Publisher: DC Comics
Writer: Geoff Johns
Artist: Doug Mahnke
Cover: Doug Mahnke
“Love Hurts” : Right on the heels of the Sinestro Corps War, DC pushes their Green Lantern books into overdrive! Blackest Night is one of the hottest events in comics right now, and this tie in keeps the pace just as fast and intense as the main title! I can’t express how happy I am that the Green Lantern tie ins aren’t filler issues, but just as impressive and at some points better than the main arc.
Now if you’re looking to see Hal Jordan ring sling his way to victory here then you’ll have better luck in another book. The title character doesn’t make one appearance and the book carries on like it doesn’t even need him! The story picks up on Zamora where the Star Sapphires are in a heated battle with several members of the Sinestro Corps. During this fight several members are freed from the Star Sapphire’s conversion crystals, and among them are none other than Sinestro himself! He immediately attacks the former girlfriend of Hal, and now Star Sapphire, Carol Ferris in an attempt to get her to back down. Carol however isn’t listening, and puts up a damn good fight and at one point traps Sinestro in another chrysalis. Forcing him to see his lost love and experience his loss all over again, he breaks free angrier than before only to be interrupted by the arrival of several Black Lanterns. At various points in the book we planet hop to the home worlds of the Red, Blue, Yellow, and Orange Corps, getting a look at how events are shaping up and which dead Lanterns of various colors are being converted into Black Lanterns!
This story is best described as organized chaos! Geoff Johns does a great job with keeping this thing moving at breakneck speed, but giving you a big chunk of story to digest! The dialogue during the fights isn’t just bravado and quips, but vital info that you’ll need later on. The visuals capture the organized chaos of the story perfectly as well! Doug Mahnke does a marvelous job from start to finish, hands down! From the huge 2 page spread of John Stewart in space looking down at the large insignia of the Black Lanterns, to the last 2 page spread of Larfleez surrounded by all the newly created Black Lanterns in his lair. The battle scenes are chaotic and clustered, but that’s what a battle should be, especially one this intense. Mahnke gets this across and his scenes flow very well regardless of the amount of people/creatures on the page! The next issue is set up for Sinestro vs. Mongul, so I can’t wait to see the visuals he gives us for that one!
I was never a really huge Green Lantern fan or reader, and would only barely keep up with the character and events. I can actually say that because of issues like this I have barely missed an issue in the past 2 years!
Infinite Speech
infinitespeech@comicattack.net
Blackest night does sound cool. Now I hear Marvels next “big” story will be about raising the dead. Time to think of your own material boys.
apparently Marvel did state that it’s a “coincidence” that these stories are going on at the same time and that theirs is on a much smaller scale. But i’ve seen where one company will do an event and then the other will have something similar or vice versa.
That scene where Carol nearly schools Sinestro was f-ing awesome!
Hey IS, I don’t believe in coincidence. (It happens too often. lol)
I bet all of these guys in the industry sit around playing poker and drinkin’ and just “leak” ideas to each other
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