We’ve reached the penultimate chapter in GodHead and it’s all up to Sinestro now, and that’s just they way he wants it!  Not only that, but he wants to make sure that everyone knows that he was the one that turned the tide of battle, such is his hubris.  In Sinestro #8 not only does our lead character gloat over his role in whats to come, he can’t help but bait the ring wielders along the way, ruffling the feathers of everyone around him.  In fact, by the time this issue is over there are very few beings that don’t get “Sinestroed” by everyone’s favorite Korugarian.

Cullen Bunn really shows how driven Sinestro is, letting no one stand in his way or impede him in any way.  Even Parallax falls prey to the influence that Sinestro has over it when the entity of living fear called into action.  It’s clear that Sinestro sees himself better than everyone around him, and here, surrounded by Gods, he deems himself their better.  This is the dimension that has come to define Sinestro since his return in 2004 and Bunn perfectly captures his voice throughout the issue as Sinestro confronts Highfather head on, challenging his ego in such a way as to provoke the New God into blind rage.  While Sinestro gets the Parallax kicked out of him by Highfather it does provide enough time for an ill-fated Despotellis to enact Sinestro’s gambit to change the course of Highfather’s invasion of Earth, setting the stage for what’s to come in the event’s finale.

Sinestro #8 does leave a couple of dangling plot threads out there that do not get address in the conclusion to GodHead.  The seduction of Bekka from last month’s issue is ignored in this issue and while it’s unclear as to whether or not she took the ring we do see Bekka acting sympathetic towards Sinestro in the face of Highfather’s wrath.  This is not the response I would expect from her given the rage she showed in issue six, so while we don’t see her formally a part of Sinestro’s Corps there is definitely something that’s changed.  

We also see Parallax knocked cleanly away from Sinestro and the entity is not seen again for the rest of the issue, nor in GodHead‘s conclusion.  Not a big deal is made about this but if Parallax used the opportunity to escape from Sinestro’s control it is a very big deal if indeed the entity is free again to roam the universe once more.  

Martin Cocollo provides the artwork for this issue and for the most part everything looks great.  There are a few panels where Sinestro doesn’t look quite right, and there’s really an issue with Bekka later on where her boots are missing and the coloring job makes it look like she’s wearing thigh high armor with bare legs.  However the art team’s work on conveying emotion, particularly when Sinestro confronts Highfather, are high points for the issue and very effectively underscore the tension of the moment that Bunn’s script calls for.

Sinestro #8 pits the ego driven Sinestro against an equally ego driven Highfather in a spirited confrontation that serves as an excellent chapter of GodHead and sets the stage for the final showdown between the Lanterns and the New Gods.  Just when you thought the Korugarian couldn’t be more arrogant he proves everyone wrong and completely changes the landscape as only Sinestro can.  While there’s some minor artistic bumps in the road this issue is not to be missed.  Four out of five lanterns.

Related articles

• Sinestro #7 Review(blogofoa.com)

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• Interview: Cullen Bunn Talks SINESTRO and Godhead(comicvine.com)

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