Green Lantern: New Guardians #10

Release Date: June 27, 2012
Cover Date: August 2012

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

Kyle Rayner arrives in orbit of Odym, but the Reach are rapidly overrunning the planet. Fatality, Arkillo, and the Weaponer also show up to help, but the Reach’s capital ships aren’t pleased with the Lanterns’ arrival. On the surface, Saint Walker tells his brethren to focus on freeing the Reach soldiers from their scarabs. It starts to work, but when Khaji-La orders an orbital strike, the Blue Lanterns’ aura falters. Fatality shores up their Central Power Battery as best she can, but it’s still not enough. With the planet already starting to be cocooned, Kyle tells Walker that Odym is lost, and that the Blue Lantern Corps must evacuate. With a heavy heart, Walker and the rest of his Corps flee Odym, and swear vengeance on the one who must’ve told the Reach about the planet’s location: Larfleeze.

Kyle didn’t have a whole lot to do here (other than unlocking advanced blue power ring features with his mere presence), but this, like the last issue, was a Blue Lantern Corps story. And a good one! Saint Walker continues to get better and better with every appearance, and the unique ways that the Blue Lanterns have to go about fighting a vastly superior enemy force were impressive.

It was also notable that their fight was a lost cause; most comics always have the good guys win in the eleventh hour, but this battle was practically over before it began. As for the Reach…it seems the scarabs can eventually overtake their hosts again, but I can’t help but wonder if there’s a few Reach soldiers who will cause dissension in the ranks. Especially since they now control Odym, and the Blue Lantern Central Power Battery is still there…

Arkillo’s defiant roar of “All will be HELL!” was cheesy, but man, what a great splash page. Speaking of the art, I’ve grumbled about Tomas Giorello’s art before, but he did a much better job in this issue. The fight scenes looked great, and the varying alien species making up the Blue Lanterns were a nice contrast to the markedly uniform (by design) Reach soldiers.

Notice that the Weaponer’s hammer and shield have regained elements of the white light, after they were previously lost. Brightest Day has been heavily altered and retconned post-Flashpoint (likely into a vastly different story that we’ll never see explained, like most other Green Lantern history), but those weapon upgrades are one aspect that I’m pleased to see make a comeback.

That final panel packed a wallop, with Walker’s barely suppressed sorrow and anger. The teaser text says it all: “Everyone versus Larfleeze.” I can’t wait!

Secret Files & Origins: Kyle Rayner & Friends

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, DC Comics released a series of Secret Files & Origins one-shots focusing on our favorite characters and their respective mythos. Aside from character profiles featuring art from many different illustrators, these extra-sized special issues often included timelines, short stories, and other useful information. Green Lantern (Vol.3) got three Secret Files & Origins specials, and beyond that, Green Lantern (Vol. 4) got one plus a special issue for “The Sinestro Corps War.”

Naturally, the focus of 1998′s Green Lantern: Secret Files & Origins #1 was the sole Green Lantern at the time, Kyle Rayner. Since it was the first Green Lantern-centric issue, there was also plenty of information in there on the rise and fall of the Corps and Kyle’s supporting cast, too. Rather than go into exhaustive detail on each piece in the issue, however, we’re just going to take a look at two important profile pages. The first of course spotlights the star of the series:

(click for fullsize image)
Text by Ron Marz, art by Darryl Banks and Terry Austin

As expected, the brief text reiterates Kyle’s uniqueness for established readers while simultaneously filling in newcomers on all they need to know. You also can’t beat that classic Darryl Banks artwork. That’s still Kyle’s best costume, and the entire piece just bleeds character. Cripes, we need to get Banks back on a regular Green Lantern book…

Next up are a few characters that were arguably just as important to the Kyle Rayner era as the Green Lantern himself!

(click for fullsize image)
Text by Ron Marz, art by Georges Jeanty and Dexter Vines

No superpowers. No secret identities. These were normal, everyday people hanging around Radu’s coffee shop. While other Green Lanterns (and most other superheroes) were constantly surrounded by other superbeings even in their personal lives, Kyle’s neighbors and friends here didn’t don costumes and fight the Injustice League.

From proprietor Radu Stancu — my favorite member of the Green Lantern (Vol. 3) supporting cast — handing out sagelike advice along with his famous java, to Cleveland Rose trading music with Kyle, to Allison Chandler drawing the eye of every man who walked through the door, these average folks helped ground Kyle and the reader, giving the entire series a much more realistic feel. (As realistic as a superhero comic could be, anyway.) Damn it, I still need a Radu’s Coffee mug!

