It’s hard to believe that we’re coming up on the 10th anniversary of “Blackest Night.” In retrospect, that event arguably marks the zenith of the “Geoff Johns era” of DC Comics. So, it’s especially appropriate that Johns used that event to cap of what I consider the definitive ending to the character I most associate with Johns. No, I’m not talking about Wally West, Hal Jordan, or Conner Kent (though we’re getting warm with that last one). I’m, of course, talking about the oft-maligned and sorely underrated Superboy Prime.
Written by Geoff Johns and Sterling Gates
Illustrated by Jerry Ordway
Inked by Bob Wiacek and Jerry Ordway
Colored by Brian Buccellato
Lettered by Steve WandsThe return of Superboy! Superboy-Prime, that is! The grasp of BLACKEST NIGHT knows no bounds, and it is now at the doorstep of Superboy-Prime. Believe it or not, Prime has met his match. The Black Lanterns know his deepest, darkest secrets and force Prime to feel emotions he’s long discarded.
Concluding the 2-part BLACKEST NIGHT tale of Superboy-Prime! The Black Lanterns have forced Prime to face his deepest and darkest fears, but what – and who – are they? And how will Superboy-Prime strike back after this devastating attack?
A remnant of the “Pre-Crisis” era whose place in the DC comics pantheon was cemented thanks to “Crisis on Infinite Earths,” Prime was brought back in the spotlight as a villain during the controversial events of “Infinite Crisis.” Forever associated with his now infamous “reality shattering punch,” the character would go on to feature in various Johnsian projects such as “Sinestro Corps War” and “Legion of Three Worlds,” as well as other projects that lay decidedly outside of my head canon. In “Adventure Comics” (2009), #4 and #5, Johns, joined by co-writer Sterling Gates and artist Jerry Ordway, gives his final words on the character in horrifically metatextual fashion.
Following the events of “Legion of Three Worlds,” Prime finds himself back in his home reality; the “real” world. Here, he lives in despair, realizing the events recent events of his life take place within the pages of the comics he once loved. He’s likewise feared by his loved ones, who have also followed along with his murderous rampages. Enraged at the unfair treatment of both himself and his once beloved heroes, Prime comes to embody his true self; the basement dwelling, forum lurking, trollish fanboy.
It’s easy to see why Superboy Prime was so unlikable over the course of the aughts, as the was, from “Infinite Crisis” onward, a thinly veiled stand-in for the worst of fandom. This double-edged sword works to alienate both ends of the fandom spectrum, disgusting one sect and insulting the other. While the take is a little heavy handed at times, Superboy Prime’s arc is one that is beloved and likewise so often repeated; the redemption of the fallen hero. While redemption is not quite on the table in these two issues, understanding and forgiveness are dangled before the reader.
In the first issue, Prime reads the very issue we are reading and, alarmed by the ending, heads to his local shop to seek out issue #5. It’s not out, of course so he heads to the internet to look for spoilers. This is the first in a series of metatextual events that I think even Grant Morrison would be proud of. His quest to change his fate leads him all the way to the DC headquarters (still in New York City!) to confront the people in charge of his stories. This sequence is surreal, and brilliantly depicted by Ordway, Wiacek, and Buccellato. Ordway, an underrated legend in his own right, delivers fantastic work, blending the feel of Prime’s Silver Age origins with modern sensibilities. When he harkens back to scenes from “Crisis on Infinite Earths,” it evokes the tone of 80’s Perez perfectly. His work adds a much appreciate extra layer to the text. The exclamation at the end issue #4, “spoiler alert, Superboy Prime dies next issue” is another wonderful mash-up of Silver Age advertising and modern internet culture.
Don’t get me wrong, “Sandman” or “Animal Man,” this is not, but as a story about stories, Johns and company touch on a lot of subjects that other greats like Gaiman, Morrison, and even Tolkien have addressed in their musings on stories. Particularly, the problem of violence, pain, and sorrow within our own created works. Forgive me as I wax theological; if we are in fact made in the image of God, and God (or whatever higher universal force you choose to ascribe to) is the ultimate creative force, then it bears to reason that our creative impulses stem from the divine. So then, what does it say about us when we create stories of misery, death, pain, violence. Suffering, so much suffering, a shitload of suffering is what I’m saying. What does it say about the one who created us, and what does it say about us, the reader for enjoying. Sure, suffering contrasts joy and beauty, heightening emotional impact, but this stuff is dark! Anyway, I digress. With all of this in mind, I can’t help but feel a little sorry for Superboy Prime, an ultimately powerless figure at the hands of capricious gods like Johns, Didio and Eddie Berganza. One might wonder if they the true villains of the story. And hey, you’re probably right on at least one count.
As I’ve alluded a couple of times already, these two issues are a time capsule to an era of DC comics I hold extremely dear. There are hints and nods to some of my favorite, and arguably the greatest DC comics of all time. On the opening page we see a poster for “Batman R.I.P.,” while action figures of Atom Smasher and collared Booster Gold sit on display. We see various issues of “Blackest Night” and its various tie-ins, the covers of which evoke a powerful sense of nostalgia. A one-off jump to the future, featuring the Legion of Earth Prime, reminds me of the fantastic post-“Legion of Three Worlds” status quo that went woefully unutilized thanks to the New 52. In a story about longing for simpler times and the stories of one’s youth, it’s unsettling to the reader how powerful weaponized nostalgia can be a decade removed.
Nostalgia for “Blackest Night” considered, it’s probably somewhat conspicuous that I’ve yet to address the actually Black Lantern component of this issue. It’s for a good reason, it’s the least interesting aspect of the issue. It is thematically relevant to have Prime face off against zombified versions of his one time friend Alexander Luthor, as well as those he has since murdered. However, Black Lanterns weren’t that interesting after the first few issues of “Blackest Night,” and they certainly aren’t in subsequent readings. However, the deus ex machina involving a black lantern ring that leads Prime’s pseudo-redemption is one of the most interesting things to come out of the event, and certainly any of the other tie-ins. Prime’s ultimate fate is ominous and bittersweet, but ultimately left up to reader speculation. Of course, in comics, the stories never truly end.
