Superman Issue #698

This issue kicks off right where Supergirl #51 left off with a full page panel of the Brainiac ship hovering over a smoldering New Krypton while thousands of probes swarm out of the ship headed to wreak more havoc. General Zod is asking for a death count of his people. The answer is upwards of eleven thousand souls. Even as big a bastard as Zod is he is still moved by the fact that this onslaught has cost him a tenth of his population is less than an hour battle. Ursa points points out that they are standing up well to the probes, that their super strength is a huge advantage during this battle. Zod is not convinced that they are “holding up” instead this is somehow all a part of Brainiac’s plan, he fears something far worse is going to be coming. He then questions if anything is known about Kal-El. Word is that spotters saw him breach the ship (see Last Stand of New Krypton Issue #1) but other than that they know nothing.

We then are shown the inside of Brainiac’s ship. Superman being restrained by a large octopus looking prode, while Brainiac and Lex Luthor (still in that damn orange jump suit) are standing and staring while dozens of bottle cities hang from the ceiling. Luthor says, “I’m sure you’re wondering what I’m doing here.” To which Superman replies with a great line, “When I see villainy and horror anywhere… I’ve long stopped being surprised to find you or your had at the heart of it, Luthor.” Brainiac tells Superman I’m here to make Kandor mine again and he’s going to make him watch and in making him watch he’ll feel. Feel like he made Brainiac feel during their last encounter.

Now enter Mon-El. Flying through space toward the ship being guided telepathically by Tellus. In Supergirl #51 Tellus contacted Mon-El connecting him to Superman’s mind so that he could figure out how to find Superman and breach Brainiac’s forcefield. Once inside Mon-El’s mind is bombarded by many other voices that don’t belong to Tellus or Superman. Voices saying “save us” and “we’re here.” Mon-El is then attacked by silver haired beast that looks something like a cross between a wolf and an ape. He dispatches this animal pretty quickly as the voices scream “save our world!” Then he’s confronted with many many other beasts all hovering in the eaves in the ship ready to pounce. Mon-El then gives an “Oh boy” quote that would make even Scott Bakula proud.

Getting back to Superman’s predicament again he is now hooked up to Brainiac’s ship with some crazy pink neon looking wires connected to various points on his face and temples. Brainiac is now monologuing about how he is going to feel through Superman, learn his thoughts and the secrets of New Krypton. Superman’s starts to power up his heat vision and simply says “No.” Then back to Mon-El who really has his hands full now. On one hand he has now learned that a telepathic bottle city race has hijacked the connection Tellus established to Superman’s mind. They are known as Lanothian and surprise surprise Brainiac bottled them up and destroyed their sun and their planet. Then burst in a whole horde of crazy looking Brainiac henchmen with various powers and weaponry. Mon-El learns from the Lanothians that these are races that pledged allegiance to protect Brainiac and serve him in exchange for being free of their bottle prisons.

Picking up where Superman’s heat vision was warming up he bursts free of his restaint robot in a classic Superman panel with both arms extended, chest puffed out look as metal is flying away from his body in all directions. Mon-El is making pretty quick work of these Brainiac henchmen as the Lanothians really turn up the cries for help. The reason being that Luthor now seeing Superman broken free of his restraints has turned weapon on their bottle city. He’s tells Superman to give up the fight or watch an entire race die. Superman is fighting off some Kryptonite effects and isn’t sure he’s fast enough to stop Luthor before he could pull the trigger. Superman of gives in to his demand and Luthor in true Luthor form mocks Superman for ever thinking he’d honor a deal with him. Preparing to pull the trigger Luthor is quickly hit in the wrist with a couple blasts of heat vision from Mon-El who has flew into the room and snatched the entire Lanothian bottle city from the clutches of certain annihilation. An inner monologue takes place for Mon-El at this point. He cant’ explain the feeling but his gut tells him this moment was his destiny. The reason he was on Earth at this time, it just came to pass. He was somehow MEANT to save this world.

Like a true rat Luthor bolts for an escape hatch as Brainiac simply says, “more” and an huge onslaught of probes appear to do battle with Superman and Mon-El. Fighting side by side again for the first time in a long time Superman and Mon-El are to continue their adventure in Adventure Comics #9!

