Review: Green Lantern #21

Written by Robert Vendetti
Art by Billy Tan
Published by DC Comics

It's the dawn of a new era for the Green Lantern Corps as new leadership ascends through the ranks. Meanwhile, Larfleeze the Orange Lantern aims to take advantage of their distraction to plunder Oa for all it's hidden treasures!

Robert Vendetti faces no easy task. Coming hot on the heels of Geoff Johns' masterful finale mere weeks ago, the new creative team have to keep the proverbial plates spinning, whilst planting seeds for their own run. To his credit, Vendetti turns in a hell of an issue. He effortlessly follows on, without missing a beat.

In a rare breather for the series, Hal Jordan finds himself at a loose end (at least for the moment) and decides to catch up with girlfriend, Carol Ferris aka Star Sapphire. In a clever twist on their powers, Carol fears losing her love for Hal, which is becoming harder each day given his penchant for the dramatic. Should this great love fade, so too would her control over her ring. Something she's just not willing to sacrifice. It's a really clever spin on their dynamic and manages to keep them apart, despite acknowledging their feelings.

Soon called back to Oa to report to the next generation of Guardians, Hal finds them packaging their bags and making for the door. Rather than reverting to the age old status quo, these new Guardians have no intention of leading the Corps. They know being locked away for a millenia would make them terribly ineffective leaders and fearing making the same mistakes as their recently-deceased brethren, they have no desire to follow in their footsteps. In one of their final acts, they appoint Hal the new leader of the Corps, much to his surprise. Seeing this natural rebel have to fight against his own instincts and become a respectable leader is sure to be a major driving force in Vendetti's run. Not to mention, I'm pleased to see Hal partnered up with Kilowog once again. Their double act in the recently cancelled animated series was a sight to behold and I'm glad it's making the leap to the page.

There are several villains in play that threaten the Corps in this issue. The much hyped Relic appears to menace them in a flash-forward that opens the story. While the book closes with Orange Lantern Larfleeze making a play for all the treasures of Oa. I can't imagine the two threats are linked, as Larfleeze reeks of opportunism, while Relic strikes me as far more sinister. The thread that links them both is the call to arms sent out by Hal, as he dispatches hundreds of rings out into the Universe to replenish the Corps' diminished ranks. The rookies the rings bring back appear rather sheepish and nonthreatening, but to be fair, they've just been plucked from obscurity and thrust into a heated battle, so I'm impressed they haven't wet themselves yet.

Ultimately, this is a solid foundation upon which Vendetti can build. He's essentially promising that Johns' legacy remains intact, with wonderful additions like Larfleeze still out there, just waiting to be used. On the flip side, he's using these comfortable surroundings to introduce his own new characters into the fold. The Green Lantern series has been left in such a healthy, successful state, that a writer would have to actively sabotage one's self to muck it all up and Vendetti is no fool. While it will always be sad to see a changing of the guard, we appear to be in able hands for the months to come.

8 out of 10

Review: Green Lantern #17

Writer: Geoff Johns
Artist: Doug Mahnke
Publisher: DC Comics

It's the beginning of the end. At least for Geoff Johns.

Entering into the final arc of Geoff Johns' epic nine year run on Green Lantern, I can't help but be nervous. He's been wowing us for nearly a decade, now all he needs to do is stick the landing. In the past few months, we've seen other talented writers struggle with endings. Ed Brubaker on Captain America, Matt Fraction on Invincible Iron Man, Brian Michael Bendis on Avengers, etc. These guys knew how to keep the juggernaut chugging along in their sleep, but when it came to the ending, they bottled it. It's with these recent failures that I enter "Wrath of the First Lantern".

As most people do before they reach the end, they wax nostalgic. Geoff Johns is no different, beginning his final arc with a scene watching the creation of the Universe (and Multiverse). It's the immortal moment whereby rogue Guardian, Krona, decides to look back and discover just how everything began. The one detail having eluded us all this time - the hand holding the universe in it's palm...was wearing a Green Lantern ring! After numerous protests from mainstay Ganthet, the pair are rocked by the arrival of an astronaut named Volthoom, carrying what appears to be a White Lantern. He claims to be there in peace, but the fact he has eyes akin to Christopher Lloyd in Roger Rabbit says different.

