Batgirl #34 - A Review

I am sorry to see the team of Simone, Pasarin and Glapion leave Batgirl.  For the better part of three years, they have delivered one of the best books the New 52 had to offer.  And they deliver one hell of a satisfying conclusion in Batgirl #34.


Gail Simone's script ties up most of the on-going subplots from her run, as Batgirl moves to stop the gang-leader Knightfall from enacting her plan to cleanse Gotham City of all undesirables.  She does this with a team made up of darn near every awesome superheroine Gail Simone has written in the past as well as the heroes of Simone's recently canceled series The Movement.  Some may say this is indulgent on Simone's part but I don't care.  It's nice to see Misfit again, however briefly.


What can I say about Fernando Pasarin and Jonathan Glapion that I haven't said before?  Precious little, save that I will look forward to their future projects and am glad to see that Glapion will be taking over the inking duties on Green Arrow.  I can also say that Matt Ryan does a fine job on the two pages that he inks here and that if the title page didn't inform me there was more than one inker working on this book, I never would have known.

Batgirl #33 - A Review

Batgirl #33 came out at the same time it was announced that Gail Simone, Jonathan Glapion and Fernando Pasarin would be moving on to other projects.  Thankfully, it appears they will be allowed to go out with a bang, as this issue starts what promises to be an epic conclusion to their run on the book.  And it all starts with a reunion of sorts for the Birds of Prey...


Though this version of Huntress is a refugee from another Earth, it does my heart good to see these three heroines together again.  Yet even ignoring the nostalgia-bait, Simone's script is a strong one.  Though the plotting is largely concerned with Barbara building an army of her own to counter the group organized by the violent vigilante Knightfall, this issue does not want for action.


Fernando Pasarin does his usual stellar job on the pencils.  Jonathan Glapion is joined by Matt Ryan in providing the inks for this issue.  I'm not familiar with Ryan's work but I could not detect any difference in the inking from one page to the next - my main consideration in any comic featuring multiple inkers.  Poor inking can make or break a comic and Batgirl #33 is apparently fortunate enough to have two good inkers.  I say apparently because if it weren't for the credits page, I wouldn't have thought this book to be the work of two inkers!

Batgirl #32 - A Review

Barbara Gordon has 99 problems and a bitch IS one.  A billionaire bitch named Charise Carnes, to be specific.  Carnes fancies herself a savior of sorts and under the guise of Knightfall has recruited a small army of metahumans to act as her enforcers, administering eye-for-an-eye justice on the petty criminals of Gotham City.  This is something Barbara would have issues with, even if most of Knightfall's recruits weren't supervillains she had fought once before and her semi-boyfriend weren't one of Knightfall's victims.

Throw in the facts that Babs thinks she killed her own brother, that her father has a mad-on for Batgirl because he thinks she killed his son, that her mom has disappeared, that her semi-boyfriend is now suing her father for accidentally shooting him in an unrelated incident, that her roommate is an accidental eco-terrorist and that her dad is now (per the events of Batman: Eternal) in jail awaiting trial on charges of killing hundreds of people through incompetence and it's been a bad few months.  And yet things are never so bad in Gotham City that they can't get worse.  Because Barbara has been singled-out by a shadowy government organization that recruited a former friend, who wants to recruit Babs to become a spook and is prepared to do anything to get her to enlist.



If this seems like a bit to take in, it is.  And yet Gail Simone effortlessly explains it all over 20 pages.  All of Batgirl's current subplots are run down as this issue progresses, making it a perfect jumping-on point for those who have yet to give this book a chance.  As if that wen't enough, the final pages hint at a team-up that will be a nostalgic treat for fans of Simone's run on Birds of Prey.


The artwork of Fernando Pasarin and Jonathan Glapion matches Simone's script in its high quality.  Pasarin is an excellent choreographer of action and the issue's fight-scenes are laid out well.  Glapion boasts an impressive ability to shroud a page in shadows without obscuring any of the fine details - a feat that is surprisingly rare among many professional inkers.  The artwork of this book is dark and atmospheric yet it is never hard to see the fine details of the original pencils.

Bottom Line: If you haven't given Batgirl a chance, this is the perfect issue to start with.

Batgirl #31 - A Review

Ragdoll has been brought into the New 52 universe.

If you were a fan of Gail Simone's Secret Six, that should be all the reason you need to pick up this issue.  Simone's version of Ragdoll was the most horrifying member of a team that included King Shark, Cheshire and Bane. Let that thought sink in for a moment.




