Lower Decks

In today’s column I discuss Marvel’s mysterious Reborn limited series, how I discovered that DC’s Green Lantern is just one of many similar Lantern Corps named for the colors of the visible light spectrum, and how great it was to see the Night Nurse in Marvel’s current Dark Reign: Elektra series.

Just What is Reborn all About?

For months now, it seems, there has been speculation swirling around Marvel’s upcoming Reborn 5-issue limited series. Announced in mid-April, all we know about Reborn is that it comes from the creative team of Ed Brubaker, Bryan Hitch, Butch Guice and starts in July. From what I’ve read, most of the speculation about the series focuses on the return of Steve Rogers as Captain America. His rebirth would obviously provide for the title of the series.

Frankly, although I’ve been following some of the discussion at Comic Book Resources, I find that I don’t really care what Reborn is about at this point. Why? Because even with Marvel’s elaborate attempts to keep the subject matter under wraps (it won’t reveal the official solicitation or cover until shortly before the issue hits stores, meaning orders have to be placed by retailers without knowing much of anything about the series), spoilers are going to leak out. And they’re going to be everywhere.

I order my comics through Direct Comic Book Service. That means I had to have my order for July in on the first of this month, long before I’ll know anything about Reborn. I suppose I could drive out to my local comic book shop on July 1st and pick up a copy. But the entire reason I started using DCBS was so I wouldn’t have to drive to my local shop. Whatever happens with Reborn, I’m sure I’ll learn all about it within hours of its release.

ROYGBIV Lantern

Speaking of DCBS, my last shipment arrived with three Free Comic Book Day books thrown in as extras. One of them was Darkest Night #0, which apparently sets up a huge DC Universe story involving Green Lantern. Before reading the book all I knew about Green Lantern was that his name was a bit of a misnomer. Yes, he wears a green outfit but he doesn’t carry a lantern. He has a green ring that lets him do a lot of powerful stuff but there’s no lantern.

Blackest Knight #0 (Courtesy of the Grand Comic-Book Database)

I don’t know all that much more about Green Lantern now that I’ve read the book. But I did learn that the Green Lantern Corps isn’t the only group of ringed heroes and villains. There’s a Lantern Corps for every color of the visible spectrum of light: red, orange yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. Some of these groups are evil and some are good. There’s even a black group that is apparently super unknown. What would happen if these corps all got together? Would their rings cancel each other out? Or would they form some sort of super rainbow being, a la Captain Planet?

The Night Nurse in Dark Reign: Elektra #3

I don’t have the exact count handy but I’m pretty sure Elektra spent the first third of this issue in her skivvies, whether she was tied to a gurney or fighting an assassin. And she looked damn good doing it. I’ve been enjoying Dark Reign: Elektra thus far, even though I don’t quite know how things went down with Skrull Elektra. Apparently, after Elektra was captured by the Skrulls her impostor did some bad things. Some bad, bad things.

Dark Reign: Elektra #3 (Courtesy of the Grand Comic-Book Database)

What I really liked about this issue, though, was the inclusion of the Night Nurse. I had no idea the character was part of the current Marvel Universe. She was introduced in 1972 as part of an ill-fated series of comics aimed at women (the other two books were The Cat and Shanna the She-Devil). Apparently, she’s still around and still a night nurse. Unless this isn’t the same Night Nurse, which I suppose is possible.

In any event, it was neat to see the character in a current title and I’m hopeful I’ll continue to see her pop up every now and then.