The Blog of OA: War of the Green Lanterns

Showing posts with label War of the Green Lanterns. Show all posts

2/2/12

Who is the First Lantern?

2/02/2012

Perhaps the most intriguing mystery coming out of the first story arcs in the Green Lantern titles is the coming of the Third Army and the return of the First Lantern. Recently on the Podcast of Oa and in our new feature, Green Lantern 101, there was talk of the first Green Lantern, Rori Dag. For several reasons the first Green Lantern is not likely to be the aforementioned First Lantern, but then again this is comics and one can never be too sure about anything. So just who is the First Lantern if it's not Rori Dag? There are some fascinating clues that Geoff Johns has been sprinkling in the comics since issue 62 about this individual and piecing them together helps narrow down the likely scenarios.

The first and most obvious choice for the First Lantern is indeed Rori Dag since that plays to the continuity that was established way back in 1969's Green Lantern volume 2 issue 67. Rori Dag's role as the first Green Lantern has been alluded to several times throughout the Green Lantern mythology, but a few things lead to him being discounted as the First Lantern. For one thing Rori Dag died and his body is included in the crypts of Oa and identified as resting there in the diagram of the crypts included in the Sinestro Corps Secret Files special.

While the circumstances of Rori Dag's death remains a mystery and it wouldn't be the first time someone we were led to believe were dead wasn't, there are a couple of things which would make this quite a stretch. The first is that Rori Dag appeared during Blackest Night as one of the Green Lanterns turned into a Black Lantern, or at least someone who bears a striking resemblance to Dag did, but the likelihood is very slim that he is to be the leader of the Third Army.

Rori Dag is likely to stay dead.

What is really the last nail in Dag's coffin is something that we've learned since Blackest Night, and that's the fact that there were indeed two other beings harnessing the power of will before him - Krona and the First Lantern. During the War of the Green Lanterns the four Earth Lanterns discover a secret chamber that houses several artifacts, one of which is a will powered gauntlet that we previously saw Krona use in a flashback sequence in Green Lantern number 63. While we're led to believe that Krona forged the gauntlet, the inscription on the display case indicates something different; that the gauntlet originally belonged to the First Lantern - note that this person isn't called the first Green Lantern which leaves our Silver Age continuity intact.

In Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors #9 we learn the true origin of the will gauntlet.

This sense of time placement is reinforced by a another panel from the comics and reveals that someone harnessed the power of will before Krona and before the birth of the Green Lantern Corps. The Guardians in this panel give us the historical order of the failure of their greatest champions putting the First Lantern directly in front of Krona.

A scene from Green Lantern #64

Clearly this is not Rori Dag unless there is a far different story being told, and I personally doubt that. We also know that, according to Krona, the Guardians betrayed the First Lantern for some reason, and I would say that this betrayal is detaining him or her in the Chamber of Shadows as mentioned in Green Lantern #5.

A climatic scene from Green Lantern #67 where Krona lists the Guardians' mistakes, indicating a betrayal of the First Lantern.

A key image from Green Lantern #62

There's also some key information to be gleaned from two more panels from Green Lantern #62 which provide some interesting information for us to consider. First there is a flashback image of Ganthet and Krona in the days before Krona's research into the nature of the emotional spectrum. Both Maltusans are in a room of some sort in front of a hooded being in chains. Ganthet proclaims that the being is far too dangerous to be let loose while Krona begs to differ saying that the captive could teach them about the emotional entities rather than being left there. Notice that here, and in the other flashback that opens the same issue the Guardians wear the insignia of the White Lantern on their robes. Later in the issue when they confront Krona they still wear the White Lantern logo, but they have evolved and no longer have the same height they had earlier, indicating that significant time has passed.

So we know that there is someone chained up somewhere on Oa that knew more about the emotional spectrum and that this being's knowledge may well be what pushed Krona down the path that led him to his destiny. We also know that the Guardians had been doing something with the white light for an untold number of years during which time they evolved into the diminutive beings we know today and eventually chose to focus on the power of Will. I'm going to say that the person in chains we see here is indeed the First Lantern and that the will gauntlet was one of perhaps several that he or she created - perhaps one for each color as each emotion was being studied.