Socially awkward (to put it politely and mildly) and manic, Ragdoll was disturbing even without considering the power of being triple-jointed and ultra-flexible.  Still, Ragdoll isn't all bad.  Nobody who likes monkeys could be all bad, right?


Pasarin and Glapion do an excellent job of manifesting Ragdoll.  Ragdoll's movements look possible without being any less inhuman or disturbing, as depicted by Pasarin's pencils.  And Glapion - in defiance of the usual rules for inkers on Batman-family titles - highlights the artwork rather than shading it with his inks.  The shadows here exist only to make the light seem brighter - not to obscure it completely.

Batgirl #28 - A Review

The New 52 volume of Batgirl has seen Gail Simone create many new villains for Barbara Gordon to contend with.  This issue introduces another one, who is both an interesting character and a subversive satire of Batman himself.  Meet Mr. Uchida - a.k.a. Silver.  Silver is a Gotham billionaire with an interest in fighting evil and a loyal butler who assists his nightly quest to take back Gotham.  The twist?  Silver is a vampire hunter, who thinks Batman and his comrades are vampires!


Simone hangs a lampshade on the concept of Batman itself, pointing out how phenomenally bad it would be for a mentally unstable man with more money than sense to act on his heroic impulses.  But Simone is more than a dark comedian, showing her command of drama and ethos as well.  The scenes involving Barbara and the heroine Strix (who is hunting a missing girl) are quite touching and may be of interest to fans of the Cassandra Cain Batgirl.  I don't want to suggest that Strix is a substitute for Cass (though both women are mute, warped by a violent upbringing and have similar costumes) but the relationship between Barbara and Strix is becoming something similar to what Barbara and Cass shared.


Fernando Pasarin and Jonathan Glapion are back in fine form.  Ask me to name the most underrated and consistently excellent artists in the industry and I would include them among them.  Pasarin's pencils are detailed without being cluttered and Glapion manages to shroud the page in darkness without going overboard.  New colorist Blond also enhances the artwork by using highlights to outline the blacks and greys that dominate the color scheme.  In short, this book looks as good as it reads. 

Batgirl #25 - A Review

Batgirl #25 sees Gail Simone taking a break as Marguerite Bennett (most recently seen on Batman Annual #2) takes over the book to tell the tale of what Barbara Gordon did during the event known as Zero Year.  The action focuses on Barbara as she and her brother are forced to evacuate their home during a fearsome hurricane and find themselves in dire straits.  Naturally Barbara discovers an inner strength she didn't know she had and - realizing no one is coming to save her - becomes the hero she and her city need. 

Bennett's script is a strong one that goes beyond displaying Barbara's spirit perfectly.  The action depicted here is truly thrilling and especially powerful in the wake of the recent typhoon in the Philippines.  Indeed, I would go so far as to say that this issue better captures the terror of flash flooding and the heroism of ordinary people in the face of disaster than this year's earlier Hawkeye issue devoted towards the Hurricane Sandy disaster. 


Fernando Pasarin and Jonathan Glapion do their usual stellar job on the artwork.  The action of the script doesn't let up for a moment and Pasarin's pencils perfectly capture the intensity of Bennett's script.  Glapion's inks find the perfect balance between shade and saturation, creating deep shadows as appropriate to the story while leaving the original pencils clearly exposed throughout much of the issue.


Should it come to pass that Gail Simone should ever leave Batgirl, I think this issue proves Marguerite Bennett would be a worthy successor on the scripting duties.  This issue, while a diversion from the larger story of Batgirl at the moment, is not an unwelcome one.  Indeed, it's a good issue to start with if one hasn't been reading this book and is looking for an entry point.

Batgirl #24 - A Review

 Let us pause a moment and give thanks to whatever fickle gods allowed Gail Simone to continue on this title after her unceremonious firing by e-mail and sudden rehiring.

...

Thank you.

I ask for this blessing because I am truly frightened to think about the possibility of not having had this issue to read.  How could any writer but Gail Simone have pulled off last month's issue without having it seem like a betrayal of the whole story so far?  How could anyone but her have penned this issue, in which Barbara Gordon finds herself pitted against not only the police and every enemy she's made since her return as Batgirl but against her very essence as a person?