Personally, I haven't landed on an opinion one way or the other in regard to this "First Lantern", let alone this original state as Volthoom. I'm hoping they stick to the far more imposing modern day look, whereby the man is totally clear, but for coloured veins signifying emotion. As with all the other Green Lantern books due out this week, the First Lantern picks on one character in particular and examines their life in excruciating detail. In this case, he chooses Ganthet, wanting to unravel the mystery as to how he has grown so cold and emotionless in recent issues, lamenting the loss of his connection to "The Great Heart".

One interesting little quirk in dealing with the First Lantern is his power to reshape the Universe, however he sees fit. For a brief moment, he was able to use Ganthet as a puppet to convince the Guardians not to give up their emotions those many millenia ago. This caused shocking repercussions across the galaxy, with some characters disappearing entirely and others long thought dead reappearing. A power he couldn't sustain of course (like we were going to see out Geoff Johns' GL masterpiece with Abin Sur in the lead!), reverting the Universe to normal...for now.

Meanwhile, new recruit Simon Baz has been freshly transported to the Chamber of Shadows (not to be confused with Harry Potter's Secrets), bringing him face to face for the first time with long-time villain, Black Hand. It's obligatory that the pair fight, but you'd think after untold days locked away, Hand would know better than to try and kill his first chance at escape!

Ultimately, even with one foot out the door, Geoff Johns is still building the Green Lantern universe. If his nine years of contributions weren't enough already, his most recent stories have introduced a brand new Green Lantern in Simon Baz, a brand new villain in Volthoom the First Lantern and looks to pay off the looming threat of the Guardians of the Universe once and for all. Making it hard to imagine a Green Lantern series beyond issue 20 when he leaves.

9 out of 10

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Green Lantern Annual #1 Review

Picking up mere moments after the last issue, Hal Jordan and Sinestro have found themselves powerless and at the mercy of a reborn Black Hand. If that fate wasn't cruel enough, the zombified villain takes his revenge by burying our heroes alive! Meanwhile, the Guardians take several bold steps in their plan to eliminate the Green Lantern Corps and free will as a whole from the universe.

If the cover of this Annual wasn't enough to tip you off, it's that time again. A Green Lantern one-shot, written by Geoff Johns and drawn by Ethan Van Sciver? Any long-time fan will know in an instant we're on the verge of another groundbreaking event, that will shake the DC universe to it's core! Since 2004, this all-star creative team has guided us through many a major happening, so when they're together, you know it's about to kick-off. This time around we're on the verge of the "Rise of the Third Army", a story with genuinely horrifying implications.

Having been freed from his shackles as a living member of the Indigo Tribe and returned to his undead Black Lantern state, Black Hand casts one hell of a scary shadow. He barely even needs to lay a finger on our dynamic duo and yet he's inflicting severe psychological damage with every barb. You can almost sense the glee with which Geoff Johns writes this villain. While Blackest Night left the character on the back-burner for the most part, instead focusing on Nekron and his army, this story is the true showcase for Black Hand. A particularly sadistic moment features Hand taunting Hal with an offer to bring his father back to life. Hal knows for a fact that the Black Lanterns aren't the genuine article, but Hand throws in just enough doubt about Nekron being gone and no ring to control the body, that you can see the temptation on his face. He eventually comes to his senses, but that moment is beautifully realised. It resonates heavily later on, as even when his own life is put in danger, Hal is more concerned with not letting Hand disturb his father's remains.

Hal and Sinestro also manage to fit in a wonderful array of teamwork in this issue. To think, only a couple of years ago, these men were at each other's throats, their own worst enemies. But now, they've developed this terrific buddy cop dynamic ala Lethal Weapon. They may not like each other, but they've got each other's backs without question. Hal immediately rushing over to dig up Sinestro and Sinestro with the last second save when all else fails. Sadly, this issue acts as a last hurrah for such a team, as their final fates have been left  a mystery for the time being, making way for the new Arab-American Green Lantern, Baz. I'm definitely going to miss the combination of Hal and Sinestro. Whoever this new GL is, he's got big shoes to fill. But if anyone can write an entertaining new character, it's Geoff Johns.