This leads me to one other image from Green Lantern #62 that I think we're going to see again in the near future. Take a look:

Hal's vision from Green Lantern #62

This is one of the visions that Hal Jordan has when he is blasted by Krona just prior to the War of the Green Lanterns. We see the Guardians in a very similar location to the one from the flashback image of Ganthet and Krona, albeit one that's in far worse shape. When this issue came out everyone including myself paid particular attention to the line from Ganthet about the loss of the one of the Earth Lanterns assuming that one of them would die in the story.

What I believe is that this event takes place in the near future and we have lost one of the four Earth Lanterns, Kyle Rayner, who was basically kicked out of the Corps in Green Lantern: New Guardians #4. This is same being who was imprisoned eons before in the very same location which we will come to know as the Chamber of Shadows, now the worse for wear after all these years. Hal is now the most dangerous because of his ability to kill Krona, his ability to wield several of the different rings, and then there's the matter of his body possibly being altered by his experience in Sinestro's power battery in Green Lantern #4.

So in my opinion the First Lantern will have been this person who predated Krona in his or her ability to harness the emotional spectrum and was able to create weapons that could channel their various energies. This will be someone completely new to the Green Lantern mythology, but whose story and revelations his or her emergence will cause will likely change what we know about the origins of the all of the corps of the emotional spectrum.

Podcast of Oa Episode 5: The New DCU

8/24/2011

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In our fifth episode Bill Giancoli and I discuss the last days of the Green Lantern family of books in the old DC Universe including the wrap-up of the War of the Green Lanterns. We are also joined by Jared Aiosa of Heroes Your Mom Threw Out Comics to discuss the DC's relaunch and he shares his perspective as a comic shop owner and his experience at DC's summit for retailers in New York City. Plus we talk about New York's convention with a cause, Hero Bot Con.

Show notes:

Heroes Your Mom Threw Out Comics

Hero Bot Con

Intro: 0:00:00

Aftermath of the War of GLs: 00:01:56

The New DCU with Jared Aiosa 00:19:50

Email and closing 01:04:29

The Podcast of Oa is the official podcast of the The Blog of Oa. www.blogofoa.com Send your comments or feel free to contact the Blog of Oa at greenlantern@stny.rr.com, or leave us a voicemail on our Skype account, blogofoa.

Green Lantern Corps #62

8/15/2011

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In the aftermath of the War of the Green Lanterns there is yet more fallout amongst the ranks of the Corps as relationships are tested and torn. Kyle Rayner has not fared well in this regard, having severely strained his friendship with John Stewart and now with the latest issue of the Green Lantern Corps title the future of his romantic relationship with Soranik Natu is in serious jeopardy. Oddly, this issue takes place chronologically after the conclusion to the War of the Green Lanterns: Aftermath two part series yet saw print before the concluding issue hit the stands, hence my review coming a bit late since I held up on reading it to make sure it didn't spoil the end of the mini.

The Story -

This issue starts out with a flashback to the moment when Kyle made the mistake that all us guys make at one point or another in our romantic lives - he lies to the woman he thinks he loves to protect the relationship. Months ago the Star Sapphire Miri allowed both Kyle and Soranik Natu to see the vision of their true loves and while Sinestro's daughter saw Kyle, he saw Jade but lied to Natu because he hedged his bets on the woman in front him who still had a pulse - an advantage that Jade didn't have during the dark days before the Brightest Day.

Miri reveals the bond between them

Kyle is reliving the moment as he floats above the second sun of Oa contemplating all that's occurred of late and blaming himself for not coming up with a better solution. After talking the situation over with Tomar-Tu Kyle is assaulted by a vision of Miri attacking people caused by the emotional tether created between Miri, Kyle and Natu during Kyle's resuscitation after his death during Blackest Night way back in Green Lantern Corps #43. Rayner is pulled through a portal created by the tether with the Xudarian inadvertently joining him moments before Soranik Natu is similarly pulled to their location.

Miri, driven by the sometimes controlling power of love, has created a conflict which Tomar-Tu ultimately discovers is meant to draw Kyle and Soranik together, having sensed the end of their love is near. The conflict serves to drive the wedge further between the couple with Natu snapping at all efforts by Kyle to work together until Tomar-Tu needs to be protected. It's not until Miri is defeated that she reveals the ploy to save the love that Miri brought together all those months ago.

Kyle has no luck

And then it happens, Kyle admits his lie and Sora doesn't take it well at all, flying away on the final page and Kyle left to lick the wounds he created by his lack of honesty.

