Get Ready To Be Confused

Apologies in advance as this is another post about Blackest Night. And somewhat convoluted, to boot.

I was wondering exactly how the whole "evil ring zombification" works. Are the Black Lanterns zombies in the classic sense? By that I mean are they mindless brain-eating shamblers? I think that unlikely. If they are intelligent then how does it work? Do they retain their intelligence from life, only with a darker bent that leads them to commit acts of evil? Or are they forced by some insidious power (Nekron?) to act as they do?

This is somewhat important. Especially when we see all the graves on covers that feature "Bruce Wayne." It's pretty obvious that we're going to be getting a Batman Black Lantern. And if the Black Lanterns are animated by the "spirits" of the dead then who's in the driver's seat of zombie Batman?

After all, we know that the real Bruce Wayne got zapped somewhere through time. He's not dead. But then, you could say that Martian Manhunter and Earth-2 Superman are also alive in the past. Is there a "dead" Batman in the present to drive the Black Lantern? Or do I have the whole methodology out of whack?

The whole concept makes my head hurt. I really hope Geoff Johns reveals all for those like me who need the minutiae...