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

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