In later issues of Green Lantern: Secret Files & Origins, Kyle would continue to get profile pages with updated information, all the way through Green Lantern (Vol. 4) and “The Sinestro Corps War.” (With some sad retcons to boot.)

Some fans lambasted Secret Files & Origins as a poor man’s version of the classic Who’s Who in the DC Universe, but I at least still loved ‘em. Some issues even offered sneak peeks at upcoming characters; for example, Green Lantern: Secret Files & Origins #1 had a profile page for Effigy, who wouldn’t appear in the Green Lantern series proper for months.

I’m not the only one talking Secret Files & Origins today; thanks to Frank Lee Delano and Anj, plenty of other comics bloggers are chiming in with their thoughts:

• Aquaman @ Aquaman Shrine
• The Atom @ Power of the Atom
• Doctor Fate @ Tower of Fate
• Firestorm @ Firestorm Fan
• Flash @ Speed Force
• Hawkman @ Being Carter Hall
• Martian Manhunter @ The Idol-Head of Diabolu
• Renee Montoya @ Who is the Question?
• Phantom Stranger @ I Am The Phantom Stranger
• Steel @ DC Bloodlines
• Suicide Squad @ Subject: The Suicide Squad (Task Force X)
• Supergirl @ Supergirl Comic Box Commentary
• Wonder Woman @ Diana Prince as the New Wonder Woman
• Zatanna @ Justice League Detroit

Green Lantern Corps (Vol. 3) #10

Release Date: June 20, 2012
Cover Date: August 2012

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

After John Stewart is sentenced to death, he’s remanded to a cell in the Alpha Tower while the Alpha Lanterns and Guy Gardner discuss the matter with the Guardians. The Guardians won’t carry out the sentence, nor will they permit another Green Lantern to do it. When the Alphas suggest an outside executioner, Guy tells ‘em to take responsibility and do it themselves. Meanwhile, John apologizes to Kirrt’s family; they may not forgive him, but he hopes that one day they’ll understand what he did. When Guy finally comes to visit, of course it’s not a social call; he and other Lanterns close to John are there for a prison break! John’s not keen on breaking the law like this, but time’s already run out. The Alpha Lanterns connect to the Central Power Battery and shut own the rebellious Lanterns’ rings.

Green Lantern Corps has been keeping a good pace, and for that I am most pleased. Every character here was believable and relatable, with many shades of gray instead of the usual good guy versus bad guy. Even the Alphas aren’t villains in the traditional sense; it’s hard to hate them, as they honestly believe they’re just doing their jobs. While the Guardians are still dicks, I liked that they refused to do the Alphas’ dirty work. Capped off with Guy telling them to put up or shut up, it made for a powerful scene.

The massive panels featuring the prison break were expertly rendered; more than ever, Fernando Pasarin proves that he’s the right man for the job when it comes to illustrating the Corps. The art was loaded with detail, even in those giant, action-packed pages with loads of characters interacting at once. Even the quiet moments between John and Kirrt’s family conveyed tons of emotion. That final panel with Birrt walking away in sorrow atop a stark white background spoke volumes.

Then there’s that little subplot where an alien professor was briefly chosen for the Corps, but then the invitation was immediately rescinded. (The aliens reminded me of the Chiller-Diller Menace from Green Lantern [Vol. 2] #3, for some reason.) It was only a single page, but what does it mean? Is someone hacking the ring from afar, as the as-yet-unrevealed ring thief from Green Lantern: New Guardians has done? I’m interested in how this bit plays out, though I hope it’s not part of the massive Green Lantern crossover coming later this year.

This trial of John Stewart story has been great, and even though I still think that something is pulling the Alphas’ strings, let’s hope it has some lasting effects.

Green Lantern: The Animated Series #3

Release Date: June 13, 2012
Cover Date: August 2012

Story: Art Baltazar and Franco
Art: Dario Brizuela
Cover: Dario Brizuela

While walking around an alien marketplace, Razer is shot by a sniper’s tranquilizer dart. Hal Jordan, Kilowog, and Aya are soon pinned down by their unseen assailant, with no apparent route of escape. Aya tries flying off on her own, but is disabled in short order by an orum grenade. Eventually, Hal and Kilowog trick the sharpshooter with construct duplicates, and they finally locate him. The sniper is a member of the Spider Guild, who are still pretty pissed off about the Lanterns’ prison break. The Lanterns quickly subdue the gunman and turn him over to the local authorities.