There is no word I can think of to sum this issue up, save one: powerful.  This is a powerful issue and one of the strongest, most emotional works Simone has ever penned.  The fact that it's a ripping action yarn at the same time does not diminish its' emotional arc in any way.  I'm aching to read next month's issue now, that's how great it is.  


The artwork of Fernando Pasarin and Jonathan Glapion equals the script in quality and excellence.  Everone involved in this storyline needs to be nominated for some kind of award.  If you aren't reading Batgirl, you should be. 

Batgirl #23 - A Review

Let me start this comic with a Tommy Wiseau impression.

*clears throat*

"YOU'RE TEARING ME APART, GAIL!"

In all seriousness, Batgirl #23 will pull out your heart like Mola Ram and stomp on it like it was the floor at a Lord of the Dance concert. 



We knew things were going to get bad with Commissioner Jim Gordon developing a mad-on for Batgirl in the wake of his son James Jr's death at her hands.  Yet I don't think anyone anticipated Gail Simone finding a way to bring nearly every new villain that's emerged since this series started back under the command of the violent vigilante Knightfall with orders to kill Jim Gordon after his hunt for Batgirl leads him poking into her business.  Things go from bad to worse when Babs' new boyfriend Ricky is fingered by the police as a Batgirl accomplice at the same time Ricky is called back into play as a gang-banger with the lives of his family at stake.  Barbara, no longer Batgirl, finds herself under attack from all sides and if this issue doesn't pull on your heart-strings, you'd better see a doctor... for your heart is dead.


The artwork of Fernandon Pasarin and Jonathan Glapion matches Simone's script in quality.  The action is well displayed as are the few quiet moments of drama leading into the action-filled finale.  This book is Eisner-worthy on all fronts and should be a must-read for all fans of quality comics.

Batgirl #22 - A Review

In a perfect world, Batgirl #22 would easily win every award it is possible for a single-issue comic story to win.  Bold words, I know.  Yet I cannot think of any single story that has provoked such a full gamut of emotions within me for quite some time.  Sorrow.  Joy.  Fear. Anger.  This book conveys all this as strongly as any Greek tragedy.


The issue centers upon Barbara's date with Ricky - a reformed thug she first met and saved as Batgirl after he lost his leg during a run-in with a more violent vigilante.  The relationship between Babs and Ricky is played off well and Gail Simone does a fantastic job of showing how the two feed one another's need for a companion in a short span of pages.  The introverted Babs needs someone who can get her out of shell as much as Ricky needs someone who understands his disability and can show him that it isn't the end of the world.  This story is as inspiring and life-affirming as any image of Superman flying through the sunny skies of Metropolis.

That alone would be enough to make me recommend this book, for there are precious few books even in the superhero genre these days that seem to encourage this kind of optimism, much less revel in it.  We also get a long overdue scene between Jim Gordon and Batman - both mourning the loss of their sons - that is easily one of the most emotional scenes I've ever seen in any medium.  Yet Simone gives us darkness with the light as well, with an ending that will hit you in the gut like a young Muhammad Ali.


The artwork of Fernando Pasarin and Jonathan Glapion equals Simone's script in quality.  Pasarin's figures are well-designed and proportioned, with what little action this issue contains being well-paced and well-choreographed.  Glapion's inks are always perfectly suited toward the story, with light inks utilized for well-lit night clubs and ballet studios and heavy shadows for the dark alleys and rooftops of Gotham.

To sum it up in three words?  Read This Book!

#Batgirl #21 - A Review

The element of the unknown is the key to all top-notch horror stories.  There is nothing so scary as that which we do not understand and cannot perceive.  Batgirl #21 offers us many horrible sights, including a seemingly mobile ventriloquist dummy with murder and/or sex on its' mind.  Yet the most disturbing aspect of this story is that we still have no clue just how Gail Simone's new Ventriloquist character does what she does at the end of it.  Magic?  Psionics?  Or is that creepy demon doll actually alive...?


Simone is second to none when it comes to crafting disturbing imagery.  Yet this issue hits many other emotional touchstones, with several sweet moments between Barbara and her roommate and a touching opening where Dick Grayson checks up on how Barbara is doing in the wake of recent events.  My favorite moment, however, involves another star-crossed couple - Jim Gordon and his ex-wife Barbara.


Thankfully Fernando Pasarin and Jonathan Glapion prove professionally capable of handling such variety.  There are many art teams that can handle high-action, horror or the softer scenes that center around two people talking but surprisingly few can manage all three.  Batgirl is one of the few titles today where the artwork truly equals the writing. 

