Green Lantern Corps (Vol. 2) #47

Release Date: April 28, 2010
Cover Date: June 2010

Story: Peter Tomasi
Pencils: Patrick Gleason
Inks: Rebecca Buchman
Cover: Patrick Gleason and Rebecca Buchman
1:25 Variant Cover: Rodolfo Migliari

As the Corps cleans up Oa after the savage battle against the Black Lanterns, Kilowog resigns from his post as Green Lantern Drill Sergeant, requesting that Stel take his place. Fallen Lanterns are memorialized on Mogo, as new power rings are released throughout the universe in order to bolster the Corps’ depleted ranks. Guy Gardner, Kyle Rayner, and Arisia demand that the Guardians rescind the Third Law, which forbids romantic attachments within the Corps; they’ve lost too many couples to resignation already, and without heart, the Corps risks becoming soulless machines like the Manhunters or Alpha Lanterns. Since many Corpsmen no longer trust the Guardians after recent events, the blue midgets acquiesce to their demands. Meanwhile, Isamot has donated his legs to the crippled Vath, and the latter’s not pleased. Finally, Guy’s upset over his destroyed bar, but Kyle convinces him that it’s critically important to rebuild it, as the Lanterns need a place to spend their downtime.

This is a Green Lantern story that’s become incredibly rare in recent years: it’s self-contained. While there are references to Blackest Night and “The Sinestro Corps War,” neither of which is required reading in order to understand this issue. And that, my friends, is what truly makes it great! A majority of comics these days are wrapped up in neverending “events,” so it’s a fresh breath of air to find a book that stands on its own.

The issue shifts evenly between all of the main characters, as well as setting the stage for their further adventures. More importantly, though, was the focus in every scene that they’re all Green Lanterns, and that camaraderie is paramount. From Natu convincing Kyle to restart his mural, to Kyle then telling Guy to rebuild his bar (I hope you all caught the Animal House reference when Guy sees the remnants of the place), to Salaak finally standing up to the Guardians, Green Lantern Corps (Vol. 2) #47 was filled with great character development. This stuff’s often lost among most comics’ focus on fight scenes and other action setpieces, so it was a most welcome change of pace. And, of course…Arisia decking a Guardian is just an unforgettable image!

On a final note, this is the final issue of Tomasi and Gleason’s run on Green Lantern Corps. They’ll be moving on to the upcoming Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors, and this issue was a fine send-off.

Green Lantern: First Flight

(Note: This review was originally published in August of 2009 on the now-defunct Nine Panel Nerds Podcast site. I’ve republished it here to prevent it from being permanently lost. I’ve since made a few edits; mainly just removing NPN-specific text, errors, and redundancies.)

It’s time for a movie review! Today’s film? Green Lantern: First Flight, a direct-to-video release starring DC Comics’ emerald warrior.

I was eager to check out this flick, as aside from my being a Green Lantern fan, I know that Warner Bros. has quite the pedigree in animation. Their DC Universe animated television shows and movies have all been of the highest quality, and that level of quality certainly continues with First Flight.

The story follows hotshot fighter pilot Hal Jordan, as he’s chosen to be a new Green Lantern and faces a serious crisis in outer space. While bits and pieces of Green Lantern comic book stories over the past few decades all show up in First Flight, the film is clearly in its own continuity; think of it as Ultimate Green Lantern, if you will. (In fact, a comic book series based on the film’s universe would be most excellent! Hear me, DC Comics?) The basics are all there, but First Flight forges its own path. For example, the energy sources powering the Green Lantern rings and Sinestro’s ring are different than those in the comics, and in some cases, familiar faces aren’t quite who they seem to be.

The character art is more detailed than the usual Bruce Timm style that many fans are familiar with, and that’s a good thing. Alien species now look much more like aliens, rather than just humanoids with varying skin colors. Abin Sur and Kanjar Ro in particular look much better than their comic book incarnations. The Green Lantern uniforms are similar to the current ones seen in the comics, with differences here and there based on invididual characters; some might have armor plating, different color piping, cloaks, et cetera. The art translates well into animated form, too, as everything is nice and fluid, while the few instances of 3D — usually used for ships — are integrated seamlessly.

A stellar voice cast was assembled for First Flight, including Christopher Meloni (Law & Order: SVU) as Hal, Michael Madsen (Reservoir Dogs) as Kilowog, Victor Garber (Alias) as Sinestro, Kurtwood Smith (RoboCop) as Kanjar Ro, and the lovely Tricia Helfer (Battlestar Galactica) as Boodikka. Her voice melts the elastic in my underwear. If only this were a live-action movie, we could’ve seen Tricia as Boodikka in the flesh. In the meantime, my fantasies will just have to…

…ahem. Sorry. The voice actors do an incredible job bringing these classic characters to life. Robert J. Kral’s score is also quite good, and the surround sound mix is very well done. Crank it up!

