Green Lantern Corps #21 introduces our new creative team, Robert Vendetti and Van Jensen writing, and Bernard Chang providing the art. The team hits the ground running, introducing new characters, reintroducing an alien race, and doing it all with great pacing and artwork.
The Good:
There are four new lanterns introduced to us in this issue. Although they made brief appearances in Green Lantern #21, they weren’t really introduced to the reader. Rather, they were briefly mentioned so that the reader can see some of the new recruits being brought into the Corps. Each one of the four is given six panels, which gives readers nice glimpse into their personalities and values. The use of color is great in these pages. Jruk is given a red hue to his panels obviously because of the blood, but also because he is filled with rage. The barren look of Rojira helps introduce Ergann especially well, as he is abandoned by his group, the reader can see the fear and defeat in the artwork, but the use of yellow adds a Sinestro Corps touch. For Maro and Feska, there is a mix of indigo and purple that one can only assume gives a bit of insight into the compassion in their hearts.
Salaak is headed on a classic adventure searching for redemption and self-discovery that shows plenty of promise. He blames himself for the deaths the Guardians caused, as do several other members of the Corps. He informs Natu that he plans to search for any remaining hidden projects the guardians might have throughout the universe.
The big reveal at the end of the issue reintroduces the Durlans, who appear to be poised to become major villains for the Green Lantern Corps. If done right, shape shifters can be great villains, as they can attack from anywhere and are inherently deceitful. The Green Lanterns use their imagination to will any weapon they can into existence, while shape shifters become anything they can imagine, creating an interesting dynamic for any battle between them.
Of course a review of Green Lantern Corps would be pointless without some discussion of John Stewart. As the focal point of the series, we can expect a lot more development into the character’s history and personality. This can only be a good thing and his relationship with Fatality is becoming more interesting, especially now that we know he fears the “L” word.
The Bad
We all know this is John Stewart’s book. With that said, the four rookies, and even the New Guardians bring a lot to the table. Giving each group maybe two more pages would have been great for each group and it certainly would not have hurt John and Fatality.
This was a great debut for our new creative team. We have new villains, new characters, and a new take on several characters we’ve known for quite some time. This team has so much potential (both the creative team and our current Green Lantern Corps) that I can’t wait for #22.
