[Editor’s note: This review may contain spoilers.]
Writer: Robert Venditti
Penciller: Rafa Sandoval
Inker: Jordi Tarragona
Colorist: Tomeu Morey
Summary
The Green Lanterns and Sinestro Corps figure out they’ve been imprisoned by Brainiac and taken to Okaara, home of Larfleeze, the Avatar of Avarice. We learn that Larfleeze stumbled upon Brainiac 2.0 a while back and was able to control him with the Orange Light and had Brainiac help him collect things. Now that Soranik and John Stewart know their enemy Stewart formulates a plan to escape the bottle, only he’s not sure Soranik is willing to cooperate.
Positives
John and Soranik finally are able to work together and it’s a nice moment for them and the two Corps to come together. Now it won’t be an easy alliance along the way, but it definitely feels that they’ve made a step in the right direction. It should prove to be interesting to see what comes next. Has John made real progress? Will Hal vouch for Soranik when he arrives? A truce and alliance between the Sinestro Corps and the Green Lantern Corps would be a significant change of status quo for the Green Lantern family of books. Using Larfleeze’s avarice against him was a clever move on John’s part. It also allows us to see the manic Larfleeze.
Negatives
This is one of those issues that makes you think one thing and then it flips around, and you kind of figure it out along the way, hoping your’re right, and afraid you may be wrong. This misdirection is the only thing wrong with this issue, and it’s not so much the flip flop but that feeling the writer is doing something you absolutely hate at the beginning.
Verdict
The Green Lantern mythos have undergone a number of big changes in the past 20 plus years. This arc feels like it is on the verge of another big change. It doesn’t hurt that Sayd and Ganthet are the only two remaining Guardians of the Universe and it appears they are about to become relevant again, and at the same time the story revisits popular concepts and recasts others in a new light. Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps continues to be an interesting, surprising and sometimes challenging title, but challenging in a good.
