Review: GL#2

It has been a busy couple of weeks for me.  I've been overwhelmed with work and slacking on my minis and other posts. But despite all that, I've got to keep up, especially since there's such an important issue this week. I won't, however, be doing three like I had proposed.  Just the one this week.  I'll do the rest as minis.  Maybe extended minis if I have something really shocking to say.

It's New Comic Book Wednesday!

Green Lantern #2

Last we left our hero ringless and facing a Sinestro Green Lantern. You gotta admire the cojones on this guy.

SPOILER ALERT: Ringless, he attacks Sinestro, tells him he doesn't deserve the ring and threatens to rip it off his finger.  I guess that's fearless for you.  After a bit of cat and mouse, Sinestro offers Hal a ring he forges of his own, one that is powered by Sinestro's command.  It can be turned on and off at will if Hal does not obey every single command Sinestro gives.  You know this can only end badly, right?

To prove his point, Sinestro turns off Hal's ring mid-collapsing-bridge rescue.  He forces Hal to feel the helplessness of not being able to do what he wants.  And then he gives the ring back and enlists Hal to help him fight a War against the Sinestro Corps on Korugar.

I wonder what it would be like to have a ring fueled by the power of will and yet not be able to operate under your own.

Is it really that easy? Could you
possibly sustain that?

I have to admit, I am loving the story.  The ideas are pretty intense and the conflict is rich.  There's so much going on. Hal's internal struggle to this ring-based addiction, right vs. wrong, and the possibility of possibilities.  Despite all his "evil," Sinestro has some tremendous vision.  I love it when writers make you wonder whether you should be rooting agains the villain or on his side.  All he really wants is to fight for his own people.  He judges Earth because we are many different governments, speaking many different languages, fighting over many different issues, while his home is one of Unity. Now that it's filled with war, he wants to save it, but on a larger scale than Hal ever tried with Earth. He IS imagining a better world.

He even makes a literary reference to the ring as a "Monkey's Paw" that Sinestro is hanging in front of him. Any reference to quality literature can win me over.

Hey, little boy...

Mahnke's artwork still leaves me torn.  While the quality of work is still impressive, those close ups kill me.  Maybe it's faces in general that he hasn't quite gotten.  Most of the time, Sinestro looks like a pervy chester.  I mean, I've never liked his look before with the red skin and the John Waters-esque pencil stache, but when he propositions Hal in this issue, I can't help but feel that he's inviting me into the back of his windowless Ford Conversion van for some candy. But those muscles... mmm. Why can't he have a body more like Gorgor?

Is that Outlast Lip Shine?

And, I'm sorry, but Hal still looks like a drag queen*.  In almost every panel he has these unusually long, easy, breezy, beautiful lashes that make me react the same way ipecac does.  Now, I guess I should blame the inker too since artwork is a collaboration because Hal has both ridiculously dark circles under his eyes and a beautifully shimmering gloss to his lips.  And I've never seen facial shadows with such sharp, straight lines before.

Finally, I'm a little miffed over the cover art.  Seriously.  How hard is it to convey something on the cover that actually happens in the book, or at least SOMEWHAT happens in the book.  Did you have a leftover alternate from last issue? Shame on you, DC.

Yes.  I realize I can't even draw myself a good pint of beer, but that's why I'm not paid for it.  Especially when you're so invested in a hero you've has since you were five, you want it to be perfect.  Maybe it never will be, but I'm always willing to dream.  If only Jim Lee or Ivan Reis.

*The author of this post in no way means to offend drag queens. Hey, many of his friends are drag queens.

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Watch out for this week's mini-digis: Superboy #2, Batgirl #2 and all of last week's.

Next week:  Wow.  So many #2s. Birds of Prey, Green Lantern Corps, Justice League, Legion of SuperHeroes, Nightwing, Red Hood and the Outlaws, and WonderWoman. I'll decide later what to write my main on.

All images copyright DC Comics and used under guidelines of Fair Use