Green Lantern: New Guardians #21 Review

(w) Justin Jordan
(p) Bradley Walker
(i) Andrew Hennessy

Kyle Rayner is my favorite Green Lantern. Well, he's a White Lantern now. But all the same, Kyle is my absolute favorite ring-slinger around. There are a lot of different reasons, but the one that relates to my feelings about Green Lantern: New Guardians #21 is Kyle's personality. Not since Ron Marz and Judd Winnick has Kyle sounded so much like himself. The former of those writers created Kyle, and the latter carried the character through some of the most difficult situations in his Lantern career. 

Both Marz and Winnick understood just how 'matter of fact' Kyle is, and they conveyed that consistently. Since Geoff Johns took over the GL franchise, Kyle has had a largely reduced role, even in titles like Green Lantern Corps. When the 'New 52' started, GL: New Guardians looked promising, but it soon became evident that it would be just another Lantern book used to bolster the main title.

Justin Jordan proves this will not be the case. He has successfully found Kyle's voice again and it's just so awesome. That's really as eloquently as I can put it because I'm just so thrilled that Kyle is back. It saddens me that Kyle has somewhat given up on having a normal life, but that's what the story demands, and the packing sequence in his apartment is so grounded and personal that it almost makes it worth it.

On the subject of the Templar Guardians, it's quite obvious that these new guys were cut from the same, self-righteous cloth. The difference is that the Templars go about their mission with selflessness while the now-dead old Guardians were swept up in their own arrogance. So it's understandable that Kyle -- along with the rest of the universe, it seems -- is skeptical of the Templars' intentions.

Justin Jordan has an amazing hold on any character he gets his hands on. Just look at The Strange Tale of and The Legend of Luther Strode, as well as his recent work on Superboy, a series he saved from the deep pit of darkness it found itself within. Green Lantern: New Guardians #21 provides an excellent introduction to the Justin Jordan era of the title, and it's going to be epic. Not to mention that the title 'New Guardians' now finally makes sense.

GRADE

9/10