Power ring collecting, part 5

(Don’t forget to check out parts one, two, three, and four of this series!)

It’s that time again, in which I detail a bunch of replica power rings. I’ve got three offerings for you today, and in keeping with the holiday, one of these rings comes from a Halloween costume. Let’s go!

Our first ring is one included with Comic Heroes magazine issue #7. It’s solid plastic with a split back band, and it’s about a size 7. It’s a bit small, but kids will love it…especially since it glows in the dark!

Yes. That greenish blob is a glowing power ring.

Not bad for a freebie, huh? It’s hard to tell from a picture, but it’s actually got a slimmer design than most other Green Lantern rings out there. I dig that, as it’s a welcome change of pace from the chunky, often oversized rings that we’re used to.

Next, we’ve got a ring packaged as part of a Wal-Mart exclusive edition of the Green Lantern movie DVD. To the best of my knowledge, this is the exact same ring that the Noble Collection will be shipping in December. In fact, that’s the reason I bought this. I was going to buy the ring this winter anyway, and since the price after shipping is about the same as the exclusive DVD pack…why not get it now? I just gave the DVD to a friend of mine, as I already bought the Green Lantern Blu-ray Disc combo pack on release day.

Anyway, it’s about a size 10 with a split back band. While the internal electronics are clearly visible through the central jewel, it’s still got a nice bright green light.

The ring is switched on inside the band, and you can even replace the battery by removing a soft plastic panel on the top.

For a plastic pack-in, this is quite a high-quality item. The detailing is nice for a plastic replica, and the ring has a good solid feel. I definitely recommend it.

Last — and definitely least — is a ring made by Rubie’s for Halloween. It’s about a size 7, and designed to go along with their child-sized Green Lantern movie costumes (even though most of the latter include rings anyway).

This is one of those rings that I knew would be crappy, yet I only bought it for my collection. What’s so bad about it? When lit, the LED is visible inside of the thin plastic shell, slightly offset to one side.

I darkened the room a bit so you might better view the crappiness.

There’s no detail other than basic sculpting on the face, and the paint job on the band is absolutely terrible. The entire ring was molded in green, which is fine, but silver and black paint was haphazardly applied to the band in order to make it look like a different material. It’s uneven, blotchy, and some of the paint even ended up on the face’s edges! Whatever machine painted this needs to be retired.

Put simply…this ring is a piece of shit. Its one saving grace is that it’s a basic costume ring for kids, and most of ‘em won’t care if it’s any good or not as long as it lights up. (It’s activated by a button inside the band, and of course, the battery is not replaceable.) I plan to modify mine by cleaning off the slapdash black and silver and repainting it from scratch.

That’s all for today; until I acquire at least three more, you can await the inevitable part six of my power ring collecting series.

Green Lantern: New Guardians #2

Release Date: October 26, 2011
Cover Date: December 2011

Story: Tony Bedard
Pencils: Tyler Kirkham and Harvey Tolibau
Inks: Matt “Batt” Banning
Cover: Tyler Kirkham and Matt “Batt” Banning

Kyle Rayner squares off against representatives from the Sinestro Corps, Red Lantern Corps, Indigo Tribe, and the Star Sapphires, but no one knows why the power rings are targeting him. After dealing with Bleez and Arkillo, Kyle is trapped in a stasis crystal by Fatality, but is soon freed by the timely arrival of Saint Walker. The Blue and Green Lantern hightail it for Oa, knowing that the other Lanterns will soon follow. Kyle tries to talk to Ganthet, but discovers that his emotions have been forcibly removed by the other Guardians, who are none too pleased with the other rings orbiting the Earthman. The Guardians try to grab the rings, but they all fly onto Kyle’s fingers and activate as he is simultaneously inducted into the other Corps.

The plot thickens, indeed. I liked that Kyle was more than capable of holding his own against the other Lanterns (despite an early cheap shot from Arkillo), and when Saint Walker shows up, Munk admits that Kyle could mop the floor with the entire group of them. Granted, he’s been supercharged by a Blue Lantern, but that’s still a testament to his abilities as a veteran Green Lantern. On a random note, I found it funny that Arkillo “speaks” through his ring, even though it sometimes has a mind of its own (such as when it referenced Mongul).

Kyle’s origin was retconned a bit in the last issue, but this issue states in no uncertain terms that he was handpicked by Ganthet, rather than being chosen by a ring like the other Lanterns. Aside from sharing a common mentor in Ganthet with Saint Walker, I think that Kyle’s connection to the Guardian is going to be extremely important not only in this first storyarc, but in the series as a whole.

