Green Lantern #22 - A Review

The first thing one is likely to notice about Green Lantern #22 is the stunning artwork of Billy Tan.  Green Lantern demands much of any artist and it is a rare artist who can manage to portray a variety of unusual ring projections as well as the exotic alien races that dominate The Corps.  Thankfully, Tan proves up to the task and this issue gives him ample opportunity to show his skill in drawing interesting outworlders and complex contraptions.   


Robert Venditti's first issue of Green Lantern last month showed us that he was not content to tread the same path as Geoff Johns and this issue showcases his inventiveness while simultaneously making use of the diverse cast and mythology that Johns created during his long run on this series.  For instance, the Blue Lantern Saint Walker shows up and is given the first vestige of a personality beyond the easy-going space hippie we've seen for so long.  Venditti also introduces an interesting new villain in the mold of the original Star Sapphire with the alien warrior queen Prixiam Nol-Anj.   


If you haven't been reading Green Lantern before, this is a good time to start.  The artwork by Billy Tan and inkers Rob Hunter and Jon Sibal is truly breathtaking.  Writer Robert Venditti presents some great action sequences and utilizes the rich mythology of the series while still making things accessible to new readers.  I had been on the fence about continuing with this title in the wake of Johns' departure but now... well, what else can I say but "Once a Green Lantern, always a Green Lantern"?