Green Lantern: Mosaic #7

Cover Date: December 1992

Story: Gerard Jones
Pencils: Cully Hamner
Inks: Dan Panosian
Cover: Cully Hamner

Clergy-Birds are turning up dead, killed by Glad-Girls driven insane by a strange, pervasive music. John Stewart investigates after the kids bring his attention to a Native American tribe playing drums. He soon discovers that it’s not their music causing the problem, but something else. The weird music forces him to dance, hallucinate, then pass out. The next day, John tries again, and after speaking to his hallucination of Appa Ali Apsa, he finally surrenders himself to the music. In doing so, he discovers that the “music” is actually sound-based beings trying to communicate. John dubs them the Tonemen and manages to establish a rapport with them. Their “music” no longer drives people to murder, and life on Oa goes back to normal.

Green Lantern: Mosaic #7 felt like a Star Trek episode. That’s not an insult, mind you; it hit all of the right notes (no pun intended) for a classic episode from that franchise. A new world (of sorts), new civilizations, a dire threat that turns out to be a misunderstood alien race…that’s some classic science fiction right there.

As for standard Green Lantern action, there is precious little be found. The kids use their rings to stop a tribesman from killing a Clergy-Bird, and John flies around using his and such, but a Green Lantern’s power has nothing to do with the plot itself or its resolution. This is important, as it shows that a Green Lantern is more than just his ring. That’s often forgotten in Green Lantern comics, and in superhero comics in general; if our heroes are just the suits they wear or the powers they utilize, that gets boring really fast. Focusing on their personal character really fleshes them out and makes them more interesting, not to mention giving creators more to work with when crafting new stories.

Cully Hamner faced a unique challenge in illustrating this issue: how do you draw music? Sure, you could just throw notes around (as on the cover), but music’s not a visual art form by any means. So Hamner had to focus on the music’s effect on those who hear it. In that regard, he did an excellent job. Much work was done on bring our attention to the faces of those hearing the Tonemen. The sequence of wordless panels where John is dancing to the tune seems silly on the surface, but the tortured look on his face tells us something else is going on. Great graphic design all around, especially when dealing with such a complicated task.

Green Lantern Corps (Vol. 3) #21

Release Date: June 12, 2013
Cover Date: August 2013

Story: Robert Venditti & Van Jensen
Art: Bernard Chang
Cover: J. G. Jones
Variant Cover: Rags Morales

John Stewart and Fatality Yrra try to save a planet’s reactor from going critical, and discover a bunch of burly alien thieves stealing materials from the core. The thugs are more than a match for the Lanterns, and our heroes are forced to either contain the reactor’s explosion and let the crooks escape, or watch millions die. Meanwhile, back on Oa, Salaak discusses his resignation with the Templar Guardians. Other Green Lanterns aren’t happy with Salaak for being so close to the old, evil Guardians for so long, but Soranik Natu has his back. While new rings fly out to choose some very different new recruits across the cosmos, Larfleeze attacks! Finally, John and Yrra track down the criminals at the local spaceport, but they’re shapeshifters; they blend into the native population, who do not trust the Lanterns after the Third Army debacle. The thieves escape, and reveal that they are Durlans, out for vengeance against the Green Lantern Corps.

Good stuff, huh? Classic Lantern action balanced with character development, intrigue, and wrapped up with some great artwork. Bernard Chang’s done some fill-in work on Green Lantern comics before, so he’s not a total newcomer to the Corps. Chang has been working in the industry for decades, and I maintain that he’s a vastly underrated artist. His polished art here makes Green Lantern Corps seem like a high-octane animated series. Chang got to illustrate a bunch of new alien Green Lanterns, and I’m always down for that, especially since each one looked unique.

Back to the story, the action sequences were John and Yrra were well-plotted, especially since they fought adversaries that easily knew their way around the Lanterns. Bookending that was John’s reluctance to admit his love for Yrra, which makes sense; she did spend most of her life trying to kill him. You can almost see the inner turmoil written on John’s face. He knows she’s changed, but old wounds still hurt.

