Green Lantern: “Homecoming”

Season 1, Episode 13
Airdate: May 26, 2012

Kilowog volunteers to stay behind and slow down the Red Lantern armada, while Hal Jordan and Razer head off in a desperate plan to get to Oa first. Suddenly, Hal wakes up on Earth, but amnesiac. Carol Ferris tries to jog his memory using the power battery he’d left in his locker, and Hal finally remembers that he had the Star Sapphires teleport him home, as it’s close to Oa. The transport process just scrambled his brains a bit. Meanwhile, Kilowog is being overrun by the Red Lanterns’ might…until he’s suddenly supercharged by a blue light. Saint Walker, the first Blue Lantern, appears along with his friend Mogo. The pair manage to stop the fleet, but Atrocitus has already made it to Oa. He easily breaks through to the Guardians’ citadel, but Hal arrives and the two duke it out. Hal barely defeats the villain, and after Atrocitus is locked up, Hal and the Guardians offer to help the Red Lanterns rebuild the Forgotten Zone. Their new leader, Zilius Zox, warily agrees.

And thus, the first season of Green Lantern: The Animated Series comes to a close…sort of. (More on that later.) All of the hanging plot threads from the past few months have been resolved, giving us a clean slate for when the show comes back on the air in the fall.

Take a wild guess as to what my favorite part of this episode was. Yep…Saint Walker. He’s finally sporting his Blue Lantern duds, but more importantly was how he used his newfound powers. Kilowog got the usual boost, of course, but Walker also had some slick tai chi moves which he used to take out goddamned battleships. If that’s not enough, his literal blueshifting of Mogo’s Death Star blast to disable Shard was just awesome. Between this and his recent exploits in Green Lantern: New Guardians, Walker’s shaping up to the have the best year yet.

One quick nit with Walker, though it’s clearly not his fault: in a closeup shot with Kilowog, his Blue Lantern emblem is slightly incorrect. (I’ve placed the proper one on the right.)

I couldn’t tell if it was wrong in any other shots, but I’m assuming this was just a production error given the attention to detail everywhere else.

The scenes with amnesiac Hal were better than expected, because absolutely no hints were given as to what were going on until the very end. The audience was just as clueless as Carol, but once Hal recharged his ring, everything fell into place with perfect clarity. Salaak defending the Guardians was also very cool to watch, especially his quad-wielding of sword constructs.

Unfortunately, “Homecoming” stumbled towards the end. The battle between Hal and Atrocitus was fine, up until the fistfight that ended it. Why the hell was Atrocitus just standing there while Hal belted him in the jaw? And why were neither of them using their rings anymore? It made no sense, it felt rushed, and it was a rather crappy ending to the Red Lantern saga. (I know they’ll be back, but still…)

So was this a proper season finale, or not? That depends on who you ask. The official press releases for this episode refer to it multiple times as the season finale. However, the upcoming DVD boxset states that the first thirteen episodes are “Season One, Part One.” Interviews with production staff also support the latter assessment. Personally, I think that “Homecoming” works better as a season finale than a mid-season break; the Red Lanterns can be placed on the backburner for a while, and the second season can focus on something else. I’d love to see more characters and villains who don’t use power rings, but I’ve got a feeling we’ll end up with someone like Larfleeze instead. (Which could work, if he’s not handled as comic relief.)

Regardless, the first season or whatever of GLTAS was a fine one. Very few slip-ups, only one crappy episode, some fantastic character development, and overall a fresh and exciting take on the Green Lantern saga. Bring on the next batch of episodes!

Green Lantern: New Guardians #9

Release Date: May 23, 2012
Cover Date: July 2012

Story: Tony Bedard
Pencils: Tyler Kirkham and Tomas Giorello
Inks: Matt “Batt” Banning
Cover: Tyler Kirkham and Matt “Batt” Banning

Saint Walker is welcomed back to Odym by his fellow Blue Lanterns, but the happy reunion doesn’t last long as the planet is soon assaulted by the Reach. Meanwhile, as Fatality reports back to the other Star Sapphires, Kyle Rayner desperately tries to contact the other Lanterns after his ordeal in New York City. Once he gets through, Fatality, Bleez, Munk, and Arkillo all head to Odym with a quickness. On the planet, the Blue Lanterns are fighting a losing battle, despite Saint Walker’s leadership. As other Blue Lanterns fall, Saint Walker reaffirms his dedication, even if he has to fuel everyone’s blue rings with his own hope.

It’s nice to see that the Blue Lantern Corps has been recruiting members despite the loss of their Guardian founders. This of course makes perfect sense, but it’s the first time we’ve seen proof of it. Saint Walker has never been more badass; aside from respectfully turning down the hero worship from the new recruits, he quickly assumes the role of field commander when the bugs show up. How about his healing of Khaji-Kai, and that last page, where he promises to power the entire Blue Lantern Corps by himself? Awesome!

