Sinestro is undoubtedly the most dangerous when he has his back against the wall and one of the qualities which has set him apart from your average adversary is that while he wields one of the most powerful weapons in the universe it’s really his intellect that is his greatest asset.  In this week’s Sinestro #10 Cullen Bunn puts Sinestro in one of those situations where it appears that all is lost, only to see the tactician in him create an opportunity to triumph. 

To be honest this issue seems a little narrative heavy with Bunn providing us with not only the background on why the Apex League is opposed to The Paling and why they formed an alliance with Mongul, but it also connects Mongul back to Relic and his ability to drain power rings of their energy.  Both are needed and welcome bits of information but Bunn effectively weaves in enough action, character driven moments and a superb reveal at the end of the issue to prevent the reader from feeling like the exposition weighs the issue down.

In my review of Sinestro #9 I mentioned that I felt that there was a traitor in the ranks of the Sinestro Corps and, if so, Bunn gives no indication this issue that this is the case beyond Dez’s editorial regarding their leader’s need for their help to rescue him.  The comments ring true to his nature so I’m hard pressed to say that he’s necessarily being more of a snake in the grass than usual, but he’s still the obvious main suspect here if indeed someone has sold out to Mongul.  

Sinestro’s conversation with Venemous Snake was perhaps enough to cause doubt and possibly cause him to take the notion that back to the Apex League that their alliance with Mongul might not be as beneficial as they thought.  It’s the ability that Sinestro has to make someone question themselves, their motivations and their choices that is one of Sinestro’s greatest talents and it will be interesting to see if his sowing of doubt will reap any rewards down the line.

We also get to learn a little bit more about Umaraal as Soranik Natu breaks the hard news that the lost Korugarians could not be rescued alive from Mongul.  Bunn spends three of the four pages on New Korugar building Umaraal’s character so I think there may be more plans for her as the series progresses and Sinestro’s rescued kin start looking for stable leadership. 

Of course the highlight of the issue is the last page where we get a reveal that explains the thinking behind Sinestro’s choice to expend his last bit of ring energy to send for help.  While I won’t spoil the moment for those who haven’t read the issue yet it is a rewarding payoff to recent events in this series and is wonderfully portrayed by artist Brad Walker.

However, that moment aside, there are some art issues that are hard to overlook here.  At one point there’s a flashback panel to the Green Lantern Corps battle with Relic that has a random balloon floating over someone’s backside.  Arkillo also suffers from inconsistencies regarding his construct hand as well as a few quirky character depictions which is unexpected from an artist like Brad Walker.  While none of these things are cause for great concern they are enough to make an overall impact on the quality of the issue.

Sinestro #9 backs Sinestro into a corner and like most creatures of great cunning that is when they are at their most dangerous.  Despite being a little heavy in the exposition department Cullen Bunn provides readers with an enjoyable experience including a great final page reveal.  Unfortunately the art is a bit of let down and negatively impacts what is otherwise a quality issue.  Three out of five lanterns.

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