WHITE LANTERN REVEALED

Today, BRIGHTEST DAY #23 hits the stands and is expected to finally reveal the identity of the White Lantern.

Who is this mysterious entity that's been (somewhat dickishly) guiding Boston Brand all this time?

Rumor has it pointing to a character DC hasn't published for quite some time.

A character who's appeared in other media quite famously.

A character whose existence outside of the DC Universe is better known but who once met Superman.

I think we all know by now who it is.

You Had To Be A "Big Shot," Didn't You

Marvel has previously teased a line of relaunches they were branding as "Big Shots," taking three of their street-level characters and putting them under new #1's by new creative teams.

Until today, the only creative team that had been announced was that of Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev bringing a potentially unusual take to MOON NIGHT.

This morning, rumors took flight that the remaining creative teams would consist of Greg Rucka, Marco Checchetto, with Laura Martin on THE PUNISHER followed by Mark Waid and Paolo Rivera on DAREDEVIL.

I've never been a regular reader of The Punisher. I can probably count on one hand the number of Punisher comics I've purchased. Nothing about the character--or at least, my perception of him--clicked with me and I had plenty of sad mutant comics to buy. But Rucka writing Punisher? That would do it.

I've probably paid Moon Knight even less attention than I have The Punisher (though I've liked having him in SECRET AVENGERS) but I'm an easy mark as far as the Bendis/Maleev team is concerned.

Waid writing Daredevil is surprising to me. I can't think of any time I've ever seen him write the character and Daredevil has been primarily handled by crime writers for much of the series following Kevin Smith's Marvel Knights relaunch. Will Mark Waid bring the character back to his lighter, swashbuckler/superhero beginnings? It would be a refreshing change of pace from how miserable Matt Murdock's life became up to and during "Shadowland." I'd been a Daredevil reader for the entirety of the series since Smith's relaunch but Shadowland just about broke me. Broke me enough that I opted not to buy the DAREDEVIL: REBORN mini that followed it, opting instead to wait for a discount trade later on, if it turned out the series was worth my time. Waid and Rivera would definitely be enough to bring me back to the fold with DD.

Official announcments are expected to be made this weekend during the "Cup o' Joe" panel at the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo. Presuming these are, in fact, the new creative teams, what are your thoughts?

Are you willing to give these "bigs" a shot?

(Source: Bleeding Cool)

Issue 15: Pandora's Box