• Issue: 698
• Story Arch: Last Stand of New Krypton – Part Three: Destiny
• Writer: James Robinson
• Pencils: Javier Pina & Bernard Chang
• Color: Blond
• Letters: John J. Hill

Supergirl Issue #51

Krypton Issue #1 left off.  20 miles outside of the City of Kandor a small group of school children is being ushered through the New Jewel Mountains.  They are escorted by their teacher Pat-Ur as the city is under attack.  Although Pat-Ur is trying to keep the children calm and has a smile on his face that doesn’t stop one of the children from playing with her super hearing.  With tears streaming down her face she tells Pat-Ur that she can hear people all the way back at the city screaming as they die!

Supergirl then narrates a quick recap of what’s being going on here in Kandor.  New Kryton has been invaded.  Brainiac has returned to undo all the things they have built over the last year.  He’s there to take them back.  Kara say, “Like hell he will!”  Mon-El and Supergirl are battling Brainiac probes left and right.  Again it’s great to see them really cutting loose since they aren’t battling living beings.  Decapitations and fist through probe skulls are now commonplace occurrences.  Kara warns Mon to beware of the larger probes, they have some pretty slick upgrades and have the ability to fire red sun blasts at the Kryptonians thereby rendering them vulnerable to physical attack.  Mon wants to know why they haven’t taken the fight directly to the ship in orbit and Kara explains that they attempted that before and were unsuccessful due to the force field around it.  Their job is keep the probes as under control as possible until they figure out a way inside the ship.  At that moment Mon-El is blasted from behind with a red sun blast is left vulnerable on the ground.

Kara rushes to his aid and takes out the probe before it can cause any real harm to Mon-El.  But before he fully recovers he’s blasted with a psychic message from Tellus.  In Last Stand of New Krypton – Issue #1 Zod turned on Connor and the Legion and took them into custody.  Tellus relays this information and details about Superman’s fate telepathically to Mon-El seeking help.  Mon-El decides to race to the Brainiac ship in orbit while Kara will go and help Connor and the Legion.  After a brief dialogue explaining why Mon would sacrifice himself anytime for Superman, Mon-El attempts to leave but not before Kara grabs him and lays a kiss on him.  A stammering Mon-El doesn’t know what to make of it.  But a smiling Kara tells him it’s simply for luck and to go save her cousin so they can both come back and kick some Braini-ass.

We then cut to the Legion and Superboy, surrounded by a group of unconscious Kandorian guards.  The shaken up group has little time to rest as Kara’s mother bursts in to finish off the job the guards were unable to accomplish.  Supergirl is getting frustrated by the disjointed manner the Kandorians are fighting this battle.  They are not working as a cohesive unit, instead they are fighting only side by side with members of their own guild.  As Kara struggles to pull the Kandorians together she hears her mother struggling in battle and rushes to her aid.  Just in time to rush in on her mother being suspended by her neck with her cousin Connor’s hand wrapped around her throat.  In a “this isn’t what it looks like” moment Kara lands a mean right hook on Connor’s jaw and knocks him halfway across the city.  Kara attempts to explain that Connor and the Legion aren’t terrorists and they are here to help.  But before she really can succeed they are swarmed by an even stronger group on probes blasting red sun.  Kara and her mother are backed into a corner trying to take comfort in the fact that they will at least die together fighting. But a little tactile telekinesis from Connor saves the day.  Thanks to the timely save Kara convinces her mother to extend a pardon to Connor and the Legion at the chagrin of General Zod.

Alura tells her daughter to not worry about the battle on the surface she will handle this and lead the people.  Kara rallies the Legion and decides to head up to the ship to assist in saving Superman and the other bottle cities!

• Issue: 51
• Story Arch: Last Stand of New Krypton – Part Two:  Leaders
• Writer: Sterling Gates
• Pencils: Jamal Igle
• Color: Jared K. Fletcher
• Letters: Joshua Middleton

Green Arrow Issue #31

In our review of Justice League: Rise and Fall Special we asked if that issue was just a feeble attempt to get another $3.99 out of our wallets under the guisse of setting up a pivotal arch in the Green Arrow universe.  Well after reading this issue of Green Arrow I’m a bit undecided on how it actually went.  This issue really could have included almost everything that Rise and Fall did in just a few panels.  In fact it almost did another iteration of the confrontation of Hal, Barry and Dinah.  Instead of slipping away into Prometheus hideout world Ollie actually just kicks their asses and disappears.  So again, not sure what Rise and Fall Special was really needed for but here is what happened in Green Arrow #31.

