Basement X

Same as usual, recap followed by a short opinion review, and Spoilers will abound. I hadgone right on break before the first issue hit, so I'll ahve all 3 done here tonight.

Issue #1:

*Note, this issue takes place during the events of Blackest Night #4, just after the death of Damage.

We open with Wesley Dodds, Charles mcNider, and Terry Sloan all having their memories and orgins retold as they're downloaded into Black Lantern Rings over the course of 5 pages, the top 2/3 of each page split into three vertical panels doing each, while the bottom 1/3 is a single horizontal panel showing the likes of Stargirl (Rage, Will, and Fear), Lightning (Rage, Love, Fear), Wildcat II (Will, Rage, Fear), Cyclone (Will and Rage), and Mister America (Will) each fighting against Black Lanterns in New York City.

We then see a huge double page spread of the various JSAers taking on BL JSAers, villains, and Freedom Fighters alike. Liberty Belle becomes our narrator, as she's worried about Damage but trying to control her emotions and thoughts, witnessing the destruction around them. As Jay and Alan arrive to check on everyone, Jesse begins blaming herself for Damage's death. They try convincing her to stay where she is to keep them busy for Michael to do what he has to do.

Cut to S.T.A.R. Labs where Wildcat (Ted), Mr. Terrific and Power Girl are looking at the bodies of Earth-2 Superman and Pyscho Pirate. Power Girl snaps at Wildcat for making a remark about Superman being dead like it's nothing, and we see her break into an emotional wreck of anger at the fact that her uncle was used by the Black Lanterns.

Jay rushes in with Mister America, who's passed out and Terrific informs him they need to create a light source to destroy the BLs, saying he needs Green Lantern, Lightning, and Stargirl, along with Dr. Fate. Jay rushes back and tells Alan to get the other two back while he looks for Dr. Fate. As Alan heads off, Jesse is seen in Love, Fear and Hope (Tho colored with Green and not Blue) by her now resurrected Father, the original Jesse Quick.

Power Girl hears a familiar voice voice threatening Ma Hunkle in the Lab, and rushes to save her. We see Ma colored in Rage Hope and Will, and Kara colored in Love is confronted by Earth-2 Lois Lane, demanding to know where her husband is.

Black Lantern Damage makes his appearence to Atom Smasher and Judomaster, killing a police officer.

Jay arrives back at S.T.A.R. Labs with Kent Nelson, who says he was battling BL Dr. Fate in Vegas. Suddenly, Terrific realizes that Terry Sloan will figure out what he's trying to do and rush to stop them. Alan then tells him that they're already here outside the lab.

End Issue.

Not too bad, but really more like a sequel to Blackest Night: Superman than anything else. The most stand alone of ALL the 6 tie ins so far, as it never crosses into the others (Yet, tho one issue of BN and GL to go still..). It's an ok issue, and since this is the same team as the BN Superman it really does feel like a direct sequel, so I suppose that's a plus.

Issue #2:

*Note, this issue takes place immediately after the previous, and presumably through the events of Blackest Night #4-5.

We open with three pages of 'Memory Download' for Damage, Johnny Chambers a.k.a. Jesse Quick, and Earth-2 Lois Lane, all who have already risen.

We cut to S.T.A.R. Labs, where Mr. Terrific's team (Green Lantern, Stargirl, Dr. Fate, Lightning) are all channeling their energies while he constructs his plan. He claims with their powers combined in the right way he can break the stalemate with the Black Lanterns by creating the right Light frequency. Stargirl notices that Ted and Power Girl are missing, wondering where they could have gone.

We find them confronting BL Earth-2 Lois, and Karen is colored with Love, Compassion, and Hope, as Lois pleades for her to help, help her find Clark and help her end this suffering by killing her.

Cut to Jesse's father appearing to her, and hebegins playing on her emotions immediately as she's colored with Hope and Love. He asks why she's not wearing his costume, why she's not honoring him, and she quickly changes into his by reciting the formula. The two then take off and run.

Damage confronts Judomaster, filled with Love and Atom Smasher, filled with Fear and Compassion, and claims he doesn't want to hurt anyone, and hates the Black Lanterns for what they've done to him. He pleads that he just wants to help and be at peace, no matter what they think and has an idea on what to do.

We see the other JSAers taking on the old fallen members, and Lois claiming she just wants to be by her husband again. Damage arrives and orders everyone alive back away from the building saying he'll help them. Magog tries to step in but Atom Smasher holds him back, and Damage rushes to the center of all the Black Lanterns, calling them in close to him.

He then explodes in a massive hit, destroying most of them, and Alan manages to save those inside the building. Power Girl tells Mr. Terrific what it was, and he tries figuring out what it could have been for, as she brings BL Lois in claiming she has hold of her. He can't figure out why Damage did that, and suddenly Lois rushes towards where she can feel her husband's body.

Just then, Terrific realizes the blast wasn't to save the day or stop Terrific, but to clear a path to someone.

The connection to BL Lois is severed and the ring flies to Kal-L of Krypton as he rises.

End Issue.

Not bad, but again very self contained. This is more or less a fun JSA story than a Blackest Night one, and really plays up the way Black Lanterns play up emotions and trick people into things, which has been kind of missing since the first few minis.

Issue #3:

*Note, this takes place immediately after the previous issue, and presumably during the events of Blackest Night #4-5.

We open with 3 pages quickly retelling the life and death of Earth-2 Superman, before a huge 2 page splash of Power Girl and BL E2 Superman duking it out. The other JSAers all look on, realizing it took Superman and Superboy to barely stop him last time, while Atom Smasher and Judomaster realize they were tricked by Damage.

Alan tries to head off to help Power Girl, but Terrific stops him, saying the still have to power his machine in order to win, and they return to it.

Cut to Jesse and her BL father racing across the globe, side by side, as she claims she just wants to talk more, even though she knows what she's doing is wrong and this isn't relaly her father.

Power Girl and Superman continue to fight all out, as the others try to join in and help her. But he tosses them all away with strength, heat vision, and ice breath, before plowing toward Alan's shield. Cyclone stops him, and the rest pile onto him, but he tosses them all away until Power Girl launches at him again.

Terrific lets the others know he's almost at full power, and that the device will work to replicate Jamal Thunder's mystical genie's energy, since he realized he was targeted first by Terry Sloane for a reason. With Power Levels nominal, Stargirl and Lightning were free to go join the fight.

They try to help Power Girl, but Superman tosses them aside and assualts Alan's shield, before pounding Power Girl down into the ground again. He finally busts through Alan's shield, and as he heads for the machine, and Terrific needs one last second. Power Girl reaches up and grabs hold of Superman before he can reach it, holding him back.

Jesse remembers her childhood with her father, and colored in love makes a one last run back to New York, with him behind seeing her colored in Love.

Terrific finally detonates his device, and it severs the connection to Superman immediately, and ass the light streches out across the city it destroys every Black Lantern it hits.

Just as he reaches for his daughter's heart, they make it back to NYC and Johnny Quick is destroyed.

Everyone starts regrouping, Dr. Mid-Night asks Terrific if he can make another one for Coast City, and he says he can't, most of the components were unique, and that they've taken BL Superman out, but the rest is up to the Green Lantern Corps.

End Issue.

Again, not bad but little tie in other than (Again) destroying BL Superman. It's much more a direct sequel to the BN Superman mini than a tie in to the events like BN Wonder Woman and BN Flash were. But Barrows delivered really well throughout the mini, with clear art and some great fights between Superman and Power Girl.

Not bad, but not my favorite of the 6 minis. Though it is the most self contained, it takes a bit of JSA background to really follow some of the risen BLs.