The new Blue Lantern powers on display here were great to see. The most notable was Saint Walker explaining to Shon that while their powers are still defensive, they can be used for offense (as he knocks out a Reach warrior with a giant fist). His martial moves reminded me of his Green Lantern: The Animated Series incarnation, and that’s definitely a good thing. Furthermore, Blue Lantern power rings are capable of disabling (and possibly removing) Reach scarabs; that’s a skill no other ring has, which immediately puts them in a higher class.

I’m guessing that once the other color Lanterns show up, Kyle will help supercharge the Blue Lanterns while the others’ savagery will help turn the tide. (Except for Munk; who know what he could do.) I foresee a “fall” of the Blue Lantern Corps, but not a complete one; Saint Walker and a few others will undoubtedly survive, and I bet our blue hero will become their new Guardian, after a fashion. I also can’t help but wonder if Khaji-Kai will eventually become a new Blue Lantern, but will retain his Reach armor, just as Jaime Reyes kept his.

Tyler’s Kirkham’s double splash pages in this issue — the one depicting Saint Walker among many new Blue Lanterns, and the back-to-back set of the Reach’s initial attack force — are jaw-dropping. Not only that, he did an amazing job with various characters’ expressions, and I’m talking about the nonhuman folk. Khaji-Kai’s true face and sorrow, Shon’s fear, and Saint Walker himself rolling his eyes to downplay the new Blue Lanterns’ adulation? Fantastic! Tomas Giorello did fill in on a few pages in this issue; while they’re mostly good, they do fall prey to the exact same problem as Red Lanterns #9: the rings are missing their insignia! Come on, there’s no excuse for that.

After this fantastic issue, the wait for Green Lantern: New Guardians #10 is going to be painful. Argh!

Green Lantern: “Invasion”

Season 1, Episode 12
Airdate: May 19, 2012

The Interceptor heads to the Lighthouse…only to be ambushed by Red Lanterns who got there first! The Green Lanterns are forced to retreat, and Aya decides to fly down the beam to sneak into the facility. Meanwhile, on Mogo, the sentient planet tells Saint Walker to climb a high peak to find the one who will save everyone from the Red Lanterns. Back at the Lighthouse, Aya manages to disable its defenses so Hal and the others can take out the guards and set the facility to self-destruct. Atrocitus is right behind them, and as the Lighthouse explodes, the path collapses with both ships barely making it out in one piece. Atop the peak on Mogo, Saint Walker is frustrated by Mogo’s cryptic responses, but he reiterates his hope that the Red Lanterns will fall. Suddenly, a blue lantern power battery and ring appear before him. Finally, as Hal, Kilowog, and Razer investigate Atrocitus’ seemingly abandoned ship, the Interceptor suddenly attacks them. Atrocitus had retrieved the technologist Drusa from Mogo, and she hacks Aya to take control of the ship and escape to Oan space. Worse, Atrocitus planted Liberators inside the asteroid field, which he uses to blast open a wide enough path for the rest of his armada.

After the crappy previous episode, this one’s a welcome return to form. The Red Lanterns gaining access to the Lighthouse did feel a bit rushed, but it still worked out fine in the end. The action sequences were intense and broken up well with the Lanterns cooking up strategy and the quieter moments on Mogo. Atrocitus’ choice of Drusa rather than Zartok was a good twist; it was obvious that the arrogant Zartok wouldn’t get to join Atrocitus, but the exact reason why Drusa was chosen makes much more sense. It was even cleverly hinted at when she was fixing electronics on Mogo.

My favorite scene was of course Saint Walker receiving the new battery and ring after saying the Blue Lantern catchphrase “All will be well.” It seems my theory of Saint Walker becoming a Blue Lantern by the finale was borne out, though he’s not in costume just yet. Strangely enough, we are led to believe that Mogo somehow knew about the Blue Lantern prototype; it’s not explained exactly how it acquired this information, but maybe the planet is prescient or something.

I’m assuming that Byth Rok is dead; aside from the brutal torture we saw on screen, there was even worse pain implied by his screaming as the view shifted to the outside Atrocitus’ ship. I don’t see the Red Lanterns keeping the Thanagarian traitor around for long once he gave up the code. In fact, I hope we don’t see Byth Rok again; he was a poor character to begin with, and if he survived his ordeal, it actually makes the Red Lanterns look less threatening.

Only one more episode to go, and then Green Lantern: The Animated Series takes a break until the fall. I bet we’ll end on a cliffhanger…

Blue Beetle (Vol. 3) #9

Release Date: May 16, 2012
Cover Date: July 2012

Story: Tony Bedard
Art: Márcio Takara
Cover: Paul Renaud

Jaime Reyes’ armor reacts violently to the presence of three different Lanterns, and tries to knock out Bleez with a cryogenic blast. As expected, this only pisses her off even further, but a sniper shoots Kyle Rayner with an energy draining pulse in the confusion. Jaime manages to save Kyle from hitting the ground, but Bleez traps the Blue Beetle in an awkward position. Glomulus is taken out by the sniper next, who reveals himself as a bounty hunter hired by the Guardians to collect Kyle. While Bleez squares off against the villain, Jaime retrieves Kyle’s power battery, and the newly-recharged Green Lantern quickly ends the fight. When Kyle tries to learn more about Jaime’s armor, he discovers that the Reach are attacking Odym! Kyle and Bleez take off, and Jaime is left alone once more.