The Writing -
If the summary of this issue read fast that's because this issue was so easy to summarize for the simple reason that all the conflict between Miri and the Green Lanterns really had no purpose or real drama other than to get to the final moments when Kyle comes clean about his lie. The planet's residents under attack are never really hurt more than superficially, something that Tomar-Tu reveals far too early. So any tension is undercut by the reader figuring out what's going on long before the members of the Corps do.

This moment between Kyle and Natu needed to happen to move them both in the direction that the Green Lantern creative team want them in and they needed a moment for their relationship to have the panel time it deserves. To be honest I found their drama more interesting to watch unfold than most of what I read in the Aftermath mini-series. Again I feel like the issues between the end of the War and the DC relaunch were not well planned out as if it were hastily planned so that all attention could be focused on September.

So I give Tony Bedard good marks for the handling of the relationship, but not for the plot and pacing here. Too much time was spent on the battle and not on the resolution of the relationship.

Sadly, I've seen this look before myself

The Art -
I have to give a lot of credit to the art team with this issue, particularly with their handling of the facial expressions of the characters. The mark of good art to me is being able to tell what's going on without reading the word balloons, and this issue succeeds on many levels with the graphic storytelling. Kudos to Daniel Hdr, Keith Champagne and Nei Ruffino for a good job other than a couple of places where Kyle looked like he had too many donuts.

What Do I Think?
We all saw the end of Kyle's latest relationship coming a mile away, so most of the dramatic punch is pulled and coupled with action that lacks any dramatic tension this issue is just average despite a good job by the art team. Three out of five lanterns.

War of the Green Lanterns: Aftermath #2

8/14/2011

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When we last left Soranik Natu she was making the difficult choice of whether or not to join some of her fellow Green Lanterns in their plan to get rid of Sinestro in light of him being chosen to wield a Green Lantern power ring. The second and concluding issue of this two issue mini-series picks up moments later as Natu must make a decision that could have dire consequences for both her and her father.

The Story -

Soranik Natu is clearly torn between her oath to protect like both as a Green Lantern and as a medical professional and her strong hatred for her father and the outrageous notion that he could once again join the Green Lantern Corps despite his actions in recent years. Natu joins the group and they head to the citadel to take care of this particular loose end in the War of the Green Lanterns.

Meanwhile Kilowog is working alongside the Guy Gardner and Kyle Rayner clean up the mess left behind from their conflict with Krona. Soranik is the subject of their conversation, specifically on the soured relationship between her and Kyle, perhaps the guy with the worst track record with women this side of Peter Parker. Guy turns their attention to the fate of Hal Jordan and John Stewart's seeming lack of remorse for pulling the trigger on Mogo.

Morro arrives on the scene looking for assistance with dealing with Salaak, who is set on the task of putting Krona's remains in the crypts on Oa, something which clearly doesn't settle well with the Corps' crypt keeper. A wisecrack from Guy later and the four are in Salaak's face questioning the decision to put the body of the fallen renegade Guardian amongst the Corps' honored dead. The four lanterns call the decision making of the Guardians into question again and their differences nearly spark a full-on confrontation, but Salaak's cooler head prevails and he departs to take care of another matter. Kyle discovers that Natu has gone of the grid and quickly departs for the citadel after surmising that there is foul play afoot.

Tempers boil over in another panel lacking any background detail

Elsewhere Soranik Natu and her new found allies approach the Guardians chamber ready to breach it in favor of executing Sinestro. The lone guard on the door is dispatched with without too much harm, but before the group can enter the citadel Rayner confronts them. Kyle, either as a calculated move to create a distraction or as a really stupid mistake, refers to Natu as his girlfriend which hits a raw nerve with the Korugarian and the two former lovers take to fighting.

Hell hath no fury......

Saint Walker continues his conversation with Ganthet as he continues his lament over his separation from Sayd and his puzzlement of how to honor his pact with Atrocitus that promised the Red Lantern would have his vengeance upon Krona since Hal Jordan finished him. Their conversation is short lived as Salaak arrives to shoo the Blue Lantern away from Oa and deliver Ganthet to the Guardians who have summoned their former member to be deal with his recent actions.