Green Lantern Corps #20 - A Review

I delayed my review of Green Lantern Corps #20 for two weeks, since this issue was meant to be an epilogue to this week's Green Lantern #20.  I wanted to read that issue before I commented upon this one, which is to be Peter Tomasi's last.  Surprisingly, given the fanfare over Johns' departure, there has been no similar outcry for Tomasi's leaving this series.  To my mind, this is a shame since Tomasi had an important role in developing the Green Lantern books over the last few years as well.  If Geoff Johns can be called the architect behind the revival of Green Lantern over the last decade, I think Peter Tomasi should be considered the engineer.  Johns made the plans but Tomasi frequently put the pieces together and made things work.


Sadly, Tomasi's conclusion is a mixed-bag of sorts.  Most of the non-Earthling Green Lanterns this series focused upon are absent, with drill sergeant Kilowog and major domo Salaak showing up just long enough to confirm that they're alive.  Even John Stewart - forced into an afterthought of a storyline trying to revive Mogo for most of the last year - is treated like a footnote, as he and long-time enemy Fatality have a sudden whirlwind romance that comes out of nowhere.  Thankfully, the majority of the issue - focused upon Guy Gardner's efforts to save his family from an alien killer with a grudge - is more enjoyable.  


I'll miss the artwork of Scott Hanna and Fernando Pasarin on this title as much as I'll miss Tomasi's writing.  I've long been of the opinion that Pasarin is one of the most underrated artists working at DC Comics today and this issue showcases Parasin's unique talent for drawing constructs as well as unique-looking aliens.  Hanna's inks perfectly walk the line between definition and shading, looking picture perfect in every panel. 

Green Lantern Corps #19 - A Review

When I think of writer Peter Tomasi, I think of one thing above all others - excellent dialogue.  Curiously, Green Lantern Corps #19 has very little of this.  Indeed, most of the issue is made up of splash pages and two-page sequences with multiple panels free of word balloons, as the Green Lanterns on Oa - freed from the influence of the First Lantern by a newly revived Mogo - fight an army of rage and fear-based constructs.


The action of the issue is well-paced and proves Tomasi as capable of writing a fight sequence as he is writing a lively conversation. It also showcases the abilities of penciler Fernando Pasarin and inker Scott Hanna.  Every page of this book is gorgeous, with a complex amount of detail going into each panel.   


If this issue has a flaw it is that, like most of the Green Lantern titles right now, it is largely inaccessible to new readers.  To Tomasi's credit, the action of this issue is easily understood but a first-time reader would be completely clueless as to who Mogo is and the significance of Mogo's return, to say nothing of the larger Wrath of the First Lantern storyline.  Green Lantern Corps #19 probably won't win over any new readers but it will please established fans of the series.

Green Lantern Corps #17 - A Review

Green Lantern Corps #17 is a good comic.  I would like to say that right here at the start because some of what I'm about to say may give the impression that I didn't like this book.  I loved this book but it is not without flaw.  And yet those flaws lie at the heart of why I found this book so enjoyable.  For while this book does stand well on its' own terms, I find it stands ill at ease with the Wrath Of The First Lantern storyline that it is part of.  But I'm getting ahead of myself...

I'd also like to say, before I dig myself in too deep, that I still think Fernando Pasarin and Scott Hanna are perhaps the most underrated artistic team working in comics today.  I can't think of a single off-issue that they've had in their time on this series.  And the opening double-splash page depicting Guy Gardner in his various guises and personas while various events from his life play out in the background struck me immediately with its' complex beauty.


It is this opening splash - and indeed much of what we see in the story of this issue - that brings me to my conundrum.  I think the DC Multiverse as we knew it still exists in some form.  I think this New 52 Universe - and the new Earth 2 - are but two Earths out of the many undefined worlds we saw in recent times.  Why else would we see Guy Gardner with a yellow Sinestro ring or Guy Gardner: Warrior - two incarnations that could not have existed in the New 52 reality, given what we know of the Green Lantern history?  Why else would we see scenes of Guy with Ice, who I don't think he ever became romantically serious with in this reality?

That's a good question isn't it?  And it's one that this issue completely ignores, focusing as it is upon The First Lantern tormenting Guy Gardner with visions of other universes where his already miserable past was even worse.  The reality where his siblings were put in danger and he was unable to save them.  The reality where his failing to kill a suicide bomber led to the deaths of thousands instead of a dozen.  All of these scenes and more are played out to Guy's increasing discomfort as The First Lantern... well, we don't actually know why he's doing this, save that he seems to feed off the emotional responses of others.  That's another good mystery to keep us reading.


