Brightest Day #4
Brightest Day #4 holds a firm place in DC history as the first comic book appearance of Jackson Hyde, the second character to carry the Aqualad mantle and the son of Black Manta — a debut that arrived months ahead of the Young Justice animated series that inspired him, mirroring a rare reverse-adaptation pipeline where the comics beat the screen. The issue also marks the first appearance of the Xebelians, the undersea warrior faction tied to Mera's heritage, quietly laying groundwork for Geoff Johns' subsequent Aquaman mythos. Within the Brightest Day narrative itself, the issue advances the Deadman-and-white-ring thread by bringing Boston Brand into contact with the new Hawk and Dove, deepening the post-Blackest Night meditation on life, death, and second chances that defined the maxiseries. Together these threads make the issue a nexus point for two major ongoing DC lineages — the Aquaman family and the White Lantern mythology.
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We Buy Collections ▸History
Brightest Day was co-written by Geoff Johns and Peter J. Tomasi as a direct sequel to the Blackest Night event, published as a 25-issue biweekly maxiseries beginning in April 2010. The artistic team across the series included Ivan Reis, Ardian Syaf, Patrick Gleason, and Scott Clark, with David Finch providing covers. Jackson Hyde's inclusion in the series stemmed from a cross-media collaboration: the Young Justice animated team of Greg Weisman and Brandon Vietti had conceived a new Aqualad for their show, and Johns — inspired by that in-development character — adapted the core concept (a teen son of Black Manta) into the comics, giving him a distinct surface-world backstory specifically tailored to fit decades of existing Aquaman continuity. Because the production timeline for comics is shorter than for animation, the comics version debuted in print several months before Kaldur'ahm appeared on screen.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First appearance of Jackson Hyde (later Aqualad/Aquaman), written by Geoff Johns and drawn by Ivan Reis, published June 16, 2010, with a cover date of August 2010.
- First appearance of the Xebelians, the dimension-hopping warrior people connected to Mera's heritage, who emerge from the Bermuda Triangle in this issue.
- First appearance of Maria, Jackson Hyde's girlfriend, who accompanies him through the Brightest Day storyline.
- Jackson Hyde was originally conceived for the Young Justice animated series by creators Greg Weisman, Brandon Vietti, and Phil Bourassa; Geoff Johns adapted the character for comics before the show premiered, giving the comics version a separate backstory as a surface-dweller raised in Silver City, New Mexico.
- The issue's story is titled 'Tresholds' and was written by Geoff Johns and Peter J. Tomasi, with pencils credited to Ardian Syaf and Ivan Reis, among other artists.
- Deadman (Boston Brand) visits the new Hawk and Dove in this issue; Hawk demands he use the White Lantern ring to resurrect his long-dead brother Don Hall, the original Dove — a central story beat of the broader series.
- Hawkman and Hawkgirl cross a dimensional portal made of bones from their past lives, entering a new world tied to their ancient curse and their enemy Hath-Set.
- The issue has been reprinted in at least six collected editions, including the Brightest Day trade paperback Vol. 1 (DC, 2010), German and French Panini editions, and the Brightest Day Omnibus (DC, 2014).
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Reprints
Reprinted in Brightest Day #1 (2011), Brightest Day #2 (2011), Brightest Day #2 (2011), Brightest Day #1 (2012), Brightest Day #1 (2013), Brightest Day Omnibus #[nn] (2014)
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