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that little subplot where an alien professor was briefly chosen for the Corps, but then the invitation was immediately rescinded.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.
