Thursday, December 29, 2011

Decisions: Green Lantern Corps and Green Lantern: New Guardians

Deciding to keep or ditch any comic in the GL family is a tough one.  I gave these series four issues each just to be sure.

Warning: Most likely contains spoilers.


Green Lantern Corps

Issue #3
So here is the Guy Gardner/John Stewart collab.  I dislike both these Lanterns.  Is that enough to keep me following?

Re-cap:  An unknown army is pillaging worlds for their natural resources, and the soldiers are impervious to the Green Lantern ring energy. While Lantern Porter is able to transport most of the Corps from Oa for the rescue, he is unable to transport all Lanterns AND citizens of Xabas away, leaving John Stewart behind as a captive.  However they were able to bring back an unconscious member of the opposing army where they realize the origin of the attack and the reason why the solders were impervious.  The soldiers' life essence was willpower and their attack: an attempt to recapture what is rightfully theirs: The Central Power Battery. 
Issue #4

What Soars: I like that this story line makes the Guardians out to be the bad guys.  Yes, they assembled the Corps to be an intergalactic police force, but they were hush hush about where they got their power.  With the help of Martian Manhunter (Stormwatch), Guy learns from the captive that the Guardians stole the energy of willpower from these people and all they are fighting for is their rightful property. Not so noble now, are we Guardians?

What Crashes:  Not much.  I have to admit, watching Isamot fight limbless with the ring on his tongue is quite creepy.  I guess being a lizard has its advantages.  His limbs will grow back. Issue 3 had a "guest penciler" but his art wasn't far off the norm. Overall this is an intriguing series.

Decision:  Such a tough call.  I'm interested in finding out what happens with this storyline, but I'm not so interested in the corps as much.  I'll wait til these issues go on sale down the line and buy them digitally, like a TPB in digital form.


Green Lantern: New Guardians


Issue #3
Kyle Rayner is my backup GL. As Ion, he was the most powerful being in the universe. Now he has all rings of the spectrum.  Where do we go now?

Re-cap:  Kyle has taken control with a ring from every element of the sector and plans to defeat the Guardians for their lobotomizing of Ganthet, but he's not strong enough to sustain it.  With members of the others corps attacking, the Guardians defeat them all, except Larfleeze who comes to get what is his: everything. This new rainbow alliance sets out to destroy the Guardians since they have become the largest threat in the universe.  Retreating at the advice of Orange Guardian Sayd, The group learns there is a far worse threat to the universe which sent the rings to Kyle. An artificial construct larger than the solar system has emerged from a "White Hole" and that's where the adventure must continue.

Issue #4
What Soars: As I read this, I think about The Breakfast Club.  It's this mismatched group of characters who, despite their distaste for each other, are working together against something bigger.  The question is, will it be successful like any John Hughes film, or will it sink like so many of the poor imitations that followed.  We shall see.

What Crashes:  The action here is a little fast and the story jumps a little too quickly, but after a few re-reads, you get back on track.  I'm not sure about this "White Hole" entity.  It has the capacity to be a mondo success or an epic fail.  I am interested though.

Decision:  I'm so intrigued by this, but like GLC, I think I'm going to have to wait and follow these as they go on sale.  I'm not super-assured that the story will be going places.  We shall see. 

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

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