Green Lantern: The Animated Series #3 didn’t stand out too much, but it was still a nice action-packed story. It was also great that this was a direct follow-up to “Razer’s Edge,” as it makes perfect sense that the Spider Guild would’ve wanted revenge. Dario Brizuela’s art kept up the frantic pace, with hardly a panel going by that wasn’t filled with alien weapons fire! Kilowog finally dropping the spiner was a great page, and his observation that Green Lanterns don’t need their rings to fight was right on the money.

Overall, the tale was good, but seemed to go by a little too quickly. Still, it’s hard not to recommend the Green Lantern: The Animated Series comics. Along with other DC Nation fare like Young Justice, it proves that all-ages comics don’t have to be boring or saccharine.

Green Lantern (Vol. 5) #10

Release Date: June 13, 2012
Cover Date: August 2012

Story: Geoff Johns
Pencils: Doug Mahnke
Inks: Christian Alamy, Keith Champagne, Mark Irwin, and Tom Nguyen
Cover: Doug Mahnke and Mark Irwin
Variant Cover: Doug Mahnke

The freed Indigo Tribe angrily pursues Hal Jordan and Sinestro, and the latter stays behind to fight them off hand-to-hand while Hal tracks down Natromo. He begs the alien to rebuild the Indigo Tribe Central Power Battery so he can continue Abin Sur’s mission. Meanwhile, Black Hand throws away his Indigo Tribe ring in disgust and runs away. Hal finally convinces Natromo, but the Battery can’t be restored without a spark of indigo light. Iroque arrives, and even without her ring, she genuinely feels guilt and sadness over her past murderous acts. This provides the necessary spark, and the entire Indigo Tribe is reactivated. They release Sinestro after Hal promises that he can be redeemed on his own. Finally, Black Hand’s indigo ring tries to lock on to him, but he falls off a cliff to his death. His dead face spits out a Black Lantern ring, and Black Hand is resurrected.

Most of this issue was pretty damned good. The Indigo Tribe’s origin story was wrapped up well, and the scenes where Hal and Sinestro finally begin to respect and trust each other a bit more were great. Black Hand’s palpable fear of the indigo ring was cool too, even though that subplot ended with a fart noise (more on that later). Doug Mahnke carried the appropriate drama and action in equal parts, and I love how well he illustrates the difference between the serene Tribesmen and their evil former selves. Check out at how badass Munk looks!

Iroque’s reversal was unexpected, but welcome. Of course, the question remains: was her sadness a lingering effect of wearing that ring for so many years, or was it genuine? We know that the Tribesmen’s former selves are not conscious while under the influence of the ring. Was it a subconscious thing, or something deeper?

Anyway, I’m still quite interested in how the Tribe’s ultimate mission will turn out. I don’t see the Guardians willingly putting on those rings, and who the hell has the power to force them? Will Natromo come along to Oa, perhaps? He may have seemed like a coward, but the little guy reconstructed a Central Power Battery by himself. Not too shabby.

Now begins the nitpicking. There’s a glaring art error leading up to the eventual reactivation of the Indigo Tribe: the former Tribesmen were missing their rings! Granted, Black Hand is the only one we saw willingly throw away his indigo ring, but look at the art: everyone else (including Sinestro) is clearly missing theirs, with the exception of Iroque in the panel before her cheesecake splash page. The reconstruction of the Tribe’s uniforms and staves makes sense, but without those rings, it’s a noticeable mistake.

I’m not keen on Black Hand suddenly dying and becoming a Black Lantern all over again. Aside from the fact that we just had him as the major villain two years ago during Blackest Night, his return presents a new set of questions. The biggest ones are these: why did his corpse suddenly create a new black ring, and more importantly…where’s his power coming from? (The Black Lantern Central Power Battery was destroyed, remember.)

This issue also confirms what most Green Lanterns were dreading: that Sinestro’s will become a hero for good. We can already assume that massive conflicts like the Sinestro Corps Wars happened quite differently due to Flashpoint, but it’s still common knowledge that Sinestro was a mass murderer. He needs to stay a villain, as he’s much more interesting that way. But I’ve got a sinking feeling that his past acts will be whitewashed, or erased entirely. How will this mess be solved? Watch, we’ll eventually find out that Sinestro was mind-controlled or some such bullshit, just like that crappy Parallax retcon in Green Lantern: Rebirth. Don’t get me wrong, Geoff Johns writes a great Sinestro…but lets stick to his strengths, which are that of a dangerous and capable bad guy.

On a final note, I need to call out this issue’s incredibly lame variant cover. If you get the combo pack edition (which includes a digital copy), you’re treated to the same cover as the regular one…with Hal and Sinestro’s heads swapped. It’s literally the exact same artwork except for the heads! (And skin tone, of course.) And to make matters worse…their Green Lantern rings are missing! Ugh.