The Blog of OA: Peter Milligan

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5/19/12

Red Lanterns #9 Review

5/19/2012

Since the very beginning of the Red Lanterns series there has been a slow, and some would say too slow, buildup towards a confrontation between Atrocitus and Bleez for control of the Red Lantern Corps. Issue nine brings us a head to head confrontation between the two, but whether or not it is a satisfying confrontation or not depends on what the reader is hoping to see happen.

Red Lanterns #8 Review

4/11/2012

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It's no secret that I've felt that Red Lanterns has been a bit of a let down and I've made it a point to try to let it stand on its own merits and not color my opinion with my own preconceived notion of what the title should be by focusing on what it is. I really felt that issue 7 was a step in the right direction and that the book had finally found a focus with the arrival of Rankorr and a brewing civil war. Issue 8 adds another plot to the mix which could render the civil war a meaningless affair as the ghosts of Atrocitus' past comes back to haunt him in a most volatile way.

July 2012 Green Lantern Solicitations

4/09/2012

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The July 2012 solictations from DC Comics for the Green Lantern family of books has been released and the start of the "Revenge of the Black Hand" story that Geoff Johns talked about to Newsarama recently as all roads for the Green Lantern books lead to the coming of the Third Army. Alan Scott also gets his post-relaunch origin and Larfleeze takes on the New Guardians while the "Alpha War" wraps up in the pages of the Green Lantern Corps.

Podcast of Oa Episode 18

3/23/2012

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In this episode of the Podcast of Oa hosts Bill Giancoli and Myron Rumsey talk about the latest episode of the new Green Lantern animated series, “Razer’s Edge”. Things pickup with the seventh issue of Red Lanterns with Bleez leading the team while Atrocitus confronts some of the demons from his past and Rankorr makes his entrance on Ysmault.

We also discuss the start to the “Secret of the Indigo Tribe” story in the pages of Green Lantern #7 and share some Green Lantern news, plus we get an audio response to our last Kilowog Challenge.

Red Lanterns #7 Review

3/17/2012

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There have been a lot of plots running through the Red Lanterns series but as many fans will point out there doesn't seem to have been a traditionally defined storyline through the first six issues. That's not to say that the book has been completely scatter-shot as we've started to see some cross between the various plotlines. In issue six most of the pages were dedicated to establishing Rankorr as the second Red Lantern of Earth, but unlike Dex-Starr the human recruit has shown to be a little different than most members of the rage brigade. This issue starts to pull some of these subplots together and it seems that we are on a collision course for a major upheaval in the ranks of the Red Lanterns.

Podcast of Oa Episode 16

2/16/2012

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The sixth issues of Red Lanterns and Green Lantern are the subject of the sixteenth episode of the Podcast of Oa. Hosts Bill Giancoli and Myron Rumsey talk about the latest member of the Red Lantern Corps, Rankorr, and what lies ahead for Atrocitus and company. Meanwhile there's plenty to talk about with the events of Green Lantern #6 and the vision that Sinestro has of the future and the upcoming arc "The Secret of the Indigo Tribe".

Are YOU ready to take the new Kilowog Challenge!? Plus we talk about the behind the scenes effort that brought last episode's Salaak interview to life and whether or not the podcast will include discussion about the Green Lantern animated series.

The Podcast of Oa is the official podcast of the Blog of Oa and a proud member of the Comics Podcast Network. Share your comments and questions by calling the show’s voicemail line at 406-PODOFOA (406-763-6362) and Skype users can leave a voicemail on the show's account, blogofoa. Send your emails to greenlantern@stny.rr.com. You can also find the Blog and Podcast of Oa on Facebook and Google+.

Green Lantern and other related characters are the copyrighted property of DC Comics Inc. and are used without permission. The Blog of Oa and the Podcast of Oa are fan productions and do not claim any ownership over the Green Lantern or any other copyrighted properties.

