Brightest Day is a 2010–2011 crossover storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of a year-long comic bookmaxiseries that began in April 2010, and a number of tie-in books.[1] The story is a direct follow-up to the Blackest Night storyline that depicts the aftermath of the events of that storyline on the DC Universe.
Plot
At the end of the 2009–2010 Blackest Night storyline, 12 deceased heroes and villains are resurrected for an unknown purpose. The events of Brightest Day follow their exploits as they seek to learn the secret behind their resurrection.
The story begins the day after Blackest Night showing Boston 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 destroyed Star 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 from Aquaman 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 is Brightest 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 Green Lantern series featured more of the characters Atrocitus, Larfleeze, Saint Walker, and Indigo-1 in a story arc titled "New Guardians".[8] Johns said that Firestorm is a "main character" in Brightest Day.[9]
The first issue, issue #0, was penciled by Fernando Pasarin.[10]David Finch, a newly DC exclusive artist, illustrated the covers for the entire series.[10]
Brightest Day event was also used to introduce Jackson Hyde, the new Aqualad created for the Young Justice animated series, into the DC Universe.[11] Similarly, the final issue reintroduces Swamp Thing and John Constantine into the mainstream DC Universe after their extended time in DC's Vertigo Comics imprint.
Green Lantern (vol. 4) #53-62 focuses on Hal 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 a Brightest Day tie-in, but is in actuality an introduction to the Atom miniseries contained within Adventure Comics #516-521 and Giant-Size Atom #1.
Birds of Prey (vol. 2) #1-6 focuses on the resurrected Hawk as well as the Dove's connection to the White Light.
Green Arrow (vol. 4) #1-12 focuses on the Star City forest that sprouted from the White Lantern ring.
Justice League of America (vol. 3) #44-48 focuses on the resurrected Jade as she tries to save her brother and father from the control of the Starheart.
Titans (vol. 2) #24-30 focuses on the resurrected Osiris as he joins a team of villains led by Deathstroke, and composed of the Tattooed Man, Cheshire, and a new character named Cinder. An additional special called Titans: Villains For Hire Special #1 precedes number #24 and deals with the death of Ryan Choi, the fourth Atom, at the hands of the villains. For unknown reasons, issue #28 was the last issue to be labeled as a Brightest Day tie-in.
Involved, but not listed, under the Brightest 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 why the Blue Beetle would be taking a leave of absence from the Titans, and the events of Generation 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 and War of the Green Lanterns: Aftermath #1-2).
Brightest Day Aftermath: The Search for Swamp Thing
In June, a three-issue miniseries involved the return of John Constantine to the DC Universe and his attempt to convince Superman and Batman that the choosing of Alec Holland (the new Swamp 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.[1]Archived 2012-08-11 at the Wayback Machine
Brightest Day Aftermath: The Search for Swamp Thing #1, 32 pages, June 22, 2011[12]
Brightest Day Aftermath: The Search for Swamp Thing #2, 32 pages, July 27, 2011[13]
Brightest Day Aftermath: The Search for Swamp Thing #3, 32 pages, August 24, 2011
Brightest Day Volume One (collects Brightest Day #0–7, 256 pages, hardcover, December 2010, ISBN1-4012-2966-2; softcover, December 2011, ISBN1-4012-3276-0)
Brightest Day Volume Two (collects Brightest Day #8–16, 240 pages, hardcover, May 2011, ISBN1-4012-3083-0; softcover, May 2012, ISBN)
Brightest Day Volume Three (collects Brightest Day #17–24, 280 pages, hardcover, September 2011, ISBN1-4012-3216-7)
Other titles are also being collected:
Birds of Prey Volume One: Endrun (collects Birds of Prey (vol. 2) #1–6, 160 pages, hardcover, May 2011, ISBN1-4012-3131-4)
Green Lantern Corps: Revolt of the Alpha Lanterns (collects Green Lantern Corps (vol. 2) #21–22 and 48–52, 176 pages, hardcover, May 2011, ISBN1-4012-3139-X)
Green Lantern Corps: The Weaponer (collects Green 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 (collects Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors #1–7, 176 pages, hardcover, August 2011, ISBN1-4012-3079-2)
