Black Lantern Ring

Check it out! The Blackest Night promo ring is here! That's right! Buy a copy of Blackest Night #1 at your local Amazing Fantasy and you will receive a Black Lantern ring, as pictured above. No, it doesn't really work, it doesn't light up or anything, but still pretty damn cool. Limit of 1 ring per person, while supplies last, with purchase of Blackest Night #1. This has to be one of the coolest promos in ages. Leave it to DC, they ALWAYS give goodies away. I don't even remember the last time Marvel had a cool promotional give-away, I think it was back in the 90's, when they would give out various promotional pins, like a Spidey head, or a Santa Spidey head, or a Ghost Rider head. Those were fun. These days Marvel gives away promotional "Saga" comics that catch the reader up on a particular title or family of titles, or the recent Marvel Readers Catalog which had a wonderful chronological listing of the all the Marvel GN's available (unfortunately it also listed GN's that are not in print, but I've bitched about that before on this blog), and poster give-aways. All of these are very cool items, BUT when the fan can get a SOMETHING as a promo, then it elevates the promotion into the realm of EXTRA special. DC has given away I believe at least two different Green Lantern rings over the years, various pins, bookmarks and posters. I just love the STUFF. If I had kept all the various promotional items that comic book publishers have given away over the years it would take up a whole drawer (again, I am NOT talking about comics or posters, but tangible THINGS). Yay DC! Way to get people excited about a new comic book series. Not only has the DCU been building up to Blackest Night for a couple of years now, but this promo ring has people SUPER excited. I received at least 3 phone calls at the Frankfort shop today to inquire about the ring. That has never happened before, people calling about a PROMO item. I'm sure Blackest Night will do VERY well, we sold quite a few in one day alone, so maybe we will see more Lantern mini-series over the next few years: a Yellow Lantern (Sinestro) mini-series so they can produce and give away Yellow Lantern rings, an Indigo Tribe mini-series so they can produce and give away Indigo Tribe/Lantern rings, etc. We should all start campaigning for this right now! I want to have the whole collection of Lantern promo rings! Yes, I could buy that forthcoming JLA Trophy Room Green Lantern Rings Prop Replica that lights up that retails for $250.00, BUT those rings are made out of resin and are not meant to be worn. Make more promo rings DC! Next time I talk to my DC retail rep, I will mention this. (I'm sure they've heard this a million times before, but it couldn't hurt to ask. So if you see DC at a convention, be sure to ask for more colored Green Lantern promo rings!)

Oh yeah, the comics came out too: Blackest Night #1, along with Blackest Night: Tales of the Corps #1. I almost forgot to mention those, oops! Both are great reads. Highly recommended. I will write up a review later in the week. I got all wrapped up in the free jewelry.