Show Links
Stitcher
Eric Giancoli

Show Notes
00:00:00 Intro
00:02:14 Red Lanterns #6
00:23:01 Green Lantern #6
00:49:25 Listener feedback
01:12:21 Kilowog Challenge
01:16:26 Outro

May 2012 Green Lantern Solicitations - Updated

2/13/2012

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The May 2012 solictations from DC Comics for the Green Lantern family of books has been released, revealing that the answers to some of the mysteries of the Indigo Tribe are going to be revealed, John Stewart gets himself into some hot water, and more.

This has been updated to include Blue Beetle #9 featuring a crossover with Green Lantern: New Guardians.

RED LANTERNS #9

Written by PETER MILLIGAN

Art by ED BENES and ROB HUNTER

Cover by MIGUEL SEPULVEDA

On sale MAY 2 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US RATED T+

No RED LANTERN is safe! ATROCITUS discovers a conspiracy behind the awakening of the terror that is ABYSMUS, which threatens to kill every member of his corps!

JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL #9

Written by DAN JURGENS

Art by AARON LOPRESTI and MATT RYAN

Cover by DAVID FINCH and RICHARD FRIEND

On sale MAY 2 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US RATED T

It’s the JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL against O.M.A.C in a fight to the finish! Special crossover with this month’s FIRESTORM #9!

GREEN LANTERN #9

Written by GEOFF JOHNS

Art by DOUG MAHNKE and CHRISTIAN ALAMY

Cover by DOUG MAHNKE

Variant cover by GARY FRANK

1:200 B&W Variant cover by DOUG MAHNKE

On sale MAY 9 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US RATED T

Combo pack edition: $3.99 US

This issue will ship with three covers.

“THE SECRET OF THE INDIGO TRIBE” part three! HAL JORDAN and SINESTRO learn the horrific truth behind the members of the Indigo Tribe and their connection to ABIN SUR Also, the GUARDIANS begin their plan to replace the Green Lantern Corps – at any cost!

This issue is also offered as a special combo pack edition with a redemption code for a digital download of this issue.

JUSTICE LEAGUE #9

Written by GEOFF JOHNS

Art and cover by JIM LEE and SCOTT WILLIAMS

Backup story art by GARY FRANK

1:25 Variant cover by CARLOS D’ANDA

1:200 B&W Variant cover by JIM LEE

On sale MAY 16 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US RATED T

Combo pack edition: $4.99 US

“THE VILLAIN’S JOURNEY” begins here! Part one of a story introducing an all-new major nemesis for the Justice League by GEOFF JOHNS and JIM LEE!

In part three of the SHAZAM! backup story, Billy Batson attempts to get used to his new life, new school and new family as Sivana unleashes an ancient evil imprisoned long ago.

This issue is also offered as a special combo pack edition with a redemption code for a digital download of this issue.

GREEN LANTERN CORPS #9

Written by PETER J. TOMASI

Art and cover by FERNANDO PASARIN and SCOTT HANNA

On sale MAY 16 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US RATED T

“ALPHA WAR” part one! JOHN STEWART is put on trial for the murder of a fellow GREEN LANTERN by the ALPHA LANTERNS!

BLUE BEETLE #9
Written by TONY BEDARD
Art by MARCIO TAKARA
Cover by PAUL RENAUD
On sale MAY 16 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

BLUE BEETLE squares off against GREEN LANTERN KYLE RAYNER and THE NEW GUARDIANS! If Beetle and the Lanterns don’t kill each other, the bounty hunter packing Oan technology will be happy to do it for them. Wait…OAN technology?! Continued this month in GREEN LANTERN: NEW GUARDIANS #9!

GREEN LANTERN ANIMATED #2
Written by ART BALTAZAR and FRANCO
Art and cover by DARIO BRIZUELA
On sale MAY 16 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED E

Hal Jordan and Kilowog patrol the limits of the galaxy in their “borrowed” Green Lantern ship! Has Hal learned the lessons Kilowog’s been teaching him? We’ll find out as they run into an old foe: the Invisible Destroyer!

THE FURY OF FIRESTORM: THE NUCLEAR MEN #9

Written by JOE HARRIS and ETHAN VAN SCIVER

Art by YILDIRAY CINAR and NORM RAPMUND

Cover by ETHAN VAN SCIVER

On sale MAY 23 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US RATED T

Don’t miss this crossover with JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL #9! RONNIE seeks information – but is the price he must pay too high?