Harvey Tolibau helped out on the pencils for this issue, and I really enjoyed his contributions. I wasn’t familiar with his work up until now, but I’m hoping we’ll see more if it soon. While his art style is quite different from that of Tyler Kirkham, the issue still flows well. The only problem is that in Kirkham’s pages, Kyle’s hair is noticeably longer. There’s also an error on the first page: there’s an extra green ring orbiting Kyle!

Speaking of art…what did you think of Kyle the “super-Lantern”?

Two things stand out immediately with this piece: first, the Orange Lantern symbol is not visible, and the orange ring does not appear to be speaking to Kyle. (It did briefly in the first issue, but has not uttered a word since.) I’m sure that’s going to be quite important. Second, aside from the seven rings, this new garb uses the same color scheme as a Black Lantern costume. It’s a very cool design, but I don’t think the super-Lantern costume will be permanent. (We’ll almost certainly see an action figure of it, though.)

A few more predictions, the first being incredibly obvious. Saint Walker thinks Larfleeze must be dead, since he hasn’t shown up to claim the single orange ring. We all know that’s unlikely to be the case; Larfleeze is probably on his way right now, but without a ring, it’s going to take a while. And man, is he going to be pissed!

As for Ganthet’s emotional lobotomy, I don’t see that lasting, either. I think rather than having his emotions excised, the Guardians just found a way to suppress them instead. I’m also not convinced that the Guardians are fully in control of themselves; I suspect a hidden hand behind their extreme acts as of late. The Guardians have always been dicks, but this is a bit much even by their standards.

One last opinion before we leave. This issue, like the one before it, has no storyarc title within. It just says “Part Two” next to the logo. This makes me wonder if Green Lantern: New Guardians was truly planned to be an ongoing series, or if it will quietly become a maxiseries that ends with the next inevitable Green Lantern crossover event. I really hope not, but only time will tell.

What, no extended cut?

Some of you might be wondering why I haven’t talked about the Green Lantern movie DVD or Blu-ray Disc. It came out almost two weeks ago, so what gives?

I reviewed the film itself upon its theatrical release, and that’s really all that matters. I don’t review hardcover or trade paperback collections of Green Lantern comics, either, for the same reason. It’s the content that’s important, not the packaging.

If the home video versions of Green Lantern had some kind of glaring technical flaws, then perhaps I could’ve opined upon them, but the film was replicated for the home theater experience just fine. I also didn’t have any real desire to dig into the special features. Most of ‘em are documentaries about subjects comic fans are already more than familiar with, or just fluff pieces. Not interested, thanks.

Of course, the selling point that’s received the most buzz is the Blu-ray exclusive extended cut of Green Lantern. Well, DVD-only households can rest easy: the extended cut is worthless. It only adds about five to ten minutes of footage towards the beginning of the film, focusing on young Hal Jordan, Carol Ferris, and Hector Hammond on the day of Martin Jordan’s big test flight. Yes, it’s the same flight where he’s tragically killed. This is the crux of the whole sequence…and it’s told just fine in flashbacks later in the film, which was part of the theatrical cut! In other words, the extra footage is very much unnecessary, and in fact feels redundant.

So I guess that’s my quick home video review after all…

Superman: “In Brightest Day…”

The DC Animated Universe began in earnest with 1992′s Batman: The Animated Series, but it wasn’t until 1999 — during Superman: The Animated Series — that we finally got to see an emerald ring slinger.

When Green Lantern Abin Sur is mortally injured after crashing on Earth, he wills his power ring to choose a successor. It selects Kyle Rayner, a bored artist working at the Daily Planet, who suddenly finds himself thrust into the role of a superhero. Meanwhile, Sinestro has come calling for the ring, and faces off against Superman. Eventually, the villain tracks down Kyle, and as the pair fight across Metropolis, Superman locates the Green Lantern’s power battery. As Superman distracts the enemy, Kyle soon discovers how to recharge his ring, which turns the tide in his favor. Kyle defeats Sinestro, and despite the newcomer’s misgivings, Superman and the Guardians of the Universe are convinced that Kyle will make a fine Green Lantern.

“In Brightest Day…” was a fantastic introduction for Green Lantern into the DC Animated Universe. Everything you need to know is presented here: the ring, the battery, Sinestro, the Guardians, and even a brief history of the Green Lantern Corps. I’m such a loser that I woke up early on a Saturday morning in college to watch the premiere of this episode.

Longtime fans of DC’s animated shows will recognize Kyle’s Green Lantern uniform; it was later adopted by John Stewart in Justice League (with the addition of green boots), and eventually made its way into the comics. I always thought that this costume was great; sure, it’s not the “classic” look that we all know and love, but it’s a cool modern take that fits really well within the clean lines of the DC Animated Universe.

