Brightest Day is a 2010–2011crossover storyline published byDC Comics, consisting of a year-longcomic bookmaxiseries that began in April 2010, and a number of tie-in books.[1] The story is a direct follow-up to theBlackest Night storyline that depicts the aftermath of the events of that storyline on the DC Universe.
At the end of the 2009–2010Blackest Night storyline, 12 deceased heroes and villains are resurrected for an unknown purpose. The events ofBrightest Day follow their exploits as they seek to learn the secret behind their resurrection.
The story begins the day afterBlackest Night showingBoston Brand smashing his tombstone. Nearby, a baby bird falls out of its nest and dies, but Boston resurrects it. The ring then takes him to everyone that was resurrected and he (while being invisible) sees how they are celebrating their new leases on life. Boston then asks the ring why it is showing him this; its answer was - it needs help. It then takes him to the destroyedStar City and creates a forest.
Brightest Day is about second chances. I think it's been obvious from day one that there are major plans for the heroes and villains fromAquaman to take center stage in the DC Universe, among many others, post-Blackest Night.Brightest Day is not a banner or a vague catch-all direction for the DC Universe, it is a story. Nor isBrightest Day a sign that the DC Universe is going to be all about 'light and brighty' superheroes. Some second chances work out...some don't.[4]
The first issue, issue #0, was penciled byFernando Pasarin.[10]David Finch, a newly DC exclusive artist, illustrated the covers for the entire series.[10]
Green Lantern (vol. 4) #53-62 focuses onHal Jordan, as well as the other representatives of the other Lantern Corps, as they attempt to prevent the capture of all the emotional entities which eventually leads to the Green Lantern Corps War.
Brightest Day: The Atom Special is a one-shot that was bannered as aBrightest Day tie-in, but is in actuality an introduction to the Atom miniseries contained withinAdventure Comics #516-521 andGiant-Size Atom #1.
Birds of Prey (vol. 2) #1-6 focuses on the resurrectedHawk as well as theDove's connection to the White Light.
Titans (vol. 2) #24-30 focuses on the resurrectedOsiris as he joins a team of villains led byDeathstroke, and composed of theTattooed Man,Cheshire, and a new character namedCinder. An additional special calledTitans: Villains For Hire Special #1 precedes number #24 and deals with the death ofRyan Choi, the fourthAtom, at the hands of the villains. For unknown reasons, issue #28 was the last issue to be labeled as aBrightest Day tie-in.
Involved, but not listed, under theBrightest Day banner
Green Lantern: Larfleeze Christmas Special: while not bannered as a "Brightest Day" tie-in, this issue is a tongue-in-cheek one-shot issue focusing on Larfleeze's misunderstanding of the meaning of Christmas.
Shazam! #1: this one-shot is loosely connected with Osiris' mission to rescue his sister Isis.
Teen Titans (vol. 3) #83 explains whyBlue Beetle would be taking a leave of absence from the Titans, and the events ofGeneration Lost #2 are indirectly mentioned there as well.
War of the Green Lanterns is a storyline that crosses over all three Green Lantern titles, and is a direct continuation of the "Brightest Day" story arcs (Green Lantern #63-67,Green Lantern Corps #58-60,Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors #7-10 andWar of the Green Lanterns: Aftermath #1-2).
Brightest Day Aftermath: The Search for Swamp Thing
In June, a three-issue miniseries involved the return ofJohn Constantine to theDC Universe and his attempt to convinceSuperman andBatman that the choosing of Alec Holland (the newSwamp Thing) as the Earth's new protector is inevitable and the resurrected Alec Holland will have to die, so that his soul can merge again with the Green.[12]
Brightest Day Aftermath: The Search for Swamp Thing #1, 32 pages, June 22, 2011[13]
Brightest Day Aftermath: The Search for Swamp Thing #2, 32 pages, July 27, 2011[14]
Brightest Day Aftermath: The Search for Swamp Thing #3, 32 pages, August 24, 2011
Brightest Day Volume One (collectsBrightest Day #0–7, 256 pages, hardcover, December 2010,ISBN1-4012-2966-2; softcover, December 2011,ISBN1-4012-3276-0)
Brightest Day Volume Two (collectsBrightest Day #8–16, 240 pages, hardcover, May 2011,ISBN1-4012-3083-0; softcover, May 2012, ISBN)
Brightest Day Volume Three (collectsBrightest Day #17–24, 280 pages, hardcover, September 2011,ISBN1-4012-3216-7)
Other titles are also being collected:
Birds of Prey Volume One: Endrun (collectsBirds of Prey (vol. 2) #1–6, 160 pages, hardcover, May 2011,ISBN1-4012-3131-4)
Green Lantern Corps: Revolt of the Alpha Lanterns (collectsGreen Lantern Corps (vol. 2) #21–22 and 48–52, 176 pages, hardcover, May 2011,ISBN1-4012-3139-X)
Green Lantern Corps: The Weaponer (collectsGreen Lantern Corps (vol. 2) #53-57, 128 pages, hardcover, October 2011, ISBN1-4012-3281-7, paperback, October 2012, ISBN1-4012-3441-0)
Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors Volume One (collectsGreen Lantern: Emerald Warriors #1–7, 176 pages, hardcover, August 2011,ISBN1-4012-3079-2)