First Flight is rated PG-13, and with good reason. There’s a surprising amount of violence, but thankfully it’s not too over-the-top. There’s some blood and gore, but it’s purplish alien blood, and one villain suffers a painful death reminiscent of Alien Resurrection. Regardless, the violence has its place in the story, and never feels like fanservice. Green Lantern may be a comic book hero, but don’t show this one to the kids!

The film’s available on DVD, Blu-ray Disc, and digitally through the iTunes Store. If you’re buying the DVD release, definitely pick up the double-disc version, as it’s got enough bonus material to make it worth it. There’s plenty of cool extras, like the Duck Dodgers episode “The Green Loontern” (in which Daffy Duck joins the Corps; no joke!), some of Bruce Timm’s favorite Justice League episodes, plus behind-the-scenes looks at the Superman/Batman: Public Enemies animated film and Blackest Night. (The Blu-ray version has all of this, plus a few more Justice League episodes.) I should also mention that the double-disc DVD and Blu-ray editions of First Flight come with a code to download a digital copy of the film, but it’s practically worthless. It’s in Windows Media format, which is incompatible with iPods…the devices most people would want to view the digital copy on in the first place!

To make a long story short, Green Lantern: First Flight is a thrill ride for new and old Green Lantern fans alike. Definitely worth watching!

Green Lantern (Vol. 4) #53

Release Date: April 21, 2010
Cover Date: June 2010

Story: Geoff Johns
Pencils: Doug Mahnke
Inks: Christian Alamy
Cover: Doug Mahnke and Christian Alamy
1:25 Variant Cover: Rodolfo Migliari

A shadowy figure on the dead world of Ryut speaks telepathically to Hector Hammond across the interstellar gulf, while pursuing its own agenda. The being claims to have protected the universe at the behest of the Guardians long before the Manhunters or the Green Lantern Corps, and will do so again…and it’s already captured Parallax (who disappeared in Green Lantern [Vol. 4] #51). Meanwhile, Hal Jordan and Carol Ferris relax after the harrowing events of Blackest Night, only to be interrupted by Sinestro. He claims he’s found The Entity, and it’s calling for Hal. Meanwhile, Larfleeze demands that Lex Luthor tell him what people desire most on Earth, and Ganthet (inexplicably back in his Blue Lantern robes) recruits Guy Gardner and Atrocitus to some mysterious cause.

Once again, another misleading promotional blurb by DC: the seven Corps representatives most certainly do not team up in this issue. In fact, the only ones that do are Hal, Sinesto, and Carol, while Saint Walker and Indigo-1 don’t appear at all! Obviously, the blurb applies to later developments in the “New Guardians” storyarc, so it’s incorrect as it applies to this particular issue.

But I digress. Doug Mahnke’s designs for the shadowy figure’s “vault” beneath the surface of Ryut was incredibly detailed, and the frescoes on the walls really stood out (they denote various events leading up to and during Blackest Night). The issue’s end was a blatant setup designed to get readers to buy three other books in the coming months: Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors #1, Green Lantern Corps (Vol. 2) #48, and Brightest Day #1. I’d assume that most Green Lantern fans would be buying them anyway, but even so, the prominent advertising of these books within the comic panels themselves was rather jarring.

Whoever the shadowy figure might be, they’ve obviously got a mission of their own that conflicts with the Guardians and the various Corps. It’ll be interesting to see where the story goes from here; hopefully, it will stand on its own and not be shackled to other books like everything else was during “The Sinestro Corps War” and Blackest Night. (Though I’m not holding my breath.) For whatever reason, this figure sees Hal specifically as a threat, and I think I know why.

I’m guessing that it’s Appa Ali Apsa, the Guardian nicknamed “The Old Timer” who traveled extensively with Hal and Green Arrow back in Green Lantern (Vol. 2) #76-81. Sure, he went mad and was killed in Green Lantern (Vol. 3) #8, but as we all know, death has no meaning in comics. (Especially in the DC Universe!) The figure seems to be Guardian-sized based on its proportions, and the shackles are clearly made of emerald energy. Furthermore, this being has detailed knowledge of the Guardians’ activities throughout history, and claims to have created the Green Lantern Corps’ oath! Perhaps Appa Ali Apsa wasn’t actually killed, but just knocked out and imprisoned somewhere, only to break out at a later date; for example, during the battle against the Black Lanterns on Oa. The sciencells were compromised, and the Corps certainly had bigger fish to fry. Last but not least…if any Guardian had a bone to pick with Hal Jordan, it would definitely be Appa Ali Apsa.

Green Lantern (Vol. 3) #50

Cover Date: March 1994

Story: Ron Marz
Pencils: Darryl Banks
Inks: Romeo Tanghal
Cover: M. D. Bright and Romeo Tanghal

Sinestro is the last thing standing between Hal Jordan and the Guardians. The two enemies thrash each other to within an inch of their lives, and in a fit of rage, Hal snaps Sinestro’s neck. Before the Central Power Battery, Hal’s stopped once more by Kilowog, who beats the living shit out of him. In the end, Hal’s left with no choice but to kill his former friend. As Hal weeps and grieves over his deeds, he removes his power ring, and enters the Battery as the anal-retentive Guardians refuse to stop him. He absorbs all of its power as the Oans pour their remaining energies into one of their own, Ganthet. The Battery bursts, and an armor-clad Hal emerges. He crushes his old power ring, then flies off into space, while Ganthet climbs out from under the bodies of his brethren. The lone Guardian reforms the broken ring into a new one, refusing the let the Green Lantern legacy die. He takes off towards Earth, and on a lonely alley in New York City, Ganthet touches down and gives the last remaining power ring to a young artist named Kyle Rayner.