Back at the Citadel Natu and Rayner are raising the roof on the place and their battle breaches the doorway and the sight of a manacled Sinestro, the Guardians trying to remove his ring, is revealed. The Guardians are not pleased and immediately the situation is addressed with the whole Corps. This is about as close to being completely pissed off as the Guardians have ever been, and they make that very clear to the Green Lanterns, dispatching everyone but the Alpha Lanterns and the Honor Guard to return to duty in their respective sectors. With Hal Jordan no longer serving sector 2814, Kyle Rayner is sent to Earth no only to deal with the lack of coverage, but to distance him from Soranik Natu and John Stewart.

John stops short of telling Kyle where he can put his olive branch.

Before Rayner departs he tries unsuccessfully to mend fences with John and then joins Kilowog, Morro and Arisia in taking care of Mogo's remains by putting them in the sun, which responds by displaying a familiar Mogo-ish band around its center. At the same time Ganthet sends the body of Krona to Ysmault for Atrocitus in honor of their pact. He is caught by the Guardians just afterwards and he assumes that they are there to chastise him for what he did, but the issue comes to an abrupt end with the Guardians mysteriously saying that's not why they want to speak with him, a strange look upon their faces.

The Writing -

Tony Bedard wraps up the event with this second part of a sort-of conclusion to the tale. While this issue moves us from point A to point B it's unclear exactly what the end point is supposed to be. Very little seems resolved over these two issues and it again becomes apparent in my opinion that this could have been told within the pages of the books remaining before the re-launch in September. There's really nothing here that screams that this is an important enough story to warrant a mini-series of its own.

I'm not faulting the writing per se, but more perhaps the editorial decisions here. This would have been a fine issue of a regular ongoing series, but as a mini-series that serves as a conclusion to a major story arc it comes on underwhelming and undeserving of being anything more.

The Art -

Likewise the art seems pretty unspectacular as well. Too many empty backgrounds make this appear rushed and unfinished, with a lot of heavy ink that just pulls this issue down into mediocrity.

What Do I Think?

It's pretty obvious that I didn't think this issue did much to elevate itself from being nothing more than slightly average. Again, I think that these events should have just played out in the remaining pages of the monthly titles and I think it's based on the need to fill in some blanks between the War of the Green Lanterns and the books that were already in the can that led to this two part series being created - and it reads and looks like this is just that kind of rush job done to get a book on the stands that wasn't planned out very well. Two lanterns out of five.

Podcast of Oa Episode 4 - That '70's Green Lantern

8/11/2011

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In the aftermath of the War of the Green Lanterns co-hosts Bill Giancoli and Myron Rumsey discuss their reactions to the war's fallout and Green Lantern news coming out of the San Diego Comic-con and the latest on a potential movie sequel.

The hosts also talk about the recently released Green Lantern '70's retroactive title and their opinions on the "Hard Travelling Heroes" era of the Green Lantern title.

Myron recounts his Green Lantern rollercoaster experience, the Kilowog Challenge returns as we pose the questions to you on what would YOU do in this situation as well as what your favorite Green Lantern character is and why. Responses can be sent by email using the "contact me" form , leaving a comment below or by leaving a voicemail on Skype to our account, blogofoa.

The Kilowog Challenge:

You are tailing a member of the Sinestro Corp as they carry a prison cell full of criminals in tow. The Yellow lantern hurls the cell of criminals towards a nearby sun to dispose of them. At the same time tries to encase you in a seemingly impenetrable cube. How do you defend yourself and save the criminals headed to their doom?

Show notes:
Intro: 0:00:00
Green Lantern Roller Coaster: 0:04:46
Aftermath of the War of GLs: 0:19:50
More San Diego Con: 0:31:12
That '70's Green Lantern: 0:33:13

Favorite Lantern and Why: 0:53:28
Email: 0:58:48
The Next Show: 01:07:04
The Kilowog Challenge: 01:10:14

Links: The Lanterncast

War of the Green Lanterns: Aftermath #1

8/02/2011

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The War of the Green Lanterns is over, but the fallout from the event has just begun. When last we left our war torn heroes there was a new ring bearer in Sinestro, while Hal Jordan has found himself ejected from the Corps as the Guardians have deemed him too dangerous in light of his ability to kill Krona in Green Lantern #67. The first issue of the two-part miniseries picks up as Hal finds himself back on Earth and the Corps is left with their jaws dropped in reaction to the Guardians.

Hal's fate remains uncertain

The Story -

Outside Yuma, Arizona, Hal Jordan reappears on Earth sans power ring and is approached by a startled policeman. The scene shifts quickly to Oa where the Guardians are still trying to come to grips with Hal Jordan's actions, in fact they seems almost indignant that a lowly human had the ability to override their safeguards they put in place.

