(COMIC) GREEN LANTERN #10

STORY: Geoff Johns
ART: Doug Mahnke and Christian Alamy

I've been holding off in admitting that Green Lantern is getting kind of boring. It's really unfortunate, seeing as the last few issues have been really action-packed and revelatory. Geoff Johns has taken four issues to give us the history of the Indigo Tribe, and even though it might sound weird, I wish it had only been three. Green Lantern #10 feels totally unnecessary. All the loose ends are wrapped up, and nothing really changes, which is really unsatisfying.

Last month, every Indigo Tribesman was set free from the control of their power battery, thereby releasing a legion of the worst criminals in the known universe against Hal and Sinestro, both of whom are running on fumes - both in spirit and in ring power. This sounds pretty awesome, right? Only thing; they never do any real fighting. Most of this issue is spent following Hal and Sinestro as they attempt to rebuild the shattered Indigo battery and quell the rise of violence. But like I said, there's not a whole lot of action in this issue, even though Doug Mahnke's artwork might make you believe otherwise.

At some point, Sinestro goes off to fight the horde of villains by himself to give Hal enough time to convince Natromo (Abin Sur's partner in founding the Indigo Tribe) to help rebuild the battery. But even then, we only get fragments of Sinestro's struggle, and they aren't even very good fragments. Most of this issue focuses on Hal Jordan and how he somehow has the ability to convince any alien to do what he wants. I mean, his speech wasn't even that good, and Natromo's all like, "Aight, yo - let's do dis."

The one "twist" in this issue happens when Iroque, the first to wear the ring of compassion, recognizes her crimes, even without the ring's power forcing her to feel for others. Sure, it's a nice twist, and one that actually gives Iroque some personal development beyond her role in the Tribe, but it's still a pretty flat scene.

By the end of the issue, Natromo has rebuilt the battery, all the Indigos are back under the control of compassion, and all's well that ends well. But a bow on it and call it a day. One of Johns' issues as a writer is awkward transitions between story arcs. Sure, he builds up certain elements to be used as he moves forward, but really, Hal and Sinestro finished up with the Indigos, and now they'll just head on back to Oa and go on with their lives. Maybe I'm just finding pins in stacks of hay, but Green Lantern #10 was sorely lacking.

Of course, the biggest news from this issue comes from Black Hand. Once the Indigo battery was destroyed, he was freed from their control and went off to search for an escape from planet Nok. Once Natromo gets the battery jiggy again, Hand's indigo ring goes after him. Panicked at the thought of being controlled by the Tribe once again, Hand throws himself off a cliff. Just like the spark of compassion from Iroque that was necessary to rebuild the Indigo battery, Hand's suicide is the spark needed for the creation of a new Black Lantern ring and his own dark resurrection.

But haven't we already done the whole Black Lantern thing? (Snore)

GRADE

C

(COMIC) GREEN LANTERN #9

STORY: Geoff Johns
ART: Doug Mahnke, Christian Alamy, Keith Champagne, Mark Irwin, and Tom Nguyen

When it comes to Green Lantern, Geoff Johns likes his 'big reveals'. Each arc usually includes a single issue that delineates or decompresses all the hidden or alluded-to secrets in order to set up the inevitable climax in the second-to-last issue. With "The Secret of the Indigo Tribe", Johns gives 'revelation issue' duties to Green Lantern #9 by revealing the origins of the Indigo Tribe and the truth behind it's members.

Last month, Indigo One and the other Tribesmen had successfully converted Sinestro to their corps, brainwashing him until the Korugarian who once nearly brought the universe to it's knees starts apologizing to Hal Jordan. This is when Hal finally understands that the members of the Indigo Tribe are not taken willingly. Basically, the Indigo Tribe takes the worst criminals in the universe and converts them into guilt-ridden champions of do-gooding.

Hal goes off to find the Indigo's central battery to disable it when he meets the very old and very snarky Natromo, a name repeated by the Indigo's ever since their inception, true believers. Natty tells Hal all about how the Indigo Tribe started, how Abin Sur freed the planet Nok from slavers and found a well of indigo light - the essence of compassion. The people of Nok used the heat of the well to forge weapons that caused the victim to become "overcome with remorse". Abin uses the light to forge an indigo ring and slips it on Iroque (better known as Indigo One), the woman who killed his daughter.

And there it is - what took four two issues to build up was explained in five pages. While it might seem anti-climactic, Johns continues to write in such a way that everything that happens simply feels epic and meaningful. I don't want to sound like the origin of the Indigo Tribe aren't cool, because it is. Mostly, it feels rushed.

Fortunately, the final pages are so epic, the quick lead-in soon turns from a curse to a blessing. Apparently, Abin Sur knew pretty much goddamn everything, as he's the one - we are now constantly being reminded - who knew the Guardians were bad news from the get-go. As Natromo hears of Abin Sur's death, he decides to destroy the indigo battery and end the Indigo Tribe project he started with Abin Sur all those years ago. The good news is that Sinestro is freed and becomes a Green Lantern once again, the bad news is that the worst criminals in the universe are now all in one place, with two giant green targets with which to play.

GRADE:

A-