Green Lantern: New Guardians #19

(w) Tony Bedard     (a) Andres Guinaldo and Raul Fernandez

I have a 'love/hate' relationship with Green Lantern: New Guardians. Well, more of a 'like/get-annoyed-at' relationship. Whether I enjoy it or not depends on the issue. For a series without a cohesive direction, Tony Bedard has been working hard to do justice by Kyle Rayner, the leader of this merry band of 'New Guardians'. It's been an up-and-down situation since day one, but that's just something I've come to expect.


** SPOILERS AHEAD**


Green Lantern: New Guardians #19 is one of the good issues. "Wrath of the First Lantern" is finally starting to gain some weight as Volthoom's manipulation of reality has resulted in the destruction of Korugar, Sinestro's home planet. Kyle and Star Sapphire Carol Ferris' search for Hal Jordan brings them to Sinestro, who is lamenting the death of his planet. In a desperate attempt to poke fate, Sinestro demands that Kyle use his newly harnessed White Lantern power to bring Korugar back to life.

Say what?!?

Grief is a powerful emotion (one that isn't part of the spectrum...yet) that easily consumes Sinestro. But unlike Wolverine's totally out-of-character decisions over in Age of Ultron, Sinestro has always been deeply loyal to his homeworld. Throughout his spotty career as a ringslinger, Sinestro has always, always done everything to protect Korugar. It makes sense that it's destruction would addle his priorities.

Guest stars Simon Baz and B'dg don't really add too much to the story beyond Simon's unique ability to connect with the white light of life. And even that is just a fleeting moment that feels shoehorned in to fit DC's "WTF" gatefold cover directive.

Kyle Rayner is such an interesting character that Tony Bedard has just begun to understand more fully. Green Lantern: New Guardians #19 doesn't do much to progress the "Wrath of the First Lantern" plot, but it's got fantastic character development for Kyle, Carol Ferris, Sinestro, and even Simon Baz.

GRADE

7.5/10

Green Lantern #18

(w) Geoff Johns     (a) Szymon Kudranski

It's the proverbial beginning of the end as Geoff Johns marches toward his final issue of writing Green Lantern. There are nine years and a whole lot of amazing stories that have come before this, and judging by Green Lantern #18, Johns is looking to change the franchise in big ways right here at his finale. "Wrath of the First Lantern" graces the issues' cover even though Volthoom never even shows up, and the sour relationship between Hal Jordan and Sinestro rears it's head, once again putting the two egomaniacs at odds.

Hal and Sinestro aren't all that different -- they both have elephant-sized egos, it's just that more often than not, Hal has luck on his side while Sinestro has had to overcome extreme adversity to legitimize his overconfidence. Where these two Lanterns diverge is in their charm because Hal can talk to and persuade almost anyone to see things his way, while Sinestro likes to yell and curse to flaunt his mental psychological superiority. Johns encourages this poisonous relationship by throwing Simon Baz into the Dead Zone along with his two predecessors to see what the ring's presence will do to them.

The biggest letdown on Green Lantern #18 is the detailed explanation of Volthoom by Tomar Re. First off, it's too long; an entire two-page spread is dedicated to the story of the First Lantern and how he came to be, which is nice. But the entire tale feels shoehorned into an issue that should have focused solely on Hal and Sinestro finding a way back to the land of the living. Instead, Tomar Re's exposition dump hits the brakes on any momentum Johns was building and leaves the rest of the issue feeling sluggish. Sure, we get a fight between Hal and Sinestro for possession of the atomically-split second GL ring, but after a long lecture from a dead guy about someone else who isn't even in this issue, the brawl felt too short and overlooked.

Green Lantern #18 is a great issue when it's focused on Hal, Sinestro, and Simon. While Johns does take some minor detours that feel underwhelming, the overall experience is pleasant. Szymon Kudranski's art is spectacular and fits with the Dead Zone backdrop perfectly. Is it a coincidence that Hal seems to look a lot like Geoff Johns himself? "Wrath of the First Lantern" is a mixed bag when it comes to quality. I wasn't impressed with the first four issues of the crossover and GL #18 doesn't even feature the eponymous Lantern. As an actual story, it's nothing to shake a stick at, but the effects of the First Lantern's existence are causing all sorts of indirect results that are far more interesting than yet another emotional spectrum conflict.

