After last issue’s White Ring disintegrating of the Hawk’s, this issue HAD to open with Boston trying to figure out what the hell just happened.
Well, first off, the plan that the Ring always goes on about is to stop the Earth from turning against humanity. Apparently the world has been getting poisoned for centuries by mankind, but Blackest Night sped up the process of contaminating the planets soul. Then, eventually, the contamination/corruption will rise up as a Dark Avatar and seek out Star City, and the magical forest there. The forest holds the key to the Earth’s salvation.
The returnees were brought back to prevent further destruction, which makes sense when you consider some of the people who have finished their White Lantern missions. Max Lord prevented Kingdom Come by killing Magog, Jade stopped the Starheart from blowing up the Earth, Zoom brought Barry back from the dead, and the Hawk’s stopped an other worldly invasion. Then we get an explanation about how the main cast of the book was chosen, as each of the characters who has had story focus thus far was put on a journey to overcome what held them back in life. Like the Hawks overcame the curse that kept them dieing and returning everytime they got to be together.
As for why they died, it’s not explained greatly, but I’m working under the assumption that with their life force purified, the Lantern couldn’t risk recorruption, and since they wouldn’t abide it’s wishes, it just took their life forces before they had a chance to get tainted. So now the life force of the Hawks is being used to prevent the rising darkness.
Oh, and Boston’s role is to embrace life and thus fuel the ring, giving it the power to do what it does.