As for the thieves being Durlans? Awesome! They’re a race usually identified in tales featuring the Legion of Super-Heroes, so it’s interesting to see them antagonizing the Green Lantern Corps. Now, I’m not trying to be racist here: clearly, this is just a small cabal of Durlans, not the entire species. I really want to know what pissed them off so much; did the Guardians experiment on them in the past, or were they up to something else that we didn’t know about? Salaak hinted as much, so perhaps we’ll see more of the Guardians’ dark secrets uncovered in the future. (Having said, I hate that Geoff Johns retconned the Guardians to have always been emotionless, evil bastards. Ugh.)

Green Lantern Corps is off to a fantastic start with the new creative team. I really couldn’t find anything wrong with this issue, and you know what a nitpicky asshole I am. Keep ‘em coming!

Green Lantern: Mosaic #6

Cover Date: November 1992

Story: Gerard Jones
Pencils: Chris Wozniak and Trevor Scott
Inks: Romeo Tanghal and Gary Yap
Cover: Chris Wozniak

As John meditates before the Central Power Battery, he’s approached by Kilowog, who wants advice on how to deal with some fighting between two recruits. Kreon and Boodikka just can’t get over their differences, so John steps in to deal with it. Drawing on his experience from his mental battle with Hal Jordan, he forces them to face their deepest fears, and only by fighting together can they overcome them. In fact, Kreon and Boodikka are easily able to defeat each others’ demons, and working together like that to swiftly dispatch an enemy is a exactly what the Green Lantern Corps is known for. Armed with a new understanding of one another, the two new Green Lanterns are ready to be presented to the Guardians by Kilowog.

Now this is the kind of Green Lantern story that I really enjoy. It’s got everything you need: character building, power ring action, clever thinking, overcoming the odds, and teamwork. It even smoothes over previous wrinkles; Kilowog merely stating that Hal gets too cocky for his own good and needs to be knocked down a peg once in a while helps fix the problem last issue where it seemed like Hal was just a one-dimensional character.

Some guest artists took over for Cully Hamner in this issue, and they do a serviceable job; their styles aren’t that dissimilar to Hamner’s, with bold, angular lines and deep shadows. This was especially effective during Kreon and Boodikka’s mental battle, as it made their foes appear more monstrous and menacing. (Three points for alliteration.) Those two Green Lanterns are interesting characters in their own right, and this issue helped bolster them.

Green Lantern: Mosaic #6 is clearly the best issue yet. We’re a third of the way through the series, and the stories have alternated between hit and miss for the most part. Still, Mosaic overall has been good, so let’s see what the next dozen issues may bring.

Green Lantern (Vol. 5) #21

Release Date: June 5, 2013
Cover Date: August 2013

Story: Robert Venditti
Pencils: Billy Tan
Inks: Richard Friend
Cover: Billy Tan
Variant Cover: Rags Morales

In the near future, Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps are getting their asses kicked on Oa by a mysterious foe, and the Central Power Battery is disabled. Meanwhile, back in the present day, Hal tries to act like nothing’s changed with Carol Ferris, but she needs some time off. He’s recalled to Oa by the Templar Guardians, and he’s shocked that they’ve chosen him to lead the Corps! They have much to learn, after all, and Hal’s been at the forefront of the Corps’ greatest battles. As he discusses his new role with Kilowog, Hal releases a reserve of power rings to help rebuild the Corps’ depleted ranks. Good timing, too, as Oa is suddenly under assault by an enraged Larfleeze! The Orange Lantern has taken advantage of the world’s broken defenses to steal everything, and the Green Lanterns are in deep trouble. Good thing some new recruits arrive to help, right? Unfortunately, they don’t even want their rings, and would rather go home.

I’m a big fan of Robert Venditti’s excellent work on the relaunched X-O Manowar from Valiant Comics. The man knows how to write great science fiction, and when I heard he was taking over Green Lantern, I was happy as a pig in shit. So…how does his first stab at the mythos turn out?

Not too shabby. Hal finally got some character development, after years and years of being a second fiddle to Sinestro, the other color Corps, and everyone else who showed up in what’s supposed to be his own damned book. Hal’s interaction with Carol is nothing we haven’t seen before — in fact, that very point is made by Carol herself — but it’s necessary to move his story forward, and it also brings new readers up to speed. Making Hal the leader of the Corps is a logical choice, and despite his shock, the Templar Guardians explained it perfectly. This reminded me a bit of classic stories like “Hard-Traveling Heroes” and much of the Kyle Rayner era, in which the Guardians stepped back and learned from the Lanterns for a change. I especially liked how the Templar Guardians go on and on about how Hal is the perfect choice to lead the Corps, but it’s contrasted by the fact that the love of his life can’t even be around him right now. Each half of Hal’s persona is being pulled in very different directions, and that sets us up for some great stories and conflicts.