We begin with Ollie chatting about his past.  Before he was stranded on an island and forced to fend for his life he was a spoiled rich kid, the classic cautionary tale of excess.  But that experience finally did lead back to civilization, not a new civilization but a new Ollie.  An Ollie with a focus as the Green Arrow.  He fought through a different jungle now saving the lives of individuals in Star City one at a time.  Even becoming their elected leader under a different mask of service as their mayor.  He feels as though he’s been fighting for Star City his whole life and what he has to show for it is nothing but wasteland and desolation.

His city is imploding, the people are not pulling together in this time of crisis and destruction.  They are instead afraid and desperate, attacking one another instead of banding together in their greatest time of need.  Ollie states that Star City will never suffer at the hands of Prometheus again, he made sure of that by putting an arrow between his eyes.  But Prometheus wasn’t working alone, his trigger man was the Electrocutioner and he’s still out there somewhere but one thing is true… he can’t hide from Ollie forever.  His mission is to make the Elctrocutioner pay in the same way that Prometheus did.

Ollie is then confronted by Black Canary, Green Lantern and The Flash.  Hal tries to reason with Ollie and explains that he knows exactly what he’s feeling.  When Coast City was destroyed Hal literally had to die to come to grips with what happened.  Green Arrow tosses one of his flash bang arrows at Green Lantern who is temporarily blinded by the flash of light.  Barry reacts by moving for Ollie telling each time he sees him he is reminded he doesn’t like him and he can never understand why Hal was always friends with him.  As Barry grabs Ollie’s quiver he is hit with a large electric shock which renders him paralysed on the ground.  Green Arrow sprints away from the scene of his two downed comrades with Black Canary in tow.

Dinah catches up with Ollie and actually land a few good punches on him.  Ollie eventually pulls another one of his trick arrows and blasts her with an arrow that covers her in glue and holds her in place as Ollie tells her he’s not looking for her approval.  She is not surprised because he never does.

The Flash is racing around the ravaged Star City looking for Ollie.  It only takes him seconds to search what’s left of the city, but he’s not searching the part of the city that Green Arrow knows.  The one beneath the exterior that is a whole other city.  There is an expansive network of catacombs and passages that are the original arteries of the city.  Ollie pops up from under the city to save some citizens from a very aggressive police force.  He runs into Nudocerda the weasel.  But at the police commissioner he’s very dangerous.  The Mayor is out of commission and that means Nudocerda is running the show but Ollie doesn’t have the time to get mixed up with him.  He’s on a mission to find the Elecrocutioner.

Then Ollie runs into his son Connor breaking up a gang fight.  For the first time in awhile Ollie cracks a smile.  He’s filled with the pride of seeing his son in action again.  Connor however… not so excited to see Ollie.  He’s through with the “enlightened” kick he’s lived his whole life.  He’s angry with Ollie and has zero time in his life to forgive Ollie again.

Later Green Arrow is back under the city carrying a torch.  He comes upon another masked hero in the catacombs.  Speedy is standing over a very thrashed and bloodied Elecrocutioner.  She has bow drawn on him and she tells Ollie “Let me kill him.”

So in the end the only thing earth shattering that happens in this issue is that Speedy shows up with a whipped Elecrocutioner.  Everything leading up to that felt like it happened in Justice League: Rise and Fall Special.  All in all the last page was pretty good and maybe now this arch can really start moving!

• Issue: 31
• Story Arch: The Fall of Green Arrow
• Writer: J.T. Krul
• Pencils: Federico Dallocchio
• Color: Michael Atiyeh
• Letters: Sal Cipriano

Superman: Last Stand of New Krypton Issue 1

This Brainiac guy just doesn’t quit! The 12 issue Superman: World of New Krypton has just ended with the appearance of the Brainiac skull based ship hovering over New Krypton and Rao help us all! This issue picks up immediately where SWNK left off. We begin of course with a quick historical narration from General Zod.

