Voodoo (Vol. 2) #3

Release Date: November 23, 2011
Cover Date: January 2012

Story: Ron Marz
Art: Sami Basri
Cover: John Tyler Christopher

Voodoo makes her way across the western United States, eventually locates another contact from her species. The other aliens are masquerading as a mechanic and his two ladyfriends, but the meeting is soon interrupted by the arrival of Green Lantern Kyle Rayner. The Guardians detected alien transmissions emanating from Earth, and sent Kyle to investigate. Voodoo and the other aliens attack him, but the veteran Green Lantern has no trouble defending himself. Voodoo’s contact orders her to escape while they lure Kyle out into space with their ship. Kyle reluctantly pursues the spacecraft, but loses them when they jump into warp. Back on Earth, Voodoo continues her trek alone.

This new Voodoo series may be a conspiracy book dealing with aliens and other covert activities, but it was only a matter of time before it got a solid connection to more well-known DC Universe faces. Since Ron Marz is currently writing Voodoo, it makes sense that he’d use his most popular creation: Kyle Rayner. Any excuse to read Marz writing that character is a good one, and this issue proves it. He nails the dialogue, from Kyle’s wisecracks to the much more serious discussions between the aliens. Not only that, he writes Kyle as he should be: a highly capable superhero. That’s been somewhat rare until recently, and it’s always a thrill to see Kyle kick some serious ass.

Kyle clearly had the aliens on the ropes, so luring him away from the book’s protagonist was a great solution; not only does it free up Voodoo for the next phase of her story, it made logical sense as to why Kyle (or other Green Lanterns) wouldn’t be able to track her or her cohorts down again. Also, placing a superhero in the nontraditional role of the antagonist always makes for interesting reading. Marz did it with Hal Jordan way back in the 1990s, he does it with the Top Cow universe on a monthly basis, and it all comes full circle in this issue with Kyle as the attacker. Great stuff!

Sami Basri’s art is fantastic, and coupled with John Tyler Christopher’s similarly styled cover, it gives the entire book an almost Art Nouveau feel. (The work of Alphonse Mucha in particular comes to mind.) Not exactly what you’d except in a science fiction series about aliens hidden among us, but it’s simply brilliant.

This issue was both a great Voodoo story, and a great Kyle story. Talk about getting your money’s worth! Unfortunately, Marz is leaving Voodoo after the next issue; DC wants a “change in direction.” My prediction? Less conspiracy plot, and more T&A. That would fit with their treatment of other lower-tier female characters like Starfire and Harley Quinnn. Regardless, this means future appearances of Kyle Rayner in the book may be unlikely.

Green Lantern: New Guardians #3

Release Date: November 23, 2011
Cover Date: January 2012

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

“Super Lantern” Kyle Rayner is fueled up with seven different power rings, and the Guardians are nearly powerless to stop him. The rings start to burn him out, though, and soon five of them shatter. Salaak knocks Kyle down and goes to bar the door, while the Guardians notice that Kyle’s green and orange rings are still intact. Ganthet can’t even access the green one, and he’s the one who created it! The orange ring turns out to be a construct; it’s Glomulus, but it’s uncertain why he’s here. The other color Corps representatives break into the Guardians’ chamber, but the whole party is soon interrupted when Larfleeze comes crashing through the roof.

I’m sure the big thing everyone noticed was the important words spoken on the very first page: Kyle is “not just any human.” Aside from the fact that he could wield all of those power rings at once — which is stated to be impossible for mere mortals — there’s clearly something else unique about him that Ganthet’s well aware of. This may be why Kyle was specifically chosen by a Guardian to become a Green Lantern, whereas other Corpsmen are chosen by the ring. I smell more retcons to Kyle’s origin coming, but I’m not sure how I feel about that yet. We’ll have to see how it plays out.