Venditti’s inaugural Green Lantern issue was quite good, but two things stand out unfavorably in this issue…and neither may necessarily be his fault. The first is Kyle strangely being an asshole when he hears about Hal’s promotion. It’s completely out of character for him, and it did not come across as sarcasm, either. Hal and Kyle are friends, damn it, no matter what their diehard fanboys tell you. So what gives? I’m guessing it’s just part of the apparently editorial mandate to constantly knock Kyle down a peg. Hopefully he’ll be written properly in Green Lantern: New Guardians #21 and forward; the Templar Guardians asking Kyle to remain behind for a secret discussion is the kickoff to that story.

The second bit of weirdness is the appearance of Larfleeze, because it conflicts with his recent story in Threshold, and almost certainly in his ongoing series (which starts later this month). He’s clearly clutching his power battery in this issue, but he’s not supposed to have it back yet! In fact, Larfleeze thinks he destroyed it! This was already a huge problem with the revelations seen in the abysmal Green Lantern (Vol. 5) #20, and this issue compounds it. Some explanations are certainly in order, yet I fear we’ll never get them.

Having said all that, I am pleased that Larfleeze is apparently back to being a major threat. I know, it’s happened before and it doesn’t last, but maybe it’ll stick this time. Also, Hal was somehow able to break through Larfleeze’s constructs. Green Lantern rings can’t do that, and don’t give me that crap about how “Hal is teh best Green Lantern EVAR, so he could do it!” That would be lazy and inconsistent writing. Instead, I’m hoping that this was a deliberate story hook, as even Larfleeze was surprised by this turn of events.

Now let’s talk about the artwork. I remember reading Billy Tan’s Spirit of the Tao way back in the late 1990s, but I’m unfamiliar with any of his work since then. Fortunately, his pencils haven’t dulled, and he does a great job illustrating the Corps. The opening battle scenes looked great, and those later on with Larfleeze looked even better. The Orange Lantern himself looked goddamned fantastic; he’s at his best when he’s menacing. Also, the quieter parts of the book, such as Hal talking with Carol and those on Oa were clean and slick. I think my only complaint with Tan’s art here was that Hal and Kyle looked a bit “flat” in a few panels, due to their torsos being drawn a little too wide. Small potatoes, I know, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t point it out.

Overall, still a great issue, and I’m excited to see where things will go from here. New blood was definitely what the doctor ordered.

Green Lantern: Mosaic #5

Cover Date: October 1992

Story: Gerard Jones
Pencils: Cully Hamner
Inks: Dan Panosian
Cover: Cully Hamner and Dan Panosian

John Stewart sometimes dreams that he’s white; specifically, Hal Jordan, with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer. In the real world, Hal is angry with John, as Rose Hardin has decided to stay on Oa. Hal wants to take her back to Earth, and he’s convinced that John has done something to Rose’s mind to make her refuse. Hal forces a mental probe on John, but that only pisses the latter off, and the two Green Lanterns duke it out. After breaking furniture, the two move to battle in the arena of the mind, where Hal lets John have it with a barrage of cheap shots, focusing on those who died under John’s watch. Hal bites off more than he can chew, though, as he doesn’t know John’s mind nearly as well as he thinks he does…and now Hal is in for a world of hurt. John easily defeats Hal, and the embarrassed Green Lantern leaves Oa behind. Hal remains friends with John, however, especially now that he better understands him.

The previous issue was very good, this one…not so much. John’s dream to be just like his great white hero Hal are getting a bit stale, as we’ve been browbeaten with it more than once. Hal suddenly showing up to confront John seems a bit sudden, but as mentioned in a caption box, this meeting was decided in Green Lantern Corps Quarterly #2 (that’s another series I need to review soon). Still, a flashback of those events would’ve been welcome here.

