Release Date: December 16, 2009
Cover Date: February 2010
Story: Peter Tomasi
Pencils: Patrick Gleason
Inks: Rebecca Buchman, Tom Nguyen, and Patrick Gleason
Cover: Patrick Gleason and Rebecca Buchman
Variant Cover: José Ladrönn
Kyle Rayner was apparently killed by the explosion of the Alpha Lantern battery, and Guy Gardner lashes out in anguish…which makes him a prime target for a Red Lantern power ring! There conveniently happens to be one nearby, thanks to Chaselon’s execution of Vice. The ring immediately latches on to him, and his boundless rage coupled with the Green Lantern ring he’s also wearing enables Guy to tear through Black Lanterns left and right, destroying them permanently. Meanwhile, Soranik Natu is desperately trying to resuscitate Kyle, while Munk, Kilowog, and the other Green Lanterns help fend off an onslaught of Black Lantern rings targeting the fallen hero. It’s up to Miri to save the day, as the love registered between Kyle and Natu is powerful enough for her to use her Star Sapphire powers to touch their hearts and bring Kyle back to life. His ring flies back, and “welcomes” Kyle to the Green Lantern Corps. Of course, there’s still that little problem of Guy being a Red Lantern, plus the hordes of Black Lanterns still crawling around. It’s a good thing that Mogo decided to leave his own star system and approach Oa! Can thousands of Black Lanterns hold off a sentient planet?
Jeez, even I didn’t think Kyle would be brought back that quickly! Not that I’m complaining. While I’m no fan of Guy Gardner, I will admit that Peter Tomasi has always written him quite well, and he’s a perfect fit for a Red Lantern ring. When Guy tried to prevent Kyle’s ring from flying away, he raged that Kyle had earned his power ring more than anyone else. That’s high praise indeed coming from an arrogant prick like Guy, and shows him as a bit more than just a one-dimensional character. While the character count got a little unwieldy in this issue (aside from the numerous Green Lanterns, we also saw Munk, Miri, and even Kryb of the Sinestro Corps), everything flowed together nicely, and the appearance of Mogo at the end was a nice surprise. Green Lantern Corps is a very underrated series that is unfairly dumped in the shadow of the main Green Lantern series, and aside from the usual Star Sapphire love silliness, this issue is an example of how good it can get.