GREEN LANTERN: NEW GUARDIANS #9

Written by TONY BEDARD

Art and cover by TYLER KIRKHAM and BATT

1:25 B&W Variant cover by TYLER KIRKHAM and BATT

On sale MAY 23 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US RATED T

This issue will ship with two covers. The variant cover will feature the standard edition cover in a wraparound format.

ODYM, homeworld of the BLUE LANTERNS, is under attack by the alien conquerors known as THE REACH! The combined power of the different Lantern Corps might not be enough to defeat The Reach! To make matters worse, they may have been betrayed by one of their own! Continued from BLUE BEETLE #9.

Red Lanterns #6 Review

2/05/2012

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It's no secret that I haven't had the same enthusiasm for Red Lanterns as I'd like to have, but the book is still the first one I read for the week it comes out. Part of that certainly from my bias as a Green Lantern fan, but the main reason is that I look forward to seeing if the latest issue makes the connection with me that I want it to. The sixth issue promises to bring some of the plot threads together and it's my hope that that we'll finally be getting some cohesion and a solid direction for the series.

The Story -

Issue five ended with John Moore's recruitment as the new member of the Red Lantern Corps and this issue opens with an inner monologue as we live through the transformation from his perspective. John, or Jack as he prefers to be called, is unaware of what's happening to him, but the words and actions of the police how beat his brother to death echo in his mind and trigger flashbacks to points in his life where Jack was bullied by others. His attempts to warn the police to get away result in the horrifying death of one them as Jack struggles to communicate through his new rage-filled persona. Taking to the sky John Moore begins to question what he has become as a result the changes he's going through.

John Moore's life is one that is one we can relate to, but is it powerful enough to warrant a red ring?

On Ysmault the confrontation between Atrocitus and Bleez rages on and the moment that their tension has built to materializes when Bleez calls for new leadership. Surrounded by his Corps Atrocitus is called out by Skallox, providing a moment of relief for Bleez who was about to be killed by her superior. As the Red Lantern begins to explain himself to his followers he suddenly realizes that he and they have somehow all been changed, hinting that Bleez may be infected them in some manner.

Atrocitus realizes something has changed, and not for the better

Back on Earth John Moore reaches out for a connection that might help calm the fierce emotions boiling inside him, flying to the cemetery where his grandfather is buried. Rather than the peaceful solace he hoped to find the sight of the tombstone sends Moore even further over the edge until he finds a target to focus his now uncontrollable rage on, the man how killed his grandfather and indirectly brought about the death of his brother Ray.

Find the police cruiser transporting Baxter, John Moore attacks the vehicle and knocks it off the road. Confronting the frightened Baxter John Moore uses his grandfather's headstone to begin bashing the man's head in when a familiar green light gets in the way. The issue closes with Guy Gardner standing before Moore, telling the Red Lantern they need to have a talk - and that means fight in Gardner-ese.

John's transformation and inner dialogue are the high point of this issue.

The Writing -

I enjoyed getting into Moore's head this issue and seeing how his humanity is struggling to stay alive on the slippery slope towards the inevitable consumption by his rage. My assumption is that the fact that he's human is making his indoctrination a bit different, and while that might sound like an easy way out I think it allows us to learn more about the Red Lanterns and how their transformation changes them. I'm not sure why he needs to be called Rankorr other than the play on the word rancor - or perhaps an ode to the Star Wars beast.

The scenes on Ysmault remain a muddled mess to me. We now have this battle for supremacy in front of the Red Lanterns as their main plot and the missing body of Krona, the stealing of the Red Lantern ring that led to Bleez's appearance in New Guardians, and the other little subplots are still dangling threads that seem to be going nowhere.