The issue wasn’t all bad, showing that John is a much more complex individual than Hal expected; it helps to flesh out and humanize his character, and depicting John in the guises of various black authority figures was a clever stroke. At the same time, reducing Hal to a single role (he’s no more than an air jockey) is an unnecessary slight. You don’t have to slap another character down to raise one up. Still, credit must be given for making Hal and John’s battle primarily a psychological one, rather than having the two of them raze a city street.

In closing, I have to snicker at the ridiculous cover art. Does John’s neck itch? Or is he just constipated?

Green Lantern: Mosaic #4

Cover Date: September 1992

Story: Gerard Jones
Pencils: Cully Hamner
Inks: Keith Aiken
Cover: Cully Hamner and Keith Aiken

While their parents are resigned to living on Oa and doing nothing about save for watching old television shows to numb their misery, a group of kids often strike out on their own to explore. Unfortunately, they’re attacked by a giant monster; John Stewart stops the beast, but not before one kid is killed. Worse yet, his parents barely seem to care; they just want to slip back into their virtual comas in front of the boob tube. Undeterred, the kids sneak out again, and finally locate what they’d been searching for: a city filled with childlike aliens that they wish to befriend. More monsters try to attack them, but John intervenes again. Once they explain their situation and their boundless curiosity, John solves the problem. After formally introducing the kids to the Pans (the childlike aliens), he gives them low-level Green Lantern rings that will allow them to explore as well as keep them safe.

You have to love self-contained issues, and this was a fine one indeed. Aside from the expected Green Lantern and alien stuff, it’s a potent commentary on the pervasive influence of televised media. This resonates even today; sure, more people may be glued to their computer or smartphone screens, but the message is still the same: people tend to tune out everything else around them to get their entertainment fix.

Furthermore, Green Lantern: Mosaic #4 was the classic story of kids with cabin fever, albeit transplanted to a science fiction setting. Humans are practically born to explore, and when I was growing up, we loved nothing more than wandering around in the woods, seeing where all the trails led…or forging our own paths. The kids on Oa wanted the same thing; they had a set goal in mind, and they had dangers to avoid. It’s not much different than if they were on Earth. The giant monster could have just as easily been a bear, and John giving them power rings at the end? That’s the Oan equivalent of giving them flashlights and BB guns.

Maybe I’m alone in enjoying superhero comics than can parallel real-life issues so well within a larger context. What say you?

Red Lanterns #20

Release Date: May 22, 2013
Cover Date: July 2013

Story: Peter Milligan
Art: Will Conrad
Cover: Miguel Sepulveda

While Sinestro was on a rampage killing Guardians, he saved one for Atrocitus. The Red Lantern leader hunts down the little blue bastard, and the two have a pointlessly prolonged conversation before Atrocitus finally ends his life. Meanwhile, the Red Lanterns have returned to Ysmault to deal with the Inversions. The villains turn their magic upon the Corps, but Bleez states that Red Lantern powers are stronger than ancient sorcery. So, the Inversions simply give up and go away. Rankorr heads back to Earth to help Kim from domestic abuse, but she’s appalled by his violent behavior towards her attacker. Yeah, that guy was a scumbag, but Kim thinks Rankorr should behave more like a human being. When Atrocitus returns from Oa, Rankorr also comes back to Ysmault, and solidifies his place as a Red Lantern, giving up on his humanity.

The stories herein reek of being wrapped up too quickly, but given that Red Lanterns has sucked from day one, I really don’t care. That big Inversions subplot? Practically waved away because Bleez got more angry. The scenes with Atrocitus going after and ultimately murdering the Guardian were pretty good, but they were not the focus of the book.

This issue also suffers from some extreme time compression. Atrocitus ditches the Red Lantern Corps to hunt down the last Guardian. The Corps returns to Ysmault to deal with the Inversions, and after that, Rankorr returns to Earth. After dealing with Kim, he then returns to Ysmault to rejoin the Red Lantern Corps. All of these events would’ve taken many hours, especially if you factor in travel time from planet to planet. But Atrocitus certainly didn’t take that long to follow a lone Guardian and kill him, and that’s presented as happening at the same time as the other events! Ugh.

At least the art wasn’t too bad, but it wasn’t enough to make this story even remotely interesting. Who knows what’ll happen next with a new writer and penciler jumping on board with the next issue, but I don’t see how it could be much worse.

Shit, I probably shouldn’t have said that.