Guy and Kilowog, however, are ticked off about the dismissal of Jordan and Sinestro's wearing of a Green Lantern ring. Sinestro is also not a fan of wearing this ring again, but he cannot get the ring off in spite of his own displeasure. The Guardians are surprisingly swift to come to the defense of Sinestro, trying to get the situation under control before it degrades into another armed conflict as more members of the Corps begin to to protest the situation.

Kilowog refuses to just stand down and throws in ring in disgust at the Guardians resigned to live the rest of his life as a civilian. Salaak, ever the logical influence, reports that hundreds of resignations have begun coming in, as we've seen in the pages of the most recent issue of the Green Lantern Corps. He stresses composure and makes the decision not to accept any of the resignations until everyone has time to recover emotionally from the War. In fact he discovers that the Corps is suffering from Post-traumatic Stress and pushes everyone to put aside their differences as they must deal with burying the dead, but not before Soranik Natu lashes out at Kyle Rayner, perhaps signalling the beginning of the end of their relationship, and the Guardians get a little snippy with Salaak.

Two very unhappy campers

Ganthet is suffering perhaps more than anyone else, having lost his hand and feeling guilty for not being able to prevent the killing of Mogo. This is compounded by the loss of his ring and feeling like he no longer belongs to the Corps but cannot go back to being a Guardian, either - let alone that he and Sayd have been separated. Along comes Saint Walker who does his thing to help Ganthet find hope in a life presently filled with hopelessness. While this restores Ganthet's missing hand, it only underscores for the former Guardian that he is extremely lonely.

A friendship torn apart

On another part of Oa several lanterns are ready to take out their emotions on John Stewart for the destruction of Mogo. Kyle Rayner inserts himself in the situation before it gets out of hand. The moment allows the two Lanterns to address their particular situation, trying to find common ground and preserve their friendship. It doesn't happen, with Kyle failing to understand and respect John's position and John shielding his own guilt and self-loathing by drawing a line in the sand and lashing out, their relationship another seeming casualty of war.

Soranik Natu is dealing with the mind controlled Lanterns who themselves are filled with guilt over what Krona made them do and their own feelings of inadequacy and being chosen for something they don't feel worthy of. Hannu corrals Natu as Meadlux tells them and a small Corps contingent that his reading of the emotions of the Guardians reveal they are terrified by Hal Jordan's actions. They fear that any one of the Corps might be capable to doing the same thing.

Natu's dilemma

In the groups' minds the Green Lantern Corps is on the verge of collapse and they are of a mind that getting rid of Sinestro is their first priority. As the issue closes they explain their plans to Soranik Natu that they want her to break into the citadel and kill the renegade Green Lantern.

The Writing -

War leaves its mark on everyone it touches and Tony Bedard does a good job of showing this here by having these characters react to the situation very emotionally, and in ways they might not under normal situations. Sure Soranik Natu might feel like Kyle gets in the way some times, but she might normally handle his efforts differently - but here she's having none of it as her father's new status has pushed her far beyond rationality. Likewise we know that John Stewart is dealing with his actions with a lot of self loathing, but being reproached by Kyle is more than he can handle right now and his all too human reaction is very real.

If anything, my only question here is Hal Jordan, who reacts to his new status quo saying "I'm nobody now" rather than the anger I expected. But war affects us all in ways that are perhaps uncharacteristic, stripping us raw so that the things we think and feel are laid bare without the defenses we might normally have in place so while I might not think that's a natural reaction who's to say how any of us would respond?

I particularly liked how Bedard really establishes for us that this arc will carry some weight going forward. There is fallout here including the effect on interpersonal relationships to the tragic loses to the question of how the Corps itself will function from now on. With the Green Lantern mythology being mostly untouched by the relaunch these events will continue to play out as the new 52 redefines our perceptions of the rest of the DC Universe.

The Art -

I'm not sure where the art falls apart for me here but I suspect it's the inking more than the pencils. It just appears heavy to me. It doesn't look terrible, but there are places where it just doesn't look right.

What Do I Think?

I question why DC thought they needed to put out a two issue miniseries rather than continue this in the regular titles other than getting more money from us. I personally don't see why they couldn't have just make the next two issues these two rather than separate them out, especially in light that the two issues of Green Lantern Corp and Emerald Warriors that came out after Green Lantern #67 seemed like so much filler.