Explaining how Kandor was taken from Old Krypton and placed into the bottle on Brainiacs ship. That defeat planted a seed in the people of Kandor, one of defeat and fear.  But the yellow sun that New Krypton orbits has changed things. This time the people of Kandor are ready and able to fight back.

The first few pages are panels of utter mayhem.  A lot of heat vision flying around, robots being ripped in half and general carnage is the gist of it.  Zod is in his command center with Ursa whipping up some scheme to take down Brainiac once and for all. What I really like about fighting Brainiac robots is that Kal-El doesn’t have to pull his punches.  He has no compunction about ripping robots in half with his hands or putting a fist through a metallic skull (quite a difference from his standard method of operation.)

Zod tries his standard approach of firing first and planning later.  To the detriment of many of his soliders and to no effect on the Brainiac ship.  Kal-El can’t take it any longer and quits his post within the military guild.  This is where we get to hear my favorite Superman quote (which I haven’t heard in well over a year of issues.)  “This is a job for Superman” he states as he takes to the sky and rips off his Red Shard uniform to reveal the classic red and blue!

Supergirl finds her mother and they battle their way past the new Brainiac bots which are now firing red suns burst and are able to actually put some hurt on the Kryptonians. With an assist from Mon-El, Conner and The Legion of Superheros it looks like they might be able to turn the tide if Zod was willing to accept their help that is!  He can’t handle it and decides to arrest the Legion instead of accepting their help.

Superman breaks into the Brainiac ship in orbit and is seeking out the main man when he is hit with a blast of kryptonite. But the blast didn’t come from Brainiac.  It came from his apparent new partner in crime.  The evil team up Superman probably never saw coming… Brainiac and Lex Luthor are partners in crime!

In total this is a great setup to what looks like will be a very fun arch in the Superman series.  It was a great way to see Superman get back into the swing of things and pickup the mantle of Superman.  Brainiac stories are always fun, and who doesn’t love a Luthor arch?  So how could the two together go bad?  One thing I was wondering about though in the last full page image.  Why is Lex STILL wearing the orange prison jump suit?  He’s a pretty egotistical guy and even though he’s running around on Brainiac’s ship I gotta believe he’d wanna stop off and make a quick wardrobe change.

Where is this going?  Is Brainiac calling the shots? Is Luthor? Or is General Lane pulling the strings on this? Is someone we don’t know about yet doing?  Where do you think this story is going?

• Issue: 1 (of 3)
• Story Arch: Invaded
• Writer: James Robinson & Sterling Gates
• Pencils: Pete Woods
• Color: Blond
• Letters: Steve Wands

I love how Ollie explains how he was able to get the drop on Prometheus.  The dude is well informed, knew all of Green Arrows skills.  His proficiency with the bow, his hand to hand combat training.  But the thing he forgot about Ollie, at this core he’s not a hero.  He’s a hunter!

This issue is full of some really good panels of the destruction of Star City.  Green Arrow and Canary are on patrol, trying to stop the looting and rioting that are staples of a city that is virtually leveled.  Canary is really worried about Ollie and knows that something is up.  She finds it incredibly strange that he isn’t on the hunt for Prometheus with Hal and Barry.  His need for isolation is truly disturbing her.

We then get a really forced dialouge between Wally and Dick about how they feel about Roy and his situation. They remenice about how all three of them started as young heros and how their lives have all turned out so differently.  Are they just that lucky Dick wonders?  Can they continue to be or are they fated to end up just like Roy someday?

Hal and Barry travel to Opal City to confront Shade on his involvement and whether he has any clues to where Prometheus is located.  He explains that everywhere has shadows and takes them to the hideout.  We are presented with a great image of a dead Prometheus (helmet missing) and an arrow protruding from his bloody skull.

All in all this one shot issues does a great job setting up a new chapter in the Green Arrow world.  Lays the foundation for some dark roads and sets up the four issue limited series:  The Rise of Arsenal.  It also ends with a great multipage “newspaper” article from The Star Gazette.  A rather heart felt article about what happened to their city and how the Green Arrow is both a savior and a menace to their great city.

