It’s always a good sign when a title that you’re not an avid reader of draws you in as instantly as Blackest Night Titans did with me. Though not a dedicated fan I wasn’t surprised that the Blackest Night tie-ins would turn to the Titans as the group has been surrounded by death almost since its inception. Writer J.T. Krul moves some interesting pieces around the board with this issue by deepening how the Black Lanterns achieve their ultimate goals and by showing us again that not all dead heroes can be brought back.
Blackest Night Titans is essentially two stories in one. Krul smartly weaves both stories together while maintaining two very separate tones throughout. The first deals with Beast Boy and his issues over the betrayal and death of Terra. The other Titans have little forgiveness in their hearts for Beast Boy’s former lover and wrestling with all of that is really the focus of his story.
The other interesting part of the Beast Boy story is the change in the approach of the Black Lanterns. When Terra shows herself to Beast Boy she isn’t a zombie, nor is she dressed in the Black Lantern version of her costume. Terra looks normal; she’s kind and seductive, luring Beast Boy into a passionate kiss before Cyborg and Starfire interrupt the lovebirds to expose Terra for what she is. When Beast Boy sees the Black Lantern Terra his confusion and devastation again show death in a more humanistic light.
The second story is that of the new Hawk and Dove who just can’t seem to get on the same page. The new Hawk is tired of walking the shadow of Hank Hill and takes it out verbally on the new Dove. As the two try to work out their problems the recently brought back to life Hill attacks the two new heroes in one of the most savage fights in Blackest Night thus far. It also helps that the fight comes at the end of an issue that pushes the idea of humanizing Blackest Night and its effect on the characters of the DC Universe.
Outside of the two stories Krul manage to set up two small other points that deepen the Blackest Night story. The first is reintroducing the fact that the original Dove Don Hall cannot be brought back to life by the Black Lanterns. As in Blackest Night #2 each time the Black Lantern Ring tries to infect Hall it’s rejected due to the former hero being at peace with his death. What that means to the future of Blackest Night is up in the air but it sure does peek my interest. The second is the sudden and incredibly creepy “mommy” calls to Donna Troy from her long dead child.
Ed Benes’ art is really the backbone of this issue and his ability to create action brings the entire thing to life. The battle between Hawk & Dove and Black Lantern Hank Hill actually moves almost like a movie and the climax is one of the most striking splash pages in the entire series. Benes also has a great hand at drawing faces and facial expressions and that makes all the difference in the more human parts of the story.
Black Lantern Titans is not only a great tie-in to the Blackest Night series it also seems like a turning point. The Black Lanterns are no longer just brutal killers; with the appearance of Black Lantern Terra it’s clear they have more tricks up their sleeve. Krul and Benes haven’t just added another chapter to the Blackest Night series they’ve also managed to deepen the overall mythos.
