Story: "Blackest Night" (24 Pages)

Credits:

Geoff Johns (plot, script)
Ivan Reis (pencils)
Oclair Albert and Julio Ferreira (inks)
Alex Sinclair (colors)
Nick J. Napolitano (letters)
Adam Schlagman (associate edits)
Eddie Berganza (edits)

Feature Characters:

Green Lantern (Hal Jordan)
Flash II (both last in Green Lantern Vol. 4 #44)
Green Lantern (Guy Gardner)
Green Lantern (Kyle Rayner)
Brik
Kilowog (all four in between Green Lantern Corps Vol. 2 #39 and #40)
Atom II
Mera
Tempest (dies and becomes a Black Lantern)
Blue Devil
Deadman (in between panels of Blackest Night: Batman #1)
Spectre
Phantom Stranger
Zatanna

Supporting Characters:

James Gordon
Barbara Gordon (both next in Blackest Night: Batman #2)

Villains:

Black Hand
Martian Manhunter (last in Green Lantern Vol. 4 #44)
Aquaman
Atom I
Black Condor II
Elongated Man
Firestorm II
Hawkman
Hawkgirl II
Human Bomb I
Phantom Lady II
Sue Dibny
Bzzd (in between Green Lantern Corps Vol. 2 #39 and #40)
Jack T. Chance
Katma Tui
Ke'Haan (all three next in Green Lantern Corps Vol. 2 #40)
Captain Boomerang
Golden Glider
Top
Abin Sur (behind the scenes)
Aquagirl III (last in Teen Titans Vol. 3 #67)
Dolphin (last in Titans Vol. 2 #15)
Deadman's corpse
Hawk (last in JSA #15; next in Blackest Night: Titans #1)
Pariah (last in Supergirl Vol. 5 #19; next in Green Lantern Vol. 4 #45)
Sandman (last in JSA: Secret Files #1)
Superman of Earth-2 (last in Infinity Crisis #7; next in Blackest Night: Superman #1)
Rainbow Raider (last in Flash Vol. 2 #183; all of the above as Black Lanterns)

Guest Appearance:

Dove (deceased; behind the scenes; next in Blackest Night: Titans #1)

Comment: Story continued from the previous issue and continues in the next.

Feature: "The Book of the Black - The Burned-In Thoughts of William Hand: Chapter 1, Verse 1" (3 Pages)

Credits:

Geoff Johns (plot, script)
Steve Wands (design)

Comment: This feature contains the first verse in the Book of the Black by William Hand.