That criticism aside, I liked the writing this issue, but the art was a bit of a downer and made a good issue an average one. Three out of five lanterns.

SDCC Green Lantern Panel News

7/23/2011

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This morning in San Diego Geoff Johns was joined by Executive Editor Eddie Berganza, Assistant Editor Adam Schlagman, "Green Lantern Corps" writer Peter Tomasi, "Red Lanterns" artist Ed Benes, Warner Brothers writer and producer Alan Burnett and Bob Wayne for DC Comic's Green Lantern panel. The discussion included topics such as Sinestro's tenure as the new Green Lantern of Sector 2814, the Green Lantern movie and Geoff Johns' plans for how long he will be staying with the Green Lantern title.

Before starting in on the conversation about the comics Geoff Johns shared a clip from the upcoming Cartoon Network animated series. Nothing else was mentioned about the series, although during a conversation about "Green Lantern: Emerald Knights" both Alan Burnett and Geoff Johns mentioned that they are working on a project together dealing with a "very requested storyline". The obvious first thought that springs to mind is that the two are developing a Sinestro Corps War direct to dvd feature.

DC Universe Online Green Lantern Expansion Videos

7/21/2011

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From the floor of the San Diego Comicon comes a video interview with the developers working on the DC Universe Online video game talking about the upcoming "Fight for the Light" Green Lantern inspired expansion pack. Additional Sony Online Entertainment has released a trailer for the downloadable content that should be available before the end of the summer for around $9.99.

Interesting notes from the interview include the news that the expansion provides story narrative that plays off the Green Lantern / Sinestro Corps storyline that appears in the original game and the revelation that the expansion pack will allow players to leave Earth to go to Oa in a mission to fight a breakout in the Sciencells. This new alert will allow players to face off after a number of villains and reach its climax with a battle against none other than Krona, who wields the same power gauntlet seen during the War of the Green Lanterns. The expansion will also feature the in game debuts of Atrocitus and the Red Lantern Corps, Guy Gardner and Kyle Rayner.

Source: TFAW

Green Lantern Corps #61 Review

7/16/2011

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What separates the latest issue of Green Lantern Corps from Emerald Warriors #11 besides a few weeks is the nature of the story. GLC #61 takes places after the War of the Green Lanterns as well, but it does a far better job of fitting the story into the larger whole of the Green Lantern universe, embracing its place as a standalone story following a big event and reflecting back at some of the story beats from it. This issue we see some of the ramifications of the war while introducing us to a new member of the Corps, but while the thinking behind the story is sound unfortunately its execution prevents it from being more than average.

The Story -

On Oa there are massive resignations from the Corps as all the people that Krona added to his army come to their senses and try to grasp their actions while being controlled by the mad Guardian during the war. They realize that they were never really chosen and most realize that they were never fit to wear the ring in the first place, a feeling compounded by the veterans of the Corps.

Green Lantern #67 Review

7/15/2011

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The War of the Green Lanterns comes to a close with this week's Green Lantern #67 leaving this corner of the DC Universe in a very interesting state on the eve the of the relaunch of the entire line. While there is the Aftermath mini series to see print between now and the massive month of number one issues in September, the current Green Lantern continuity will be unaffected so far as we know so what we read between now and then will still have a great deal of bearing on the direction being set for this family of books.

Wars have lasting effects on those who fight them and this event certainly has far and reaching consequences for the Green Lantern Corps, but before I get into talking about the event as a whole, let me talk about this most recent issue.

The Story -

When we last saw our heroes at the end of issue 66 the Green Lantern Corps, freshly freed from the control of Krona, were set to launch their offensive against the renegade Guardian and the emotional entities who have merged with the rest of the Guardians (well except for the continually conspicuously absent Sayd). The four Earth lanterns bring their comrades, and us, up to speed with what has happened with the Guardians.

Fight, fight, fight!

Of all people, Hal Jordan has the plan to separate the emotional entities from the Guardians by freeing the New Guardians from the Book of the Black. Playing on Kyle's ability as an artist, Hal directs Kyle to draw their way out of the book while the Corps keeps Krona and the entities at bay. Krona and Ganthet go toe to diminutive toe, two former friends turned to bitter enemies, while Kyle draws the New Guardians free. Their rings fly towards their former bearers but then redirect themselves and jump onto Krona's fingers, allowing him to really lay into Ganthet with the combined power of the emotional spectrum.