Definitely worth checking out if you are a Green Arrow fan or if you are interested in getting a little back story on the new Arsenal story arch.  But what do you think?  Was this issue meant to truly setup a compelling and fulfilling story arch going forward?  Or was this a shameless opportunity to release yet another one shot to snag a few bucks outta your wallet?  Let us know what you think!

• Issue: 1 (one shot)
• Story Arch: Unbound
• Writer: J.T. Krul
• Pencils: Diogenes Neves, Mike Mayhew, Fabrizio Fiorentino
• Inks: Mayhew, Vicente Cifuentes & Ruy Jose
• Color: Nei Ruffino & Any Troy
• Letters: John J. Hill

Green Lantern Issue 45

This is one of the first issues released since the Blackest Night #1.  And it picks up right where Hal and Barry left off in that issue, standing over the defiled grave of Bruce Wayne.  They are then confronted by a mummified looking Martian Manhunter who tells them they should both be dead.   As J’onn’s black ring scans Green Lantern and Flash it shows Hal in a halo of green for will and Barry in a blue haze that says hope.  Hal’s ring reports that J’onn has negative life signs and he then wastes no time trying to take J’onn down, but the Martian Manhunter has something to say about this.

We get into an all out brawl at this point! J’onn pulls out all his old powers showing that he truly isn’t just a dead minion.  Shapeshifting, intangibility, flight, heat vision and mind control all get thrown at Hal and Barry who barely escape getting their hearts ripped out by J’onn.  At one point J’onn makes a comment (as he’s ripping a building  off its foundation) “I’m as powerful as Superman.  Why does everyone forget that?”

We then are brought back to Oa where Scar has his fellow guardians wrapped up in black bile and floating in space viewing the raging war of light that is spreading across the universe. The Guardians ask Scar why he is betraying them. To which Scar replies, “I am simply carrying out the mission we began together billions of years ago: I am brining order to the universe… it’s time for a new army to save the universe.” As the black lanterns continue to rip open peoples chests Scar is receiving reports of the rising black power levels.

We then are back in Gotham where J’onn influences Barry’s mind and forces him to attack Hal.  We are treated to a great two page spread with the Flash landing a killer left hook across the jaw of Green Lantern. Hal flashes Barry in the face with his ring and snaps him out of the mind control. J’onn then smashes Hal with a right hand knocking him towards the bat signal on top of the police station and then turns and bitch slaps Barry into a pile of sewage.  Telling Barry “Justice is dead” as Barry slowly slips under the surface.

Our final two pages take us to space sector 1313 where John Stewart is sitting on an asteroid remembering his own failure and mistakes which resulted in the destruction of Xanshi.  While John sits and tortures himself mentally a horde of black rings come whizzing by him and smash into the remains of the planet Xanshi… commanding it to rise!

• Issue: 44
• Story Arch: Only the Good Die Young
• Writer: Geoff Johns
• Pencils: Doug Mahnke
• Inks: Christian Alamy
• Color: Randy Mayor
• Letters: Rob Leigh

The Dead Shall Rise

It has begun.  The War of Light is raging and the dead shall rise.  This issue is nothing but a thrill ride of horror from beginning to end.  An action packed  A-List of heroes and villains are all lined up to make this truly a summer blockbuster event.  I think that Geoff does a great job in this issue of not making this a “Green Lantern” story arc.  Obviously the main theme is Green Lantern related, the henchman of death is a Guardian, a bunch of zombie like creatures are now wearing power rings… but beyond that you see very quickly that this is going to go far beyond anything strictly Oan.  If for some reason you weren’t planning on picking up this series… change your mind now.  This is going to be a gory roller coaster ride from beginning to end.

We kick off the issue with Black Hand in the grave yard digging up an unmarked grave next to Martha and Thomas Wayne.  Then we jump to an explosion of black power rings that erupts within Space Sector 666.  Like a swarm of flies they are coming and they are seeking flesh!  We then jump to Coast City on the anniversary of the day that everyone thought Superman died.  This day has been declared a National Day of Mourning… since Superman returned it’s become a day to remember Super-Beings who gave their lives protecting the world; and the innocents they failed to save.  The Green Lantern crew consisting of Hal Jordan, John Stewart, Guy Gardner and Kyle Rayner ignite a “No Fear” memorial in the center of Coast City as Hal comments on the loved ones he has lost in his days a Green Lantern.