Blue Beetle (Vol. 3) #9 is a perfectly example of a crossover issue done right; both the series protagonist and his guest stars got equal screen time, and the story within benefited all parties involved. Since Tony Bedard is writing both Blue Beetle and Green Lantern: New Guardians, it made for an even more seamless transition. Even if a Blue Beetle reader didn’t care about the Lantern parts, there were still other subplots involved that will impact Jaime more than the ringslingers.

Much of this issue was a fight sequence, and a fun one to read at that. It was absolutely hilarious that Jaime popped a boner while being straddled by Bleez. The Red Lantern was about to gut him like a fish, but Jaime’s still a typical teenager. It was even funnier when Bleez found out; not only was she disgusted, but Jaime even had to cover up! Comedy gold.

This issue also confirms that the murder of Kyle’s girlfriend is still canon within the new DC Universe; the panel with Kyle’s flashback is a clear homage to the original scene from Green Lantern (Vol. 3) #54.

from Green Lantern (Vol. 3) #54, art by Darryl Banks and Romeo Tanghal

from Blue Beetle (Vol. 3) #9, art by Márcio Takara

We can assume it’s still Alexandra DeWitt and that Major Force was her killer unless it’s revealed to be otherwise. While the Green Lantern titles seemed untouched by the ramifications of Flashpoint, it’s clear that most events, even recent ones, could not have happened the way they originally did, if at all. That said, it’s good to see that one of Kyle’s defining moments is still intact.

That flashback panel was also the first confirmation that Kyle’s original custom Green Lantern costume is still canon, as well! It’s hard to tell from that tiny image, but the crab mask and gauntlets are clearly visible. For many Kyle fans, myself included, it remains their favorite. (The shoulder color seems a bit off, but I think that’s just a coloring error, as all of the lines are in the same place if you look at the original panel.)

Márcio Takara’s art was competent enough; some of the figure drawing looked a bit off, but it didn’t ruin the story. The bounty hunter was appropriately menacing, and Takara added the required Bleez ass shot in one panel. My biggest gripe was Kyle’s power battery was drawn completely wrong; it doesn’t look anything like that, and it never did.

Tune in later this week as the tale continues in Green Lantern: New Guardians #9!

Green Lantern Corps (Vol. 3) #9

Release Date: May 16, 2012
Cover Date: July 2012

Story: Peter Tomasi
Pencils: Fernando Pasarin
Inks: Scott Hanna
Cover: Fernando Pasarin and Scott Hanna

When the Alpha Lanterns attempt to arrest John Stewart, Guy Gardner starts a riot with his fellow Green Lanterns. The Alphas easily stop the uprising, and John agrees to go with him, admitting what happened with Kirrt to Guy and the others. Guy goes before the Guardians and demands John be given a break, but the Guardians remind him that the Alphas are following protocol, and that John must face trial…and Guy knows they’re right. Vath Sarn and a few other Lanterns now see Kirrt as a coward, but Guy convinces them otherwise. The trial begins, after long deliberations, the verdict is reached: John Stewart is guilty of murder, and the sentence is death.

After the last issue’s many stumbles, Green Lantern Corps (Vol. 3) #9 was a colossal improvement. The whole issue was loaded with great moments, excellent character development, and fantastic art to back it up. Fernando Pasarin’s splash pages featuring the Alphas putting down the riot and the courtroom conveyed the appropriate action and drama, respectively, so the book never stuttered. Even the slower moments, such as Guy speaking with the Guardians, were filled with intrigue.

In fact, the scene with Guy and the Guardians was likely my favorite in the book. Every point Guy made was admirable, but the Guardians were absolutely right, even without acting like the insufferable assholes they’ve been lately.

There were a lot of neat continuity nods, too. The fight against Krona and the corruption of Sodam Yat are specifically mentioned, as well as Laira’s murder of Amon Sur during the Sinestro Corps War. These are relevant to the main story as well as nice reminders for longtime readers, but they might confuse newcomers a bit. (Some, like the Laira incident, are at least given a bit more context.)

The best part of this whole tale? There was no “bad guy.” Sure, the division in the Corps is all part of the Guardians’ plan, but even they admitted amongst themselves that they had nothing to do with this. This story is a character study, nothing more, and that makes it shine. We know that John’s not going to get the axe, but it’ll be interesting to see how he pulls his ass out of the fire without starting a war.