Not a big surprise, but still very cool!

Hal falls into Krona's clutches and as the two of them exchange words Sinestro watches Hal stand up to the Guardian, explaining that Hal doesn't fight for them, but for the potential the Corps has despite the flaws each of them has. It's a turning point for Sinestro as the realization dawns on him that he and the Guardians want the same thing and that they've just lost sight of how important emotion is, that they need help. That watershed moment for Sinestro leads to a turn of sorts and the Korugarian comes to Hal's rescue claiming that both he and Jordan would die for the Corps. It's this moment that leads to one of the biggest turning points in Sinestro's history as once again he is chosen to wear a green power ring.

For the first time in years both Green Lanterns Hal Jordan and Sinestro fight side by side. The battle doesn't last long as Hal does something that should not be possible - he kills Krona as Atrocitus looks on in rage that he is denied his revenge for the role Krona played in the destruction of Sector 666. The entities are freed from the bodies of the Guardians and the rings leave the dead Krona and go to the hands of the New Guardians - except for the Sinestro Corps ring which leaves the area in search of a new bearer now that Sinestro is no longer worthy of wearing it.

Hal Jordan making the impossible possible.

There's a great moment where Iroque, Indigo-1's real name, reverts to her former self searching for Abin Sur, and Larfleeze who wants nothing to do with the corruptive power of the orange power ring, both of whom transform back in to their more familiar forms once their rings jump back on their fingers. Everyone reacts to Sinestro's new status and Saint Walker interjects when Hal calls for the ring to be removed, but the Guardians quickly dispense with Walker and the rest of the New Guardians so they can take care of Green Lantern Corps business on their own terms.

A vision turned to reality

Rather than deal with Sinestro, who we by now know is the new Lantern of Sector 2814 in the relaunch of the DC Universe, the Guardians immediately address Hal Jordan and Ganthet for their recent actions. Jordan is their immediate concern, having done the impossible by killing a Guardian. The scene from Hal's vision back in Green Lantern #62 plays back in part with the Guardians labeling Jordan the most dangerous and his power ring is taken from him as the issue ends with Hal being sent back to Earth a Green Lantern no more.

The Writing -

Geoff Johns does a great job wrapping up the major plot threads while still leaving a number of things open for exploration as the title moves forwards. Part of the love I have for this run is that I'm constantly left wanting more and eagerly anticipating the next issue. I've often used the comparison that the Green Lantern universe is a well worn blanket that I thought I know every thread of, but that Geoff Johns walked up to that blanket and unfolded it to reveal all new areas that I don't know anything about while simultaneously giving me reasons to think that I didn't know what I thought I did. This makes the book easilly accessible to new readers while still interesting for us grizzled veterans.

The Sinestro turn is not as shocking as it could have been, partly due to DC's playing off the "Who's the new Green Lantern of Sector 2814?" angle and the solicitation for a wave of Green Lantern DC Direct figures that include a Sinestro figure who is only seen in shadow. Combined with the statement that Sinestro was the greatest Green Lantern of all time and would be again made this conclusion a pretty easy one to make when I talked about how this arc would change the status quo back in April.

One of the things I'm always intrigued about Geoff's writing on this title is the origin of the names of some of the characters he comes up with. For example the entity of compassion, Proselyte, is a term meaning "a person who has changed from one opinion, religious belief, sect, or the like, to another; convert". That's certainly representative of how members of the Indigo Tribe are chosen based on their lack of compassion and are converted in the process of induction.

Here we have the identity of Indigo-1 revealed to us as Iroque. A web search on the word led me to a Spanish website that, when translated, converted Iroque to Iroquois, one of the major Native American tribes that occupied my home state of New York and surrounding areas. I don't know the thematic reason why Geoff chose that term, or if it were just something coincidental, but if I find more time I might do some more in depth digging to see if I can find a link between the name and the character.

The Art -

Doug Mahnke did a great job with this issue, conveying all the emotion and sense of scale that the conclusion to this crossover deserved. I do wish from an art perspective that he had been given more panel space to convey the rings returning to Iroque and Larfleeze. Other than that I find nothing here to complain about except for maybe a few places where the layers of color take away from some of the detail work.

What Do I Think?