GRADE

7.5/10

Spotlight: Justice League of America #1

(w) Geoff Johns     (a) David Finch

A lot of fans were upset with Geoff Johns' first issue of Justice League back in September 2011, with the main point of contention being that only a fraction of the League actually makes an appearance. It was Johns' attempt to decompress the origin story of the League, and it met with varied reactions. It seems like DC's Chief Creative Officer took a few pointers from that experience with Justice League #1 to help craft his approach to Justice League of America #1, a debut issue that hits all the right narrative beats, looks absolutely phenomenal, and feels like a natural next step for the 'New 52' universe after a year and a half of world building. Unlike nearly every other title from DC currently the characters, setting, and tone of this series all result from what we've been reading over the past 18 months instead of being blindly introduced to revamped or new characters. Here, with Justice League of America #1, the reader readily understands why this team is being formed beyond the context given in the issue -- we've seen the hints being dropped, the growing animosity within the superhero community, the world-shaking events that eventually had to lead somewhere.

My biggest surprise with Justice League of America #1 was honestly the art. My personal opinion on David Finch's art is like roller coaster, and I've not been happy with his work on Batman: The Dark Knight. But for some reason, Finch's pencils for JLA #1 are simply stunning as the artist finds an incredible balance between his desire to express realism and going all-out for a fun pulp look. Seriously, never have I been more satisfied with David Finch's artwork than in these pages.

This JLA is a totally different beast than it's pre-'New 52' iteration. In the past, the term 'Justice League of America' was more or less the de-facto name for the team that now -- in the 'New 52' -- simply goes by Justice League. The nature of DC's line-wide relaunch meant giving old ideas new life under a new framework. A.R.G.U.S. -- the superhero relations branch of the US government -- has a rather tenuous relationship with the League proper, so Amanda Waller decides to put together her own team of super powered individuals dedicated to protecting and serving the United States of America. While it's not dissimilar from Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D. assembling a group of extraordinary persons, that's about the extent of the similarities. The JLA is a government-sanctioned team, but knowing Geoff Johns, that's going to complicate things more than make them smoother.

Justice League of America #1 plays out like a 'zero issue' without the pretensions of being a 'zero issue'. We get introductions to the major players (sans Simon Baz, for some reason) and well paced exposition that doesn't feel overbearing. Steve Trevor makes his first major appearance in a while, and it's mostly to be a surly curmudgeon. Nothing Waller says makes him happy, and everything seems like the worst idea in the world. I get that Trevor is still a bit jaded by how his relationship with the Justice League ended, but Johns is writing him like a jerk who's looking for something to complain about. Trevor's weird pessimistic comments aside, the various sequences focusing on recruits for the JLA are surprisingly fun and don't feel like rehashes -- we know all these characters already (except for Vibe, who I'll get to in a moment), so it's impressive to see Johns bring something new to the table for each one of them.

The US government is finally waking up to the reality that super powered people are now the norm and they're doing something about it -- if you can't beat them, join them. Team 7 (it seems) and the Justice League International were both failed attempts at taking a sanctioned stance against super-crime, and the JLA is a kind-of spiritual successor to those two ideas. Waller's team incorporates the public transparency of the JLI while employing dubious personalities who can get the job done. By the end of the issue, Johns has a firm direction in place for the world's newest super team, and it will pit them against one of the previous JLA's oldest and most ruthless enemies. Also, there's a single panel that makes a great case for a superhero schism being the focal point of the upcoming "Trinity War".

Justice League of America #1 is a joy to read. Geoff Johns has written on damn fine story that's already got me excited for the second issue. This series is the first one to grow organically out of the 'New 52'. Talon is similar for being a byproduct of the events in Batman, but Calvin Rose is a new character that readers are still getting to know, which makes it just as much an effort to invest in as any other 'New 52' title. JLA #1 features heroes and villains that have already made a name for themselves in the DCnU and now, we get to see them work together. Basically, if you like any of these characters, you're going to like Justice League of America #1.

GRADE
9/10

FEATURED REVIEW: GREEN LANTERN CORPS ANNUAL #1

(w) Peter J. Tomasi
(a) ChrisCross

"Rise of the Third Army" concludes this week with Green Lantern Corps Annual #1, a rather fantastic finish to a somewhat lackluster 'crossover' event that spanned all four Green Lantern Family titles from the 'New 52'. Things started out well enough last August with Green Lantern Annual #1, but the actual "Rise" of the Guardians' new army has been slow-burning, to put it lightly. In fact, the Third Army was rarely more than background noise that happened to pop into the main story every so often. Fortunately, Green Lantern Corps Annual #1 offers a bit of redemption for "Rise of the Third Army" with a satisfying conclusion that smoothly leads into the upcoming follow-up crossover, "Wrath of the First Lantern".

