've got some news breaking during our presentation, so what better place to unveil it than here, on The Source?

Glad you agree. Our very own Dan DiDio has the info, so we live the rest of this blog entry in his more-than-capable hands. Take it away, Dan:

How big is Blackest Night?

So big that its power to make the dead rise has now moved from expired characters to old, canceled series.

That’s right, this January, the BLACKEST NIGHT mini series skips a month to make room for a very special Blackest night event. Eight classic titles from DC’s past will return from the dead for one month only to celebrate this mega-crossover throughout the DC Universe. Each series will pick up on its original numbering and feature characters from their original runs as they deal with the events currently unfolding in the DC Universe. And I have to say, this has been one of the more fun projects we’ve put together.

We scoured the list of series from the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, 90’s and today to find the right titles to bring back from the dead. They are, in no particular order, as follows;

- POWER OF SHAZAM #48 Eric Wallace tells the tale in which Osiris returns from the dead to “chew the fat” with a very powerless Billy and Mary Batson.

- CATWOMAN #83 Fabian Nicieza has the original Black mask explaining to Selina why shooting him in the head was a bad idea.

- SUICIDE SQUAD #67 Gail Simone and John Ostrander are ringside for the epic fight between a very dead Suicide Squad and a possibly soon-to-be dead Secret Six.

- QUESTION #37 Greg Rucka has the one answer for when two Questions meet.

- PHANTOM STRANGER #42 Pete Tomasi reveals what Blackest Night means to the Phantom Stranger.

- WEIRD WESTERN TALES #71 Dan DiDio (weirdly talking about myself in the third person) lets you know what all the dead old west characters are doing in the new west today.

- ATOM AND HAWKMAN #46 Geoff brings you the double date from Hell, The Black Lantern Hawks work to reunite Atom with his long dead love, Jean Loring.

- STARMAN #81 James Robinson returns to the book he made great and visits some old haunts.

So there you have it! Eight great issues to show the amazing reach of this amazing story. And in case you are wondering why we skipped a month BLACKEST NIGHT, well, that’s just to give the immensely talented, and immensely overworked Ivan Reis a chance to prepare the over-sized final issue of this series out this March.

How's that for fun?

To be continued…

DD

If you've been reading BLACKEST NIGHT: TITANS (and there's no reason to miss it, I say), then you know the once dearly-departed Terra plays a big role. So, it makes perfect sense to bring aboard writer/artist George Pérez to put pencil to paper for the cover to the mini's final issue. Doubly cool? The artistic master plays homage to his own work, namely, the cover to NEW TEEN TITANS #30. But enough bluster. We caught up with BLACKEST NIGHT: TITANS editor Brian Cunningham to get more details on the cover, plus the cover itself (and its inspiration) below. Take it away, Brian:

“Who better to homage the cover to NEW TEEN TITANS (vol. 1) #30 than its original artist George Pérez? He even did a baby Black Lantern Wildebeest on the logo! And Hi-Fi Design knocked the coloring out of the park. You might see Pérez and Hi-Fi team up again on another Titans project in 2010. Stay tuned!”

BLACKEST NIGHT: TITANS #3 hits 10/28.

NO.

In a very brief interlude with the mighty mite super-hero, the Atom, as he inexplicably jumped out of my phone, I was able to discuss the true nature of these creatures and assemble this list of why the Black Lanterns are not just the undead.

Zombies attack mindlessly.

Black Lanterns have all the characteristics of the living, just meaner.

Zombies growl and don't speak.

Black Lanterns are nasty taunters.

Zombies want flesh, particular ones want brains.

Black Lanterns seek only our hearts feeding on emotion.

Zombies either shamble or run.

Black Lanterns can float.

Zombies wear the tattered remains of their clothes.

Black Lanterns accessorize their Black Rings with a dark version of their

clothes or costume.

Zombies can be stopped by chopping their heads off.

Black Lanterns reconstitute any limb that is severed.

Zombies have no purpose for rising from the grave.

Black Lanterns .... Do.

J.T. Krul and artist Ed Benes continue to turn up the BLACKEST NIGHT volume on the TITANS, and we've got a few pages for you to look over. We'll have a more formal (i.e. lettered and colored!) preview, but why make you wait until then? Especially when we have some pretty intense Titan-on-Titan violence? Black Lantern Hawk! Red Star! Pantha! Wildabeest! Plus, a very creepy family reunion. OK, I'll clam up. Check out the pages below for yourself.

BLACKEST NIGHT: TITANS #2 hits 9/30.

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