The only problem with all of this is that good as Peter Tomasi is at playing with this kind of drama, this issue does seem somewhat derivative of all the other recent stories which focused upon Guy Gardner suffering.  This issue also doesn't have any connection whatsoever to Green Lantern #17 and the events of that book.  That might be considered a blessing instead of a weakness and indeed I liked how the recent Death of the Family mini-series did not require one to read every single Batman book. The same thing seems to be occurring here, save that there's even less connection between the various Green Lantern family titles than there was during Rise Of The First Army.  One can't help but feel that's a bad thing in a crossover.  Despite this, I still loved this issue and would recommend it to anyone who has yet to give Green Lantern Corps a shot.

Green Lantern Corps #16 - A Review

By chance I happened to converse with someone today who - in the middle of a discussion regarding what comic writers should be fired for gross incompetence- said that they needed to fire whoever "gave Guy Gardner his family back and fluffybunnified his dark and painful backstory."  Clearly they have not been reading Green Lantern Corps lately!  Given Guy's current status, I find it hard to compare Guy's lot in life to anything fluffy!
 
He was recently drummed out of the GLC after being set-up by The Guardians.  He was arrested on vigilante charges by the same dirty cop who got him kicked out of the regular police force.  And, oh yes, his abusive father STILL hates his guts.  Personally, I think the whole thing reeks of melodrama and I long for the days when Guy had worked past his family issues and became the man who did what was right without giving a damn what others thought.  At least Guy is still tough as nails and proving he doesn't need a ring to fight the good fight.


The Rise of The Third Army storyline continues to move apace, with more of our players beginning to team up with one another.  Simon Baz shows up in this issue and proves to be of a similar mind to Guy Gardner when the fighting starts.  We also see John Stewart piecing together that The Guardians are up to something on his own, as he works with the Star Sapphire Formerly Known As Fatality to restore the remains of Mogo - The (Ex) Living Planet.  Peter Tomasi balances all these storylines with his usual able ability to balance action, humor and drama in equal amounts. 


To my mind Fernando Pasarin is easily the most underrated artist working in comics today.  Look at the pages above and marvel at how much complexity Pasarin can work into a single panel.  Marvelous stuff, well-backed by Scott Hanna's amazing inks.  This is one of the best-looking books on the market today and it's easily the best of the Green Lantern titles.

Green Lantern Corps #15 - A Review

Green Lantern Corps #15 offers readers several great dramatic moments.  Unfortunately, these moments are dressing on a centerpiece that quickly descends into the realm of melodrama and never quite manages to escape it.  I speak of the on-going fall of Guy Gardner - drummed out of the Corps in the last issue and, as of this issue, stuck on Earth and desperate to prove that he can still be a hero to the father to whom he can do no right.



The other subplots in Peter Tomasi's script are treated with equal weight but not equal coverage and I wish one of them had been the focus of the issue rather than another episode of "Everybody Hates Guy".  As a long-time Green Lantern reader who has been around since the Ron Marz days, I'm far more interested in reading about  John Stewart being forced into an unlikely alliance with Fatality - ex-Green Lantern villain, ex-Sinestro Corps member, current member of the Star Sapphire Corps and, oh yes, the only surviving member of the ruling family of a planet that John Stewart failed to save.  There's also the scene in which Salaak uncovers the treachery of The Guardians - easily the high-point of the issue, for what my money is worth.


Though the script may be weaker than usual this time around, the art team is as strong as ever.  Fernando Pasarin and Scott Hanna are easily one of the top five greatest art teams working today.  Between Fernando's amazing alien designs and gift for depicting facial expressions coupled with Hanna's talent for knowing when to merely add definition and when to drape the pencils with blackness, every panel of this book is poster worthy.   

While this isn't a good issue to enter into reading this book, I still recommend it to all fans of science fiction comics and series with strong ensemble casts.  While the story is weaker than usual this time around, a weak Peter Tomasi story is still better than three-quarters of the books on the market and this is still easily the best of the Green Lantern family of books.

