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.

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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.

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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. 

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

Reviews: Green Lantern: New Guardians #2 and Teen Titans #2

Really.  I'm catching up.  I've still got that long list of mini-digis to get to though. Regardless,...

It's New Comic Book Wednesday!

Green Lantern New Guardians #2

Kyle is cornered by a lantern of every color as rings from their corps groups have left (killed) their owners and "chosen" Kyle.  SPOILER ALERT:  Because he can't defeat them on his own, the one Lantern who understands it wasn't Kyle's doing, Saint Walker, helps him ditch the rest and head to Oa.  Thinking he'll find answers and support there, Kyle encounters only a brainwashed Ganthet and a vicious circle of Guardians.

This storyline is going very slowly, just like the introduction of Justice League.  And like that series, I'm tied to this one because of my history with Green Lantern and the Corps (and Star Sapphire).  Still, I like the concept and am very interested in seeing where it goes.

I was intrigued by the Guardians in this issue.  The brainwashing of Ganthet was bizarre for sure and seemed a little uncharacteristic for the Guardians (although following their "off-limits ban" of Oa to any lantern other than Green was most likely the first sign).  While they maintain they merely removed Ganthet's emotion which was impairing his logical judgment, they made him less like Spock and more like the Terminator. They way the Guardians came at Kyle like crazed pit bulls was pretty comical. I think I've seen this little guy in the basement of American Horror Story house.

And Red Lantern vomit is very entertaining.  Next time someone asks me what I'd want if I had a superpower, I think I might respond with something like, "The ability to harness my rage in order to fly and create matter from it's energy.  Oh, yah. And to have high-velocity, acidic projectile vomit."  Mmm.


What I'm trying to figure out is what happens to Kyle when the rings assault him.  Sure, his outfit is KILLER (I might actually consider this for Halloween next year), but what kind of power does he wield?  He can handle it, no doubt. I mean, for chrissakes, he was Ion (ok maybe not in this relaunch).  Or maybe this is their version of Ion FOR the relaunch.  Time will tell.

Lastly, what's with the Orange lantern on the cover?  By their own admission, there is only one orange lantern, Larfleeze.  Since his ring has chosen Kyle, Larfleeze must be dead.  So what's this Humpty Dumpty looking Avarice entity? Was it merely to have the entire spectrum represented?

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Teen Titans #2

Robin and Wonder Girl continue to evade NOWHERE while trying to keep super human teens safe.  They learn about a "new" teen superhuman, "Skitter" who is one crazy giant bug.  I hate bugs. This is not a character who appeals to me.

I'm not sure I'm interested in this.  I want to be, but they are taking their time recruiting and building the TT team.  I'm starting to see a pattern with this relaunch: slow, slow, slow, BAM!  I've decided I'm giving all these arcs three issues to impress me until I cut them off.  They better start hustling or they may lose me.  I was so much more intrigued by the Kid Flash/ Solstice side-story here than I was by the main plot.  Hopefully things start to pick up once the entire team is assembled.

I have to admit I am enjoying the humor and comic jabs they interject in many of the books.  While investigating a meta-human sighting, Tim Drake goes out to the mall in his Green Lantern shirt.  I guess even comic books are not against pointing out the marketing value of comic books.  Since it's halloween, the mall is littered with "extras" parading around in and trying on costumes of superheroes.  Here a Batgirl, there a Superman.. Look out above! It's a Scarecrow!

One think I will say, the art here is MUCH better than in Superboy.  You'd think they'd share pencillers or at least find two of the same caliber for books with so much crossover.  I'm not complaining though, because this artwork is so much better and I like this series better.  If I'm going to let one of the two go, it will definitely be Superboy. I can get enough of my fix here.  Too bad this team can't draw both series.

Next time will tell. By issues #3, I'll be making my cuts.  I'm hoping introducing Solstice and Bunker, and getting the team going, will keep me on this book.  Like I said, I WANT to like it.

Even though I hate bugs.

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Watch out for this week's mini-digis: Oh, I give up!  You'll see them when you see them. :)

Next week:  Red Lantern #3, Stormwatch #3

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

Reviews: GLNG#1 and TT#1

This week I had some titles I wanted in print, so I headed on in to Mile High Comics in Glendale. After talking to the best Comic Book Guy I know, Aaron Tucker, I learned to call on Tuesday to have books held when...

It's New Comic Book Wednesday!

Green Lantern New Guardians #1

My second favorite Lantern of 2814 is Kyle Rayner.  He was first introduced as I was entering college and exploring my creative, artistic side.  I knew I could never be the cool, jocky, test pilot like Hal, but I was able to identify so much more with Kyle.  He was an artist, I was an artist.  He was about my age and living  on minimal resources. If Kyle could be picked as a Lantern, I could have some of the same positive attributes.