This event was perhaps underplayed by DC in light of the hype that Blackest Night had pushing it to the comics buying public, but in some ways I found this more satsifying. The Green Lantern universe has been changed in a few ways with the death of Mogo and some of the revelations that are not yet fully developed. There are a few threads dangling that I am just so interested in finding out about, such as:

What is the backstory between Iroque and Abin Sur?
What the heck happened to Hector Hammond?
Where is Sayd and what is she doing? (I think she's finding Larfleeze's family myself)
What more don't we know about the origins of the Corps?
Who is the first Lantern?
Is Atrocitus' rage now focused on a powerless Hal Jordan?
What will the Guardians do with Ganthet?
What happens with Mogo gone, and are there ramifications for Johns actions?
Who will lead the Sinestro Corps, and what will they call themselves?

Something Geoff Johns said was that this story would allow him to talk more about the men behind the power ring and certainly this issue leaves Hal Jordan on Earth without a ring so any panel time Hal gets will likely be more about Hal as an individual. Some fans have complained that it's been a while since we've seen Hal the man and not Hal the Green Lantern and this new direction allows for Johns to do some more character exploration for so long as it serves the overall arc Johns has planned for him.

I also find that there's a new opportunity for us to see Hal and Carol experience more of a role reversal now that she's the superpowered one and he isn't - for the time being. There's no expectation that this is a permanent change and we could very well find Hal wielding a ring by the conclusion of the Aftermath mini series.

Green Lantern no more

There's just so much to explore and I can't wait to see how it all unfolds. And that's just some of what is yet to be expanded on! I don't know where it's going but I'm positive it's going to be an awesome ride.

Five out of five lanterns.

Emerald Warriors #11 Review

6/30/2011

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The thought that the most recent issue of Emerald Warriors, a non-War of the Green Lanterns issue, would be hitting the stands before the conclusion of the event had me a little puzzled. My concern centered on how this story could have any weight behind it if it clearly wasn't going to reference the event or any of the fallout from it. In fact my greater issue with the Green Lantern books in general prior to the relaunch in September is how these books will matter at all. So with some trepidation I read Emerald Warriors #11 and approached it as a story that may not take place chronologically in order with the rest of the books in the Green Lantern family.

The Story -

The lady Yul's ship is surrounded by Kreuvian warships somewhere in deep space. Salaak receives their distress beacon and dispatches Guy Gardner to deal with it. Guy happens to be in Sector 2814 on his way to Earth on vacation. Arriving on the scene Gardner makes quick work of the Kreuvians, but before he leaves the scene Yul requests an audience with the Green Lantern who rescued her.

The War of the Green Lanterns Reaches a Turning Point in Emerald Warriors #10

6/05/2011

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Mogo is dead, long live Mogo! Issue 10 of Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors represents the beginning of the end for the War of the Green Lanterns as the four human members of the Green Lantern Corps break their fellow corpsmen free from the control of Krona's forces. But the stress of the war and the decisions they make will change the way they look at themselves and each other, and despite winning the war they risk losing much more.

The Story -

Krona's attempt to turn Hal Jordan and Guy Gardner into his new Guardians is thrown a curve when the destruction of Mogo in Green Lantern Corps #60 results in a psychic backlash that knocks the renegade Guardian and his army for a loop, rendering them temporarily disabled. The two humans come to the conclusion that something horrible has happened as they realize that the raining rocks are all that remains of their dead comrade.

Mogo Doesn't Socialize After Green Lantern Corps 60

6/04/2011

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The War of the Green Lanterns claimed its first major casualty in Green Lantern Corps issue 60, and if this remains part of the post relaunch continuity for the Green Lantern universe the Corps will have to change the way it does business. The eighth part of the event also includes the one page ad for the Newton and District Astronomers Guild, the launch of the Green Lantern film's ARG event that has become very interesting of late.

The Story -

John Stewart has teleported himself and Kyle Rayner to Mogo's location as the largest member of the Green Lantern Corps continues to spew rings to recruit more members for Krona's army. Over ten thousand rings from Mogo's reserves have launched themselves to various sectors in search of a ring bearer and despite his best efforts John cannot contain them.

The two men plunge below the surface of Mogo with hopes that Kyle Rayner will be able to restore Mogo to normal, and as they approach Mogo's mind the living planet attempts to defend himself by conjuring an image of Katma Tui to slow John and Kyle down while some of the mind controlled Green Lanterns attack the two from behind.