Green Lantern Corps #14 - A Review

It is an oddity that so far, Green Lantern Corps is the only book in the GL family of titles that seems to have had much of anything to do with the Rise of the Third Army storyline this month.  Then again, it isn't that surprising given that Peter Tomasi has been spinning plates with this title for several years and throwing one more on-going plot into the mix can hardly complicate things further.  Indeed, Tomasi does a fine job of giving all of his large supporting cast of characters a bit of character development. 


Perhaps the most startling development in this book is the implication that Ganthet - brainwashed by his fellow Guardians over a years ago into becoming as emotionless and cold-hearted as them - may not be quite so gone as his brothers and sisters would believe.  His actions in this issue prevent the execution of Guy Gardner and place Guy on Earth, out of The Guardian's sight. 

Why is that important?  Because unless things have changed drastically in the New 52 universe, Guy Gardner is still the same man who - with no powers or resources - managed to trick his way onto Oa and stole Sinestro's yellow ring.  I think Ganthet is either counting on Guy finding his own way back into the fight or is trying to keep him alive for his own ends.  Either way, Tomasi plays this hint subtly and the effect is marvelous. 

There are other equally amazing moments, of course.  Guy's trial as he is drummed out of The Corps is a great moment of drama.  There's the moment where John Stewart runs into an old enemy, in the midst of tracking where the pieces of the living planet Mogo are traveling.  And then there's the moment where Kilowog and Salaak - the drill sargent and seneschal of The Corps - discover that The Guardians are hiding away the rings of the Lanterns who have fallen in battle and are not recruiting replacements!


For my money, Green Lantern Corps has the finest regular art team of any book on the shelves today.  Fernando Pasarin's pencils are as amazing as ever and he meets my two main criteria for a Green Lantern artist - he draws amazingly detailed constructs and unforgettable alien figures.  Scott Hanna offers a light touch as an inker, knowing when to let the light dominate a scene and when to let the shadows take over.  Beautiful all around.
  

Green Lantern Corps #0 - A Review

Green Lantern Corps #0 surprised me. Most of the revamped origins we've seen so far during Zero Month have been darker than the old-universe - Superman lacks the support of the Kent family, Oliver Queen was responsible for people getting killed through his negligence and Mitch Shelley is the good clone of an evil man. So how is it that a character who is synonymous with the 80s Anti-Hero has somehow gotten a less-depressing origin story?



The origin of Guy Gardner we see here preserves most of the elements of the original. Guy still plays Esau to his older brother's Jacob. His drunken father continues to favor his eldest son over the younger Guy. And Guy still idolizes his older brother and is desperate to win the approval of his family.

And this is a lighter origin?

Shockingly, yes. Peter Tomasi eliminated the child-abuse from Guy's background. More, he gives Papa Gardner a motivation for treating Guy like slime and pushes Guy's "punk" days forward a little, transforming Guy into a street thug rather than a juvenile delinquent. There are other subtler changes, such as Guy now being a neglected middle child with the addition of a younger sister and Guy's beloved older brother having his name changed from the unlikely Mace to the more alliterative Gerard.

This is all fascinating from the view of a Green Lantern scholar such as myself. But in discussing all this I've missed that all important question - is this a good read? The answer is a hearty yes. Tomasi's script is a great one and he really brings the characters to life. Guy is an immediately sympathetic figure who the reader wants to see succeed - brave, noble and resourceful in spite of his emotional hang-ups.



Green Lantern Corps is blessed with one of the greatest and most underrated art teams in comics. Penciller Fernando Pasarin is a master at getting the maximum amount of detail into the greatest number of panels. The inkers know when to tread lightly and when to emphasize the shadows in a scene. And colorist Gabe Eltaeb always seems to know just the right shades and highlights to use.

If, for whatever reason, you can only read one Green Lantern comic each month, make it this one. Between Peter Tomasi's scripts and the amazing art team, it has yet to disappoint me. I think you'll all enjoy it too.

Green Lantern: Prelude To The Third Army

Having little to say about this past month's Green Lantern comics that I have not said before, I thought perhaps it might be best to look at each issue and how it is contributing to the upcoming Rise of The Third Army crossover.



The main contribution of Green Lantern #12 is a rehash of the events of Blackest Night and The Guardians discussing their recent revelation that the greatest problem facing universal order is free will and how they will cope with everyone who has a decent chance of stopping them. It also establishes that Black Hand will have a role to play in the coming action and that Hal Jordan may soon be wearing another color ring yet again.