Apparently the Krona subplot will see an answer soon, but from my perspective the title just lacks focus, but I've been thinking about this a bit since reading the most recent issue and I'm wondering if this might just be intentional. The thing about rage and anger is that it makes it very difficult to remained focused on any one thing for too long. Is Peter Milligan intentionally trying to show us that the Red Lanterns lack the ability to control themselves effectively by moving between these threads without resolution as a way to illustrate how the rage controls the Red Lanterns more than they do the emotion? Maybe it's wishful thinking on my part, but the Blue Lantern in me in hoping so.

The one thing I have to say about the choice of John Moore as a Red Lantern is that his rage isn't very strong. Sure a life of being bullied leads to a lot of pent up anger, I can relate to that, but I can't help but think of a number of other situations that are very present in our world with much more power behind them and would have had more impact than what we've seen here.

The Art -

I love Ed Benes for the most part, but I do think he continues to go out of his way for some gratuitous T and A that makes for more distraction than anything else. As I read this issue one thing in particular also stood out to me and that was the lack of detail in so many panels. So of that may be in the inking and coloring, but a lot of it is just backgrounds that have nothing in them. I also think that after seeing Atrocitus show up in the pages of Green Lantern: New Guardians #5 I really miss how ferocious and terrifying he used to look before we got this kinder, simpler Atrocitus.

What Do I Think?

This issue is better than most of the others in that I feel like we're finally starting to see some direction for this title, but I remain concerned that this is all happening too late for the title. Red Lanterns #1 sold well at nearly 74,000 copies and by the fourth issue that number dropped down to just over 50,000 and dropping, a signal that the book hasn't found a stable audience yet. The fifth issue was the number forty book for January so it doesn't seem like it's in trouble yet, but if the sales continue to fall something is going to happen to this book in the form of a creative shift or cancellation.

Issue six makes a step in the right direction in some ways, but fumbles over itself in others. Three out of five lanterns.

Podcast of Oa - Episode 14

1/19/2012

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Hosts Bill Giancoli and Myron Rumsey discuss the fifth issue of Red Lanterns poses a question to listeners. The two also discuss whether Hal Jordan’s portrayal in the post-Flashpoint Justice League book is on target or not.

The end of the Sinestro arc in Green Lantern leads to speculation on the Third Army and the identity of the First Lantern. This leads to Myron digging through the 52 year history of Green Lantern to share the story of the First Green Lantern, Rori Dag. All that, listener feedback and more round out the biggest episode yet – plus we unveil a new theme for the show.

Share your comments and questions by leaving voicemail on the show’s voicemail line at 406-PODOFOA (406-763-6362) and Skype users can leave a voicemail on the show's account, blogofa. You can email the show using the contact me form on the Blog of Oa website, or by email to greenlantern@stny.rr.com. You can also find us on Facebook and Google+.

The Podcast of Oa is the official podcast of the The Blog of Oa.

Show Links

Heroes Your Mom Threw Out Digital Comics Portal

Show Notes

0:00:00 Intro
0:01:25 Red Lanterns #5
0:21:33 The Justice League and Hal Jordan
0:30:53 Green Lantern #5
1:01:47 Rori Dag, the First Green Lantern
1:23:32 Listener Feedback
1:38:40 News and Outro

April 2012 Green Lantern Solicitations - Updated

1/17/2012

3 comments

The April 2012 solictations from DC Comics for the Green Lantern family of books has been released, revealing that some of the current plots from the books will be intersecting with each other as the effects of Sinestro and Hal Jordan's defeat of the Sinestro Corps leads to problems for Arkillo and the rise of the Third Army creates problems for John Stewart - plus we will be seeing more on the connection between Indigo-1 and Abin Sur.

Updated with full listings

Red Lanterns #8 - On sale April 4
Written by Peter Milligan
Art by Ed Benes and Rob Hunter
Cover by Ed Benes

Who is it that brings death to all on Ysmault? John Moore could not have become a Red Lantern at a more apocalyptic time. But what’s worse: being caught in Atrocitus and Bleez’s civil war, or taking the blame for the infection spreading throughout the Red Lantern Corps? Facing extinction, how long until all the Red Lanterns burn out?