And with that, “Emerald Twilight” came to a close, bringing with it a new Green Lantern in the form of Kyle Rayner, and a tragic villain in the form of Hal Jordan. Writer Ron Marz had been given the reins, told to ditch Hal somehow, and surprisingly…”Emerald Twilight” worked! The controversial storyline naturally brought attention to the book, but Marz was able to keep Green Lantern in the spotlight by writing an eminently likeable and interesting “everyman” character in Kyle Rayner. For many years, Marz’ Green Lantern was DC Comics’ highest-selling solo superhero book. Sales of Green Lantern didn’t drop into the danger zone until well after Marz left the book seven years later. A few years after that, DC greenlit a fanboyish retconning of “Emerald Twilight,” which we know as Green Lantern: Rebirth. That’s a testament to how important and longstanding “Emerald Twilight” was! (If you’re wondering just how Rebirth retconned “Emerald Twilight,” removed Hal’s humanity, and retconned the entirety of Green Lantern history, I’ve already written about it here.)

Of course, many fans flipped the fuck out when Hal turned rogue. Even myself, as a lowly high school student back in 1994, wondered the what the hell was going on! However, I was willing to give Kyle Rayner a chance, and I’m glad I did. Marz created a fantastic new character who resonated with new and old readers. Don’t believe for a second that every hardcore Hal Jordan fan threw the book away in disgust; Green Lantern‘s sales would not have spiked and remained high for years if they had.

It’s important to note here that while Green Lantern (Vol. 3) #50 is the first appearance of Hal Jordan as Parallax, he actually did not use that name until Zero Hour: Crisis in Time #1 months later. Parallax would later go on to face Kyle again in “Parallax View” (Green Lantern [Vol. 3] #63-64), and eventually sacrifice his life to save the universe from the Sun-Eater during The Final Night in 1996. A Zero Hour incarnation of Parallax would even show up from the future during the excellent “Emerald Knights” (Green Lantern [Vol. 3] #100-106), where he faced Kyle and a young Hal from the past! But those are tales for another set of reviews…

Anyway, back to issue #50. Some fans just couldn’t get over the fact that Hal became a villain, even though he certainly wasn’t your typical superbaddie and redeemed himself in the end. For years and years, fanboys furiously lobbied DC to bring back Hal and get rid of Kyle, preferably by killing him off. Groups like H.E.A.T. (Hal’s Emerald Attack Team, later changed to “Advancement” Team due to negative publicity) wasted chunks of their lives on this shit, and in some cases, people even sent threats to Marz and his editors! Seriously, people, grow the fuck up; it’s just a comic book character. Hal Jordan was my hero growing up, but you didn’t see me threatening creators over “Emerald Twilight”!

“Emerald Twilight” stands well enough on its own as a great story, though it did seem a bit rushed. Of course, this is not Marz’s fault; he was given three issues to do what should’ve been a six-issue storyarc. Considering the odds arrayed against him, he did a fantastic job. And who could forget Darryl Banks’ brilliant splash page depicting Hal’s new costume?

Sure, Hal as Parallax technically first appeared on the cover (which glows in the dark!), but the above image is the one seared into many a fan’s mind. Banks would go on to illustrate the book for quite some time, and he’s definitely at the top of the Green Lantern artist pile. Unfortunately, even this classic Parallax pose was the subject of a retcon; in Green Lantern: Rebirth #3, it was shown that Hal’s left hand was unknowingly holding the Parallax creature’s claw, with his right hand caressing the bug’s face. Dumb. (And kinda creepy.)

Green Lantern: Rebirth and later tales may have destroyed everything that made “Emerald Twilight” special, but if you go back and read these old issues, you’ll see for yourself just how great the story really was. Instead of rewriting the past, “Emerald Twilight” charted new territory for the future, and that’s an example that all comic books should follow.

The Twelve?

So, according to Brightest Day #0, the White Lantern rings only resurrected twelve heroes and villains:

• Jade (Jenny-Lynn Hayden)
• The Reverse Flash (Eobard Thawne)
• Firestorm (Ronnie Raymond)
• Deadman (Boston Brand)
• Hawk (Hank Hall)
• Captain Boomerang (Digger Harkness)
• Aquaman (Arthur Curry)
• Osiris (Amon Tomaz)
• Maxwell Lord
• Hawkman (Carter Hall)
• Hawkgirl (Kendra Saunders)
• The Martian Manhunter (J’onn J’onzz)

These twelve are the crux of the Brightest Day storyline. My question is…when are they going to fight Apocalypse or Master Mold?