Finally, several big Guardian secrets are revealed. We've long suspected that the little blue men aren't as noble and virtuous as they make themselves out to be and this is the point of no return. They ransack an ancient vault, murdering their long lost brethren as they go and steal the appropriately ominous "first lantern". Absorbing power from this relic, the Guardians channel their might into the creation of a new species - the Third Army. A mindless brute, their heart removed, seeking to transform others into unfeeling monsters in their own image. If it wasn't scary enough that the Guardians now have an army of unthinking creatures at their disposal, the way it assimilates innocents and makes them into mirror images, is downright terrifying. The crowning achievement being the victim's eyes left unaffected, a horrifying reminder of just who that creature used to be. For the moment, it's transforming random red-shirts who happen to wander into it's path, but I genuinely fear for any hero that meets that fate.

9 out of 10  

Weekly Round-Up 23/08/2012

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #692

A nerdy high school student visits a laboratory with his class, only to be granted superpowers. Sound familiar? Well this time, it's Peter Parker on the outside looking in, as one of his demonstrations inadvertently creates a new hero by the name of Alpha! However, that is where the similarity ends, as Alpha quickly goes off the rails and uses his newfound powers for all the wrong things! What was initially touted as Spidey's first sidekick, soon becomes an in-continuity What If story. With no pretense of a secret identity, Alpha uses his abilities to do what we all would - make money, impress girls, make fools of jocks, etc. This was a fun opening chapter to a story that I'm sure will have dire consequences for our favourite wall-crawler. The bigger Alpha's profile gets (and his ego at that), the more attention he attracts... 8/10

GREEN LANTERN: NEW GUARDIANS #12

This series has always struck me as the odd one out among it's Green Lantern brethren. The premise of all the Lantern Corps uniting as one sprang out of Blackest Night, where it was used most effectively. At that time, the team consisted of only the most high profile of Lanterns, whether it be Hal Jordan, Sinestro, Carol Ferris, etc. These were the proverbial cream of the crop. However, this ongoing series has basically been surviving on scraps, as all those other characters are busy elsewhere, giving the impression this is strictly the B-team. To my surprise, it wasn't as bad as I expected. As their first year draws to a close, so does their conflict against the almighty Invictus. But that isn't the real narrative meat of the issue. Instead, we finally find out who stole all those Lantern rings way back in Issue 1 and just what they hoped to achieve by sending them to Kyle Rayner. These reveals are far more satisfying than any random slugfest with a musclebound villain. The issue ends on an ominous note, leaving me dying to know what role this team will play in the DC universe going forward. 7/10

ULTIMATE COMICS: THE ULTIMATES #14

This book is a mess, plain and simple. Whether it be the plotting, telling an insane story about States succeeding and Texas threatening to nuke the rest of America. More so, the art varies wildly from page to page. One reveling in realism, another boldly stylised, as if it were straight from a cartoon. In a year where "The Avengers" is pulling in a billion dollars worldwide, how does the series that inspired it flounder so badly? Also, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention quite how ugly the redesigned costumes of Captain America and Iron Man are. Both are clunky and cumbersome, which is the last thing you'd expect icons to be wearing. This book reminds me alot of Squadron Supreme post-JMS. It's ugly, directionless and missing the magic that made it a must-read in the first place. This is the reanimated corpse of a once great series. Avoid at all costs. 1/10

UNCANNY X-MEN #17 

Despite falling smack dab in the middle of AvX, this arc has been more of a side story about the Phoenix Five (still intact at this point) taking down long-time foe, Mister Sinister. It's actually rather handy the focus of the event isn't on this adventure, as it would undercut everything the main series was putting across. While the combined might of every single Avenger struggled to make a dent in one of the Phoenix Five, Mister Sinister keeps ALL FIVE captive for an entire issue. Admittedly, there's a panel that proves the Phoenix is too powerful to contain, but to have such an unstoppable force...stopped, is a little strange. The majority of the issue falls to the remainder of Cyclops' Extinction team i.e. Psylocke, Storm, Magneto and Danger, as they plot to sneak their way into Sinister's castle and liberate their comrades. The teamwork on display is fantastic and even with all the ulterior motives flying around, these are combinations that work. Infact, this issue features my favourite Psylocke moment ever, bar none. I've never liked the character before, so to hear myself laughing out loud at her antics was a complete surprise. I'm positively begging for that to be her new catchphrase. It'd rival "it's clobberin' time" and "flame on". 8/10

The Best of DC Comics New 52!

