that run wasn't just simple stuff
GJ's run had a lot of heart and care for the characters underneath all the explosions and blood, that can't be denied
also, Blackest Night was brilliantly written if you ask me; I cared about what happened to just about every character in that book, not to mention the fact that Ivan Reis turned in the #2 all-time art performance on an event book (God's Property being #1 with the original Crisis)
I don't agree with the notion that straight hero action=lesser grade entertainment, that sort of idea keeps comics in the doldrums in regards to public opinion
you'd be hard pressed to find a better trilogy than Rebirth/War/Blackest Night (and you're right, he should've ended it there, and I think he even wanted to)