The Guardians of the Universe have been losing their marbles for quite a while. Geoff Johns provided the catalyst with the reveal that the Blue Ones had been hiding the fear entity Parallax within the Green Lantern central battery for eons. Besides giving explanation to the ineffectiveness of the Green Lantern rings against the color yellow, Johns' revelations in Green Lantern: Rebirth were the first of many that showed how billions of years of immortality have made the Guardians lose sight of their ethics.

In Green Lantern Corps Annual #1, Peter J. Tomasi picks up all the plot pieces -- from Green Lantern, Green Lantern Corps, Green Lantern: New Guardians, and Red Lanterns -- that have been piling up over the past four months. The Guardians' endgame is near, and part of that includes deceiving all Green Lanterns ignorant to the threat of the Third Army into returning to Oa for a mass genocide. Guy Gardner, new Lantern Simon Baz, and the squirrel-like B'dg concoct a plan to exploit the Guardians and inform the rest of the Corps as to what's happening by manipulating the Guardians' massive egos. John Stewart and Star Sapphire Fatality finally manage to see Mogo's reconstitution through. Kyle Rayner and his Rainbow Brigade show up near the end to add some seriously needed firepower. Finally, Atrocitus' reprogrammed Manhunters join the fray against the most powerful, most insane beings in the known universe.

This is Green Lantern storytelling at it's best: crackling interconnectedness that conveys the larger-than-life essence of science fiction storytelling. And unlike Geoff Johns' previous epic Green Lantern story arcs, the Guardians sit firmly at the center of this conflict, not through past mistakes or misinterpreted intentions, but by the will of their own machinations. Parallax, the Sinestro Corps, the Black Lanterns; all of them pale in comparison to the Guardians of the Universe in terms of raw power. Ganthet and his sorely misled brethren want peace in throughout the universe, no matter what the cost. In one sense, their endeavor is no different than in the past. Just like any other technology, advancements are made as time moves forward. For the Guardians, upgrading their technology means having a singular goal, a shared focus that allows for the best possible results. Under these guidelines, the Green Lantern Corps is like an old PC from the mid-90s: slow, outdated, and not worth the effort it would take to make it better.

Just like any nefarious villain bent on total control, the Guardians bite off more than they can chew, leading to the explosive -- if not foreseeable -- escape of the mysterious First Lantern, now named Volthoom. Without spoiling the circumstances of his escape or his intentions, the First Lantern's plans are a natural step forward from "Rise of the Third Army" that will give all the different Lanterns a lot to deal with in the coming months. Geoff Johns' Green Lantern plans have been coming to fruition for the past eight years, and it will be exciting to see how the Guardians' fall from grace will end. I word it like this because I can't see an outcome to "Wrath of the First Lantern" where the Guardians are still in power. Already in the 'New 52', the rules have changed for the Green Lantern franchise in significant ways, and introducing a First Lantern into the mix makes logical, if not yet evident, sense.

Green Lantern Corps Annual #1 does a great job finishing up one story arc and starting another. While the entire "Rise of the Third Army" event was less fast-paced as I had originally expected it to be, the conclusion makes it worth the build-up because we've been able to slowly integrate the idea of a hive-minded army of locust soldiers assimilating sentience into the basic setting of Green Lantern series. Instead of "Rise" being a one-month blitzkrieg (like, say, "Night of the Owls"), Johns and Company opted for pacing that made the threat of the Third Army all the more real and disturbing.

GRADE

9/10

REVIEW: GREEN LANTERN #16

(w) Geoff Johns
(a) Doug Mahnke
(i) Christian Alamy, Keith Champagne, Tom Nguyen, and Mark Irwin

Since his first appearance in last September's Green Lantern #0, Simon Baz has polarized internet discussion boards for a variety of reasons. From readers who felt Baz was an unnecessary attempt at diversity, to those who felt his 'mistaken terrorist' storyline was too politically motivated, to others who simply disliked the fact that a Green Lantern was carrying a gun. Of course, for all the detractors, there were just as many fans who were vocal in their excitement for a superhero more representative of modern American culture. Green Lantern #16 offers a good helping of plot advancement thanks to the arrival of B'dg, a squirrel-like Green Lantern most recently featured in Robot Chicken's "DC Comics Special" in a segment highlighting some of the more ridiculous characters in DC's pantheon. It seems as though Geoff Johns took this slight to the might B'dg to heart. The adorably bad-ass B'dg becomes Baz's teacher/coach by default once he learns Hal Jordan is technically dead.