Tyler Kirkham split penciling duties again with Harvey Tolibau, and it seems to work even better this time than in the last issue. Most of Tolibau’s work was confined to the outer space scenes with Saint Walker and the other Lanterns, while Kirkham focused on the planetside plots. Dividing up the art in this fashion made it much more visually appealing. There were still a few noticeable errors, though; for example, the broken Sinestro Corps ring is incorrectly colored orange, and many of the Guardians are wearing power rings!

There’s one thing in this issue was clearly done for dramatic reasons, but still made me chuckle: apparently, the rest of the Green Lantern Corps is on vacation. I understand that the other color Corpsmen are extremely powerful as a team, but c’mon…invading the Green Lanterns’ headquarters must’ve attracted some attention. Couldn’t a massive strikeforce of Green Lanterns at least take out a few of them? But of course, if that happened, then we wouldn’t have those awesome splash pages toward the end of the book, now would we?

Which brings us to this issue’s finest moment: the triumphant return of Larfleeze. Instead of the court jester he’s become in recent years, he breached Oa’s defenses (having Sayd in tow likely helped with that) and smashed his way right into the Guardians’ inner sanctum. That’s the work of a powerful adversary, indeed. Larfleeze battling the Guardians once more ought be great, so let’s hope he doesn’t lapse back into a joke in the next issue.

Speaking of which, will next month’s Green Lantern: New Guardians #4 actually feature “Kyle’s final act as a member of the Green Lantern Corps,” as the last page claims? Yes, but notice the very specific wording that was used. I think Kyle will indeed leave the Corps, but he’ll keep his Green Lantern status. Remember, he was Green Lantern for years while the Corps didn’t even exist! Anyway, since the whole point of New Guardians is for Kyle to lead a multicolored team, it makes sense for him to take a leave of absence from the crowd on Oa.

Green Lantern: New Guardians continues to impress; it’s my personal favorite out of the four current Green Lantern-based comics, and the excellent pacing while doling out mysteries just clicks on every level. I’m still worried that it’s going to be quietly changed to a limited series, but for the time being, let’s enjoy what we’ve got!

DC Universe Online Legends #17

Release Date: November 16, 2011
Cover Date: Early January 2012

Story: Tom Taylor
Art: Bruno Redondo
Cover: Doug Mahnke

Sinestro confronts Hal Jordan over the destruction of his Corps, but soon comes to understand that it was Brainiac’s doing. However, he still takes Hal to task for being the Guardians’ lapdog. Sinestro explains that one of Brainiac’s ships ruptured the Anti-Monitor, killing the population of Korugar with one swift stroke. He goes after the cybernetic villain, and Hal reluctantly joins him. Unfortunately, the Brainiac on the capital ship is just a hologram, and the real one successfully removes the Sinestro Corps Central Power Battery. The ship containing Hal and Sinestro explodes, and Hal awakes among the Green Lanterns. They tell Hal they tried to hold Brainiac’s ship back, but he was just too strong, and he’s escaped with the Battery.

Just like the last issue, this one’s pretty solid. The destruction of the Anti-Monitor was quite a shock, but served the story well. That certainly explains how every living thing on Korugar was killed so quickly; Sinestro explicitly states that without a power ring, no one had a chance. Sinestro lecturing Hal about the Guardians’ callous orders was nothing new, but in this case he was correct: they did condemn billions to death over this, even if their motives were ultimately altruistic. Sinestro really twisted the knife by claiming Hal was becoming more like him, but again…he was right!

Did Sinestro survive the capital ship’s explosion? We see a lone, bloody Sinestro Corps ring floating in the debris in the final panel, but that could be anyone’s. It would be pretty ballsy and a great story movie if Sinestro was indeed killed off, but I’ve got a feeling he’ll show up again by the end of DC Universe Online Legends. He’s just too popular of a character, even in an alternate universe.

The interior artwork looked great, and the multiple shots of Hal and Sinestro facing off through the years was a nice nod to classic illustrations of the past. The cover, again drawn by Doug Mahnke, makes a nice companion piece to that of the previous issue.