“In Brightest Day…” also had plenty of nods to classic Green Lantern comics:

• The restaurant where Kyle and Jimmy Olsen are eating is Gil’s Ristorante, named after Silver Age Green Lantern artist Gil Kane.

• Kyle was applying to be a penciler for DC Comics.
• The thug that tries to steal Jimmy’s camera looks a lot like Guy Gardner.
• The airfield that Kyle lands in is Broome Lake, named after Silver Age Green Lantern writer John Broome. (It’s also a reference to Groom Lake, more commonly known as Area 51.)
• The jet fighter that Kyle crashes into is registered to none other than Colonel Hal Jordan.

What this episode is most remembered for, of course, is its choice of Kyle Rayner as Green Lantern. Now, Kyle was indeed Green Lantern at the time in the comics, but the ridiculous fanboy debates between his fans and Hal fans were still raging. Thus, the Kyle in this episode was designed to appeal to both sides: it’s clearly Kyle the artist, but he looks more like Hal and gets his ring from Abin Sur. (Did this satisfy the anti-Kyle crowd? Of course not.)

This episode is included on the recently released The Best of Green Lantern DVD, along with material from Justice League, The Batman, and Batman: The Brave and the Bold. The disc retails for around $10 at most stores, so it’s worth the purchase if you don’t already own the boxsets of the shows represented therein. All four Earth Green Lanterns are represented across the various episodes, so there’s something for every fan.

I was surprised that “In Brightest Day…” was included, however. Kyle has been getting a raw deal from DC over the past seven years or so, and even well before the modern crop of retcons and other denigrations, Kyle was replaced with John Stewart as Green Lantern once Justice League came along. Unlike many fans, I didn’t hold the choice of John as Green Lantern against the powers-that-be; some folks think he was on the show just because he was black, but I think a more logical explanation was that by using him, the whole Hal versus Kyle debate was avoided entirely! (Hal, Kyle, and Guy did make cameo appearances in later episodes of Justice League and Justice League Unlimited, but John was still the series’ primary Green Lantern.)

The inclusion of “In Brightest Day…” in this collection is a welcome one. Things like that give me a small glimmer of hope that Kyle will finally get his equal footing back someday. But enough meandering: the point is that “In Brightest Day…” was a fine episode, and well worth any Green Lantern fan’s time. If you haven’t seen it, get your filthy hands on The Best of Green Lantern!

Green Lantern Corps (Vol. 3) #2

Release Date: October 19, 2011
Cover Date: December 2011

Story: Peter Tomasi
Pencils: Fernando Pasarin
Inks: Scott Hanna
Cover: Dave Johnson

The Green Lanterns track down the mysterious murderers to the planet Xabas. Meanwhile, the antagonists hide on a shadowy planet of their own, lit by ornate green lanterns, where they deliver the severed fingers of Corpsmen to their leader. On Xabas, the Corps tries to stop the theft of more natural resources, but their foes arrive to stop them. The Green Lanterns have an incredibly hard time defeating their adversaries, and Isamot Kol disappears while sealing the portal the bad guys issued from. After binding their captives, the Corps doesn’t catch a break; a critically injured Isamot as dumped back through a portal, and an army of foes follows him!

Another great issue of Green Lantern Corps! While the last issue served as setup, this one was almost all action. Fantastic art and solid writing (albeit for a few cheesy one-liners) made this a must-read. I’m really interested into who the mysterious villains are; clearly, they’ve got a bone to pick with the Corps, and while they do have lanterns of their own that are green…we’re not sure why or how.

Did you notice that the bad guys’ leader had rings on his fingers? Not the power rings we’re used to, of course, but interesting-looking accoutrements nonetheless. One or two of them are quite similar to Corps rings, but I’m sure we’ll discover their significance very soon indeed.

A few nits to pick: the antagonists are described as “immune” to power rings’ constructs. The problem is that those constructs are nothing more than solid light; you can’t be “immune” to light! Remember, willpower only triggers the ring and controls its output; it’s not actually willpower energy itself that’s flowing out of it. Even if it was, that’s still a problem: you can’t be “immune” to an emotion, either. (If that were the case, a fearless Green Lantern would then be unaffected by the Sinestro Corps’ constructs!)

Second, the page where John Stewart and Guy Gardner recited the Green Lantern Corps Oath to “power up” and blow away their opponents was silly. I understand it was intended to be a powerful and iconic splash image, but it just looked dumb to me.

These nits are minor, though, and don’t diminish the issue overall. If this momentum keeps up, then Green Lantern Corps (Vol. 3) stands to be the top Green Lantern comic book, just as it was with the previous volume.