As the emerald flames shine on the faces of the people of Coast City we see flashes of people across the world mourning those they have lost.  In Smallville Conner, Clark and their Ma Kent are at the grave of Jonathan Kent.  Pittsburgh shows us the grave of Ronnie Raymond the first Firestorm.  San Francisco the Teen Titans view the memorials of their comrades.  Even the Flash’s own Central City hosts the Hidden Graveyard of Rogues.   And we hear the debate over Arthur Curry and his being buried on land when he has a magnificent tomb waiting for him under the sea.  Then in Gotham City Alfred discovers the grave of the man he raised has been dug up, defiled and remains stolen.

We are then treated to a view of the underground morgue three stories beneath the headquarters of the Justice League of America.  Hal is explaining why they hold these remains locked up underground.  There is a great panel of the Flash looking at the coffin of Roger Hayden the Psycho-Pirate.  Does anyone remember why they had bad blood?  Barry can’t believe how many they have lost since he’s been gone and he asks Hal to educate him on exactly who they have lost in the span of his “death.”  Hal uses his ring to create constructs of all the fallen heroes.  Barry is utterly shocked to see that Firestorm, Ralph and Sue are all deceased.
Next is a full page shot of the Guardians overlooking a huge vortex of light.  They announce that they have failed.  The war of light has erupted.  They view the varying battles currently raging.  The violet light of love trying to conquer the yellow.  Green Lanterns battling Red Lanterns of rage.  The Orange Avarice battling the Blue Light of Hope.  They say that in nearly every sector, the lanterns clash.  Emotion runs rampant.  And coming from Sector 666 is a shadow.   A shadow that is spreading and heading directly towards them.  They attempt to call a Code Black and have all Lanterns return to protect Oa.  Scar speaks up and tells them that they will never receive the distress call.  When asked why the reply is simply, “Because it will never be made.”  With this Scar lunges and rips open the neck of the nearest Guardian with his teeth and proceeds to reach directly into his chest Temple of Doom style and rips out his green heart!

At this point the swarm of black rings have reached their destinations.  They break into the crypt of Green Lanterns.  They arrive on Mars, Korugar, Earth…. Etc.  And the dead now RISE.  Fantastic two page panel of all the dead Green Lanterns standing in a gory huddle mass (see if you can identify and name them all!)  Standing over the defiled grave of Bruce Wayne, Green Lantern and the Flash are greeted by a very bad ass looking Martian Manhunter.
The final pages show us Hawkman and Hawkgirl in a heated argument.  From behind them we see them through the perspective of a third party.  They are both glowing red and we see a black ring report “Rage.”  Then as their discussion cools down we see them glow violet and the black ring reports “Love.”  Then Kendra is pieced through and through from behind with a spike and an explosion of blood.  Carter is then cracked in the mouth with his own mace as the twisted bodies of Ralph and Sue stand over them as Black Lanterns.  Ralph reaches into Carter’s chest and pulls out his red gushing heart.  As he holds it over his head Ralph’s ring reports, “Power levels 0.02%”  The same happens as Sue removes Kendra’s heart.  The Black Hand steps in and says, “You won’t escape death this time. Death will take us all and the universe will be at peace.  Then from the skull of Bruce Wayne that Black Hand is clutching two more black rings appear and command Carter Hall and Kendra Saunders of Earth to rise!

• Issue: 1
• Story Arch: The Blackest Night
• Writer: Geoff Johns
• Pencils: Ivan Reis
• Color: Alex Sinclair
• Letters: Nick J. Napolitano

1. Green Lantern: Rebirth

It all starts here! Or did it all restart here?  Hal Jordan has overcome his inner demons and separates himself from the Spectre.  This arc was published as a six-issue arc from October 2004 to May 2005 and starred characters from throughout the entire 60 year history of Green Lantern.  Not only do we get Hal back, but the Guardians of the Universe, Kilowog and even Sinestro get their own rebirth as it were in this story by Geoff Johns with illustration by Ethan Van Sciver.  But one of the aspects from this story that is having ramifications five years later with the Blackest Night is the introduction of the emotional spectrum.