With this, “The Brainiac/Sinestro Corps War” is over. It was more of a slaughter than a war, anyway. I’m not sure how much Green Lantern-centric action will carry over into the next issue of DC Universe Online Legends, but I’ll flip through it in a few weeks and see if it’s worth reviewing.

Green Lantern Corps (Vol. 3) #3

Release Date: November 16, 2011
Cover Date: January 2012

Story: Peter Tomasi
Pencils: Geraldo Borges
Inks: Scott Hanna
Cover: Alex Garner

Guy Gardner, John Stewart, and their crack team of Green Lanterns are prepared to make their last stand on Xabas in the face of overwhelming odds, but Salaak sends in reinforcements. John tries to scan one of the captured enemies, and discovers that they possess an extremely high amount of willpower. The rest of the Corps beats back the enemies for the time being, but Green Lantern Porter only manages to teleport most of them back to Oa. Guy, John, and a few others are left stranded on Xabas before a new wave of attack.

This wasn’t a bad issue, but not a great one, either; in fact, it felt like filler. Why? Because the ending leaves Guy and John right back where they started! The only useful bit of information we got is the supercharged willpower inside the Green Lanterns’ foes.

Of course, this has its own problems. If willpower cancels out willpower, that means that if a person is very strong-willed, they can just shrug off a Green Lantern construct. Or, someone like Aquaman got pissed off (which he always does), then a Red Lantern would be powerless against him. You could argue that the bad guys’ willpower is exponentially high, and that’s what it takes to stop a Green Lantern power ring, but this still rings (ha!) a bit hollow.

Fortunately, the art overall was good, and the action well-paced. Some of the more unique Green Lanterns and costume designs were a visual treat, too. While neither good nor bad, Green Lantern Corps (Vol. 3) #3 just felt like a bit of a padding before the plot moves forward in the next issue. (Oh, and “Porter” as the name of a teleporter is just plain silly. C’mon!)

Green Lantern: “Beware My Power”

Season 1, Episodes 1-2 (double-length series premiere)
Airdate: November 11, 2011

Someone’s killing Green Lanterns beyond the patrolled sectors, so hotshot Hal Jordan and his friend Kilowog steal an experimental spacecraft to check it out. After saving a Green Lantern’s life, they discover that their assailants are two violent Red Lanterns: Razer and Zilius Zox. The three Green Lanterns land their damaged craft on a colony world, but Red Lantern leader Atrocitus demands that they be turned over or he’ll destroy the planet. Hal gets his ass kicked by Atrocitus, but Kilowog manages to evacuate the civilians in time before the planet explodes. Hal then defeats Razer, removes his ring, and captures him. Hal and Kilowog are stuck out on the reaches of space, but plan to end the Red Lantern threat.

And thus, Green Lantern: The Animated Series has begun! Sort of. This was just a special double-length premiere, but the series proper won’t start until the spring of 2012. There’s a lot to love here, which will make waiting for the rest of the episodes all the more difficult.

Let’s talk about the art style first. It’s the classic Bruce Timm animation we all know and love from countless past shows, but rendered in 3D graphics for the first time. It works quite well, and it looks especially snazzy in high definition. You might notice that there’s not much detail to be seen, especially in closeup shots. This was clearly a deliberate aesthetic choice, and it’s for the better. The plasticky, almost Pixar-esque look gives off an air of fun and adventure.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that some design work from Green Lantern: First Flight and Green Lantern: Emerald Knights carried over into this series, such as Kilowog’s armor, the look of the Guardians, and their chamber. It mixes perfectly with the Timm style, as well as the new look for Oa in this series. The buildings and other structures look like something straight out of Tron.

The voice acting was spot-on, with my only nit being Jonathan Adams as Atrocitus. He sounds just a bit too similar to Kevin Michael Richardson’s portrayal of Kilowog. Everyone else did a fantastic job (especially Josh Keaton as Hal), and every character sounded convincing. I find it almost hard to believe that Tom Kenny, the voice of Red Lantern Pac-Man Zilius Zox, is also the voice of Spongebob Squarepants. (Maybe those two should hang out.)