Green Lantern #8 - On sale April 11
Written by Geoff Johns
Art by Doug Mahnke and Christian Alamy
Cover by Doug Mahnke, Variant cover by Dale Keown
1:200 B&W variant cover by Doug Mahnke

“Secret of the Indigo Tribe” Part 2! On the Indigo homeworld, Hal Jordan and Sinestro are trapped, powerless and on the run – with the entire Indigo Tribe in hot pursuit! Their situation grows even more dire when we learn the Indigos’ deadly secret! Plus: Why Indigo-1 is so interested in Hal’s predecessor, Abin Sur?

This issue is also offered as a special combo pack edition, polybagged with a redemption code for a digital download of this issue.

Green Lantern: The Animated Series #1 - On Sale April 11
Written by Art Baltazar and Franco
Art and cover by Dario Brizuela

It’s the first issue of the monthly series inspired by the new Cartoon Network series! Hal Jordan faces his greatest challenge onboard the Interceptor when he faces off against a captured Red Lantern and his own mentor, Kilowog! Has their trip to the outer reaches of Guardian space driven Kilowog mad? Has their rage-filled prisoner influenced him to rebel against the Guardians’ will? Hal can’t believe his eyes, and neither will you!

Blackest Night Special Edition #1 - On Sale April 11
Written by Geoff Johns
Art and cover by Philip Tan
HILIP TAN
Green Lantern #40-41, two key chapters from the Blackest Night saga, are reprinted in this new special, previously available only in the DC Direct Blackest Night Action Figure Boxed Set.

Green Lantern Corps #8 - On sale April 18
Written by Peter J. Tomasi
Art and cover by Fernando Pasarin and Scott Hanna

The Guardians’ plan to replace the Corps continues to move forward as John Stewart is arrested by the Alpha Lanterns! The terrible truth of John Stewart’s crime has been uncovered by the Corps – and unfortunately for them, John refuses to go quietly.

Green Lantern: New Guardians #8 - On sale April 25

Written by Tony Bedard
Art and cover by Tyler Kirkham and Batt
1:25 B&W Variant cover by Tyler Kikham and Batt

Betrayed by Sinestro! Arkillo, the most loyal of all the yellow ring wielders, has returned to Korugar only to find the Sinestro Corps is no more! The members of the corps have been rounded up and executed, and the yellow power battery is gone – all at Sinestro’s command! Armed with the dwindling energy of a ring he can no longer recharge, it’s a race against time as Arkillo slaughters his way toward a desperate goal: the birth of a new type of yellow power ring!

Red Lanterns #5 Review

1/16/2012

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Red Lanterns has been a bit of a struggle for me to get as enthusiastic about as the other three books in the Green Lantern family of comics. While I do enjoy the book and it's always at the top of the stack for the week when it comes out I know that a part of that comes from my love of the franchise. Likewise my lack of enthusiasm my also be fueled by the expectations being an "uber fan" brings with it, so I frequently have to try to divorce myself from what I want the book to be and enjoy it for what it is and try to be a bit more objective about it. With that out of the way I still find Red Lanterns to be an interesting exploration of anger despite some shortcomings that continue to keep the book from living up to its full potential.

The Story -

When we last saw Atrocitus at the end of the fourth issue he was standing over the resting place of Krona after find the body of the mad Guardian had vanished. The fifth issue starts out with him going immediately after Bleez, driven by rage over his paranoid driven feelings that she is trying to undermine his leadership of the Red Lanterns.

Atrocitus finds Bleez by the Blood Ocean waiting for Skallox, Zilius Zox and Ratchet to emerge from the crimson pool and he immediately confronts her about Krona. Bleez denies any involvement and suggests that Krona may not be dead after all. A quick cut away reveals that there is a shadowy being wandering about Ysmault who appears very weak, hinting that perhaps there is a great deal of merit to Bleez's theory.

After more arguing Bleez is sent into the Blood Ocean to find her three fellow Corpsmen and we see more to Ratchet's back story where we witness his memories of being captured, maimed and tortured by the authorities for his attempt to seek out intimate relations. Limb removed and force feed nutrients over decades Ratchet loses himself inside his mind until a day comes when the red ring arrives and he begins his new life as a Red Lantern.

