"Brightest Day"
Writer: Geoff Johns
Artists: Ethan Van Sciver (p), Marlo Alquiza, Ethan Van Sciver and Mike Gray (i)
Publisher: DC Comics
Plot: After dealing with Batman's objecting by slugging the Dark Knight in the jaw, Hal Jordan and the other Green Lanterns carry out a collective attack designed to push Parallax back inside the central battery. While Parallax puts up a good fight, the Green Lanterns prove to be too much for the evil entity, and as the issue ends it looks like the crisis has been resolved. However, there are still members of the DCU who don't trust Hal Jordan.
Comments: The big climax to this miniseries doesn't address the central concern, and that is completely removing any doubt that Hal Jordan should be completely embraced and welcomed back into the super-hero community. The simple fact of the matter is that Parallax wasn't destroyed but rather he was placed back inside the central battery. As such, the door is once again left open and Hal can fall back under its evil influence. Now Geoff Johns clearly wants the readers to side with Hal Jordan, as Batman is presented as an unreasonable jerk who doesn't believe in second chances, but the concerns that Batman raises are brushed off too easily by everyone. Everyone has seen what the Parallax entity is capable of, and yet the big solution to the crisis is to place the entity right back into a position where it can make a repeat performance. However, one can only assume that this looming question will be addressed in the monthly series, and Geoff Johns won't turn a blind eye to the fact that there should be characters in the DCU who will be casting a wary eye in Hal Jordan's direction. As for this issue, the book opens with an amusing moment where Hal Jordan puts his own spin on the classic Guy Gardner vs. Batman fight. The issue also presents an impressive spectacle to remind readers why they should be happy little fan-boys that the DCU is now home to half-a-dozen Green Lanterns. I also rather enjoyed the fact that the book took some time away from Hal's momentous return and offered up a fun little tour of the other Green Lanterns, as Hal takes the time to notice the different fighting styles of his fellow Green Lanterns. In the end though, this issue is written largely for Hal Jordan fans, and as such non-fans like myself will probably find this final chapter to be a bit flat.
The presence of three inkers makes it pretty clear that the title was racing the deadline, but it doesn't look like any corners were cut when it comes to the level of detail on the page, and Ethan Van Sciver deserves full marks for his work on this final issue, as he splendidly sells the sheer visceral impact of the big final battle, as the gathered Green Lanterns carry out their various attacks. The art took the suggestion about Kyle's ring constructs a little too literally, as having the character using a giant pencil to draw out his ring constructs struck me as trying a little too hard to let the readers know that Kyle is an artist. On the other side of the equation though I did enjoy the visual design elements that showed us John Stewart's constructs coming together, and the art also perfectly captures Guy's attitude with the one panel where Guy kisses his power ring. There's also a number of impressive big impact visuals such as the double-page spread where the collective might of the heroes slams into the gapping maw of Parallax. Plus, I'm sure all the Hal Jordan fans will be delighted by the final image of this issue.
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