(REVIEW) Green Lantern #6

Written by Geoff Johns
Guest Artwork by Mike Choi and Alex Sinclair

I just don't know how I feel about Sinestro slinging a green ring again. As the focal point of Geoff Johns' first arc for Green Lantern under the 'New 52' banner, Sinestro's re-admittance into the Green Lantern Corps has been a fairly enjoyable ride. It shouldn't be so much fun seeing Hal Jordan reduced to Sinestro's sidekick, yet Johns has been consistently pulling it off. Yet, this month, we see almost no interaction between the two titular protagonists.

To begin, readers are treated to Hal Jordan: Street Fighter. Without any ring (of any sort), Hal must stop injustice with only his fist and his wits. This is the kind of 'character development' that becomes surreal very quickly. Hal Jordan hasn't gone a day without wearing green in a long, long time. It's a little odd that he's so adept at hand-to-hand combat after relying on a weapon for years. Fortunately, the laissez-faire approach Johns takes with reality carries the sentiments behind Hal's actions; he finally recognizes that he can still be a hero without being 'super.'

Across the universe, Sinestro is tracking Lyssa Drak, a member of the Sinestro Corps (are they still calling it that?) whom Sinestro...just...wants to track down? It's a little frustrating that Johns omits any reason for Sinestro's actions. Logically, he's looking for rogue Sinestro Corps members, but it's still annoying that there isn't any narrative affirmation. Sinestro tracks Drak to Ogoro, a somewhat backwater planet whose hero, Starstorm, surrendered to Sinestro some years earlier. Starstorm's cowardice made him a pariah to his people, and a rather pathetic character when met by Sinestro in the present.

But the real meat of Green Lantern #6 comes when Sinestro tears a page from the Book of Black, the prophecies of the Guardians kept secret since the beginning of time. (true fans - DC's Blackest Night event was based on the prophecies within the Book of Black.) In a single, full-page panel, Sinestro - and by proxy, the reader - sees fleeting scenes of horrific events to come, including Hal's death by Black Hand, Sinestro claimed by the Indigo Tribe, and the destruction the Green Lantern Corps. A white power ring can be seen near the bottom of the page, apparently in the hands of Ganthet.

And just like that, Geoff Johns starts reeling me back in! If these premonitions are a window into future Green Lantern arcs, it's going to be an exciting road for Green Lantern fans.

GRADE:

A-