One of the best things about Simon Baz has been the way Johns has characterized him beyond the ring. Too many times in comic books, characters are introduced and made to accept their fate with little to no question for the sake of moving the story along quickly enough to keep readers interested. Johns, instead, has taken the time to flesh out Simon as a person. Simon's journey has two parallel narratives that play off one another and pay off in big ways throughout this issue. Simon's primary goal is clearing his name of terrorist actions. By focusing on a more human task, Johns is able to incorporate the Green Lantern element as the secondary narrative that's just now coming to a head. B'dg's arrival signals a turning point for Simon's career as a Green Lantern, from amateur with a ring to a member of the most powerful and revered peacekeeping force in the universe.

The final pages of Green Lantern #16 prove that Simon Baz is no temporary replacement; for a while, I was worried that Baz was more of an experiment that could be ended as quickly as it was started. Of course, that could still be the case, but Simon's inclusion in the upcoming Justice League of America coupled with the fact that the Green Lantern Corps really hasn't ever had a problem with there being an inordinate number of Lanterns from Earth points to his being around for a while. With "Rise of the Third Army" coming to a close next week, and "Wrath of the First Lantern" coming next month, I'm sure the Corps will be needing all the firepower it can get.

GRADE

8.5/10

REVIEW: GREEN LANTERN #15

(w) Geoff Johns
(a) Doug Mahnke
(i) Keith Champagne, Christian Alamy, Mark Irwin, Tom Nguyen

For the first time in three months and eleven issues (including this week's Green Lantern: New Guardians #15), "Rise of the Third Army" feels really grave. So far, the new army created by the Guardians of the Universe has been more theoretical in it's horror and scope, mostly growing in the background and scattered panels throughout Green Lantern Family titles. In Green Lantern #15, Geoff Johns brings the Third Army to a horrifying forefront, as well as continuing Simon Baz's journey as the most grounded and believable superhero in a long time.

Even before this issue, Simon Baz rebuffed most superhero cliches. Sure, he's a nobody from some city in Michigan, but Kyle Rayner was also a nobody in an alley. No, Baz stands apart because his journey didn't start with a power ring. Most any other hero you can think of (besides characters like Wonder Woman) begins their story with a mask, with the desire to do good in a world gone bad. Baz is simply trying to clear his name of terrorism charges for something he didn't do. Geoff Johns recognized how normalized the process of character introduction had become in the mainstream superhero world, and how the community at-large had just come to accept it. Sure, there's a whole world of independent comics that explore alternative origin concepts, but applying less conventional character development to a hero as popular as Green Lantern is admirable. (For the record, I love independent comics and the previous statement is in no way meant to undermine the quality or caliber of independent comics or publishers.)

The Third Army is so f*cking scary. I couldn't say that before reading Green Lantern #15. Geoff Johns managed, in two sequences, to achieve what Green Lantern Corps, Green Lantern: New Guardians, and Red Lanterns have failed to convey, and that's the pure breadth of this parasitic legion spreading across the universe. Maybe it was an editorial decision, but it seems like Johns simply had to punch things up a bit in order to get a little momentum with "Rise of the Third Army" going. And while the 'crossover' event has been enjoyable, it mirrors Scott Snyder and Jeff Lemire's "Rotworld" crossover in that they both seem to be floundering a bit, offering stories with little advancement or affect on the greater tale. Either way, seeing a planet-sized swarm of grey monsters made my stomach drop.

Green Lantern #15 is simply exceptional. Geoff Johns is literally building Simon Baz's character--his moral, his ethics, his personality--from the ground up as he deals with his personal issues while simultaneously trying to learn why he's received a Green Lantern ring and is being approached by a talking squirrel (for those who watched Robot Chicken: DC Comics Special, B'dg's inclusion in this storyline is just awesome.) "Rise of the Third Army" finally feels real, like something ominous and terrible is getting ready to devastate the entire universe.

GRADE

9/10

REVIEW: GREEN LANTERN #14

(w) Geoff Johns
(p) Doug Mahnke

This week, "Rise of the Third Army" continues in Green Lantern #14 as Simon Baz comes face to face with the Justice League. He's been deemed a suspected terrorist already, and now that he's got a Green Lantern ring on his finger, he's just a super-powered suspected terrorist. The first thing you're thinking is, "They get into a fight, right? Superman or Batman misinterprets something, and a construct gets thrown out, then it's just a big brawl, right?" Wrong. Simon knows he can't take on the entirety of the Justice League, and he doesn't plan to. Simon's self-awareness points to Geoff Johns' increasing efforts to make the newest Green Lantern a bit more relatable and realistic. Johns understands how cliched superhero meetings have become in recent years, so this first confrontation between Simon and JL is less about a show of force and more about a show of wits.