5. NIGHTWING

While reverting from Gotham City's one and only Batman back to original identity Nightwing could be seen by some as a demotion, Dick Grayson has proved just as important in his New 52 role as he did pre-Flashpoint. Kyle Higgins has been on writing duties since the relaunch and in conjunction with Batman's Scott Snyder has created the perfect companion piece to the recent "Night of the Owls" crossover event. Just as Bruce Wayne has come to find his life shadowed by the fabled Court of Owls, so has Dick Grayson. Over the course of the first year, it's been revealed that long-time staple Haley's Circus was aiding in the creation of the next generation Talons and Dick was to be a leading candidate, if not for the timely intervention of his adoption and subsequent crimefighting career. All being big developments in the origins of the former Boy Wonder and leave me wondering what might happen next.



4. BATMAN INCORPORATED

This is a bit of a cheat, as there's only been one issue of this series set firmly in New 52 continuity so far. However, in that single issue, Grant Morrison achieved more than some creators have been striving all year for. Due to the luck of the draw, he's managed to pick up exactly where he left off in Volume One. After being hounded for months by a mysterious organisation named Leviathan, their leader stood revealed as none other than Robin's mother, Talia Al Ghul. Not only is the writing top notch, but the art by Chris Burnham evokes the same pop-art sensibilities usually only captured by Frank Quitely. A masterful book that's only ever going to rise in my estimation over the coming months.

3. GREEN LANTERN

Geoff Johns has been writing the spectacular adventures of Hal Jordan consistantly since 2004. Picking up seemlessly from where the last volume left off, following "War of the Green Lanterns", Hal has been stripped of his power ring and banished back to Earth by the Guardians of the Universe, having deemed him too rebellious (whilst secretly fearing his true power). In his stead, long-time nemesis Sinestro has been reinstated and tasked with bringing down the Corps of his own creation, who've invaded his homeworld of Korugar. While not remotely new-reader-friendly, relying heavily on one's knowledge of the past eight years of Green Lantern mythology, this series is unrelentingly entertaining with it's buddy-cop dynamic between the two leads. It's only a matter of time before they have an inevitable falling out and Sinestro is returned to his villainous roots, so I'm enjoying the pairing while I can. In recent months, there have been no end of hints towards a major new story arc entitled "The Third Army". The Guardians have secretly turned against the Green Lantern Corps and are plotting to supplant them with a new galactic police force, just as they did the Manhunters before them. Jump on board now, before the s*** hits the fan.

2. AQUAMAN

Anyone who's not reading this series already, what the hell is wrong with you? Admittedly, Aquaman has always been a tough sell (even to me), but this new volume has addressed that criticism head on. Not happy to write a plain old Aquaman story, Geoff Johns has no problem pointing out how the world at large laughs at the notion of a water-based superhero. The first handful of issues are rife with situations where members of the public bombard our hero, Arthur Curry, with ridiculous questions about the usefulness of talking to fish or what he intends to do to stop a crime on land. Instead of shying away from the inherent trouble this character has had in the past, Johns has embraced it, making it one big running joke and taking the sting out of any true criticism. Not to mention Ivan Reis has drawn the King of Atlantis to be the most dashing, awe-inspiring hero of them all. Whether it be stopping a bank robbery on land or fighting off a legion of carniverous sea-life underwater, never has the character looked so good. Put aside your scepticism for a single night and read the first arc, you won't be sorry.

1. BATMAN

As alluded to earlier, Scott Snyder's Batman is really knocking it out of the proverbial park at the moment. Continuing themes he began way back in his run on Detective Comics, Snyder treats Gotham City as a living breathing entity, that just as soon as you think you have a handle on it, it'll churn out a new threat specifically tailored to mess with your head. In that spirit, it's revealed that as confident and comfortable as Batman has grown in his home town, there has always been an unseen force operating in the shadows, namely - The Court of Owls. Initially hinted at as merely a nursery rhyme to scare the small children as Gotham, the threat becomes increasingly real, attacking Bruce Wayne from all sides. Nests spring up unexpectedly in his place of business and home. The situation ever worsening, the fearful Talon assassins eventually drag Batman down into the depths of madness. Never has an enemy shook our hero's core belief system so utterly. He can no longer trust his place of birth, his methods, even his closest allies. The Court has it's claws in them all. If you were under the impression that Grant Morrison would strole back in after a year and reclaim his mantle as head of the Bat-writers, Scott Snyder stops him dead in his tracks. Where Morrison has been building his masterpiece over the course of years, Snyder has given us one in a matter of months. The collected saga of "The Court of Owls" will undoubtedly become a classic before our eyes.