GOOD THING: Whatever your feelings about the metatextual exercise behind this two part story, (i.e. Superboy Prime - now a parodic strawman of People Who Complain About Comics On The Internet - goes on a rampage after finding out he is schedule to die in this comic) I think we can all appreciate the sight of Dan Didio screaming in terror. :)
BAD THING: I thought for a while that this ending was legit and that Superbody Prime really is being given all he ever wanted back as a reward by the "gods" that have played with his life for too long. And then I saw that his long-lost true love is wearing a black ring... despite not looking any more decomposed or undead than any of the other Black Lanterns. So it looks like Prime is about to get the Hope sucked out of him. Probably. For his sake - and ours, because I'm sick of Prime's whining - I hope this IS the end for him.
The Final Verdict: The heck of it is I don't know if this is skippable or not in regards to Blackest Night. I'd say go ahead and pick it up if you don't have problems with stories where the fourth wall is broken with great enthusiasm.
It's odd, I was sorta hoping Laurie was still alive. It was hinted at the end of Legion of Three Worlds that SBP had killed her, but I hoped he hadn't. I suppose his murdering his girlfriend isn't that big a thing considering all he's done, but it makes him even more irredemable to me.
ReplyDeleteSee, that's what makes me wonder if maybe they'll live happily as Black Lanterns, at least for a while and if Laurie's return is the work of Nekron and not DC editorial...
ReplyDeleteGah, these metatextual stories are so confusing! :)
I hadn't read Legion of Three Worlds. How was she supposed to have died there? I thought she melted away into the primordial nothingness during the first Crisis.
ReplyDeleteAt the end of the battle against the Legion he arrives back at his family's home and Laurie and his parents are there, but have been reading about his actions. At the end of the book his parents are terrified of him because he's apparently done something to Laurie. But they never say what.
ReplyDeleteThe sling she's wearing initially in this book suggests that he might have just hurt her. But then you see the BL ring so it could have just been confirming yep, he killed her. Instead of suggesting she was going to do something to him.
As you note below it could be the work of Nekron, but instead of trying to attack him like people expect maybe the message about leaving him alone could have been from Nekron. Superboy-Prime would be a thorn in his side if he found a way to travel to New Earth and fight, but the way the multiverse is structured now if New Earth and it's universe goes the whole multiverse goes with it.
As you say, they're confusing.
At the end of Legion of Three Worlds SPB was blasted to a 'new' Earth Prime, where he rushes back home. Sadly, he discovers that his parents have read 'Infinite Crisis' and other comics and now know exactly how much of a dirtbag he is now.
ReplyDeleteCut to sometime later and we see SBP terrorizing his parents and telling them that they wouldn't want to end up like Laurie did....
Oooh. Yeah that DOES sound bad...
ReplyDeleteIndeed.
ReplyDeleteSo yeah... quite a lot that COULD be going on here. It's interesting either way. And I'm always glad to see a story that can keep me guessing these days.