2. Green Lantern: No Fear

Green Lantern Issues 1-6

Geoff Johns is back at it again here and is kicking off the newest volume of Green Lantern with issues 1-6.  This story is about Hal Jordan attempting to restart his life after having been dead for quite some time.  He returns to a very different Coast City. He becomes a test pilot with the Air Force again and starts reconnecting with all his old super hero friends.  But along with these friends come some old enemies.  Hal and his ring tangle up with Hector Hammond, Shark, The Manhunters and Black Hand (he’ll be REALLY important later.)

3. Green Lantern: Revenge of The Green Lanterns

Green Lantern Issues 7-13

Geoff is really on a roll now with issues 7-13 finding Hal hoping to get some redemption for his ill deeds during his stint as Parallax.  Tomar Tu who was thought to have been killed by Parallax comes crashing into Earth alive and muttering that he is there to kill Hal Jordan.  Hal returns to the Guardians and recounts his story of how killed several Lanterns as Parallax and believes now that Tomar Tu has returned it is possible that others have survived. The sector where these Lanterns may be held is called Blackest Night and is of course off limits to all Green Lanterns.  Of course Hal is going to go, and the story that unfolds has some surprising ramifications on the Green Lantern universe!

4. Green Lantern: WANTED – Hal Jordan

Green Lantern Issues 14-20

Things slow down a tad here but it’s clear that Geoff is laying a foundation for events to come.  These issues explain the story of how Hal is capture (without a ring) by terrorists and tortured for over three months.  Once he finally frees himself he returns (ring on finger) to rescue a comrade from the same terrorists.  In the process Hal is labeled as an International terrorist and must work to clear his name.  We also get another quick story about the Star Sapphire with a new twist on their origins (this part will also be REALLY important later on!)

5. Green Lantern: Sinestro Corps War Vol. 1

Green Lantern 21-23 and Green Lantern Corps 14-15

So begins a story line that rocks the Green Lantern Universe to it’s very core.  The pink skinned bad boy known as Sinestro gathers an army of fuel feared soldiers to ring sling the yellow power.  A few of his recruits include:  Arkillo, Karu-Sil and the Cyborg-Superman.  Kyle Rayner becomes possessed with the Parallax fear entity and becomes a tool of Sinestro to reek havoc across the galaxy.

6. Green Lantern: Sinestro Corps War Vol. 2

Green Lantern 24-25 and Green Lantern Corps 16-19

The war rages on and comes to a spectacular finale as Hal comes face to face with the Guardian of Sinestro’s army.  Does he have the will power to overcome this fear?  An old Crisis throw back even makes an appearance!

7. Green Lantern: Tales of the Sinestro Corps

Compilation of Awesome One-Shots!

This compilation provides a ton of filler information and back stories for the new evil badasses racing through the universe. Ion, Parallax, Cyborg and Superman-Prime all get a one-shot.  Also included are the Green Lantern Sinestro Corps Special and Green Lantern/Sinestro Corps Secret Files as well as backup stories from Green Lantern 18-20.

8. Green Lantern: Secret Origin

Green Lantern Issues 29-35

Who doesn’t love a retelling of a super heroe’s origin?  It’s a great way to pass the time for four or five issues while not having to come up with any new material.  Well not this time!  This is a great re-telling of Hal Jordan’s training with a twist.  We get a lot more information about Hal’s predecessor, Abin Sur and who or what killed him.  Sinestro is there the whole time teaching Hal the ropes and we get an introduction to a very powerful foe name Atrocitus from forbidden sector 666. Atrocitus has a desire to find a young man name William Hand (who will one day grow up to be Black Hand… told you he’d be important soon.)

9. Green Lantern: Rage of the Red Lanterns

Atrocitus is back after many years in isolation and he has learned to channel the rage people are feeling over the destruction that Sinestro has caused.  Atrocitus and his follows snap-up Sinestro and take him to their home world to put him to death.  On the way to save Sinestro, Hal is swooped away by the new Blue Lantern Corps.  This new group was created by Ganthet to spread hope across the universe. With the introduction of two new colors of the emotional spectrum we are well on our way to crashing right into the Blackest Night!