This issue explores the birth of Kyle as a GL, but with the relaunch, they play with the idea a little differently.  And I like it.  Green Lantern, Sinestro, Star Sapphire and Black Hand have all been around for a while, but the rest of the Lantern spectrum was introduced in the Blackest Night series.  Because it was so successful, the idea of all Lanterns was incorporated into this relaunch.

A pensive Kyle,
drawing for favors

SPOILER ALERT: Kyle is so poor, he's trading drawings for drinks when he's out with his friends.  When he sneaks out back to take a leak, he's accosted by Ganthet bearing the last Green Lantern ring of Oa.  He has some trouble gaining acceptance from the rest of NYC who are used to seeing Jordan in the role, but in an epic rescue, he impresses the folks in Times Square.  The "twist" to the story comes when Kyle is "chosen" by a ring from every color of the spectrum.

The humor in this issue is pretty characteristic of GL and somewhat self-mocking.  As soon as Kyle saves the day, a tween bystander starts talking about "the brown haired" Lantern and asks why Kyle has on a bib.  I also really like the twist of the story and the challenge presented with Kyle being chosen by every ring.  It's a cool concept, even though it does raise some unusual questions, the strongest being, "Whenever has a ring decommissioned on an active lantern?" followed closely by, "When does a ring choose someone outside its own sector?"  No wonder the other Lanterns are so pissed off and suspicious.

The art of Tyler Kirkham is actually pretty impressive.  We see it in the details of Kyle's face, the bulges of strained muscles and the nooks and crannies of alien features.  He even shows his range in style when Kyle forms an "anime Ganthet" but I think the true wonder is in a two page "rescue" spread.

Absolutely love the beefy blue
collars saving the rig.

The fun thing about Kyle is because he has such a different perspective, his "creations" have historically tended to be more artistic than Hal's much more concrete embodiments.  In his attempt to rescue a massive crane falling of the top of a Time's Square building he creates some amazing, massive energy construction workers to catch and support the tumbling machinery.  Quite impressive, Booth.

I was talking with Aaron about the New 52 and how some stories are minimal and some have too much.  He referred to JL#1 as being like "a quarter of a cookie."  I feel a little like that with this story.  What was there was delicious, but it just wasn't enough.  Luckily, I'll continue to follow.  It is GL after all.

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Teen Titans #1

I still feel like a teenager.  Even though I'm pushing 40, I behav like I did in high school.  Heck, I can't imagine that a day has even passed.  How do I hold down a job?  Granted, maybe thats why I ended up working with teenagers in a high school.

All that said, it's kind of why I have a tie to Teen Titans. They're kids. Life is awkward even if you don't have super-human abilities.  When you do, it just compounds all those weird feelings you have of feeling out of place.  So the misfits turn to each other, just like I turned to other misfits in high school.  The result here is a powerful force.

SPOILER ALERT:  Red Robin is trying to stay one step ahead of the evil agency trying to hunt super-human teams. His mission is two-fold.  To protect them all and help them band together to form a solid team. He's the current target, but his research on meta-humans tells him who is next.  Narrowly escaping his hunters in his Luthor Towers penthouse (big fireworks there), he seeks out Wonder Girl as the first of many he knows are also being hunted.

The story is actually pretty riveting and it feels like "a whole cookie" to me.  There's enough exposition there, gets you right into some conflict and develops two strong characters throughout the 20 pages.  While the cover is slightly misleading (most of these characters aren't in the mix yet), it's a fun and enticing foundation.

Psyched for a gay hero,
but purple? Really?

I admit, I've not been a "follower" of Teen Titans, but I was interested in reading this, but hadn't planned on picking it up in print.  But then I read an interesting article on Bleeding Cool. TT is introducing a new gay character in this series named Bunker.  I may not be a fan of his gaily purple costume, but the young, latino meta-human should provide a positive image for gay teens everywhere.  I wish I had some positive image of other gay teens.  Now if only he wasn't so stereotypically "Mondo-Queer."  I guess progress is progress no matter how slow.

Is she 17 or 40? Or are those just
man hands?

The art in this book is great too.  Brett Booth's got quite the handle on musculature and details in the humans and scenery.  The one suggestion I would give him is to work on being able to correctly convey the age of his characters.  Wonder Girl is clearly identified as 17, but  in most panels, she looks much older.  It's not about muscles, it's more about the aged look we all get as we get older the lack of elasticity in the skin.   Red Robin has it, why not Wonder Girl?  In one specific scene, I thought I was looking at a 40-something housewife of Orange County.  The hands? Really? No wonder the poor teen can't get any dates.

This story ends with the same few pages that end Superboy #1 which is a nice way to tie the two books together.  But with a merge, I have to wonder how they'll run two parallel series.  Of course I'll keep reading to find out.

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Watch out for this week's mini-digis: Red Hood #1 (last week), Aquaman #1, and I, Vampire #1

Next week:  Action #2, Green Arrow #2, Red Lantern #2,  and Stormwatch #2


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