Ratchet's fate is both compelling and rage inducing.

Meanwhile Atrocitus discovers the tracks of the mysterious figure and is attacked by him. It appears that the being wants to talk with the Red Lantern, but when Atrocitus lunges at the figure there is an explosion of blood and then it all goes dark.

Is it Krona, or something more?

Bleez emerges from the Blood Ocean with Ratchet and Zox and the two changed aliens begin to have a dialogue about the nature of their mission as Red Lanterns when Zox alludes to the still missing Skallox. Under the surface Skallox is still wrestling with his own demons and we see the rest of his story; one of a criminal who is burned alive when his lifestyle catches up with him and he fall prey to the same kind of violent end that he caused others. Cast aside Skallox's anger swells at the betrayal and his own self loathing as the arrival of a red ring changes his fate.

Bleez emerges from the Blood Ocean with Skallox and Ratchet makes the observation that the Red Lantern rings don't always come to the innocent who are wronged and that rage also comes to those who wrong others. Atrocitus arrives and commits his corps to finding Krona before sensing a new ring bearer has been chosen.

Ratchet and Bleez's musings are one of the issue's strongest moments.

On Earth we pick up the story of John Moore and his brother, Ray, who is being taken away for his crimes. Ray resists arrest and is beaten to death by the three British policemen while John stand idly by. We see inside of John and learn that he has always been the calm one, but a great anger has always been there, suppressed below the surface. But now, confronted with the realization that his own fear kept him from expressing the anger and helping his brother, John Moore explodes as years of rage of self hatred burst forth in one giant surge of emotion. The issue closes with with red ring finding his hand and transforming him into the latest member of the Red Lantern Corps.

The Writing -

There are a few really good scenes in this issue that start to pull some of the story elements from the past few issues together. Peter Milligan really makes the reader empathize with Ratchet's plight while juxtaposing that with Skallox's "live by the sword, die by the sword" fate. While I would have preferred to find out more about Zilius Zox personally, I can see where that might have muddied up the dichotomy that Milligan is trying to illustrate here about the nature of anger and rage by showing how two beings on two completely different paths can find themselves ending up in similar places.

It's the nature of that exploration that is the best executed part of the issue. While the mystery of Krona is certainly interesting, the way that the issue cuts to Atrocitus's confrontation with the mysterious being only to abruptly cut away again and then seem so inconsequential that it's not referenced later in the issue when Atrocitus appears again is jarring and disjointed. In fact when I first read this issue it was the digital version and I found myself taken out of story because I thought that somehow panels were missing.

The big payoff of John Moore's fate also misses the mark. You knew from their appearance in the first issue that one of them would eventually end up with a red ring and because of John's calm demeanor he was going to be the one because that's exactly what you shouldn't expect given how hot blooded his brother Ray was. But because this took five issues to play out the ending has absolutely no surprise value to it.

I understand that police brutality exists but the way in which it's portrayed here seems extremely unrealistic here if it is indeed a literal accounting of the events. I find it unlikely that the three police officers would beat a man to death and then simply walk away leaving him dead outside his home. However after re-reading this issue a few times I'm interpreting this particular scene differently simply because I can't accept it the way it looks initially. So in my mind I'm reading this as the red ring was there and its presence "pushed" the anger levels in all five of them, suggesting to Ray to lash out and to the police officers to react with the anger filled faces we see.

In the end this issue follows a similar pattern of the rest of the series in that each one of the subplots moves forward a bit nudging them ever so slowly to a point of convergence. While I think it could have been handled a bit better in terms of the pacing and that we could have reached this point two issues ago, I'm still enjoying the series but just not as much as I'd like to.

The Art -

Ed Benes and Diego Bernard share the art chores on this issue and their art styles compliment each other quite well. I thought the panel design was very inventive as was the use of the background page colors to show changes in time and place. I'm still not getting what happened to Ratchet's face and how he can talk without a mouth, but hey, I'll give it a pass since there may be more to that story.

What Do I Think?