Green Lantern Corps #12 is primarily concerned with continuing the action sequence involving the jail break that became a prison riot in the wake of John Stewart's conviction of murdering a fellow Lantern several issues ago. Good stuff, as always. There's a lot of good action here and Tomasi does a good job balancing the protagonist time between Guy Gardner and John Sewart.



Our primary interest here lies in two points. First, the Green Lanterns all getting the same distress call through their rings from some being saying "Let Me Out!" The other is a scene toward the end, where The Guardians congratulate themselves on eliminating all of the Alpha Lanterns without having to get their own hands dirty, thus eliminating the one body in the Green Lantern Corps devoted toward rooting out corruption from within.


As usual, Green Lantern New Guardians #12 is the weakest of the pack. The plotline involving the need to stop the being Inviticus from destroying the Vega system is concluded and we finally get an explanation for how these "new Guardians" were brought together and who was responsible for stealing the various rings and manipulating everyone from the start.

It turns out to have been the enslaved Guardian Sayd, who now claims that Ganthet foresaw that one day they would need someone capable of channeling all the various Lantern energies and THAT was why he chose Kyle Rayner to become the last Green Lantern when Hal Jordan went nuts. My response to this is best summed up by the collected contents of the bull pens at the Fort Worth Stockyard.


As in Green Lantern Corps, all the various lanterns assembled receive the same distress call from someone demanding to be let out. Based on some dialogue from War Of The Green Lanterns, I believe this call to have been from the imprisoned First Lantern.



The issue concludes with The Guardians breaking up, but the preview ads for the upcoming storyline suggest that some of them will return and that Carol Ferris will be replacing Fatality, in a new costume that actually covers her body!

Green Lantern Corps #11 - A Review

Every month for the past few months, I've said good things about Green Lantern Corps. How wonderful Peter Tomasi's writing is. How great the artwork by Fernando Pasarin, Scott Hanna and Gabe Eltaeb is. How this is, to my mind, the best of all the Green Lantern books DC Comics is publishing right now.

I don't have a lot to add to that having read Green Lantern Corps #11. Except this. Salaak is pure, unadulterated awesome.



The jail-break action from last issue continues. As their comrades cover their escape, Earthmen Green Lanterns John Stewart and Guy Gardner - rather than fleeing the planet - instead flee deeper inside the Guardian home world of Oa. Their goal? A hidden bunker, discovered during the War Of The Green Lanterns storyline where the Guardians store their earliest experiments in creating a peace-keeping force for the universe.




As you might have guessed from the previous summary, there's a rather involved storyline leading into this issue. This is a great comic but this is a bad issue to start reading it, if you aren't already. I highly suggest you newcomers pick up Green Lantern Corps: Recharge and start from there.

Green Lantern Corps #10 - A Review

 More than any other writer working with the Green Lantern stable of characters in the past year, Peter Tomasi has shown a talent for getting inside the heads of his characters and balancing a diverse ensemble of fascinating personalities.  Green Lantern Corps #10 marks another fine character-study issue for Tomasi, as the saga of John Stewart: Convicted Killer continues.
.  



Convicted of murdering a fellow Corps member, with the fact that he did so to prevent said Corps member from cracking under torture and revealing secret information to an enemy readily ignored at his trial, John Stewart has resigned himself to death.  However, most of his fellow Lanterns are unhappy with the idea of a death sentence in his case.  And even those who would gladly see Stewart die for his crime are unwilling to play the role of his executioner. 

Indeed, one of the most powerful scenes in this issue has the usually emotionless Guardians breaking their facade for a moment to tell the Alpha Lanterns - the cyborg Internal Affairs department of the GLC - that it will be their duty to deliver the sentence they demanded, rather than passing the duty on to a random firing squad of Green Lanterns or The Guardians themselves.  The drama here is worthy of an episode of Law and Order.  But don't worry action fans - there's plenty of superheroics as a group of Lanterns who REALLY isn't happy with the decision (including Guy Gardner) decide to break ranks and break John out of Death Row.



Tomasi's wonderful scripts are backed by an equally wonderful art team.  Penciler Fernando Pasarin not only meets the standard requirementof all Green Lantern artists to be skilled in designing unusual aliens and amazing constructs - he exceeds it.  Inker Scott Hanna does an excellent job of defining the pencils and knowing when to (no pun intended) lighten up on his shadows.  And colorist Gabe Eltaeb makes everything on the page come to life, the lights of the rings truly seeming to glow.

If you only read one Green Lantern book a month, make it this one.