Simon attempts to remove his ring and give it to the Justice League when the spectral energies of Sinestro and Hal Jordan burst forth in an explosion of green energy to protest. This is where Johns could have gone the easy route and made all these heroes gang up on Simon Baz. Instead, Simon subconsciously uses the ring to build himself a getaway car, then twenty getaway cars to throw the League off his trail. Sure, the Flash and Superman are probably fast enough to have found Baz in the chaos of everything, but that's not what this story is about -- it's about Simon thinking outside the box and how that type of thinking has been absent from mainstream superhero comics for quite some time.

Johns also takes some time to build mythology through sequences featuring the Guardians conversing with the still-mysterious First Lantern, Black Hand's imprisonment in the Chamber of Shadows, and the Third Army ravaging the universe in the name of peace and order. I'm enjoying Simon Baz's personal voyage as he comes to terms with being a Green Lantern and what that means in the greater scheme of his life. And while there hasn't been a lot of crossover with the Third Army proper, Johns is obviously building to something that will test Simon as a GL and as a person.

GRADE

8.5/10

GREEN LANTERN #0

STORY: Geoff Johns
ART: Doug Mahnke and Christian Alamy

I've been critical of Green Lantern as of late. Since DC's relaunch, my favorite franchise has been swimming around, unable to focus on a path for Hal Jordan or Sinestro, the two main characters who should have a clear-cut direction more than any of the other Lanterns out there. And I still stand by my convictions; Geoff Johns has obviously been building toward "Rise of the Third Army" for a while, and in that set-up, he focused so much on the forest that he forgot to take care of the individual trees. Last week's Green Lantern Annual #1 and this week's Green Lantern #0 are a return to form for Johns on this series, as he employs the invigorating, character-driven storytelling that's so ample over in Aquaman month after month. Green Lantern #0 focuses entirely on Simon Baz, the newest member of the Green Lantern Corps - or is he? In truth, the exact basis of his enlistment isn't exactly clear, but that's not really what this issue is about. Indeed, Johns takes his time this 'Issue Zero' to flesh out his newest Emerald Warrior before he ever receives the ring.

Baz is an Arab-American who grew up in Dearborn, Michigan, has two siblings, and whose life was turned upside down after the events of September 11, 2001. Fast-forward to the present, and we jump in with Baz in hot pursuit by the police after stealing a van, which he realizes has a massive bomb set to go off in less than a minute. He survives the bomb, but gets detained by the Department of Homeland Security. It's a lengthy process - the suspected terrorist situation - that Johns mirrors by the amount of time he spends with Baz's interrogation. Johns obviously has some opinions about the federal government's treatment of only suspected terrorists, and it's refreshing to see this expressed in a way that doesn't necessarily demonize the government as much as it questions the way our Defense Department operates. During his questioning, it's revealed that Baz worked at the decommissioned car factory that blew up when he drove the stolen van into the loading dock. At first, the significance of the location isn't even hinted at. Baz is asked why he decided to blow up his old place of work. He's asked if he has a vendetta against the United States. He's asked who instructed him to blow up a car factory. The entire scene is poignant and cuts deep to the heart of the discrimination and fear that overwhelms out country and by proxy, our government.

It's only when he's about to be literally tortured that the ring finds it's newest keeper. Baz breaks free of his captors grip and nearly escapes before having a gun pointed at his face. "Simon Baz of Earth," the ring explains, "You have the -- ERROR -- ability to overcome great fear." One simple word changes the nature of Baz and his identity as a Green Lantern forever. The ring's simple error - that originated when Hal and Sinestro were literally murdered in Annual #1, and Hal's construct ring remerged with Sinestro's ring - could have one of a hundred meanings. It could be that Baz isn't connected to the Green Lantern Central battery; it could mean the Guardian's don't know he exists; Baz could be the most powerful Green Lantern there is. It's been quite a long time since Green Lantern was this engaging and visceral.

Already, Johns has established Simon Baz as one of the coolest new characters to hit DC's 'New 52' since it began. Some might say that the newest Green Lantern hasn't had enough page time to warrant a decision on his fate. But seriously, he's freaking awesome.

GRADE
A