Saving the Day

When I began to read through this week's Brightest Day I started to worry. I became concerned that this new Aqualad -- a boy by the name of Jackson Hyde -- was going to have his origin suffer in the way so many origins do.

As Jackson and his adopted father fled from the menace of Black Manta I was afraid that Jackson's father was going to die. It don't think it was an unreasonable worry. After all, Geoff Johns has killed Superman's father, Hal Jordan's dad, and Barry Allen's mom. Why wouldn't he give poor Jackson the same tragic origin?

My concerns seemed justified as I watched Black Manta fire a harpoon at Jackson's father with the chilling words: "He is not your father. He is nothing but another man I've killed." It was going to be the same story all over again.

But I was wrong.

When all hope seemed lost, Aquaman appeared. Maybe this is what Brightest Day is about. It's not about some pie in the sky brighter world where evil doesn't exist. It's about a world where -- when all seems lost -- a hero appears. And saves the day.

Stories like that are why I read superhero comics, after all...