Blackest Night: Black Lantern Corps Vol. 2

Just like volume one, Blackest Night: Black Lantern Corps Volume 2 is a compilation of three different comic characters cross over in to the Blackest Night event.  Blackest Night: Flash #'s 1-3, Blackest Night: JSA #'s 1-3 and Blackest Night: Wonder Woman #'s 1-3.  It's funny because going into this I excited to see more of the Flash's side of the story and it turns out it was my least favorite.  Maybe some of that had to do with the fact that I really didn't like the art in the book.  But I found myself really liking both JSA and Wonder Woman.  I enjoyed the art in both.  I like getting to know some of the JSA members and see them interact with one another.  Just like the Green Lantern Corp, its fun watching a bunch of superheroes in a team setting, working together doing what super heroes do.  I think my biggest surprise was that I actually liked Wonder Woman.  I had forgot that she becomes a violet lantern deputy.  Though this is not mandatory reading for Blackest Night, it is worth while to see how these characters handle the Black Lantern invasion.

Blackest Night: Black Lantern Corps Vol. 1

On my quest to read all things Blackest Night related, I recently finished Blackest Night: Black Lantern Corps Vol 1.  This isn't really a book as it is a compilation of three points of view of DC characters. Blackest Night was a DC wide event that  primarily was a Green Lantern and Green Lantern Corps centric story, but crossed over into other DC characters story lines as well.  This book includes Batman's three issues, Superman's three issues, and Teen Titans' three issues.  I am familiar with Batman and Superman, but I didn't know who the Titans were. All in all this book was ok.  Since I haven't read any Batman, Superman, or Teen Titans to know what is going on in their story lines, or even who the characters where,  I was not very vested.  Though seeing the Teen Titans and how Dove figures out that she has the power to stop the Black Lanterns was very cool.  Unless you really, really love the Blackest Night story and can't get enough,  I'd save the money and skip this one.  Other then the Dove story arch, there was really nothing in this book that enhanced the Blackest Night story any more then what I have already read.

Crazy Love. By Francis Chan

Another fantastic book by Francis Chan.  This as a great, convicting, easy to read book.  It's all about love, crazy, life altering love.  Why do we as Christians always seem to forget the two greatest commands that Jesus gives us are solely about love.  1. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, sole, mind and strength. 2. Love your neighbor as yourself.  Love. Again, the two most important commands Jesus gives us revolves around love.  Chan reminds us how when we first fell in love with someone, we were willing to do crazy things, like driving 4 hours just to visit a friend for only 1 hour.  That is how our lives should change if we truly fall in love with God.  For too many Christians salvation and a relationship (or lack there of) with God is more of a fire insurance policy then an actual love relationship.  Many like God, but fewer LOVE God.  We already know God loves us beyond our own comprehension.  He sent his SON to DIE for us.  I think many times, we as Christians become callus to that statement because we have heard it for so long and so many times.  But God willingly sacrificed his son for his creation.  Even with all of our flaws, rebellion and sin.  That is like me giving up my only son, so that I could save my Lego creation. (Granted we are more then just Lego's, but I think you get my point)  God loves us that much. Though there are 10 main points Chan discusses in this book, one point seemed to really stick out to me.  (especially in light of facilitating a neighborhood group.)  Jesus doesn't just call us to merely put up with or tolerate our neighbors, but to love them as ourselves.  To care for them as ourselves.  Constantly looking for ways to help and serve them.   How you live your days is how you have lived your life.  When you die, which you will, that I can guarantee (anyone what to make a bet on that), how will you be remembered?  When someone gives your eulogy, will they need to pretend to come up with things that make you sound like you were better then you were?  Like you actually offered something to the world and those around you? Will the people listening think, "Yeah right, that guy only cared about himself.  He never did anything for another person. Forget about being used as an example of God's love."?  Or will there not be enough time to hear from all the people you have touched and served because of God's love.  Chan's message is not at all a works based message nor does he ever claim you could loose your salvation.  He is just emphasizing that our love for God should pour out of us.  Like the old hymn goes "they will know we are Christians by our love".  I pray that my love would continue to increase and pour out of me onto others.  I highly, highly recommend this book.

Green Lantern Corps: Blackest Night. By Peter J. Tomasi

Blackest Night: Green Lantern Corps is the next book in the Blackest Night saga.  There is a Green Lantern Corps book series.  Though I am some what familiar with most of the characters in the Green Lantern Corps series, though I'm not sure what has been going on in the Green Lantern Corps universe.  The main green lanterns that this story follows is Guy Gardner and Kyle Rayner.  After reading this all I have to say is, MOGO ROCKS!!!  This story fills in more of the background that Blackest Night: Green Lantern started and adds to it.  After watching all that Mogo does, next to Kilowog and Hal Jordan, Mogo has to be one of my favorites.  An entire planet that is a green lantern...cool.  SPOILER ALERT!  Mogo travels from his sector over to OA to protect it from the black lanterns. Mogo increases his mass exponentially to suck all lanterns to it, green, black, yellow, red... all of them.  Once they are close to the surface, only the black lanterns proceed to be enveloped by the green grass to be sucked into the ground and filtered through the entire planet, removing all of the blackness out of the dead lanterns and then the blackness will burn for all eternity in the center of Mogo.  He made it look easy.  No wonder he is one of the most powerful and isolated green lanterns.  That part of the story alone makes this book worth reading.  Now I know the next couple of books tie other character lines into the main story such as Flash, Wonder Woman, Batman, and Superman. I look forward to getting introduced to their worlds in relation to this story as well.

Green Lantern: Blackest Night. By Geoff Johns

Now this is more like it.  I'm beginning to think that Blackest Night saga will not be seen in its fully glory until I read all related material.  This story happens during the same time as previously reviewed, Blackest Night.  Here we basically follow Hal Jordan the whole time, we do break off and follow John Stewart, but mainly Hal.  My major complaint with the Blackest Night was that it seemed disjointed and lacking in back story for many of the key events.  This book goes a long way to filling in those gaps. We follow Hal as he traverses the universe recruiting/collecting the other color corps to help defeat the black lantern corps.  The more I read green lantern stories, the more I really enjoy watching the relationship between Hal Jordan and Sinestro.  Sinestro is one of those few characters in literature that you can truly hate and love at the same time.  He so badly wants to do want he views as the right thing that he becomes truly fanatical to the point of almost throwing out all logic.  But when Hal and Sinestro get together, you can see glimps' of both of there great will and desire.  There are a number of big appearances in this book.  We are revisited by The Spectre and Parallax which reminds us of many of the things that Hal Jordan has done in his life while being possessed by both.  Carol Ferris also graces us with her presents as a Star Sapphire. We also have Atrocious, Larfleeze, Lex Luther, Barry Allen, and others.  This book doesn't really have an ending as the ending is contained in the Blackest Night.  Since the book did not fill in all the gaps and back story, I look forward to reading the other Blackest Night books.