Old comics return in ‘Blackest Night’

DC Comics has been bringing back old superheroes and super villains as part of its ongoing "Blackest Night" saga.

In the new storyline, dead characters like Aquaman and Martian Manhunter are given a power ring that brings them back from the dead as evil zombies.

In addition to dead characters, DC is giving life to something else.

Canceled comic books are getting another chance, although only for one more issue during the month of January.

DC has already brought back "Catwoman," "Phantom Stranger," "The Suicide Squad," "The Power of Shazam," "Starman" and "Weird Western Tales" and will release "The Question" and "The Atom & Hawkman" later this month.

These new issues will feature some of their deceased characters returning as part of the Black Lantern Corps, the main villains of the "Blackest Night."

Some of the books, such as "Catwoman," feature living heroes fighting their deceased foes as they return to life, while "The Atom & Hawkman" will feature the two heroes fighting one another, as Hawkman died and was resurrected as a Black Lantern at the beginning of storyline.

"The Power of Shazam" contains a story that has nothing to do with the original book, instead focusing on Osiris, a character whose story was told in 2007's "52."

Kirby Evans, a sophomore pre-accounting major, enjoys the storyline as a whole.

"One of the main appeals to me is being able to see great, dead B-List characters like Elongated Man and seeing how they attempt to psychologically destroy their old friends, even if it is heart-breaking in a way," Evans said.

Evans, who has been reading comics for eight years, is also pleased with the story's focus.

"Death in comic books has, for decades been kind of a lark, and having the issue being brought to the forefront is interesting and hopefully will actually change how the game is played in DC Comics; rather than it being the ‘fill-in-the-blank Universe will never be the same again … again'," Evans said.

However, he hasn't been pleased by all of the issues that have been released as part of the story.

"Weird Western Tales' #71 left me gravely disappointed in that it cheapened the end of Jonah Hex," Evans said.

"Blackest Night" has been the main focus of the DC Universe since September 2009 and is expected to conclude in April.

The storyline focuses on the constant theme of death in comic books and is based around the superheroes Green Lantern and the Flash, both of whom have died and been resurrected.

Once "Blackest Night" ends, DC will start its next story, "Brightest Day."