I've said this before, but I'm in like with this book and to me that's not what I was hoping for. While this issue tries to deliver a payoff to the Earth subplot the pacing of the story made the ending far too predictable and lessened the impact it could have had. Likewise the disjointed progression of the Krona subplot sullies the intrigue that the creative team is trying to create. However the conclusion to the stories of Ratchet and Skallox are a big plus in the issue as is the solid art work, giving this issue three out of five lanterns.

Podcast of Oa Episode 12

12/22/2011

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In episode twelve of the Podcast of Oa hosts Bill Giancoli and Myron Rumsey dive into the fourth issues of Red Lanterns and Green Lantern - the perfect combination of colors to celebrate the Christmas season. We also announce the winners of the Kilowog Challenge and the Party Supply drawing and share some recent Green Lantern news.

You can contact the show via the contact me form on the Blog of Oa website, or by email to greenlantern@stny.rr.com. Skype users can leave a voicemail on the show's account, blogofa. You can also find us on Facebook and Google+.

The Podcast of Oa is the official podcast of the The Blog of Oa. www.blogofoa.com.

Show Links
Heroes Your Mom Threw Out Digital Comics Portal
Discount Party Supplies
Mobile / Browser Apps

Show Notes
0:00:00 Intro
0:01:06 Contest Winners
0:07:30 Red Lanterns #4
0:38:25 Green Lantern #4
0:57:23 News/Mobile & Browser Apps/Facebook Group
1:12:55 Outro

Red Lanterns #4 Review

12/18/2011

1 comment

The Red Lanterns title seems to be the one book that fans agree to disagree about. I've seen lots of fans, myself included, criticize the book over the slow pace and apparent lack of direction while many others have defended the book, citing the exploration of the nature of rage as a refreshing take on what could have been just another book about people beating each other up. I see the value in the latter position as well and the recently released fourth issue strives to strike a happy medium between moving the plot along while still trying to explore the nature of blinding rage.

The Story -

The issue opens with Atrocitus hot on the heels of Skallox and after catching him Atrocitus takes a bite out of his fellow Red Lantern, using the blood to fuel visions of the recent past that show him moments where Bleez seems to conspire against him. Dragging Skallox to the Blood Ocean, Atrocitus is confronted by Bleez, who advises him not to cast Skallox into the pool.

Atrocitus doesn't heed her advice and tosses Skallox in, followed by Zilius Zox and Ratchet while Bleez continues to caution Atrocitus, saying that it could well cost them all three of their comrades. Atrocitus finds Bleez's comments telling; that she refers to the Red Lanterns as theirs and not Atrocitus' alone, continuing to fuel his suspicions that she is out to get him.

The seeds of distrust continue to be sown.

The scene shifts to the Blood Ocean and we begin to relive Ratchet's past as a member of a very isolationist society where beings do not share any physical interaction with each other. However Ratchet is driven by the intense desire to be with other beings and so sets out for a rendezvous with another like-minded member of his race. The whole thing goes awry when he is caught by a member of their police force.

Before we can find out more about what happened to Ratchet we are transported to Atrocitus, deep in a one-way conversation with the corpse of Krona about what Bleez might be conspiring to do. The cosmic Odd Couple are not alone and Atrocitus captures a glimpse of someone spying on them, but before he can confront the voyeur the Red Lantern is either drawn or distracted by a cruel injustice far away from the surface of Ysmault.

Atrocitus deals with a society where its young girls have their eyes removed at puberty and are kept as slaves for a year. Killing the men behind the ritual and destroying their temple, the Red Lantern heads to Earth where he smashes into a limo carrying men who grow richer at the expense of the poor, then killing the poor man walking nearby because of the rage he created by beating and then abandoning his wife.

Commenting that he cannot perform his mission alone the action changes to England where Ray and John, the two brothers who lost their grandfather in the debut issue of the series, continue their sibling struggle over the firebombing of the thug's home in issue three. The police storm the home as Ray both pleads with his brother to help him conceal his location and battles with him over John's willingness to let Ray get punished.

Will the next member of the Red Lanterns Corps come on down!