Hal, our series hero, comes across as arrogant yet likeable. He’s cocky behind the control stick of a jet and when wielding a Green Lantern power ring, but he’s still got a lot to learn. He flew right into battle with the Red Lanterns and nearly got himself killed! When he squared off against Atrocitus, he was lucky to have survived. How many cartoons can you think of where the hero gets his clock cleaned more than once in the premiere episode? Hal’s got very human flaws, and that’s what makes him interesting.

Kilowog seems like a simpleton for mainly making hammers, but he clearly does this because it’s very effective. Look at all the scenes where he beats on Razer and Zilius Zox! He’s the heavy, but his veteran Green Lantern status shines through in everything he does, and he knows Hal’s motives like the back of his hand. Hal and Kilowog make perfect “buddy cops” for this series; all we need is for Kilowog to grumble that he’s getting too old for this shit.

Even the lighthearted moments in “Beware My Power” were great. Hal’s relationship with Carol Ferris was good to see, but the funniest scene was Kilowog and Rev making fun of Hal’s mask and secret identity. Rarely, if ever, do we see alien Lanterns balancing a double life, and it was amusing to see other Corpsmen picking on Hal for such a human eccentricity.

I’m definitely liking the character of Razer, and this is from someone who’s not a big fan of the comic book Red Lanterns. His brooding and guilty conscience makes for some interesting storytelling, and I’m looking forward to seeing his character grow as the series goes forward. Not only that, he’s a rookie Red Lantern, mirroring Hal’s own status within the Green Lantern Corps. As such, it’ll be great fun to see these two compared and contrasted in future episodes. I’m sure at some point we’ll see just how Razer became a Red Lantern; you know me, I love character development!

In case you hadn’t noticed, the Red Lanterns in this series are very different than their comic book counterparts. Sure, they’re still red and angry, but that’s about where the similarities end. Their behavior, motives, and even their rings have seen some heavy changes. The Red Lanterns don’t use constructs, they’re in full possession of their mental faculties, and removing their rings does not kill them. In fact, they’re more like the Sinestro Corps in that they want to overthrow the Green Lanterns and take over the universe. Still, I like how they’re depicted as a genuine threat; Kilowog, Hal, and Rev could barely hold off only two Red Lanterns, and Hal really got the crap kicked out of him by Atrocitus.

I like these changes to the Red Lantern Corps, as they just seem like more interesting villains this way. They’re being changed in the comics, as well, and I’m sure it’s no coincidence. Let’s just hope that the comic transition improves a bit, as it’s been quite shaky in the pages of Red Lanterns.

Atrocitus not only sounds like Kratos from God of War, he also looks a lot like him; they even both have a prominent scar on the right side of their faces! (Kratos is certainly more angry, though.) Atrocitus is shaping up to be a good fit for the series’ main villain. I know, many of you are hoping for another well-known evil ringslinger, but rumor has it that the producers were specifically asked by DC Comics not to feature Sinestro. (I think he’ll show up, regardless; first as a Green Lantern, then as a lone renegade without a Corps.)

There’s a few other things in this premiere that might be off-putting to some hardcore fans; namely, the apparent omission of many classic Green Lantern concepts from the comic books. For example, there is no mention of will or rage being the rings’ power source. How and why power rings create constructs is unexplained. Hal didn’t even get an origin flashback! What gives?!

First of all, try to remember that this is a kids’ show first and foremost. Absolutely everything we love about the Green Lantern Corps is not going to make it in; there’s just too much. That’s not to say that Green Lantern: The Animated Series is dumbed down, but it makes a lot more sense that the powers-that-be will likely introduce other concepts as needed as the series progresses, rather than packing all of the mythos into the premiere episode. This is rare in television (especially in cartoons), but it’s a fine storytelling method, as well as making it easier for younger viewers to follow along.

If “Beware My Power” is any indication, Green Lantern: The Animated Series is off to a fine start. There’s plenty of cool takes on the lore for longtime fans, and kids in particular are really going to love this.