Blackest Night: Tales of The Corps # 1 features the origin tale of Blue Lantern Saint Walker, a tale from Mongul’s childhood, and the first glimpse of the mysterious Indigo Tribe in action.

First up we get Saint Walker’s origin, and it’s a classic Geoff Johns tale. This twelve page story is more engaging, touching, and powerful than many full length comics being written right now. In short, Walker’s home world is about to be engulfed by its dying sun, but Walker holds out hope that the world can be saved as promised by a messiah prophesied about in his world’s scriptures. He sacrifices all to this hope and belief, and literally climbs the mountain of faith for enlightenment. When he receives this enlightenment, it comes in a revelation of the truth that he who has hope, has the answer. Walker’s tale is a powerfully engaging one of doubt, loss, anguish, relief, and most of all hope, as it should be for a tale of a Blue Lantern. Ordway’s art is, of course, fantastic. He and Johns do a wonderful job of dreaming up and creating an entire race, their home world and surroundings, putting them on paper, and making them totally relatable to us as readers.

Just as much as Saint Walker’s tale is powerfully touching and hopeful, Mongul’s tale is reviling and terrifying. Mongul, as a child, watches his father (now deceased) “disappear for weeks as his mood grows dark—like he needs to sequester himself…” While father is away the child will play. His playtime is not the typical young boy’s fanciful adventure seeking though. After all, he is the child of one of the most aberrant tyrants in the universe. In an attempt to emulate his father, young Mongol plays at destroying Earth’s heroes, but when a damaged ship of ill fated, yet peaceful space travelers crashes nearby, the young Mongul finds living beings to abuse, tyrannize, and murder at whim while he “plays.” Mongul’s tale churns the reader’s anger and disgust as much as Walker’s tale stokes the blue flames of hope. Samnee’s art captures the simple and bloody ruthlessness, and evil of Mongul’s disregard for anything or anyone but his own violent whims.

The Indigo Tribe’s tale is as mysterious as Mongul’s is vile. The tribe comes across two wounded members of the Green Lantern and Sinestro Corps who have been battling each other. The Tribe’s language is untranslatable by the Green Lantern’s ring, and therefore is as mysterious to the reader as the Lantern. Their actions are easily discernable though. They end the battle, but the nature of their emotional spectrum power, compassion, is mysterious in its motivations. It will be interesting to see what their role in the War of Light will be, and which, if any, side the will ally themselves with. Rags Morales’ art is always solid. It has a unique look to it that has been great since way back when he penciled classic titles like Bloodshot and Geomancer for Valiant.

Overall, Blackest Night: Tales of The Corps #1 is a great first issue of a mini-series that just might be worth all the extra bucks us comics fans are probably going to spend on the many titles and mini-series DC is planning to throw at us over the next 8 months or so with their latest event, Blackest Night.