Back on Ysmault Bleez watches over the Blood Ocean and we witness some of Skallox's past where he was accused of stealing cyber eggs from his crime lord boss, Lancer. Lancer orders his cronies to use a nearby furnace to help Skallox remember what happened to the missing eggs, but before we can see more we cut away again to Atrocitus, who has returned from his trip.

With Bleez once again on his mind, Atrocitus returns to Krona, only to find that his body has gone missing and the issue ends with an Atrocitus shocked that Krona has gone with the teaser for next issue that Krona might actually be alive.

The Writing -

I have to credit Peter Milligan for the glimpses into the past of some of the rest of the Red Lantern Corps; there is so much we don't know about them and gaining some much needed backstory is very welcome. In fact I would have been happy if this whole issue was devoted to their three stories, but instead we got truncated versions of only two of them. As I read the issue I was really looking forward to Zox's background in particular, but his was not explored this time around and what we got from the other two was far too short to really understand what drove them to become Red Lanterns.

Red Lanterns #4 provides much need back story for both Ratchet and Skallox

I'm hoping that Atrocitus leaving Ysmault right when he was about to go further into finding out who was spying on him was him being pulled against his will to deal with the anger he sensed in universe or at the very least a reaction to his ability to resist intense rage rather than just a snap decision. It's unclear what prompted him to leave and not knowing to me added to the sense I got that this issue was disjointed, hopping about from one place to another just when things got interesting.

The continuing story of John and Ray still isn't doing much for me, although we know that by the just solicited seventh issue the level headed John will be a full fledged Red Lantern in a confrontation with Guy Gardner. That solicitation also talks about an upcoming Civil War in the Red Lantern Corps, so we know that the plot for this series is going to continue at about the same pace for some time. Whether that hurts the performance of the book or not is another thing.

I almost found it laughable that Atrocitus was shocked to see the body of Krona missing knowing that someone, presumably Bleez, was watching from the shadows. This could all be some sort of swerve, of course, but the first reaction would be that Bleez moved the body. And to me this is another time when I just wonder why Atrocitus doesn't kill Bleez off rather than spend a lot of energy pondering what she's up to. The Atrocitus I thought I knew wouldn't waste the energy on thinking about it, he'd just kill her and move on. But perhaps there's something more to the way that the Red Lanterns are bound together that hasn't been revealed that precludes that notion.

The Art -
Ed Benes is joined by Diego Bernard this issue but their styles work so well together that there was no jarring changes as you read the issue. I did find Ratchet's appearance rather unusual in the flashback where he had a very tentacled humanoid appearance, complete with a facial structure, since he barely resembles that now, but since we're not sure exactly what happened to him after he got caught by the Isolation Police I'm not going to call anyone out on it since he could have any number of things done to him as a result.

With the spotlight off of Bleez is was interesting to note that there wasn't one glimpse of her thonged backside in this whole issue! Whether that's in response to some of the criticism laid on Benes over the first couple of issues or just his choice is unknown, but I did find it amusing and hard not to notice. I also felt that Atrocitus looked a little more ferocious this time out which is a good thing.

What Do I Think?
I think that what we as readers feel about a book is a combination of the the compatibility of our tastes with the creative team's vision and what expectations we bring with us when we open the covers. In the case of Red Lanterns for me it's not the prior but definitely the latter. I like the kind of book that Milligan and Benes are producing, but it's not what I expected and combined with what feels to me is slow and disjointed pacing and the result is that, in my opinion, Red Lanterns is an okay book, just not one that I find myself eagerly anticipating from month to month.

The first issue of this series sold a little over 66,500 copies, a healthy number which placed it in the top twenty for the month of September. The second issue actually sold better by a very slight margin, but then dropped nearly twenty percent with the third issue. Nearly all of DC's books dropped some in November which is not unexpected with readers deciding what books they are sticking with in the new DCU. But for the four Green Lantern family of books Red Lanterns saw the steepest drop and remains the bottom performer.

I liked issue four of Red Lanterns, but it suffers from what feels like fractured storytelling. While I'm looking forward to the eventual Civil War, I just wish it wasn't as long of a wait to get there. Three out of five lanterns.