In the time since the conclusion of “The Sinestro Corps War” in 2008, Blackest Night went from being “Return of the Jedi for Green Lantern” (as once promised by writer Geoff Johns) to being yet another event comic encompassing the DC Universe at large. Fans following the plot threads building for years in the ongoing Green Lantern monthly have had to continue to rely mainly on that book for their culmination. Never before has this been more evident than in Green Lantern #47, released the same week as an issue of Blackest Night in which Hal Jordan doesn’t even appear.

Those Green Lantern loyalists will be happy to hear that this month’s issue keeps up the good work in moving the series’ mythology toward its climax. The opening scene offers up a new twist to the fight against the Black Lanterns that meshes perfectly with what we already know about the characters involved. It comes across as the type of carefully planned development that should be expected from a story that has been brewing as long as this one has. Later in the issue, an argument between Hal and Sinestro utilizes the two men's established relationship to convincingly drive the story forward. Here, Johns demonstrates his ability to make plot work in perfect tandem with character, even in a sprawling widescreen saga such as this.

Still, a few flaws prevent this issue from achieving a higher rating. The narrative jumps so frequently between situations and settings that it feels more like a collection of moments than a unified story. This is most pronounced in the last page reveal of a character from earlier in the book with no discernible means or motive connecting him to that initial appearance. Johns also subjects us to the token page-a-month meandering John Stewart subplot, though I suppose we should at least be glad that this time Stewart finally does something other than float in space and stare.

The other major defect is the story’s assumption that the cruel taunting by the undead villains in these pages still carries dramatic weight. This is not to say that accusations voiced by a deceased loved one wouldn’t truly be disturbing in reality, but by now readers know that the Black Lanterns are merely realistic simulations of the people they resemble. Even as one line of dialogue reveals the characters’ awareness of this fact, Johns’ script still acts as if it expects us to be shocked when we see the bad guys take the form of the ghosts of the heroes’ pasts.

It is doubtful that many will read this issue who don’t already have reasonable expectations for how it will relate to the rest of the Blackest Night titles. If you’ve been on board with the style and substance of the last few months worth of Green Lantern, you’ll feel right at home with this latest issue.

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