10. Green Lantern Corps: Ring Quest

Green Lantern Corps 19-20 and 23-26

This is the story of how Mongul has gotten a hold of a few Sinestro Corps rings and is amassing his own army.  After the Corps has a confrontation with Mongul they decide they must go out and find any and all remaining rings from members of the Sinestro Corps.

11. Green Lantern: Sins of the Star Sapphire

Green Lantern Corps 27-32

Tensions are rising between the Guardians and the Zamarons and the little blue guys decide to take a diplomatic mission to their home planet.  In the mean time the Green Lantern Corps are busy trying to avenge the deaths of the family members of new Green Lantern recruits.  In addition a new law is added to the book of Oa and many lanterns are struggling to comes to grips with it.

12. Green Lantern Corps: Emerald Eclipse

Green Lantern Corps 33-38

In the Prelude to the Blackest Night the Sinestro Corps has returned.  Or is it the Mongul Corps now?  Mongul has taken over the planet Daxam (home of Sodam Yat) and enslaved it’s entire population.  And although Sodam has vowed never to return to the xenophobic planet he must now decide if it is worth it to save his entire population from the clutches of the new evil yellow lanterns.

Well that’s it!  Get to reading and be an expert on everything leading up to the events of the Blackest Night!

Green Lantern Issue 43

Well it’s finally here!  After five or six issues of “Preludes” to The Blackest Night running in both the Green Lantern and Green Lantern: Corps titles we now have the official Prologue to Blackest Night.  The events in this issues all take place before Blackest Night #0 (which was given away on free comic book day some weeks ago.)  In this story narrated by William “Black” Hand we finally see the origin of the first Black Lantern.

We learn that young William Hand is the middle child of a man who runs the Hand Mortuary.  Williams first memories are of his father at “work” and since that day William has had a disturbing fascination with death that makes him very misunderstood by his family.  After killing and stuffing the family dog William is forced into therapy.  After working with half a dozen therapist William finally learns what these shrinks want to hear and creates a facade to mask enough of the twisted thoughts inside him to make him known simply as the “Black Sheep” of the Hand family.

As a young adult William receives the Cosmic Diving Rod from Atrocitus during a battle with Hal Jordan and Sinestro.  With a device in hand that has the ability to absorb the emerald energy from the Green Lantern ring William’s obsession with extinguishing green light begins.  Obsessed with putting out the green light that keeps him awake William fashions a uniform out of a body bag from his fathers mortuary and so is born Black Hand.

We get a summary of Black Hand’s rise to power and his seemingly never ending battles with multiple Green Lanterns.  And how one day he begins to see death everywhere and can hear it calling his name.  Brining us back to the present; Death leads him to the unmarked grave of none other than Bruce Wayne.  Leaving the grave yard Black Hand returns to his family home where he promptly uses the Cosmic Diving Rod to obliterate his entire family.  Sitting at the family dinner table with the slaughtered bodies of his family all lying around Death speaks to William, “You’re not finished.  One more Death.”  Placing the rod to right temple William Hand blows his brains out with emerald energy.

As Black Hand is laying in a pool of blood next to his family Scar appears saying that this act pleases HIM.  A Black Ring emerges from the black bile inside Scar and William Hand of Earth is ordered to Rise.  Like Ion is to the emerald light, Parallax to the yellow and Predator to the Violet; Black Hand is the embodiment of power for the Black Lanterns.  In a truly disturbing final full page pane Black Hand proclaims, “With this power I will finally extinguish the light.”

I thought this issue was amazing kickoff to the highly anticipated summer event.  It was also a great way to bridge stories between the previous story arch and the Blackest Night arch.  The backgrounds are all in place, the first Black Lantern has been born and Death seems to be running the show!  Next issue we are to see the return of J’onn J’onzz of Mars.

• Issue: 43
• Story Arch: Tale of the Black Lantern
• Writer: Geoff Johns
• Pencils: Doug Mahnke
• Inks: Christian Alamy
• Color: Randy Mayor
• Letters: Rob Leigh